Free Magic Can Be Murder by Vivian Vande Velde Page B

and the light wasn't good. And I could see Master Innis on the floor, dead, and I was frightened, and distressed, and..." She was babbling again. She finished. "Confused."
    Galvin asked, "Could you tell he was dead right away, or did you need to check?"
    What in the world was he asking? And what was the right answer? "I ... hoped ... he wasn't."
    Which they both realized wasn't an answer.
    Behind Galvin, Alan said, "
I
checked to see if he was breathing. He was not."
    It would help, Nola thought, if she could guess what was wrong, for something obviously was, though Galvin said nothing.
    Kirwyn said, "He was definitely dead by the time I got there."
    Nola fought to keep her face from showing amazed revulsion that he could say such a thing.
    "And the silver?" Galvin asked her.
    That
she had learned in the market. "Scattered on the bed and floor," she answered confidently.
    Kirwyn added, "Just as we've all told you before."
    Galvin ignored him. "Did you notice anything missing—besides the money?"
    And
that
she didn't know, She hoped he hadn't asked Brinna the same thing earlier. "I can't be sure
nothing
was taken," she said.
    Kirwyn sighed. "I know we are all distraught over che terrible thing that has happened to my father, but that is no reason to be heedless. We must try to remember details so chat Lord Galvin can finish here quickly and find the man who did this."
    "Exactly," Galvin said, despite Kirwyn's implication that he was wasting time. If he was being sarcastic, Nola thought, it didn't come through in his voice. He said, "Sergeant Halig, please help Master Kirwyn and Alan continue to check the books against what's here. Perhaps I will get things straight in my mind better if Brinna showed me about the house."
    At last, the opportunity to get down to the root cellar. Of course, it would only work if she made sure she got there at least two steps ahead of him. And if she could only be sure all he wanted was to see the house.
    Alan asked, "Are you feeling unwell, Brinna? You look..." He shook his head and didn't finish with any of the things Nola felt and knew she probably looked: worried, unsteady, afraid she might vomit from fear.
    Instantly Halig moved to put himself between Alan and Nola, to prevent Alan from joining them.
He
knew Galvin wanted to be alone with her.
    Galvin didn't take her arm, as Halig had earlier, but only motioned for her to precede him. He did, however, repeat what his sergeant had said, "I mean you no harm."
    No,
Nola thought.
You just want to get me away from the others.
At best that might mean he wanted to see if separated from Alan and Kirwyn she gave the same answers to his questions. But under the circumstances even that wasn't good.
    "Sir," Halig said, and stepped aside to whisper something into Galvin's ear.
    Galvin nodded, giving no indication of whether he was pleased, dismayed, or surprised by whatever his sergeant told him.
    He just gestured to Nola to indicate for her to start moving.
    Anxious to get to the bucket, anxious to get away from Alan in case he wanted to dispute her version of what had happened, Nola started moving. "Where did you want to look?" she asked as they walked into Innis's room.
    She paused, assuming this was the logical place to start, but Galvin asked, "
Is
there anything more to see in here?" and she realized that, of course, this room was so logical a place to start that Galvin must have already thoroughly searched it, and no doubt Brinna had either seen or been aware of him doing so.
    Putting the blame on him, she answered, "
I
would have thought you were finished, but I'm just an ignorant serving maid."
    He said, "You were in the kitchen when you heard Master Innis cry out..."
    She nodded and led him back down the hall into the kitchen.
    Galvin indicated for her to sit down.
    So much for "Show me about the house,
" Nola thought.
    She was worried that he would sit closely next to her, but he remained standing—which, of course, made him tower over her.