Chapter 130
Nothing about this woman jumped out, but it wasn’t hard to notice something off. In her notes, Miriam had given the woman ‘Purse Clutch’ as a descriptor, because she was always clutching at her purse. She looked to be alone, didn’t go on any rides, or purchase any food or souvenirs. In fact, she didn’t bother looking at anything specific, only glancing around like someone out for a stroll.
Why bother going to an amusement park for a walk? A bit pricey for an activity that was free pretty much everywhere else.
It was just after the group had started making their way to the restrooms; the woman stopped walking and checked her phone, then abruptly turned around and bee lined for the exact same restroom.
Huh. So this was a two person job? A knot of worry formed in Miriam’s gut as she tapped the tip of her pen on the page she’d covered in notes. What the hell is going on?
Miriam looked up from the tablet to see Theo and Sebastian were the only two still there, the former engrossed in the videos on his own tablet, while the latter sat behind the desk and tapped away on his phone. As if sensing her gaze, the oldest Devreaux son glanced up and caught her eye. “Did you find something?” He asked, his thumbs pausing as he waited for an answer.
“I think so? Maybe.” Her words caught Theo’s attention, who looked up expectantly. Miriam rolled her eyes at him before placing the tablet on the desk and sliding it over to Sebastian. “There’s this woman…”
It took her a while to go over her thought process, where she’d begun, why certain people were eliminated as suspects, before settling on Purse Clutch. Saying it out loud made Miriam nervous, hoping she came across as confident, when she was still questioning herself at every step.
“No wonder we never took note of her,” Sebastian muttered after she’d finished. “We were focused on finding some kind of tail, but if there were multiple people as lookouts, instructing the person making the drop…” He looked up, meeting Miriam’s gaze. “I can see why Vivian likes you.”
“…huh?”
Sebastian leaned back in his chair. “Vivian doesn’t think like most people. Most people find it uncomfortable being around someone who thinks differently than themselves, which means she’s often misunderstood — not that she cares. But you think differently, too, and I bet she realized it, and saw you as a kindred spirit.”
Is that why she stuck around when no one else did? Miriam wondered, lowering her gaze to stare at the notes she’d taken. Does it even matter? She chose to stay, to be my friend, even if she’s ignoring me right now. The least I can do at this point is help figure out what’s going on, so we can give her the support she needs. Even if she doesn’t want it.
“So, what now?” Miriam asked after a minute, hoping to change the subject.
“Now…” Sebastian trailed off as he picked up the tablet, staring at it for a second before returning his attention to her, “Now we find out her identity, and the identity of whoever was helping her.”
“So… does that mean we aren’t needed anymore?” Theo pipped up, looking somewhat unhappy.
“Yes. You can both go home. We’ll handle it from here.”
“What about Vivian?” Miriam asked, leaning forward.
“What about her?”
“Well… I… I’m worried about her. Is she doing alright?”
Sebastian stared at her for a long moment before finally nodding. “She’s doing… about as well as can be expected. She needs time, I think, to come to terms with certain things and, once that happens, I have a feeling she’ll reach out to you again.”
The knot in Miriam’s gut loosened — just a little — at his words. “Would it be too much for me to ask… if you’d be willing to keep me in the loop on her… progress?”
“That’s for Dad to decide, not me,” he replied with a shake of his head. “But since you go to school with Laurent, I’d advise pestering him for updates.”
“Pestering Laurent sounds like a bad idea,” Theo laughed. “But I don’t mind. Don’t worry, Miriam, I’ll let you know anything I find out from him, if you don’t want to deal with the guy.”
“Thanks, Theo,” she smiled. “But at this point, I’m willing to deal with his sass, if it means I know what’s going on.”
“I’ll get Gilbert to drive you both home,” Sebastian said after they fell silent. “It’s rather late already, and we wouldn’t want your parents to worry.”
“Would I be able to see Vivian before I leave?” Miriam inquired as Sebastian led them from the office towards the foyer.
He hesitated, but then shook his head. “She’s still sleeping, and Dad doesn’t want her to be disturbed, so it’s better if you don’t.”
“Alright.”
“I’ll let her know you’d like her to contact you, but can’t promise she’ll do it.”
“No,” Miriam said, shaking her head. “It’s fine. It’s probably best she doesn’t know I was here like this. She seems to want to keep us out of it, but… like hell that’ll happen.”
In the foyer, Gilbert was waiting for them. “Miss Wilson, Mr McCullough. Are you ready?”
“Yep,” Miriam nodded before turning back to face Sebastian. “Thank you. And Mr Devreaux. For… letting me help. And… for giving me the chance at a better education, with my scholarship. I’m really, really grateful.”
Sebastian was the one who shook his head this time. “You earned your spot at the academy, fair and square. That’s all on you, not us. As for letting you help… you’re Vivian’s friend, and it’s obvious she means as much to you as you mean to her; that means you matter to us, too.” He switched his attention to Gilbert. “Make sure they get home safe.”
“Of course,” Gilbert nodded once before opening the front door and motioning for the teens to step through.
“How’s your leg doing, Mr Morris?” Miriam asked, having been too nervous to think about it on the way in.
“It’s fine, thank you.”
Miriam let out a laugh. “You sound just like Vivian.”
“So I’ve been told.”