Diamonds and Ice

Over the course of the remaining week, Mika is interviewed by the local enforcements. Right away, the sheriff declares an arrest warrant on the mountain men for attempted murder on Mika and for two counts of capital murder, my coachman’s and mine. A money prize has been put on their head to help bring them to justice and until a bounty hunter brings them in or they come back looking for me, there’s not much else the village’s authorities can do.

Scarlet is still on speaking terms with me and each morning she makes time to have breakfast with me. This one is no different. Along with herself, she brings the morning paper. My only way of finding out what’s going on around here.

“Congratulations, you’re now officially dead,” she teases me.

As she pours herself a cup of coffee, I open the obituary section and read the announcement for my funeral set for when the weather gets warm up enough to dig.

“Don’t worry about Mika, he’s alive and well,” Scarlet says before I get to read any farther.

Mika’s date of death is a few names down the column.

“Why is his name in the obituary?”

“When it’s time, he’s coming with you. This is all part your disparaging act.”

“Oh,” I set the paper down.

“To be honest, I’m glad he’s coming along with you. That way I won’t worry as much about you being all by yourself in some strange place,” she smiles, before biting into a buttered biscuit.

“How did you pull it off, if you don’t mind me asking,” I say, reaching for jam.

“I don’t mind at all. We sneaked a small bottle of special tunic into a goodie basket his mother brought. Under his and Liam’s agreement, he drank it to make himself appear dead. After the doctor pronounced him dead and before the symptoms wore out, we sneaked him out of his coffin and placed the dead coachman’s body in his place.”

“I feel so bad for his parents and siblings. They must be heartbroken.”

“They are. They are,” she nods with sympathy.

“How does his family think he died?”

“The doctor thinks that a blood poisoning due to wound infection came on suddenly and overnight.”

“I see. Where is he now?”

“You know I can’t tell you that, Victoria,” it saddens her to keep it a secret from me. “All I can say is that he’s safe.”

“Thank you, Scarlet.”

That’s all I need to know.

“When will Mika and I be ‘disappearing’?” I pass down the creamer she’s trying to reach.

“Oh, Victoria. Not even I know this,” she takes the small pitcher and fixes her next cup of coffee to her liking.