“I’ll send you a list. I have contacts at every paper.”
Scarlett blinked. But of course the prime minister would have those contacts.
Elestine sighed. “Before last night, you two had so much public support, and that counts for something. Let’s get the young progressives riled up on your behalf. If we play our cards right, we could use this awful incident to help bolster the case for legalizing magic.”
Scarlett had been so focused on Brayden and Laylani she hadn’t calculated that far ahead, but she was once again impressed by Elestine’s dedication to the cause. “That’s a good point. And imagine if the incident last night turns out to be linked to my dad’s death.”
Elestine whimpered softly. As Scarlett took in her distress, her fondness for the prime minister deepened. They sat silently for several seconds, both thinking of Jules. Laylani and all that had transpired yesterday flashed through Scarlett’s mind.
“There’s something I should mention. I kicked my stepmother out of my house last night.”
Elestine’s voice rumbled with satisfaction. “It’s about time you got rid of her. The woman can’t be trusted. We’ll find more evidence without her under your roof. We need something, though, if we’re ever going to get a subpoena to search the Goldenrods’ headquarters or the bureau.”
Scarlett stared out her window at a boat passing by on the canal as she voiced the daring idea she’d been mulling over. “What if we act without evidence? What ifIact? That Goldenrod fundraiser—the Golden Gala—is tomorrow night at the St. Germain Hotel. They’ll all be there. I could personally send someone undercover into the Goldenrod Party headquarters to search for evidence while it’s empty. Records of payment, employment—anything to incriminate them.”
Worst-case, she lost her seat in Parliament and had to flee the country with Brayden to escape arrest. As long as Beni came with her, that didn’t sound so bad. It sounded much better than meeting a violent end in Soleil.
“If I were acting alone, rather than as one of the Ceruleans, it wouldn’t be as disastrous for the party—for you—if we were caught. Would the court allow evidence obtained that way?”
“That seems rather bold,” said Elestine, but to Scarlett’s surprise, she didn’t sound horrified. “Given the suspicions we have about the bureau, it could make room for me to issue an executive order for a retroactive subpoena. But only if it wererealevidence. The ends would justify the means.”
Scarlett tapped a pen on her desktop. “I’ll try it. I’m desperate. Brayden is in jail. I have a capable bodyguard, but that doesn’t mean I’m safe. I’ve never been happier that Beni is Laylani’s son, because that will keep him safe, but the last thing I want is to die and leave him alone with her.” After last night, her already intense desire to keep Beni out of Laylani’s grasp had multipliedexponentially.
“We won’t let that happen,” said Elestine. “One thing at a time. Let’s spend the rest of the weekend doing damage control with the press.”
“I’ll line up as many interviews as I can,” said Scarlett. “Garner more public sympathy and stop my father’s legislative dreams from bleeding out. And could you revisit your conversations with some of the Cerulean lords to convey the uptick in urgency? Perhaps we should make them aware.”
“Of course. So far, I’ve been vague with the lords I’ve spoken to about the need to investigate key Goldenrods. I think it’s time to be more direct. I’ll contact our allies and arrange a strategy meeting at my office at 7 a.m. tomorrow. If you’re sure about the break-in, come with a plan. If there are any further developments in the meantime, call me.”
“Perfect, thank you,” said Scarlett, grateful Elestine was convening a meeting. “By the way, I’m glad you weren’t hurt last night. At least I assume you weren’t. The police said you left right away.”
Elestine hummed in agreement. “Hmm, yes. It was lucky we were quite close to the exit when it all kicked off.”
Scarlett pursed her lips. “Yes, you might have easily been right next to us in line if it weren’t for that thirty-year-old whiskey.”
“It’s funny how the tiniest things can make such a difference.” Elestine sounded pensive.
After she hung up, Scarlett took a deep breath. She didn’t want to deal with any of this. For a brief moment she fantasized about screaming into the mirror, until Lachlan appeared. She could tell him to break Brayden out of jail today so they could both run off to Clair de Lune and forget Soleil entirely, but that wasn’t really what she wanted. Steeling herself, she picked up her phone once more and called the police station where Brayden was being held.
She was on hold for five minutes before a voice asked, “Lady Heroux?”
“Yes, this is she.”
“Officer Geruda here. I know you’d like to speak to your husband. Unfortunately, given the high-profile nature of the case and the severity of the charges, we’re restricting him from speaking to anyone except his lawyer.”
Scarlett swallowed her desire to scream. “Our family lawyer will be at the station shortly. I expect to hear from him that my husband is being treated with respect while he’s in custody, sir.”
Next on her list were mercenaries, so Scarlett went looking for Cass. She found her bodyguard in the gym using the weights bench. Even seeing the gym caused a pang in her chest—everything reminded her of Brayden. They hadn’t worked out together yet, and who knew when they would? Even her surfboard racked against the far wall reminded her of teaching him to surf.
Cass was watching live surveillance footage of the house up on the small mounted television while chest-pressing a heavy barbell. Sweat gleamed on her skin. She racked her weight and sat up as soon as she noticed Scarlett.
“Hey. You need me?”
“Sorry to bother you,” said Scarlett, impressed by the multitasking. “Shouldyou be working out after last night?”
“I heal quickly. It’s a nocturna thing.” Cass wiped the sweat off her brow with a small towel.
“Oh, cool.” A small weight lifted off Scarlett, knowing she needn’t worry about Cass’s health. Then she remembered why she came down here, and her jaw tensed. “I came down because I need your help. I need to find the sort of people who can help me break into Goldenrod headquarters and possibly the Soleil Bureau.”
