Claret and Present Danger by Sarah Fox

Author:Sarah Fox [Fox, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

We decided not to hang around the park any longer. I was still tempted to sneak around the trailers in the hope of overhearing some snippets of conversation, but Grayson convinced me it wasn’t a good idea. I’d noticed a security guard at the faire earlier in the day, and I figured there was a chance he was still around. If Jasmine mentioned our presence to him, and the guard found us still in the park, we could end up in trouble. I didn’t want the local police getting called, so I went along with Grayson’s suggestion that we give up on our investigation for the night.

I wasn’t looking forward to another climb through the ravine in my flip-flops, so we made our way along the edge of the woods until we reached the temporary fence. To my relief, the fence ended at the tree line. All we had to do was venture a few feet into the woods and around the fence.

“Sorry,” Grayson said once we stood at the edge of the road. “I guess we should have tried this route on our way in.”

“It’s no big deal,” I assured him. “This way is riskier.” I pointed at the streetlamp lighting up the area.

It was one thing to chance being seen on our way out of the park, but having someone spot us on our way into the fairgrounds could have put an end to our quest for clues before it even began.

“Still,” Grayson said, “next time we’ll go the easy route.”

“Next time?”

He took my hand, smiling, as we headed down the road. “When it comes to you and sleuthing, there’s always a next time.”

I couldn’t deny that.

“So, what’s the next step, Detective Coleman?” Grayson asked as we crossed the Inkwell’s footbridge a while later.

“I think I’ll check the edge of the woods—in daylight—to see if there’s any monkshood growing there. If there’s not, that doesn’t mean Minerva couldn’t have found it somewhere else, but if there is some growing near the park . . .”

“It helps establish her opportunity to commit the crime,” Grayson said, finishing for me, as we drew to a stop outside the gristmill’s back door. “I’d help you with the search, but I’ve got a busy schedule tomorrow, and I’m betting you don’t want to wait.”

He was right about that.

“I won’t be doing anything dangerous. If anyone asks what I’m doing, I’ll say I’m looking for wildflowers. Plus, I have a pass to get into the faire, so I won’t have to worry about getting kicked out of the park during daylight hours.”

Grayson unhooked Bowie’s leash so the dog could wander around on the lawn, sniffing and exploring. “Promise me you’ll still be careful.”

“I’m always careful,” I said.

“Hmm.” Grayson slid his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. “You and I might have different definitions of ‘careful.’ ”

I looped my arms around his neck and decided to put an end to our conversation with a kiss. It worked like a charm, distracting us both, until Bowie barked and bounded off toward the woods.

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