Page 47 of Charlotte's Story
Maris gave a muffled cry and held a hand over her mouth.
“That’s why the star disappeared,” I said, putting the final pieces together. “You felt bad when you realized you killed Dahlia, so the museum pulled the star in as your regret and everyone thought it was stolen.”
He gave one small nod.
Tessa stepped forward. “Merrick, you’re under arrest for the murder of Dahlia Frostwick and the attempted assault of Charlotte and Pastor Collins.”
Chapter 12
Thenextmorning,Williamand I went for a walk in the crisp winter air. Now that we’d caught the killer, things were beginning to feel a bit more like Christmas. Our footsteps crunched in the snow, leaving a pair of matched tracks.
After a few minutes, my phone buzzed with a message. I glanced at Lizzy’s text.
Hey, I’m outside. Are you home?
We went for a walk, but we’ll be there soon.
I started to slide my phone into my pocket, then pulled it out to send her one last message before I forgot.
Wait inside where it’s warm.
I slipped my phone back into my pocket and glanced at William, who was strangely silent. Maybe the events from yesterday were too much. Even to me, it was hard to thinksomeone might have tried to kill him. What happened with Dahlia might have been an accident, but that didn’t change Merrick’s actions from yesterday.
“Are you okay?” I squeezed William’s hand. I hadn’t even noticed when he’d taken it this time, but I didn’t want to pull away. Holding his hand was a simple pleasure I didn’t want to give up.
“I am.” William hesitated. “But I can’t stop thinking about yesterday.”
“Me too,” I said.
“I acknowledge and appreciate everything Lady Catherine has done for me throughout the years.” His thumb traced rapid circles on the back of my hand. “However, I cannot cease analyzing the possibility that I was close to adopting Merrick’s mindset. You have previously advised me regarding my loyalty to her. I recognize now how that kind of loyalty, if unchecked, could lead me to actions that harm others.” He blinked fast. “I don’t want to think about what might have happened if that had been me.”
I pulled him to a stop and met his gaze for a moment before he looked away. “Listen to me, William. That would never have been you.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because you are too kind to ever hurt someone,” I said. “No matter what others told you, that wouldn’t change who you are inside. Even without your memories, you still knew enough to be repulsed by the idea of hurting someone.”
“Are you certain that you’re right?” His worried hazel eyes briefly met mine again.
“I am.”
“I want to trust your words,” he said, “but my memories conflict with that, which creates uncertainty. It shows me a lifetime of listening to her, not questioning.” He sucked in abreath and his finger stilled. “But with you present, the chance of me making that mistake decreases significantly.”
We made it to a bend in the path, and our house came into view. A small figure stood in the path ahead of us, her dark clothes a stark contrast against the sparkling snow.
William and I came to a stop. He tensed, stepping in front of me slightly.
“Hello,” Maris said softly.
“Hi,” I said after a moment.
She twisted her hands together. “I wanted to apologize for what my brother did. I feel horrible.”
I blinked. “Thank you.”
“You don’t need to apologize,” William said. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Nevertheless, I feel like I owe the two of you an apology for what he put you through.” She ducked her head, then glanced shyly at William. “And since I believe Merrick’s magic is the reason you lost your memories, I wanted to offer to undo it.”
