Page 27 of The Rancher's Vengeful Heart

The last suspect was a woman in her late twenties, and she introduced herself as Mrs. Cowper. "I know what everyone's saying about me," the woman sniffed. "I may be one of Lady Pumpkin's poor relations, and yes, we do have our differences from time to time, but that's nothing out of the ordinary. It doesn't mean I'd steal from her."

The three suspects filed out after giving their statements, and the billionaire raised a brow at Tassy. "Thoughts?"

Tassy gnawed on her lip as she reached for the dossier they were handed earlier. "The first one sounded very defensive." She flipped to the page about Sir Forsythe's background. "It's true that he has a lot of properties, but all of them have been mortgaged to the hilt."

"And the second one?"

Tassy flipped to the next page. "He's exactly as he says he is. An impoverished writer who could certainly benefit from stealing Lady Pumpkin's necklace. And as for Mrs. Cowper..." Tassy flipped to the last section of the dossier. "It says here she has a gambling problem."

Lucius already knew who the culprit was, but he also wanted to see whether his Tassina would arrive at the same conclusions.

"We have three suspects all with possible financial motives for committing theft," Tassy thought out loud, "but one of them is from the future. I think that's what we should focus on, andmm...now that I think of it. Walt was so keen to describe the books he saw in the library, but...oh!"

"What is it?"

"He mentioned Monet," Tassy blurted out. "Monet wasn't even born during the Regency period."

Lucius smiled. Walt was also his primary suspect, but just when he was about to press theCallbutton for the constable to come back, Lucius noticed her studying the photos of the three suspects. "Have you thought of something else?"

"What if I'm wrong? Walt was just sonicewhile the other two were so defensive. What if I'm missing something..."

Lucius could only think of one thing as Tassina's sentimental heart ended up overriding her common sense. He had always thought that people who were "too" nice for their own good were a myth, but his Tassina was the real deal, and when he thought about how all these years she could have so easily been taken advantage of...

Tassy was startled when a frowning Lucius suddenly cupped her face.

"I want you to promise me one thing."

"O-Okay..." Why did he sound so serious? Did this have anything to do with Walt being her primary suspect?

"People will say anything just to get out of trouble."

"But—-"

"So trust your brain, not your heart. Can you promise me that?"

"I...um..." Tassy saw his frown darken and hastily came up with a compromise. "Trust brain, not heart," she parroted instead. "Got it."

"Good."

Lucius' frown was gone, and he was smiling again.

Okaaay.

Tassy's confusion only grew when Lucius handed her a pen and paper from the selection available and took a set for himself. "What's this for?"

"You didn't think I'd let our game end without a winner, did you?"

Tassy's competitive spirit came back to the fore. "You wish." She stood up and surveyed the shelves. She remembered seeing something earlier...aha!

Lucius' lips twitched when Tassina returned to her seat with a tiny sand timer in hand.

"Ready?" Tassy challenged.

"Any time you are."

Tassy flipped the timer, and Lucius reached for his pen. It took only a second or so to write down his guess, but when he glanced at Tassy, it was to see her gnawing on her lip as she seemed to cross something out with her pen.

Tassy frantically started scribbling when she realized her time was running out.Aaargh.Of all times for her to be indecisive, why did it have to be when her pride as an amateur detective was on the line?

---