Deception at Dark Hall (The Briony Martin Mystery Series) by Stacey Coverstone Page B

however, the sergeant asked him to be available in case there was need to question him further.
    The sergeant also told Daniel and Mark that Shelby Dark had not been found in the brownstone. There had been no forced entry and nothing seemed to have been stolen. No furniture was out of place, which indicated there’d been no struggle. As of late last night, there had been no sign of her.
    “I want to go to Dark Hall and speak to Sharlyn,” Daniel now said, rising from his chair. “Maybe Shelby is there, or Sharlyn’s heard from her.”
    “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Mark replied. “Let the cops handle this. The more distance you put between you and those two crazy women, the better, in my opinion.”
    From the twist of his mouth, it was clear Daniel took offense to his brother’s statement. “Sharlyn’s not crazy. She’s a good person. If she doesn’t know her sister’s missing, I owe it to her to let her know.”
    “I don’t see why you owe that witch anything,” Paige chimed in. “Mark and I knew she was trouble from the first time you met her, and apparently, her twin is worse than trouble. She may be a killer.”
    “That’s not fair. You don’t know anything of the sort. Maybe Shelby was defending herself from an intruder. Anyway, it doesn’t matter what either of you think. I’m going to see Sharlyn.” Daniel stood up and wobbled a bit. His eyes squinted closed, and he winced. It was evident his head still hurt.
    “If you’re determined to go,” Briony said, “I’ll go with you. You shouldn’t be driving.”
    His face broadened into a grateful smile. “I’d appreciate that, Briony. At least you understand. I can’t sit around here doing nothing and wondering what’s happened to Shelby.”
    “Maybe her sister the medium can summon her,” Mark said smugly, rising to refill his coffee cup.
    “Only if she’s dead,” Mark answered between tight lips. “Let’s hope that’s not the case. Let’s go, Briony.” He retrieved his car keys from the pocket of his jacket hanging on the peg and tossed them to her. Then he exited the kitchen door, slamming it behind him.
    “I shouldn’t have said that.” Mark shook his head. “I don’t wish anyone dead.”
    “And I shouldn’t have called that woman a witch,” Paige mumbled.
    “It’s been a long and stressful night for all of us,” Briony replied. “Paige, do you need any help this morning? I should have asked you before offering to go with Daniel.”
    “No worries. Mark had already requested the day off to help with final preparations. I’m glad you’re going with Daniel. You’ll be able to stay objective when he speaks to Miss Dark. Perhaps you’ll be able to use your newly acquired detective skills and pick up on something that will be helpful to the police.”
    “I’ll try. See you both later.”
    ~ * ~
    After Daniel announced their names over the intercom, the sour-faced butler opened the door and escorted them inside Dark Hall. “Wait here.” He disappeared into a room to the right of the foyer.
    “That’s the library,” Daniel whispered.
    A moment later, the butler stepped out of the room and approached. “Miss Dark will see you.” Keeping pace with his long-legged gait, they followed him across the foyer and entered the library. All four walls were filled with floor to ceiling bookcases stacked with hardbound books. The ceiling was painted with frescos portraying scenes from the Renaissance era, and full-sized marble statues of nude men and women were stationed around the room. A fire crackled in a large stone hearth. The butler bowed and closed the door behind them.
    A brilliant smile lit Sharlyn’s pale face when she heard their footfalls cross the wooden floor. She perched on the edge of a settee that was covered in a rich shade of midnight blue suede. An open book was cradled in her palms, which Briony thought odd since she was blind. Her assistant, Lee, sat stiffly beside her dressed in slacks