“Neither did I,” Eunice said. “Although, according to Doris, that’s simply because I was always spending my time with Grandfather.” She frowned. “Did you notice the hint of resentment in her voice when she said that?”
“It would have been hard to miss,” Cooper said, wiping a smear of chocolate from his lips with a handkerchief. “But I don’t think they’re viable candidates for the crime, unless they came home from boarding school and no one knew it.”
“We’ll keep them on the list, just in case,” Eunice said before she set her sights on Mason’s Dry Goods Store. “Shall we see if Howard is around?”
Arthur took Eunice’s arm again, and together they began making their way across Main Street, dodging people and carriages as they crossed. “I’m not sure Howard’s going to disclose anything of worth to us,” he began. “It’s clear the family is closing ranks against you, which means it’ll be—”
Before he could finish the sentence, a shot rang out, and without a second’s hesitation, he grabbed hold of Eunice and took her to the ground.
CHAPTER
Twenty-Six
“You were certainly right about the investigation moving along at a rapid clip considering someone has already tried to murder you, and we’ve only been in town a little over a day,” Ivan muttered. “And not that I want to say I told you so, but if you wouldn’t have divulged the fact we’re here to find a murderer, you wouldn’t now be sporting that lump on your head. Although I suppose it’s better than you sporting a bullet hole.”
Eunice lifted the ice pack Aunt Hazel had given her from the large lump on her head, compliments of hitting her head against the hard surface of Main Street. “I know, Ivan, you were right, but now we know for sure that we’ve gotten the murderer’s attention, and we can whittle the list of suspects down simply because some of the people on our list have alibis.”
“How delightful to learn I’m no longer a suspect,” Aunt Hazel said, bustling into the library with a bowl filled with a fresh batch of ice. She took the towel Eunice was holding, dumped fresh ice into it, then placed the towel back on Eunice’s head. “Keep that on for a good thirty minutes, dear. Thankfully, the swelling does seem to be going down, and at least you didn’t mar that beautiful face of yours when you fell.”
“I didn’t fall. Arthur took me to the ground, and then Ivanjumped on top of him, which sufficiently left me squished in the dirt and things best left unmentioned on Main Street.”
“Seemed better than allowing you to be shot,” Ivan said.
“I’m not complaining.” Eunice leaned back against the fainting couch right as Howard burst into the room, Hester, Doris, and Alice rushing in after him.
“We got here as soon as we could,” Howard said, moving to take a seat on the fainting couch beside Eunice and forcing her to scoot a bit to the right in the process. “The town’s all abuzz. Dare I hope the miscreant who tried to shoot you was apprehended?”
“Agent Clifton is still in town questioning people who were on the street, but so far we’ve not had any word that anyone’s been taken into custody.”
“Well, at least the family can be ruled out,” Howard said. “I was at Hennessey’s Mercantile when I heard the shot, and Mr. Hennessey can testify to that. We were discussing inventory purchases because before I set up the Dry Goods store, I agreed not to sell anything Mr. Hennessey sells.”
“Done so because the whole point of investing in businesses in town was to finally improve the Mason name as well as our standing in the city,” Hester said, settling into a chair in a rustle of expensive fabric. She began waving a fan she pulled from her reticule in front of her face. “The gossip is going to be dreadful over this latest incident. I mean, it was bad enough, Eunice, that you and Georgette reemerged from the dead, and it’s been a little tricky to explain why you’re no longer Eugenia.” Her waving increased. “Now that someone tried to shoot you, though—on Main Street, no less, and in broad daylight—well, it’s yet another stain on the Mason name.”
Eunice readjusted the ice. “I’m sorry my near death today has caused such an inconvenience for you, Hester. Perhaps it would have been best if I’d simply gotten up from the ground after Arthur and Ivan saved me and allowed whoever shot at me the first time to get a better shot.”
Silence settled over the library, broken when Arthur strode intothe room, looking rumpled and far too dangerous as he moved to the fainting couch. Howard jumped up from it to make room for a man who, clearly, was in a mood.
Arthur took hold of Eunice’s hand. “How’s the head?”
“Tender, but I’ll live. How’s your temper?”
“Under control for now.” He glanced around the room. “I’ve been thinking a family meeting might be in order because obviously matters have escalated.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“Wonderful.” He looked to Howard. “If you would be so kind as to fetch your father and mother from their room, we’ll be able to get started.”
“I’m afraid Raymond isn’t feeling well today,” Mrs. Wagner said, stepping into the library, Vincent by her side.
Eunice frowned. “I wasn’t aware you were here, Mrs. Wagner.”
“I’m here five days a week, dear. As your uncle’s secretary, and as there’s so much involved with keeping Mason Manor running smoothly, I’m needed every day except for weekends. I usually only stay until two, when Vincent comes to fetch me.” She smiled. “And good thing for that, since he has an alibi for his whereabouts during the time of the shooting. He arrived here early today, at one to be exact, just about the time I believe you were under fire.”
“And that would be fortunate if everyone actually needed an alibi,” Cooper said, striding into the room and looking disgruntled. He caught Eunice’s eye. “It was a false alarm. Turns out the shooting had nothing to do with you. It was a gambling argument between two cowboys that spilled onto Main Street. The man responsible has now been taken into custody, so no true harm was done.”
“I have a lump the size of a goose egg on my head,” Eunice couldn’t help but point out.
Cooper winced. “Which is unfortunate, but at least you’re not sporting a bullet hole.”
