Page 29 of One Last Breath

“She did?” he says incredulously. Then he catches himself again. “I mean… I really don’t know of any geranium garden. Perhaps you were misinformed.”

“I’m certain I saw it. It’s past the wrought iron gate a few dozen yards that way.”

He snaps his head the way I point. Then he reddens a little. “Well, I can’t stop you from going where you want, but I think you’ll be happier if you take a walk through the Glens. The oaks will provide shade, and you won’t find what you’re looking for behind any wrought gate. You might find our gardener, Nathaniel, out in the Glens too. He might know what this geranium garden you’re talking about is.”

I nearly protest that I’ll make my own way, but I remember that I don’t want a target on my back.

Besides, Nathaniel seemed just as nervous as Christopher when I questioned him about the gate. And since Nathaniel is a servant like me, I can press him a little harder when I talk to him. Maybe I can find answers without digging up the actual dirt after all.

I smile at Christopher and say, “You know what? I think I will visit the Glens. Thank you.”

Christopher looks very relieved. “Of course. And… It goes without saying, but please keep my little rant about Harvard between us.”

“I would never dream of releasing your secret,” I reply.

He gives me another relieved smile and nods. “Have a good day, Mary.”

“You too, Christopher.”

He walks past me to the house, and I change course for the Glens. My confidence remains unshaken. Whether by talking to Nathaniel or digging up the flowerbed myself, I will have answers today.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

My confidence is somewhat shaken when I reach the Glens and remember that they consist of over a square mile of forest. It truly was chance that allowed me to run into Nathaniel the last time I was here. I could spend all day running in circles and not see him.

As the day wears on, I wonder if I should abandon the search for Nathaniel and follow my original plan of heading to the garden myself. Elizabeth did give me permission to be there, after all. True, she was only being polite and would most certainly prefer I not take advantage of that permission, but I would be acting within the letter of the law by journeying past the wrought iron gate toward the secrets inside.

On the other hand, Christopher knows of my intention. He is clearly disturbed by the idea of my following through. He could have told his mother, and she could have locked the gate so I can’t enter. Even if she didn’t, there’s a chance she could be there now, or one of the other family members. I don’t want to be seen, especially if I do need to dig and…

And I can’t dig. Not now. I can’t feign ignorance anymore. Christopher saw me. I told him I was heading to the garden. Why did I do that? I could have lied. I could have told him I was going anywhere else. Why did I tell him exactly where I was going?

I suppose in my arrogance, I thought I could learn something from his reaction. I’m not wrong about that, but all I’ve learned is that he’s uncomfortable with the idea. I don’t know why, and even if my assumption is correct, that there lies proof of foul play in Lila’s disappearance, there’s now no way for me to obtain that proof without putting myself in harm’s way.

Of course, if the proof is conclusive enough, I can simply walk through the gate and head to the city. I can place a phone call to the police and not have to return to the estate until I can do so with a police escort.

But if the proof isn't conclusive enough, or if it isn't there at all, I put myself in grave danger. I could still flee, but who knows how far the Greenwoods will go to stop me?

If only I had thought this through before.

“So you’ve come back to visit the Glens.”

Nathaniel’s voice fills me with relief. I might accomplish something today after all. I turn to him and smile. “I’ve come back to visit you.”

He gives me a smile of his own, but there’s a hint of trepidation in his look. Perhaps he knows what I’m here for already. “I’m flattered. To what do I owe this honor?”

“You know something,” I reply.

His smile vanishes. “I know many things. Whether I choose to share what I know depends on what you want to know and why.”

I have him on the back foot, and I intend to keep him there. It’s a gamble to be more insistent with him. He could tell the family I’m prying. But by doing so, he’d be admitting that he knows there’s something to pry into, and I’m willing to bet he won’t put himself in danger to do that.

“I want to know what happened to Lila Benson.”

He sighs and shakes his head. “She left. That happens sometimes when people complete the job they were hired to do.”

“But she didn’t complete the job. Annabelle had a semester of school left when Lila disappeared.”

“She didn’t disappear. She left.”

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