“Exactly,” Roux grunted. “He and Claudette.”
I wanted to stomp and say,Just because Henrik spent three nights sucking her blood doesn’t mean he killed her,but I petered out, studying my own words.
But, wait. I’d seen Henrik last night.
“What time did it happen — the murder, I mean?” I forced out that ugly word.
Bene snorted. “Officer Dulaire might be a tight-ass, but he’s a smart tight-ass. He didn’t let any details slip.”
“Well, I saw Henrik in the drawing room at two in the morning.”
“What was he doing in the drawing room at two in the morning?” Roux asked. “Hang on. What wereyoudoing in the drawing room at two in the morning?”
I thought fast, not ready to fess up to the nature of my mission last night.
“I couldn’t sleep. I went to the drawing room for a magazine, and I saw Henrik. He didn’t see me, though.”
They stared at me, then each other.
“Henrik stopped patrolling at around that time, and I took over,” Bene said. “So, that fits.”
Roux rubbed his chin, and Bene looked at the floor.
I cocked my head. “What?”
“Let’s say that’s actually the time of the crime,” Bene ventured slowly.
I waited.
“Then Henrik has an alibi.”
I nodded eagerly.
Bene spent a long time thinking that over, then shook his head. “Okay, I’ll admit it. I’ll shed a lot more tears for Claudette than I ever will over Henrik getting locked up.”
Me too, but—
Then it hit me. “Are you suggesting we let him get locked up?”
The time it took for Bene to reply spoke volumes. “Just wondering if we should let karma run its course.”
I looked at Roux for support, but he was staring into the distance.
I opened my mouth to protest, but Bene spoke quickly. “Nah. Probably not right.”
Still, now that he’d planted the thought…
Bene sighed and rubbed his belly. “Would it be rude and insensitive to suggest getting lunch?”
Roux grimaced, but his stomach rumbled. Up to that point, I’d had zero appetite. But now that Bene had raised the topic…
We waited another half hour, then asked Agent Bear if we could step out.
He snorted. “No one asked you to be here.”
“You know, I’m pretty sure I’ve never met a rude bear — until now,” I told him, point-blank. I was that hangry.
He looked down, a little ashamed, and we stalked out.
