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“What’s happening?” Louise asked a small group of performers.
Even though Cricket wasn’t fond of Louise after what happened to Juniper, she didn’t want to see her expression when she discovered that Stormy was dead.
Cricket left Autumn and ran toward Bram and Miles as they got down from their horses. “It wasn’t Zephyr,” she said hurriedly. “It was Mistress Eliza.” She recounted what happened before Miles retrieved the keys from Mistress Eliza’s dead body. A moment later, the sound of a carriage drifted through the air, coming to bring the bodies to the coroner’s.
“You know how risky that was sneaking out of the manor and coming here?” Bram sighed. “What if Stormy wouldn’t have been out there?”
“What if Zephyr would’ve been taken into custody and hung for something he didn’t do?” she bit back. Tears stung her eyes, and she couldn’t keep them from raining down her cheeks.
Bram wrapped his arms around her. “I’m just glad you’re safe. Next time, take better care before you plunge headfirst into danger.”
“Hopefully, there isn’t a next time,” Cricket said. She would pray every night that there wouldn’t be.
Miles returned and unlocked Mistress Eliza’s door, then went inside with Bram close behind him. The two other authorities had gone to the woods, remaining near the bodies until the carriage took them away.
It didn’t take long before Bram came back out. “Is this what you were referring to?” he asked as he held up the withering book and the yellow cloak.
Taking a deep swallow, she nodded.
A horse whinnied, and she whirled around to find Zephyr approaching. When he spotted her, the mare drew to a stop not far from them. He hopped down from the mare and darted toward them.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his chest heaving.
Bram nodded his head in Zephyr’s direction. “I’ll give you two a little time, then we must question you further.”
Tears pricking her eyes, she threw her arms around Zephyr and could barely get the words out. “You’re going to hate me for why I was here, and I’m sorry for that. But I found the Dahlia Killer. It was Mistress Eliza who murdered Juniper. Your sister had discovered what she was doing, but before she could do anything about it, Mistress Eliza killed her.” She took a shaky breath and confessed the rest.
“That bitch,” Zephyr spat, pulling her close.
“But the reason I was here,” Cricket continued, “was because the evidence pointed to you. I came to talk to you because I couldn’t bear to let anyone else do it first. So if you hate me for thinking there was even a possibility that you could have anything to do with this, I understand.”
“I could never hate you,” Zephyr said gently. “And I vow on my life, I would never hurt you. I would hurt myself before I’d let that happen.”
Cricket brushed a lock of hair from his face. “Will you come back with me to the manor until we figure out what to do from here?”
“Is he still sleeping?” Anika asked the next morning, taking a sip of her tea.
Cricket pulled her cup close, peering at her friend across the dining table. “He is. Thank you for letting him stay here.” Once they got to the manor, they washed up separately and fell into a deep sleep beside one another after everything. Perhaps it was because the murderer had finally been found.
“I feel as if we owe him more than a night’s sleep here after accusing him of committing such horrible acts,” Anika said.
“I suppose breakfast will do,” Zephyr drawled from the doorway, wearing a mostly unbuttoned shirt.
“Come in, and I’ll leave you two alone to chat.” Anika stood from the chair and glanced back over her shoulder before leaving. “Perhaps I’ll paint you something too.”
Cricket smiled softly at her dearest friend as she left the room.
“What else did you say about me?” Zephyr smirked and took a biscuit from the plate before sitting across from her.
“Just what’s going to become of the carnival.” She shrugged, unsure if it had a future at all. Last night they hadn’t talked much—exhaustion had consumed them both.
“Someone can take it over. Change the name of the carnival.” His intense gaze stayed locked on hers. “I go wherever you go.”
That gave her an idea, one that was akin to hope. The carnival they all loved would survive—she wouldn’t allow that to be taken away from the others, even after what Mistress Eliza had done. “A name change is a good way to start. I don’t want the performers to lose their homes, and I know how the carnival can start fresh.”
He leaned forward, his eyes sparking with curiosity. “What do you have in mind?”
“Together, we’ll burn Mistress Eliza’s caravan before we leave.”
