(Gossip) Distract her by gossiping about another guest

All you really needed to do was get Linda to focus on conversation for long enough that she lost track of her original objective to investigate that bookshelf. Then, when the two of you left the room together, you'd be able to quickly snatch it up and hide it for later reading. Luckily, Linda was easy to talk to, and there were any number of topics you could use to divert her attention. The other guests were all pretty strange in their own ways, giving you plenty of conversation topics.

You asked Linda what she thought about Yara and Brunhilde. Those two were pretty unusual, right? The way Yara Ashour toted around a bodyguard like Brunhilde was something straight out of an old James Bond film.

"Isn't it, though? If she wasn't so much of a goof, it would be easy to imagine Yara as one of those sinister celebrity villains they hire for the Bond films!" Linda giggled. It was funny to hear her pointing out Yara's character flaws so openly. This sort of private space allowed you to have that conversation without worrying. "As for Brunhilde... I think she's probably the smarter of the two, in reality."

You hadn't had too many opportunities to talk to the bodyguard yet, so you were curious what she meant by that. Was it because she exploited Yara's likely incorrect perception that her work required a bodyguard in order to reap a presumably massive paycheck?

"No, no. I'm saying Brunhilde is approaching this case from every angle that doesn't rely on superstition. She's thinking about people's motivations, why they'd play along with this all as a scheme of Wanda's. It's a pretty intelligent approach, I think, if you don't believe in all the hocus pocus."

You asked Linda if she herself believed in all the "hocus pocus."

"Well... I'm undecided! A mystery writer doesn't really get to utilize contrivances like that, so I tend to try to look for rational answers instead. But back to Brunhilde! It is interesting to think about, isn't it? What if she was the mastermind? Her stubborn refusal of all things magical would actually make her the perfect perpetrator, wouldn't it?"

You thought you saw what she meant. If Brunhilde didn't even acknowledge the validity of mystical artifacts and magic spells, then it would mean no one would suspect her of using them all. But to what end?

"Hmm... I believe that Brunhilde is actually rather devoted to Yara. Do you think this could be a... gift for Yara?"

You scoffed, smiling awkwardly. This seemed more like a gift for you, given how day one had played out. What did Yara get out of this?

"Yara is the world's second most celebrated collector of magical artifacts. With Wanda out of the way, she'll become the first. All the more so if she's there for Wanda's downfall! It lends the whole thing a certain mystique that will capture the public's attention. I'm saying: what if Brunhilde is doing all of this to catapult Yara's career forward?! Wouldn't that be amazingly crafty of her? Perhaps romantic, as well! I mean, those two are obviously... affectionate towards each other, ahem."

It seemed a little far-fetched... you'd need a lot more evidence if you wanted to get anyone believing Brunhilde was behind the magical mind control. Maybe the ability to come up with crazy theories like this was what made Linda a captivating writer?

At any rate, it was charming to see that enthusiastic side of her. Beneficial, too: she wasn't thinking about the books at all. You asked her to tell you more about her theories as you guided her out of the study, grabbing the book about the rings and hiding it behind your back in a sneaky, unseen move. Once you were finished gabbing with Linda, you had just enough time to stash it in your room before heading to the next event.

--You've gained a new clue!--

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