Waltz of the Crows by L Rollins

Author:L Rollins [Rollins, L]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781097872381
Published: 2019-06-01T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“I’M AFRAID THERE’S nothing to be done,” Inez said, disappointment evident in her tone.

Leila paced the floor of Inez’s opulent room. “Are you sure she’s gone? And we can’t put a tail on her? We can’t send a spy to watch what she’s about?”

Inez shook her head. “Madame Uppertick is selfish and willing to stoop low, but that’s hardly proof that she’s willing to poison an entire town.”

Leila’s fingers went to the crown of her head, only to pull on her tight coiffure. Blast her tight bun. Leila began pulling pins out as quickly as she could, ignoring the frequent stabs of pain when she pulled more hair than pin out.

“I know it’s maddening. But it’s time to seriously consider that Madame Uppertick isn’t our perpetrator.”

Leila collapsed into the small chair at Inez’s writing desk and began re-doing her hair in something far less tight. “What about the letters?” She sincerely prayed Samuel hadn’t climbed into the freezing well water for nothing.

“As I brought up before, they all seem to be written after the initial occurrence of the waltzing flu.”

“But that doesn’t mean she couldn’t have started it.”

“But we don’t know for sure. More importantly, we can’t prove anything.”

Leila placed her chin in her upturned hand and stared out the window. She could see a few lights here and there across the rolling hillsides of Conques. The factory was black against an even darker night sky. It had been closed for nearly a month now, despite Monsieur’s Jus’ adamant and never-ending protests.

Nonetheless, the sick continued to show up at the castle’s door morning, noon, and night. It made Leila’s stomach roll just to think of all the ill and dying.

“We can’t stop,” she said, her voice low.

“No one said anything about stopping.” Inez stood and moved up behind Leila. “You’ve got good instincts, Leila. Where do you suggest we turn our focus now?”

Leila had the distinct impression that Inez asked as much to cheer her up as to brainstorm. Still, it was nice to hear a superior, and a woman she admired greatly, compliment her.

She let out a long slow breath. She’d struggled from the beginning to understand what could lead Madame Uppertick to commit such a horrendous crime. Still, walking away from a likely suspect made her feel useless.

Her gaze drifted across the scene out the window. Two small spots of light caught her attention.

She pointed out the window. “Why are there still a couple of lights on in the factory?”

Inez leaned forward, looking over Leila’s shoulder. “Perhaps they’re still in the process of wrapping everything up. Closing down a production line as big as that one can’t happen in a few weeks alone.”

Leila pursed her lips. “Samuel seems to think Monsieur Jus the type of person willing to harm others to meet his own bottom line.”

Inez chuckled. “Did you tell him I agree?”

Of course she hadn’t. Samuel still had no idea that Leila and Inez were working together. Leila loved that he did not press her for more information.

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