by ‘Nancy Drew,’ I breathed. ‘I’ve read every single title there ever was.’
‘So?’ said Jay.
‘Every Sherlock Holmes. Agatha Christie. All of them.’
‘Reading detective stories doesn’t make you a detective, Ves.’
‘No. But it can make you want to be a detective, and suddenly I do.’
‘Wish granted.’
‘Cordelia Vesper, Book Detective.’
‘You already have a job, had you forgotten?’
I ignored this.
‘Merlin’s Grimoire,’ said Val. Upon our return Home, we’d gone first to Milady’s tower, second to breakfast, and had then, inevitably, rattled down to the library. Jay had voted for a few hours’ sleep first. Lightweight.
‘Isn’t it exciting?’ I beamed.
Val looked monumentally unimpressed. ‘It sounds like a fool’s errand.’
‘No!’
‘Like Ms. Elvyng has no intention of parting with her hard-won and priceless argent, but instead of being so rude as to say so, she’s sent us on a goose chase.’
‘She has all that proof of the book’s existence,’ I objected, gesturing at the laptop sitting on the corner of her enormous desk. Crystobel had been prompt in sending everything over. Val’s email was bristling with scanned paperwork.
‘Could be faked.’
‘That would be a lot of effort to go to just to avoid having to say no,’ I said. ‘Besides, when did she have time to prepare it? We only spoke to her a few hours ago.’
‘Maybe she set up this whole thing. Maybe she knew you’d be on her tail, and prepared a red herring especially.’
‘Val. Much as I respect a sound conspiracy theory, that’s usually my province. Your job is good sense.’
Val’s gaze flicked to Jay, then back to me. ‘Do you have any idea how many impossible books I’ve gone hunting for?’
‘Um. A few?’ I hazarded.
‘Quite a few. Books that somebody swore had existed, at one time or another. Books that could change everything, if only we could get a look at their contents. None of them ever worked out, Ves.’
And I saw the problem. Val had hoped, over and over again, and been disappointed. Some irrepressible part of her was hoping again; hoping that this incredible tome might be the one that was real. That it might have survived the destructive passage of centuries. That we might be able to reclaim it.
She didn’t want to hope, because she didn’t want the disappointment.
‘How about this,’ I said. ‘We’ll hope for the impossible things. You can go on being the Voice of Reason, or even the Voice of Crazy Conspiracy Theories. I’ll step aside. I don’t mind.’
‘We might need a bit of help, though,’ Jay said. ‘That’s why we’re here.’
That won him a scowl. ‘Right, ask the library lady, because she knows everything about all books known to man or beast. If I knew about this one, don’t you think I would have moved heaven and earth to get it already?’
‘Three weeks ago, we knew of no source of raw argent,’ Jay said. ‘Three months ago, we didn’t even know argent existed.’
‘What’s your point?’
‘Nothing’s impossible.’
Val grunted.
‘We get to read it, Val,’ I said. ‘Imagine.’
‘I am imagining.’ Sourly said.
‘I promise to find it,’ I said solemnly. ‘And if I don’t, you can have my crystal chest and all of its contents.’
‘Including the regenerating tea cup?’ said Val.
‘Yes.’
‘And the endless chocolate pot?’
I swallowed. ‘Yes.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘Lies.’
‘Truth. We need that argent, and I want a look at that book.’
She heaved a great sigh — and then set aside her objections in the twinkling of an eye. ‘Right,’ she said. ‘Jay, you’re on police duty. Get in touch. See if you can get them to send over any police reports they have on the theft. Pull Milady’s influence if you have to.’
‘But why would—’ began Jay.
Val glared.
‘Right.’ He shot up from his chair, and left.
‘Ves, media duty. News reports. Gossip pages. Obscure treatises upon the arcane. We’ll need every reference to Merlin’s Grimoire that’s ever been made, especially any that intersect with mentions of the Elvyng family. Plus, if you find any mention of bad blood between the Elvyngs and any other family or group, highlight that too.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ I got up from my chair. ‘And what are you going to do?’
‘Me? I’m going to deep dive into the magickal dark web.’ Val stretched, cracked her knuckles, and opened up her laptop. ‘Somebody had the gumption and the know-how to steal from the Elvyngs, and get away with it. I rather fear we’re dealing with a considerable power.’
