Page 137 of House of Malice
The detective looked serious, and he had a permanent frown wedged between his thick grey eyebrows.
“So,” Alecto said. She appeared so calm and collected, Blaze wondered if she even worried about this meeting at all. “Have you been able to locate my father? He likes to do his own thing on his own terms, but it isn’t like him to disappear like this and abandon his obligations.”
“Sadly, Miss Black, we have yet to find your father or what happened to him,” the detective said. “We asked everyone who attended the handfasting ceremony if they saw anything. Nobody could identify anything wrong with your father that evening.” The detective paused and laced his fingers together. “It appears that your father had been drinking. One version we considered is that he might have fallen into the ocean that night by accident.”
Alecto blinked, her lips parted.
“That is only one version, though,” the detective said. “Of course, we tried to investigate it as a murder as well. Your father is an influential warlock, and he has enemies. But it was a dead end.”
Alecto nodded, appearing sad. Blaze was stunned by how genuine her performance was.
“So, what are you saying?” Alecto asked after a moment. “Is he…is he dead?”
“I’m afraid it is safe to say so,” the detective said.
“But there is no body,” Alecto said, frowning. “How can you announce someone dead without a body?”
The detective glanced at the lawyer by his side. “I’m very sorry for your loss, Miss Black. I know that your father was the only living relative you had. But it’s been long enough, and we have exhausted all the options here. The most likely scenario is that your father died that night when he was last seen, by accident.”
Alecto blinked, and her eyes filled with tears. She nodded and then lowered her head. She played with Blaze’s hand resting in her lap.
“So, what now?” she asked after another moment. “What do I do?”
“Well, that is why I am here, Miss Black,” the lawyer said. He looked at the detective then. “Thank you, Detective. I will take it from there.”
The detective nodded, said goodbye, and left them.
“Miss Black, as the only living heir of the Black family, you will be the sole holder of all of your father’s estates and fortune,” the lawyer said.
He placed his briefcase on the coffee table in front of them and opened it. From it, he took out a folder and handed it to Alecto. She looked at it but didn’t open it.
“What does that entail, Mister Rogers?” Alecto asked. She put the file next to her on the couch. “I’m still in college.”
The lawyer nodded. “Yes, I am aware. You can take your time looking over all the activities your father was involved in. Most of it is charity work and various foundations he ran around Inathis. He has rental properties that are managed by an agency, so you don’t have to worry too much about them. Not unless you’d like to sell them.”
Alecto nodded. “Thank you, Mister Rogers. This is a bit too much for me right now. I will need some time to catch up and make a decision. Once I do, I’ll contact you.”
“Certainly, Miss Black,” the lawyer said and got to his feet. “I’m here if you need anything.”
Alecto offered him a gentle smile, and he left.
“You are an excellent actress,” Blaze said quietly.
Alecto smirked, glancing at him. “Why, thank you.”
“Does this mean we’re in the clear?” Blaze asked, lacing their fingers together.
“I think so,” Alecto said with a sigh. “Alatar is gone for good. And I am free.”
Blaze kissed the side of her head. “Want to go get a shower together before we head over to the Blessed Forest for tonight’s ceremony?”
Alecto’s smirk was naughty, and Blaze got butterflies. She stood up and pulled him out the door and up the stairs towards her room.
Once they reached it, she turned around, and Blaze pushed her against her door. With his knee, he opened her thighs, bracing his against her most intimate place.
Alecto’s lips parted, and she fisted his T-shirt. “How much time do we have?”
Blaze kissed her neck and murmured, “Enough for me to make you see stars a couple of times. Don’t worry.”
