The constable looked at Jenkins. “Could you bring them here quietly?”

“With the utmost discretion,” Jenkins said. He hurried down the hallway, clearly relieved to be doing something.

“I’m going to talk to the medical personnel and my colleagues,” the constable said to Piper. He glanced at Sunny and me. “Can you stay with her?”

“Of course,” we said together.

“I’ll keep an eye on them,” Carlton said. “To make sure no one faints and the like.”

The constable took in the burly Scot and seemed satisfied. He turned and went back into the library.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Piper said. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Just like that, Carlton was thrusting a small rubbish bin at her. She took it and clutched it to her chest. The hallway grew quiet. We could hear the murmur of voices from the library but not what they were saying. Time seemed to be moving backward and I had to force myself to stand still and not pace.

“Where is he?” a voice cried. “Where is my son?”

I glanced up to see Davina Portis striding down the hallway. Her eyes were wide and her nostrils flared. Her husband was hurrying to keep up. When she entered the library, her scream was so anguished it rang in my ears for hours that night.

The pain in her cry was excruciating, the grief of a mother confronting the death of her child. I felt Sunny slide her hand into mine, and I glanced at her. She was pale and shaking and tears were coursing down her cheeks. She was feeling it, too.

Piper, on the other hand, dropped the rubbish bin she’d been holding and strode toward the library. Her expression was fierce.

I had a very bad feeling about this.

Chapter 8

“Get out! Get out! Get out!” Davina shouted from inside the library. As one, Sunny, Carlton and I all flinched.

Moments later, Mr. Portis came out of the library with Piper. His hand was clenched around her elbow, and her shoulder was pushed up against her ear.

“Kindly leave us,” he said. Then he let her go and went back into the library.

Piper rubbed her elbow. Tears were coursing down her cheeks.

“Are you all right?” Sunny asked.

Piper looked up and her expression was one of deep fury. “How dare they? Did you see that? He’s my husband to be. I should be in there and they just tossed me out like I was nothing.”

She wasn’t wrong. I found it extremely odd that Mr. and Mrs. Portis had dismissed her from the room. Dooney was her fiancé, and they were to be married in a matter of days. Shouldn’t she be with them during this horrific time?