Chapter 254

“Hey,” I yelled after the intruder. Anger made my heart pound, and my blood raced through my veins.

Without pausing to take off my clothes, I called for Diana.

The sound of material ripping and an explosion of fabric filled the air as I shifted into my wolf. Diana followed the reddish wolf over the balcony railing and landed on the ground running.

I could smell the intruder, and we followed the scent through the darkness

“It must be Amanda,” I told Diana. “Amelia must have told her about the whiteboard.”

“Or Amanda was in the ladies’ room, too,” Diana suggested as we ran. “I sensed a hostile presence while you were there. There was hate in that bathroom.”

We followed the scent to the road, seeing glimpses of the reddish wolf several times ahead of us in the dim moonlight.

But the intruder made it to the road before we did, and we heard a car start before a red sedan peeled out and roared down the highway.

Disappointment washed over me. They got away.

“You know the intruder was a red-haired human,” Diana reminded me. “How many of the suspects have red hair?”

We started running back to my balcony.

“Only one and her daughter,” I replied. “I will redo the whiteboard tomorrow and add this clue to it. And I will find the proof to present to the police that Amanda killed Deirdre.”

After returning to my bedroom, I shifted human and climbed into my bed naked. I was used to sleeping without a nightgown since becoming Victor’s lover.

The run after the intruder had taken the edge off my anger, and before long, I dozed off.

I woke the next morning to Jennifer’s cries of astonishment. “What happened! Is this your new dress all over the floor?

I had forgotten to pick up the pieces of fabric that had been strewn all over my floor when I shifted the previous night.

It was a beautiful dress, but it was the last thing on my mind when I found the intruder in my bedroom.

“I’m sorry about the mess, Jennifer,” I said. “I’ll clean it up after I take a shower.”

“No, Miss. I’ll take care of it. I was just surprised.”

“Thank you,”‘I said and headed for the bathroom.

After I was dressed, I went downstairs and spoke to Benson. I told him what happened and asked for a strong lock on my balcony door.”

“I’ll have it done immediately,” he promised.

“Please don’t worry my father,” I requested.

“I see no reason to tell him,” Benson agreed.

I went to the dining room to have breakfast with Alex. To my surprise, he wasn’t alone. Cassidy was with him. She had obviously spent the night. It was a little weird, but I was happy for him. He’d been alone for a long time.

After greeting them both warmly, I took my place at the table.

“You seem anxious to start your day,” Alex said.

“I may take my driver's test today,” I explained.

“How wonderful,” Cassidy said.

“Good luck, sweetheart,” Alex said.

I ate a piece of toast and drank my juice before excusing myself and returning upstairs. There, I picked up the whiteboard from the floor and got out the markers.

Starting over, I wrote down the list of suspects, adding a few of my own, and putting pertinent information next to the names of the people I had spoken to.

I just finished when Jayden called.

“I want to show you my whiteboard, and then I need a favor,” I told him.

“I’ll be right there,” he said.

I packed a small suitcase with my things and moved the whiteboard and easel to the library. Then I texted Benson, asking him to show Jayden to the library when he arrived.

While I waited, I reviewed my work, checking to be sure there were no errors on the board.

“Mr. Jayden Halverston has arrived, Miss Wilson,” Benson said from the doorway.

“Thank you, Benson,” I said as Jayden entered the room.

“This is a nice place,” Jayden said. “It reminds me of my parents’ home, but their mansion isn’t as large.”

“You’re an Alpha?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t have climbed the ranks of the police force to become a Lieutenant if I wasn’t,” he replied. “But my family is in the travel agent business.”

“I’ve heard of them,” I said.

“Most people have,” he replied. “Is that your board?”

“Yes.” I moved it closer. “I know I’m an amateur, but this is what I’ve got so far.”

He read the board, stopping on Amanda’s name. “She's your primary suspect?”

“I think she broke into my room last night,” I explained. “You said I was making the killer nervous. Well, someone with red hair was nervous enough to try to stop my investigation.”

He pulled out his phone and texted someone. “I’m having a friend at my old precinct check into her background. I’ll know more about Amanda this afternoon.”

“Before we do anything else, will you come with me to take my driver's test?” I asked. “I’ll pay you for your time. But I feel helpless without it.”

“Sure,” he agreed. “Do you want to use my car or yours?”

“Let’s take mine,” I replied. “We should take the board with us. After the test, I want to take it to Victor’s apartment. It’ll be safer there.”

Jayden insisted on carrying the whiteboard and easel to my Mercedes while I wrangled my suitcase. Then, I drove us to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

I was nervous but determined to get my license. It would make me more independent and more confident.

I drove to the testing facility. Jayden got out of my Mercedes and watched from the sidewalk when the person testing me arrived to get into my car.

He had a name tag that identified him as Edwin Murtaugh. “Are you ready, Miss Wilson,” he asked.

“Yes,” I said with my fingers crossed.

I did everything Edwin asked of me, ending with a three-point turn. I returned to the testing center and parked at the curb as Edwin wrote something on his clipboard.

Finally, he turned to me and smiled. “Congratulations, you passed.” He handed me a slip of paper. “Go inside, and the clerk will give you your new driver’s license.”

I got out of the car and gave Jayden a thumbs-up.

“Fantastic!” Jayden said.

He accompanied me inside and within minutes. I was climbing into my car with my brand-new driver’s license.

“Where to next?” Jayden asked.

“I want to drop the whiteboard and my suitcase at Victor‘s apartment, and then we can go to the Archer’s house. I need to know how Amanda found out about my whiteboard.”

I started the car’s engine and remembered I was supposed to check with Amelia to see if she would be home.

She answered my call on the first ring. “Hi, Daisy,” I have some time for you in about an hour.”

“That’s perfect,” I said. “I’ll be there.” I hung up and told Jayden.

“I’m going to leave the Archers under the impression that I’m still a cop,” he said. “I won’t lie. I’ll just say some things that will make them assume I’m still with the force.”

I was curious. “Like what?”

“I’ll introduce myself as Detective Halverston,” he said. “They do not need to know I’m a private detective now.”

“Watch out for an elderly woman with long white hair,” I said. “She will be armed with either a cane or a gun.”

“Are you serious?” Jayden asked. “It’s no wonder Victor wants me to help you. Sometimes, every detective needs a partner.”

“I’m glad to have you with me,” I told him as I pulled in front of Victor’s apartment building. I used my key and let us inside.

“Leave the whiteboard in the living room while I put my suitcase in the bedroom.”

I put my suitcase beside the bed and joined Jayden in the living room.

“Do you mind tagging along with an amateur detective?” I asked.

“Not at all,” he replied. “You have an instinct for investigative work. You would make a good investigative reporter.”

“I’m planning on majoring in journalism when I begin college in the fall,” I said.

Jayden studied the whiteboard again. “That sounds perfect for you. My wife is a reporter for one of the local papers.”

“I’d like to meet her sometime,” I said.

Jayden smiled. “She would like that.”

“I guess we better go,” I said. “I’m not looking forward to this. Except for Andrew and Amelia, the Archers aren’t nice people.”

“And one of them may be a murderer,” Jayden added.

I sighed. “That too.”

We left Victor’s apartment, and I drove us to meet Amelia and Pat at Lycan Square.

I heard Diana’s voice when we arrived. “Be careful, Daisy. Evil lives here.”