When I'm with you

Unraveling the tangle

He took a long drag on his cigar and took a sip of whiskey from a glass tumbler, studying the group carefully. Everyone was excited and extremely excited, and this gave him some pleasure in some way. Observation always paid off, and now Crowe was deliberately taking advantage of the situation to get new ideas for his books. Georgiana, standing next to the chair, gave him a very annoyed look. The behavior of the Сrowe was clearly upsetting her.

"Are you just going to sit there and drink?” she asked, annoyed.

"I'm sorry, did I take your chair?"  he was surprised, deliberately looking around, “and maybe you want to smoke too? I think I have a couple more..."

“ Damn it!!”, Georgie snorted at him, " could you do something to help...”

"What can I do now?", he asked in a half – whisper, “ Run around the office, tearing my hair out, or interrogate the younger Heywood? The first is quite painful, and Sidney and Charlotte are doing quite well with the second...”

Georgiana looked at him accusingly and turned to the center of the room, where the main action was currently unfolding.

"But that doesn't make any sense," said Sidney's voice.

"Hell, I thought so myself half an hour ago," Charlotte told him, " when the ambulance arrived, Eliza was still alive, but then they told me at the station that the doctors couldn't save her... And Georgie, they told her the same thing....”

“This is some kind of nonsense... “, Sidney exclaimed, approaching the younger Miss Heywood, " then why does your sister say otherwise?"

Allison took a step back, and Broome immediately appeared in front of her, shutting her off from Sidney.

“Take it easy buddy”, Dan said calmly, “I understand, everyone is on edge, but first listen to her carefully....”

«Sorry, Allison... “, Sidney muttered, returning to his seat, " I didn't mean to attack you..”

"I understand that the situation is quite strange ... “, said Allison, “ I was shocked when I heard it myself...but let's take it in order ... I spoke to Sergeant Sturgess this afternoon... I said that I was very worried about Charlotte, because she was reproaching herself for not having had time to come earlier... Andrew said you didn't have to worry because you showed up at the cottage just in time. Eliza was rescued and taken by helicopter to London. She's still in intensive care with a massive traumatic brain injury, but the prognosis is good, most likely Mrs. Campion will soon be able to recover...”

“Apparently, to everyone's disappointment” ,Francis put in his word.

There was a brief silence, broken only by Crowe, who exhaled loudly from his cigar.

"But I don't understand why I was told she was dead." Charlotte asked uncertainly.

"The police didn't want the killer to know that Mrs. Campion had survived.", Assison answered, “ It gave them some time ... it was safer for her...”

" Then why did Sturgess tell you?" Sidney asked, surprised, “ I do not understand …”

Allison blushed and looked down at the floor.

“ I like your friend more and more”, Crowe muttered to Georgie, while Allison tried to explain to Sidney how she was related to Sergeant Sturgess , “I take back my words about the quiet one, she forced this poor man to tell a military secret, and then ran away... it could cost him his career.... do you know if she and Dan are serious?... and then maybe I can shake up the old days?”