Chapter 15

The detectives trickled into the Library. Mr. Timmons sat sullen and defiant at the head of the table. The others positioned themselves around the table. Down the left side shuffled Mr. Levinson, Mr. Ironside, Ms. Danforth, Mr. Maclemore and Ms. McFadden. On the right, Mr. Lewis, Mrs. Moss, Mr. Moss, Ms. Stevens and Mr. Wright took up their positions. Mr. McAdoo presided at the far end of the table with Oswald and the Renvilles on either side.

Mr. McAdoo cleared his throat. "As we are all now here, we may begin. You stand accused of theft, Mr. Timmons. You are guilty of that theft. The rest of the proceedings will be to decide if you are further implicated in the assault on Sir Renville and the murder of Adam Claymore."

McAdoo eyed each of the detectives gathered about. "I will call upon each of you in turn and you may ask your question. Mr. Timmons may or may not elect to answer your question as is his right. After the answer is given, any of you may comment. If you ask a question of Mr. Timmons outside of your turn, please remember that that question will count as your one question. Mr. Lewis, we will start with you. Your question please."

Mr. Lewis drew himself straight and addressed the others. "I find it physically implausible, not impossible, that you stole the charter then attacked Sir Renville, especially given Ms. Stevens chronology." Out of the corner of his eye, Lewis could see Ms. McFadden on the other side of the table nodding in agreement. He stared hard at Timmons. "However, it is highly probable that you did away with Claymore. Did you kill Adam Claymore?"

For a minute, Timmons held the stare but ultimately looked away. "Yes, I killed Claymore. He had it coming."

The detectives reacted to this revelation. Several scribbled notes on their pads. Others narrowed their eyes in thought. A few began to study their fellow detectives very carefully. Mr. McAdoo felt the tension rise in the room. He had to keep things moving.

"Mr. Ironside, your question."

Mr. Ironside casually sat on the edge of the table. A page of his notebook he put in front of him. It was riddled with scribbled notes and diagrams. "Your motive for killing Claymore was it because he was blackmailing you or did someone pay you to get rid of him?"

Timmons smirked. "He wanted too much of the cut. I tried to be reasonable but he was too greedy."

Mr. Lewis glared at Ironside. "That was far from subtle."

Ironside remained calm. "What's wrong with wanting to make sure? Of all of us, you had a motive for killing Claymore. For all we know the theft was just an elaborate cover up to the murder or, perhaps, they were two separate events entirely."

"If I was that obvious, do you think I would have made it very far in business?" With a last haughty glare, Lewis dismissed Ironside's unsaid accusation. "Hardly."

"Mrs. Moss, your question."

Emily Moss tapped her pencil against her cheek while looking down on her pad. "Well, can I ask two questions in one?"

Mr. McAdoo mouthed the word "No."

"I suppose someone else will ask that question." Emily looked pointedly at Ms. Stevens.

"Mr. McAdoo, I protest!" Ms. Danforth with her arms crossed and her demeanor grim looked very disagreeable indeed. "This is not fair!"

Mr. McAdoo asked "What is not fair, Ms. Danforth?"

Ms. Danforth pointed dramatically at Ms. Stevens then glanced at the Mosses. "The know-it-all and the seniors working together. It's not fair to those of us doing this solo."

"The rules allow for teams, Ms. Danforth. With a group this size, teams are not avoidable. I did encourage it, if you remember."

In Severus' estimation, Ms. Danforth went from clinging vine nuisance to spiteful hag, and that was an insult to real hags everywhere. She can't stand the competition and so takes it out on Diana. His inner voice urged him to put the hag in her place. For once he was in complete agreement. To hell with staying in character. It was the potions master that leaned into the table and braced both arms on the table. He pinned Ms. Danforth with a menacing look. He spoke every syllable in sharp, chiselled tones. "Ms. Danforth, disparaging your fellows for using their natural born gifts is demeaning only to you."

Her thoughts were in chaos. It IS the professor, in disguise no less. No one else sounds like THAT. She scrutinized his profile noting the line of jaw, the lips, the nose. I'm not wrong. I know I'm not.

Ms. Danforth had more backbone than sense. She railed back at Mr. Wright. "How dare you!"

