“Look, guys. I love your enthusiasm,” Olivia said, in a tone that suggested she’d love less of it even more. “But this murder doesn’t concern you. The victim wasn’t fae.”

“A clue!” the boy crowed.

“If it’s not fae, though, it isn’t that interesting,” Olivia said.

“True.”

“Which is why you don’t have to investigate.”

“But we will!”

“We’ll be detectives,” the girl said.

“I have a hat,” the boy said.

“And I have a notepad.”

“He’s a dryad. She’s a dryad. They solve crimes!” The boy looked at the girl. “That doesn’t really work.”

“It doesn’t,” Olivia said. “Which is why you shouldn’t—”

“But we will!”

They took off, weaving through the rides. Once they were out of sight, Olivia turned to Gabriel. “So that’s an example of the fae I’m supposed to save? Score one for the Cŵn Annwn.”

“We heard that!” the boy called back.

“But we’ll prove ourselves!” the girl shouted. “Just wait.”

Olivia shook her head. Gabriel glanced back, but the dryads were already scampering away.

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was late afternoon by the time we made it back to Cainsville, the Jag headed to the auto shop. We went straight to Rose’s and told her about the woman claiming to be Seanna. She took the news quietly and then excused herself to go make tea.

“Should we leave?” I whispered when she was in the kitchen. “Give her time alone?”

“If she wanted us to go, she’d make an excuse. She just needs a moment to herself.”

“Then maybe I should go. This is a family matter and—”

“I would rather you didn’t,” he said, with a touch of alarm. “We don’t—” He cleared his throat. “About Seanna. We don’t…”

“Talk about her?”

“Yes. We just…we don’t. Ever.”

“Would you like to leave?” I asked. “Let me handle it?”

He glanced toward the front door and Lloergan lifted her head, sensing it might be time to go, but he said, “No, I want to stay for Rose.”

When I checked my phone, Gabriel said, “The DNA results won’t come that quickly, Olivia.”

“I’m not—”

His look stopped me.

I put my phone away. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sure this woman isn’t your mother.”

“As tempting as it is to presume that, I need to consider the possibility, and prepare a plan to deal with that.”

He took out his notepad and pen, and I realized he was literally going to plan this, as if she were a potential client he wanted to avoid. That was how he would cope.

“Okay,” I said. “So if the DNA is a match—”

“I’ll handle it,” Rose said as she came in with the tea tray. “If the DNA is a match, I’ll meet with her. I will handle the situation without Gabriel getting involved.”