Constantine Capers: The Pennington Perplexity Natalie Brianne (best summer reads of all time .txt) 📖

a piece of her dress. Sometimes it felt like that time in her life was only a dream, that she had always lived with her uncle. But this photograph proved the opposite. She found it in a box in storage when she was sixteen and hid it in the parlor where her uncle wouldn’t find it. Her parents looked so happy in it. She looked so happy. The photo had been taken only a few months before their accident. Their murder. Even if it wasn’t for Pennington, she had to keep investigating for her parents.

The door opened, and Professor Burke walked in. “Good evening, Mira!”

“Oh, hello, Professor.” She quickly placed the photograph back in the box and placed it in the cupboard. The professor frowned and walked over to her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing.” She stood and walked over to the window.

“I can clearly tell that something is the matter. Is this about you investigating things with that private detective?”

Mira folded her arms. “Yes. To a degree.”

“Your uncle told me about what had happened with the kidnapping and death threats. I’m very surprised he’s allowed you to continue.”

“I am, too.”

“What’s happened now?”

“I just received another warning. I man I’ve never met before stopped me in the park.”

“Mira, this is serious. After all of this, you are still continuing?”

“Yes, I am. And don’t try to convince me otherwise.”

“You could get hurt, and I’d hate to see that.”

“I’ll be careful. I promise.”

“Mira, I—”

The door opened, and her uncle came in to invite them to dinner. The professor sighed slightly, then smiled at his friend as they went into the dining room. The meal was tense despite the topics being relatively benign. After dinner Mira quickly excused herself. She reached the stairs when she heard the door to the dining room open again.

“Samira.” It was the professor. He rarely used her full name. She turned to face him.

“Yes, Professor Burke?”

“Does my advice matter at all to you?”

“It does, but—”

“I’m advising you to stop this. It’s too dangerous.”

“You don’t think I can handle myself?”

“No. You are very capable. But if anything happened to you, I could never forgive myself. And I don’t think your uncle could take it. Please just consider that.”

He went back into the dining room. Mira stayed on the steps for a moment thinking it over, then climbed up to her room and moved over to the window. The policeman strode up and down the street still. Probably a different officer than before, but he represented the same thing. Working with Byron meant danger. She didn’t need Byron, or Landon, or Professor Burke to remind her. This all started with her investigating her parents. At the time, it seemed harmless enough. But they all were right. She had been kidnapped. Her home had been ransacked. That man in the park somehow knew her. This whole mystery involved an underground crime syndicate. Why on Earth did she keep going back? It was insane. And this wasn’t just about her. Doubt clouded her mind. About the plan, about the theory, about Byron? No. He was one thing she was certain of. And if she didn’t doubt Byron, why should she doubt or be afraid at all?

Nero meowed and curled around her feet. She sat on the bed, and he jumped up into her arms. She doubted herself. Doubted her abilities. Doubted her safety. Her reasons for coming back. Her feelings for Byron. Anxious thoughts clouded her mind. She lay back on the bed. That man had something to do with the death threats. The notes carved with a knife. The devastation of her property. She was certain if she had met the man walking home at night that he would have killed her.

And yet tomorrow she was going to willingly walk into more danger? If she didn’t know better, she would say that she was going mad. Except, does one know when you are losing your sanity, or does it just happen? Why would she want to go into danger? Then again, why would Byron? He had understood exactly why she kept coming back, because he felt the same way. He felt a thrill every time they found a new clue. It wasn’t her reasoning that made him want her to stay at home. He just didn’t want her getting hurt. The passages in his journal came to her mind, and she smiled. He liked her. Despite his memory problems, he liked her. And if he could go into danger and not have a problem, she could too. She just had to prove to him and the others that she could keep herself safe. The more she knew about Circe, the more she would be able to protect herself. She needed to get to the end of this. She needed to know what happened. And that meant going with Byron, no matter what. Nero mewed and brought her out of her own head. She went to the window and closed the curtains on her thoughts.

Mira left the house before sunrise. She wanted to tell Byron about the man in the park. Perhaps he had made a note of him at some point before, or maybe he had a file on him. Of course, it would be difficult to figure out who the man was if she didn’t have a name. Nonetheless, he might know something, and then they could figure out who the man was.

The carriage came to a stop, and she headed up the stairs. None of the lamps were lit. She frowned. Didn’t he ask her to come early? She unlocked the door and came inside. The door closed behind her, shutting the early morning sounds outside. She went into the living room, sat down, and relaxed. It was early enough she could let him sleep a while longer. She looked over towards the stairs that led up to his bedroom. She thought of him sleeping. Him forgetting. He’d wake up and come out. What would she say to him