#Chapter 197: Findings

Iris My mother’s face is unusually grave. I know right away that something is wrong. Alice glances between us, then clears her throat. “I should probably head out. It’s getting late, and you two clearly need some privacy.” With that, Alice quickly leaves. My mother and I stand in silence for a few moments, her eyes flicking between me and the mural behind me, before I say softly, “What’s going on, Mom?” She glances over her shoulder as if worried we might be overheard, then hurries forward and takes my hand. “It’s about Nora,” she whispers. “And the sapphires.” My breath catches. Since our conversation weeks ago, my mother hasn’t mentioned anything about investigating Nora or the poisoned necklace. I’d almost begun to think she’d forgotten about it, or dismissed my suspicions as paranoia. Honestly, I’ve begun to dismiss them as such myself. “I found something,” my mother says, reaching into her handbag. She pulls out a folded piece of paper and hands