He laughed.
I always made sure to keep myself turned toward him so those roaming hands couldn’t find my butt. Mostly, he left me alone because he was friends with Chase, and didn’t want to end up on his bad side.
There was a large crowd of visitors coming out the castle. Only the best Ren speak would do for now.
“I seek an audience with Sir Bart, Master at Arms.” That was our way of letting Gus know we needed to use a phone, fax machine, or computer.
Bart would have Dave’s personal information, or know how to get it. We needed to act fast if we wanted to find out who’d killed him. For all I knew, the killer could have already left the Village.
“Of course, my lady.” Gus bent gracefully from the waist, with the help of his staff. “Sir Bart is able to speak with you. Please go in.”
“A formidable warrior,” I heard one visitor whisper as she passed him. “They are fortunate to have someone like this guarding their village.”
“I’d be more fortunate if he’d keep his hands to himself.” I smiled as I said it and backed away from Gus until I was too far for him to reach.
Chase had spoken to him many times, as Bailiff, about watching his hands. The problem was that Gus was related to the queen. No one wanted to get her riled up.
I went into the office, which was the main hub of the Village. Everything, and everyone, was documented and filed here. Orders were made for what the Village needed from food to building materials.
At the center of it sat a giant of a man. Bart Van Impe was almost seven feet tall and weighed more than I cared to think about. He was strong too. He could pick Chase up in his arms like a baby.
He was as good-hearted as he was huge—and he was smart. Bart was single-handedly putting years’ worth of the Village’s paper records into the computers with a software program that he’d created.
“Hello, Jessie!” He got up and hugged me, lifting me easily off the floor. “What brings you by today? I hope it’s nothing to do with Dave the Madman.”
“Why? Don’t you have that information?”
“I do. But you should leave this to the police.”
“The police wouldn’t know what to do with the information if they had it.”
“Don’t you have enough to do with your wedding coming up?” Bart didn’t move to answer my request.
“Why is it everyone seems to think the only thing I can do is get ready for the wedding? Honestly, there isn’t that much to do since Adventureland is taking care of it.”
“Detective Almond told me not to give you any information.” He shrugged. “I’m sorry, Jessie.”
“Me, specifically?”
“Looks like you have a problem, Jessie, my pet.” Wanda’s laugh raced through the castle. “They beat you to it!”
Chapter Four
“Bart—you know I can do this! I know the Village better than the police. I’m the one who found your brother’s killer.”
“I can’t help you under fear of penalty of law.” He frowned. “Detective Almond said he’d arrest me for being an accessory if I tell you anything about Dave.”
Detective Almond wasn’t going to stop me that way!
I glanced around the office. “Bart, I need to make a few copies of things for the museum.”
“Jessie. I can’t help you!”
“It’s only copies.” I crossed my heart. “There’s nothing wrong with copies, right?”
“Copies, huh?” He grunted and heaved himself out of his specially built chair. “All right. I’m going to get some coffee. I never saw you. Don’t be here when I get back.”
“I won’t.” I kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Bart!”
When he was gone, I sat down at the computer and looked in the file for Village employees. I’d sneaked into the office once before, and looked at as many files as I could while Bart was gone. I hadn’t been looking for Dave’s file at the time, but then he wasn’t dead.
“Ooo, look!” Wanda sat on top of the monitor. “Everything you’ve always wanted to know about everyone here. Wish I’d seen this before.”
“Good thing you didn’t. No telling what kind of things you would’ve done to them.”
“Nothing you wouldn’t have done too! I think I am a monument to that truth.” She stood up, blue and naked, and floated around the room. Papers hit the floor and maps of the Village flew off the walls. “I’m becoming rather good at this, aren’t I?”
“Wonderful.” I tried to ignore her and get the information before Bart got back. I knew he wouldn’t really do anything to me, but I didn’t want him to get in trouble either. If anyone else from administration found me here without Bart, it would be bad.