“Perhaps. But probably not another friend that close. Coon was timid and insecure because of her hearing problem. ‘A black swan aloof in soundless waters,’ et cetera. She needed Gladys Deacon. Their relationship was special.”
“An aloof black swan? Where did you hear a thing like that?”
“I can’t remember,” Annie said, heart beginning to thrum. “Um, probably in the book?”
The words were from the transcript, which was in her backpack, Annie realized too late.
“The writer mentioned it,” she blathered on. “I’m pretty sure.”
“I don’t think it was in the book,” Gus said, eyes darkening.
“Whatever. The point is…” Annie moved the backpack from her right shoulder to her left. “When triangulating the data, the information lines up. Not only with Coon, but all the other little details.”
“Triangulating…”
“Yes, you know.”
Annie drew a shape in the air that was decidedly not a triangle. A sloppy rhombus, at best.
“Aren’t there usually three sides to a triangle?” Gus asked.
“Yes, that’s generally how triangles work. But like I said, I hate math. Or whatever shapes are. Geometry? That sounds right.”
“So, then, where’s your third side?” Gus asked. “The first side is the book. The second is our conversations. What’s the third?”
“Uh, I think it’s just an expression?” she said, face flaming.
“Tell me, Annie, what is your third source of information?”
“I think you’re focusing on the wrong thing here.”
“You went into the Grange, didn’t you?” he said, and narrowed his gaze. “After you showed up at the George and Dragon looking dusty and unkempt, asking oddball questions about the property, I knew something was amiss. But I thought, no, this girl is not a criminal. She is a sweet thing, missing her fiancé and getting lost in a book.”
“Gus…”
Annie closed her eyes and sighed. The wind whipped around her. She could almost imagine herself in the parlor of the Grange, a bearskin throw pulled to her chin, winter streaming through the gaps in the walls and doors.
“Fine,” she said. “I’m busted. Yes. I went inside the Grange. Call it—”
“Research? Nice try.”
Her eyes popped back open.
“Intellectual curiosity,” she said. “I’m a researcher.”
“Intruder more like. Or a nuisance.”
“Nuisance? Ouch. I’m not that bad.”
“A nuisance in the legal sense, as in a public nuisance.”
“You’ve got me!” Annie threw her hands up. “I’m a trespasser. I’ve committed a crime. Why are you so bent out of shape about it? Do you own the house or something? If so, not to worry, I left everything intact.”
Most everything anyway.
“No. I do not own the house,” Gus said. “I simply think nosy young ‘scholars’ should do a better job of ingratiating themselves to locals. By the by, I’m not paying the bond following your inevitable arrest.”
“I’m sorry I snuck in there,” Annie said, though she wasn’t, not particularly. She was only sorry that she’d irritated Gus. “I just wanted to have a look around. I didn’t mean any harm.”
“So, then, what did you see on this look-around? I hope you reaped some reward for your misadventures.”
“Honestly, there wasn’t much to see. A few books. Some leftover pieces of furniture. It appears Seton’s desk and typewriter are still there.”
“Really?” Gus’s face, formerly grumbly and squished, perked up. “His typewriter?”
“Someone’s typewriter. It’s beside a window, in a room at the top of the stairs.”
“His typewriter. Huh. That would be something.”
“I also found these.”
Annie wiggled out of her backpack and started to unzip the top before reconsidering. Gus would confiscate the pages, most likely. Not that he had any greater claim to the manuscript than she did, but at the very least he’d yell at her again.
“Gosh darn it,” she said. “Guess I left them in the room.”
She zipped it back up.
“You left what in the room?”
“Um. I think I came across, er, some transcripts? Interviews between Win and the Duchess?”
“Brilliant. And in which room did you leave these filched pages?”
“Well, mine.”
“Blimey, Annie. You nicked them? Add it to your list of civil transgressions.”
“Come on, Gus,” she said. “Ease up. It’s only scrap paper, left there for Lord knows how many years. Why are you such a hard-ass all of a sudden? I thought you were one of the good guys.”
“I’m not sure how you ever acquired the notion that I’m good.”
“I’ve never broken a law in my life,” Annie said, her voice starting to shake. “Maybe some underaged drinking ones, but not, like, real crimes. Nothing that’d hurt another living soul. Honestly, Gus, I’m a nice person!”
He let her snivel and suffer for many more moments than were necessary, but probably the exact amount of time she deserved. Annie hated herself for being such a snoop. Eric would be appalled.