Page 55 of The Fragile Truth
Ian’s eyes met hers. “Let’s go,” he said brusquely.
She forced her feet into action as she shuffled around the desk.
“Not so fast.” Josette pointed. “Leave the ring.”
In all the commotion, Sadie had forgotten that she was still holding it. Indecision overtook her as she looked at Ian. He nodded. She placed it on the desk with a ping. She took one last look at Madeline, whose expression was rigid. Then, she hurried out of the room with Ian on her heels. Before they went out the front door, Sadie stopped. “I’ve gotta get my purse.” He followed her to the kitchen, where she grabbed her purse, and then they were off.
When they got outside, Sadie turned to him. Her voice quivered with emotion as she spoke. “I’m so sorry for all the trouble I caused you.”
“Don’t be.”
She searched his handsome face.
“You were right.”
She blinked. “Huh?”
“Banks Chasing is connected to The Gorham Treasure.” A feverish excitement lit his eyes. “For the first time, I feel like we’re getting close to solving the mystery of Brent’s death.”
“Yes,” she punched out, feeling the confirmation of her earlier impressions that the truth about Brent’s death would soon be revealed. “What do you make of Banks’s story of him getting the ring from a friend?”
He looked thoughtful. “I’m not sure.”
She made a face. “Surely, you don’t believe him.”
“He seemed genuinely shocked when you told him about Lina’s necklace.”
“Yeah, because he’s a good actor.”
“Maybe,” he said evasively. “I guess we’ll have to let it play out.”
Worry gnawed at her. “If Banks is guilty, do you think he’ll use the extra time you’ve given him to hide the treasure?”
“I don’t know.”
She made a fist. “If only I hadn’t gotten caught, we could’ve gotten a search warrant.” Defeat sat like concrete in her stomach. “Now we’ve lost the element of surprise.”
“We have,” he agreed. He walked her to the golf cart. She’d been paying by the week to rent one and left it parked at Harbor Village every evening as she took the ferry back to Summerhaven.
Irritation pricked at her. “I don’t know how you can be so calm about this.”
“One thing I’ve learned is that sometimes you have to stir the pot and see what bubbles up.”
“We certainly did that,” she chuckled dryly, looking back at the manor. “Oh, to be a fly on the wall to hear the conversations going on inside.” Her thoughts took a different turn as she peered into Ian’s eyes. “So? Are we still on for church tomorrow?”
“You bet.” A wry grin tugged at his lips. “I figure that you and I are in some hot water. We could use all the heavenly help we can get.”
“You’re right about that.”
He helped her into the golf cart. “I’ll follow you back to Harbor Village, and we can take the ferry back together.”
“Sounds great,” she chimed, loving the prospect of spending more time with him.
She started the motor, drove down the long driveway, and pulled onto the main road. The darkness of the night, along with the moisture in the air, settled into her bones as her thoughts sifted through the events of the evening. The tender sweet scent of honeysuckles tingled her senses. A silver moon shone overhead. The island was incredibly beautiful. Maybe when this ordeal was over, she could relax and truly enjoy being here. She rehashed Banks’s reaction, begrudgingly reaching the same conclusion as Ian. Banks had seemed genuinely surprised by her accusations. Was it possible that he really had gotten the ring from a friend? If so, who was the friend? She let out a long sigh as she looked in the rearview mirror, grateful that Ian was behind her.
There were still so many unanswered questions. But she had to hold onto the feeling that assured her they were on the right track. With any luck, the mystery would be unraveled soon.
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