There was no way Grayson was cutting her out of this hunt. They were close to solving her mother’s murder. Really close.
* * *
“What’s wrong?”
Annabelle’s voice cut through Grayson’s thoughts. They had just finished at the courthouse and had returned to the palace. She’d maneuvered her car into a parking spot off to the side of the palace with the other estate vehicles.
Grayson cleared his throat. “I didn’t think you knew how to drive.”
It wasn’t what he was thinking about, but it gave him time to think of how to word the next thing he had to tell her.
She sent him a puzzled look. “Why would you think that? Doesn’t everyone know how to drive?”
He shrugged. “It’s just that since I’ve known you, one of your bodyguards has driven you everywhere.”
She shrugged. “I guess it all depends on my mood. But as you noticed, they were right behind us.”
“I only noticed because you said something.”
“Someday that’s all going to change. As soon as we figure this mystery out.”
This was his cue to speak up. “I’ve been thinking.”
“I know. You’ve been quiet ever since the judge gave the kid probation.”
That wasn’t what had him quiet, but the judge’s sentence did give him pause. “Did you think that was a fair sentence?”
She shrugged. “After hearing the kid’s side of it, I can see where desperation might have led him to do something stupid.”
The teenager had been trying to help his mother financially. She’d just lost her job and he was scared of how she would make ends meet. It would be a tough position for anyone.
Grayson rubbed his clean-shaven jaw. “I’m just worried the kid might not have learned his lesson. And if he were to be put in a tough spot again, he might make the same poor choices.”
“Let’s hope not. But doesn’t he deserve a chance to prove himself?”
Grayson glanced away. “I suppose.”
Annabelle’s gaze bored into him. “There’s something else that’s bothering you and I know what it is.”
“You do?”
She whispered. “It’s the note, isn’t it?”
Needing some air, he got out of the car and she joined him. She kept looking at him, waiting for an answer. He had to find just the right words so she’d give credence to what he was about to say.
He held his hand out to her. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“But we need to take care of the note and then get ready for the festival dinner—”
“This is important. Come on.” He gave a gentle pull on her arm.
For a moment, he thought that she was going to resist, but then she started moving and he fell in step with her. She was headed for the royal gardens, the exact place he had in mind. The gardens were enormous and would allow them plenty of privacy.
With the golden sun of the afternoon shining, it lit up all of the flowers from reds and yellows to purples and pinks. Plenty of greens were interspersed to offset everything. He never considered himself a flower kind of guy, but there was something truly beautiful about this place.
When they came upon a bench along one of the walkways, he stopped. “Let’s sit down. We need to talk.”
“I’d rather be treating the note so that we can read it.”