The walk back to the library seemed longer than the walk to find Jenkins had been. I wondered if it was anxiety warping my sense of time. I did not want to be the one to tell the bride her fiancé was dead. Nope. I didn’t care how this played out; that was going to be Jenkins’s job.

When we reached the library, the door was still locked. Carlton opened it while Jenkins was on his mobile phone requesting an ambulance. We entered the room, and Dooney was exactly where we’d left him. My heart sank. I hadn’t realized I’d been clinging so tightly to the hope that I’d been wrong.

Jenkins muttered an oath and hurried across the room, dropping to his knees beside the younger man. He immediately felt for his pulse, checked to see if his chest was rising or falling, and reported the lack of both of these occurrences to the dispatcher on the phone.

Carlton and I stood witness to the scene in front of us. Jenkins shoved his free hand in his hair. I heard him say, “It’s no use.” He bowed his head.

Feeling faint, I leaned into the caretaker and to my surprise, he put one of his burly arms around my shoulders and gave me a firm squeeze. “It’ll be all right, miss.”

It wouldn’t be, but I appreciated the gesture nonetheless. Jenkins rose slowly to his feet. He continued speaking to the dispatcher and gestured for us to leave the library. Carlton and I were first to step into the hallway, and Jenkins followed. He was about to pull the door shut behind him when Piper appeared.

“Oh, no,” I said.

Carlton tried to reach around Jenkins to close the door but to no avail as Piper bore down on us with the fierceness of a Valkyrie.

“Mr. Jenkins, have you seen my intended?” she asked. “Mr. Portis?”

We all froze. Jenkins looked momentarily nonplussed. I couldn’t blame him. I had no idea how he was going to break the news to her.

“I’m so sorry, Miss May,” he said. His voice was grave.

“Sorry?” she asked. “Whatever for?” She glanced at the three of us and then at the library behind us. I didn’t think she could see Dooney, but I supposed it was just a matter of time. “What is going on here?”

Jenkins stood immobile, looking as if he longed to wish the situation away. I understood that, but it wasn’t going to happen.

“Piper, about Dooney,” I said. She turned to look at me, and her eyes narrowed with suspicion. Both Carlton and Jenkins looked at me in relief. Cowards. “I . . . well . . . I don’t know how to say this.”

“Just say it,” Piper demanded.

“Dooney is dead,” I said. I couldn’t get clearer than that.