“You asked how Grannam died.” Matherson sat back and returned the conversation to Jade’s change of subject. “Rienevoir. No obvious wounds, illness, or erratic behavior. The tinting of the eyes and gums gave it away, and there was a drink near where his body was found.”
Jade’s eyes flickered over the space before her as her mind raced. A vengeful family member wouldn’t just happen to have access to rienevoir. Grannam was poisoned by the same assassin.
“In that case, either his hired killer turned on him, or...” Jade trailed off as new possibilities floated in the front of her mind. It seemed impossible. She had been so sure.
“Or what, Ni’ihm?”
Jade met Matherson’s gaze. “Or Lord Grannam was never the one behind the murders to begin with.”
Something in Commander Matherson’s expression relaxed as he considered Jade’s suggestion, drumming his fingers on the desk in rapid succession. “But we’ve considered him the culprit for some time, and you claim to have found evidence proving it was him.”
“I did find a letter implicating him. There’s always a possibility...I don’t know. It could have been planted? Maybe someone was framing him.”
Theo’s voice cut through the conversation for the first time since they arrived. “This whole time, it would have taken the heat off their back. Grannam could have discovered the truth, and they silenced him.”
“Or they are making their final moves,” Matherson suggested. “Lady Arabella or Prince Reynauld could also be in their sights. We’ll add extra military support to Lesseine, as well as Evenshold Palace. The family will be holding a memorial service for Lord Grannam there in a few days’ time.”
Jade sat back in the chair and swallowed the anxiety clawing up her throat. Arabella could easily be next. No one was safe.
“What about his associate?” Jade asked, her mind whirring through all avenues. “The man I overheard him meeting with. The opera led me to believe he wasn’t the assassin”—Jade flashed her eyes at Theo, subconsciously seeking support on the matter—“but he was involved with Lord Grannam in some way. Could he have turned on him? Paid off the assassin to take Grannam out? Maybe after a deal went badly.”
Matherson tapped a finger on the desk. “It’s a possibility, but not a likely one. I imagine one man working for the Duke of Evenshold wouldn’t have much sway over another. Lord Grannam was the one with the wealth and resources. But we’ll do everything in our power to find this associate. There have to be some records of their dealings. If Grannam was behind it, perhaps he could lead us to the assassin.”
Or it could be a dead end. If Grannam had never been the one ordering the killings, they might be right back where they started with no leads and no idea where to look next.
Jade sighed. How had she been so wrong? With the conversations she’d overheard between Grannam and his associate, the letters she’d found, even the poison he’d purchased—it had all pointed to him being the person behind the murders. But she’d never known what he planned to do with the poison, nor what he had secretly discussed with his associate, nor what he and Arabella had argued about.
But it wasn’t just her own inclination. Nicolas had pointed her in Grannam’s direction. He believed Grannam was responsible as much as Jade did. They had both latched on to the same inaccurate assumption.
Theo and Matherson continued talking as Jade lost herself in her memories, filtering through everything she had learned about this conflict and the players involved. What had she missed? Something had to be there, something that could send them after the real killer.
The only other living contenders were Prince Reynauld, Lady Arabella, and Lord Marchand. Jade didn’t imagine that either Reynauld or Arabella were behind it, especially when the line was rightfully theirs, but it wasn’t impossible.
But Marchand...Jade recalled something Marguerite had said about Lord Marchand the last time she had visited Evenshold Palace.
Threats.
Lord Marchand sent them letters.
They would pay for it.
Jade broke through the conversation still happening between Matherson and Theo. “Sir, if you remember, in the debrief from my last visit with Lady Marguerite, she mentioned she believed Lord Marchand was behind the murders. He had sent threats to both Lord Grannam and Lady Arabella at the start of the conflict.”
“Yes, and we disregarded that knowing that Marguerite was biased.” Matherson’s hand swatted through the air with a dismissive wave. “She admitted to you that she was on her father’s side. Of course she wouldattempt to put the blame on someone else. Even if she didn’t know your true identity or your loyalties, she would never admit to her father’s culpability.”
Jade scooted to the front edge of her seat and leaned forward, staring Matherson down. “But what if she was telling the truth? She might have been on to something. Especially now that Grannam is dead. Someone killed him. Lord Marchand seems like a good place to start. I know his greenhouse was searched after we realized the killer was using rienevoir, but maybe we should take another look.”
Commander Matherson covered his mouth with a hand as his elbow rested on the desk, seeming to consider what Jade had said. Finally, he admitted, “It’s a lead, and we don’t have anything else right now.”
Taking a deep breath through her nose, Jade eased back and her shoulders relaxed. She could do this apart from Nicolas. She could right her wrongs.
“And about this informant of yours . . . ”
Jade’s blood turned to ice. Of course Matherson wouldn’t dismiss her from this meeting without learning all he could about Nicolas, and rightly so.
“Tell me what you know about him. You say he’s a supporter of the true line of succession.”
She coughed as she attempted a casual shrug. “That’s what he’s said. To be perfectly honest, Commander, I know little about him. He told me his name is Lord Nicolas Camarata and that he used to be the secret personal bodyguard of the king.”
