Chapter 255

As I sat in my car looking at the Archer mansion, I knew Diana was right. You could feel the creepy vibes coming from the dark, hulking dwelling.

It inspired me to text Victor to tell him I was at the Archer mansion with Jayden to talk to Amelia and Pat. Despite having Jayden with me, I felt better having Victor know my location.

“Shall we go inside?” Jayden asked as I put my phone in my handbag.

“Let’s get it over with,” I replied. “Do you have your badge ready?”

Jayden patted his jacket pocket and smiled.

We exited the car, walked to the heavy wooden front door, and rang the bell.

Alfred answered the door almost immediately. “Hello, Miss Wilson. We were expecting you.” He looked pointedly at Jayden.

“This is Detective Halverston,” I told him. “He also needs to speak to Amelia and Mrs. Archer.”

Jayden flashed his badge at the suddenly nervous butler.

“Miss Amelia is waiting for you in the parlor,” Alfred said and led us through the foyer. He announced us as we walked into the room.

Amelia’s welcoming smile melted away at the word detective. “Are the police now interested in Deirdre’s disappearance?”

“There are interested parties anxious to resolve the case,” Jayden said. “But we’ll be as discreet as possible.”

“That’s kind of you, Detective.” Amelia’s smile returned.

“Is your mother available for a few questions?” I asked.

Amelia rang for Alfred and asked him to bring her mother to the parlor.

While we were waiting for her, I asked Amelia a few questions. “Was your sister with you at Moonglow last night?”

“Yes, we had dinner,” Amelia answered. “I’m sorry she wouldn’t speak to you in the ladies’ room. I’m afraid she can be difficult when Deirdre is mentioned.”

“How difficult?” Jayden asked. “Would she commit breaking and entering to destroy evidence?”

Amelia stuck up for her sister. “That’s a serious accusation, Detective. Where did this supposedly happen?”

“My bedroom just before I got home last night,” I replied. “When I walked into my bedroom, my whiteboard, which I just told you about a few hours earlier, was erased and thrown to the floor. And I chased a reddish wolf that was jumping from my balcony.”

“How terrible.” Amelia put a hand to her throat. “Did you catch them?”

“No, they jumped into a red car and took off,” I replied. “Does Amanda own a red car?”

“Amanda and her husband own several vehicles,” Amelia answered. “I believe one of them is red. But isn’t that a common color?”

Jayden and I exchanged a glance, and he took over the questioning.

“Was Amanda upset when she learned how serious Miss Wilson is in investigating Deirdre Brady’s disappearance?” he asked.

“Of course she is,” Amelia admitted. “So is the rest of my family. There were bad feelings toward Deirdre that are still there today. But mostly, that scandal is not something my family wants revived.

Jayden was wearing his serious cop face. “Then your family must believe Deirdre was murdered if they don’t want to discover what happened to her.”

Amelia cringed. “What makes you say that?”

“Because if Deidre is alive somewhere, it would prove your family’s story was true that she was just a gold digger who abandoned your brother and their child.”

“Yes,” Amelia said. “I suppose it would. But people didn’t mention Deirdre for years. My family dislikes anyone being reminded of what my Grammy Martha calls ‘that sordid incident.’”

“Please tell Amanda that breaking into my room and erasing my whiteboard didn’t stop the investigation,” I said. “In fact, it made me more determined to uncover the truth.”

Amelia closed her eyes for a moment. “Amanda and her husband, Peter, have built a good life. She is afraid the old scandal will affect his career and their social standing. Peter landed a position at the Alpha Association about ten years ago, and Amanda uses it to promote their social life.”

“Her husband must know my father and my fiancé,” I said. “I’ll ask if they know Peter Devins.”

“Peter is nowhere near as influential as Alex and Victor,” Amelia chuckled. “But Amanda likes to pretend he is a bigwig to her friends.”

Alfred appeared in the doorway and cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Miss Amelia, but your mother said to tell you she isn’t feeling well and cannot speak to anyone today.”

Amelia made an annoyed sound. “Did you tell her a detective is here waiting to speak to her?”

“Yes, he did,” Pat Archer said as she moved from behind the butler. “But I knew you wouldn’t take no for an answer. So ask your questions, and let me return to my nap.”

Physically, Pat Archer was an older version of Amelia, but she had a temperament even worse than that of her younger daughter. Her expression as she looked at Jayden and me was pure anger and disdain.

She glared at Jayden. “Why are the police wasting their time looking for a money-grubbing Omega trollop who ruined my son’s life and abandoned her child eighteen years ago?”

I had to stand up for Deirdre because she couldn’t.

“That’s not true. Deirdre was your son’s fated mate and the mother of your granddaughter,” I reminded her. “And we don’t think Deirdre abandoned Amy or Andrew. She was murdered.”

“You can’t prove that, and none of this is any of your business,” Pat snapped. “Deirdre ran away from her child and Andrew as soon as there was no money in it for her to stay. That’s all I have to say.”

We watched Pat stalk from the room. I looked around during the uncomfortable silence left in her wake.

There was a small, framed photo of a couple wearing wedding clothes while standing in front of a church on the end table to my left. It was a young blond man with his equally young red-haired bride.

The bride resembled Amanda. But from the style of the wedding clothes, I’d say this wedding took place at least forty years ago.

“Is this your parent’s wedding photo?” I asked.

“Yes,” Amelia replied. “I’m sorry about my mother. But I suspected she would act this way.”

My mind was still on the wedding photo. “Your mother is a redhead in this photo. Is she a natural redhead, or is she a brunette?”

“Her hair was the same shade as Amanda's. But she always hated her red hair,” Amelia said. “She thought it didn’t flatter her skin tone. After it began fading to white, she began dying it brown like my hair.”

If Pat is a natural redhead, was she the wolf who broke into my bedroom last night?

Amelia glanced at her watch. “Look at the time. I must get going. There’s a committee meeting at the club that I can’t miss, and I’m not dressed to go out.”

Jayden stood. “We’ll let you go then, Miss Archer. We’ll call you if we have anything else to discuss with you.”

She stood and shook Jayden’s hand. “Good luck, Detective. I hope you discover what happened to Deirdre.”

“Thank you,” Jayden said, and we started for the front door.

“Oh, Daisy, wait,” Amelia called after me.

I turned back to see what she wanted and watched her pull a battered envelope from her pants pocket.

“I received this letter from Deirdre years ago before she disappeared. The return address is her family’s home in Middleburg. Maybe they still live there and know something helpful.”

She handed the envelope to me. “Find out what happened to Deirdre as fast as possible,” Amelia said. “It will be much less painful for everyone.”

I nodded. “Thanks. I’ll do my best.” It was nice to have one member of this family cooperate. I stuffed the letter into my handbag and went out the front door.

Where was Jayden? He wasn’t near my car, parked across the street. I went to the edge of the Archer’s porch and began to look around for him.

Suddenly, the front door flew open, and Amanda stepped outside.

“Why are you trying to ruin our lives?” Amanda demanded. She moved closer until she was inches from my face. “Just stop playing detective and leave my family and me alone.”

The look in her eyes was chilling. I felt panicked until the moonstone pendant glowed with warmth against my chest, and my resolve to find out what happened to Deirdre was renewed.

“If you didn’t do anything to Deirdre, you don’t have anything to worry about,” I said, meeting her angry eyes.

I refused to be bullied by this bigoted Alpha. “And every time somebody tries to get me to stop looking for Deirdre’s killer, it only makes me want to find out what happened even more.”

“I’m warning you … butt out of this,” Amanda sputtered and grabbed my arm. “It’s none of your business.”