Severus could feel Diana's gaze on him. He couldn't stop the wave of protectiveness that had welled up in him. When did she become a cause for me to defend? When? "Ms. Stevens has employed logic and intelligence. She has proven her abilities as you have not."

"Hear, hear," Emily Moss murmured softly.

Hermione felt her cheeks burning. Hermione kept her hands fisted. She didn't trust them to not fling themselves around her professor's neck and kiss him senseless with gratitude. He likes my mind! He doesn't mind I'm a know-it-all! He likes me for me! Her giddiness was cut short by the sobering realization that he wasn't her professor anymore. He was just a man to you before he was a professor. The same man you've been flirting with for days. What are you going to do now?

"I will add that what is not fair, to my mind, is using this occasion as a forum for your inadequacies." Severus straightened. He eyed Ms. Danforth as if daring her to say another word.

Mr. McAdoo had stood by watching the byplay in growing astonishment. Ms. Stevens really has gotten under his skin, hasn't she. Good for her. "As I have said, teamwork is permissible. Mrs. Moss has yet to ask her question. We should allow her to do so."

"Mr. Timmons, did you carry or move the charter from the Library after you took it down?"

Timmons shook his head and said "No."

At this, several team members began to converse among themselves. Mr. McAdoo smiled to himself. He liked to keep the detectives guessing. "Mr. Moss, you're next."

Mr. Moss peered at his wife's notepad. He read a question off it. "What were the precise steps taken by you after you took the charter down and you entered the Blue Room?"

Timmons shifted in his seat. He looked at Mr. McAdoo. "You have to answer in detail, Mr. Timmons."

"All right. I took down the charter. I rolled it up and put it in a plastic sheath. I put the roll standing up by the door on the floor." Timmons took a deep breath as if to steady his nerves. "I left the Library. I ran into Lady Renville. I had to make an excuse why I was in that part of the corridor, didn't I? So, I asked where the loo was. It was the first things I could think of. I went off in the direction she said towards the corridor running past the Armory. I walked a bit and then went to the Blue Room."

"Mr. Wright, your question."

"When you were wandering in the corridor by the Armory, did you talk with anyone?"

The others looked at Timmons intently gauging his every reaction. There was no reaction. There was no response.

"Mr. McAdoo, please clarify if a refusal to answer is an answer?" Mr. Wright asked.

Mr. McAdoo nodded. This set off another round of murmuring among the detectives. "Ms. Danforth, your question."

"When you went to get the medical kit, did you stop anywhere?"

This was a quick "No."

"Mr. Maclemore, your question."

The Scotsman was thoughtful. He looked at Ms. McFadden before he asked his question. "Mr. Timmons, did you meet with your accomplice at some point from the time you procured the charter to the time that you appeared in the Blue Room?"

Timmons nodded.

Ms. McFadden flipped to a fresh page in her notebook. Mr. Lewis was barely listening. His mind seemed elsewhere.

"Ms. Stevens, your question please."

"You're a professional and professionals do their homework. The charter though valuable wasn't a well known object. It's not in a museum that you could study and make plans for." Ms. Stevens tapped her fingernails on the tabletop. The psychiatrist in her took note of his posture and silent body language. "In order to pull this job off, you had to have inside knowledge. Where did that knowledge come from?"

"The man discharged me. Afterwards I wanted to find out as much about him as I could."

She heard his response and passed judgment. He had spoken in a rush as if unsure of his answer. "You don't convince me."

"Ms. McFadden, it is your turn."

"Mr. Timmons, was your accomplice charged with moving the charter from the Library to the roof?"

Timmons swallowed and did not answer right away. Then he said "Yes."

"Our last question is for Mr. Levinson."

Timmons visibly relaxed in relief that the interrogation was almost at an end.

"I think everyone's taken my questions," said Levinson almost sheepishly. The others chuckled. "I have one. Did your accomplice assault Sir Renville?"

Timmons laughed. "Needed a diversion. It worked beautifully. You should have seen yourselves milling around in a panic, like lemmings."

"Oswald, take Timmons to the constabulary. To the rest of you, the day is yours. Please be back at the hotel by tomorrow for our scheduled luncheon. Any additional information will be released at that time."

The hum of conversation in the room rose quickly as they detectives planned their next tasks or studied their notes one more time. One by one they all drifted out of the Library until only Hermione and the Mosses were left.

"Diana, John and I need to return to the hotel soon." Emily said.

"I forgot one of my medications. Sorry to spoil our fun." John added.

Hermione smiled at them. She rummaged in her purse. She dangled the car keys towards them. "Not a problem. Here, take the car. I'll get to the hotel later."

"Are you sure?" Emily asked.

"I have never been more sure of anything in my life, Emily. I could take the bus back. I'll work something out." Hermione placed the keys in John's hand and closed his fist over it. "Don't worry about me."

As the Mosses exited the room, Emily called out "We'll see you at breakfast then, Diana."

Diana paused and looked around the room once. She said to herself. Her decision had been made. "I don't think you will, Emily."

In the hallway, Diana saw Oswald standing out in the main hallway. "Oswald?"

"Yes, Ms. Stevens?"

"Has Mr. Wright left the castle?"

Oswald scratched his chin. "I don't believe so. He was talking to Mr. McAdoo and he said that he was going to investigate the armory."

Hermione turned and walked fast but not too fast to the Armory room. She past the Chevy Chase room and turned left into the corridor. The corridor was packed with people - Mr. Lewis, Mr. Maclemore, Ms. McFadden and Mr. Ironside. Her quarry was, like the rest, stepping up and down the corridor. One end of the long corridor intersected with the corridor to the Chevy Chase room. On the far end, she could see another intersecting corridor. That corridor led to the Red Room. This corridor had been neglected in their investigations and now they were making up for lost time.

Hermione sidled towards David off in the far end of the hallway. She caught his eye and he waited for her to reach him. "David."

"Diana."

"Could I talk to you in private, please?"

Severus guided her down the side corridor. When they got to the Red Room, they found Mr. Levinson and Ms. Danforth inside.

"Let's try another room." Severus said.

They turned left into the cross corridor and entered the Yellow Room. It was blissfully private. They walked inside. Severus' eyebrows rose when Hermione closed the door behind her.

He licked his lips nervously. Stay calm. Do not jump to any conclusions. "What did you want to speak to me about, Diana?"

Hermione said not a word. She placed her hands on his chest and slid them inch by slow inch upwards and around him. Her eyes she kept downcast until her hands locked together behind his neck. Then she raised her eyes to meet his. She planted a kiss on the tip of his nose not breaking eye contact. Severus forgot how to breath.

"I wanted to thank you for what you said." Her lips brushed against his softly on the first pass. The second pass, she pressed more firmly deepening the kiss as the seconds ticked by.

Her tongue probed and insisted, driving away any scruples he had of being a gentleman. He parted his lips. She entered. His right hand glided downward to squeeze her firm bottom and pull her closer to him. She went unresisting. His left hand caressed her face and neck. She leaned into him, consciously placing his leg between her own. Her body undulated against his lower half seeking to get even closer to him.

After a few minutes of escalating heat, Severus broke their kiss. He had to stop, one of them had to stop. He cupped her face with both hands and said breathlessly. "You're welcome."

"Emily and John have taken the car. I'm stranded." Hermione slid her hands from his shoulder to his hands. She pulled his hands from her face. "I was hoping you would give me a ride back tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"We're having dinner tonight. My treat. There must be some cozy place we could find at Marazion." Hermione released his hands and rubbed her hands against his chest. Hermione placed her palm over his heart. She could feel it beating strong and fast.

"And what about after dinner?"

She purred. "I am looking forward to your suggestions."

"Why don't I find us some place that serves an early dinner, hmm?" Severus nuzzled her neck. "That will leave us more time for dessert."

"A capital suggestion."

"I'm sure the Chymorvah has an available room." Severus mumbled. "I think another demonstration of your gratitude is necessary."

A few minutes later with swollen lips and disheveled hair, the pair stepped out of the Yellow Room arm in arm.

Author's Note: Finally some one on one action. Thank you to reviewers. You have helped greatly in keeping this story going. Only a few chapters left.

What will Severus do when he discovers who Diana really is? Or more importantly when will he find out? How will their dinner date go?

Let's not forget - Who is the accomplice?

Enjoy!

mavidian