(Grill) Question Linda about why she was outside in the cold

Linda's appearance had given you a mystery to solve already. The servants must have brought in all of her things and the inside of the house, while a bit frigid in places, was infinitely nicer than the chilly late-autumn air. You wanted to know why she'd braved the cold again so soon after entering, so you asked her straight out for an explanation.

"You... You don't suspect me of doing anything, do you, Malcolm?" she questioned, pressing one hand to her chest and leaning forward a bit with an expression of surprise on her face.

You reminded her that you'd be negligent as a detective if you didn't inspect those closest to you. Surely no detective in one of her novels would make such a blunder.

Your explanation made her grin. "You're quite right! I'd be disappointed if you didn't, really. Ha ha, not that I'd ever be disappointed in you, no. I'd be a little scolding, perhaps," she teased, then began rubbing her hands together, now that she'd been reminded of the cold. "The truth is not terribly interesting, especially not given everything else at play here. There's no mysterious magic or sexy mind control angle to it. Do you still want to hear?"

If anything, her passion for teasing you was a little too well preserved. You rolled your hand, indicating for her to continue.

"After meeting with Ms. Croft and discussing my stories, her collection, the week to come-- nothing out of the ordinary-- I went outside for a little fresh air."

You stopped her there. No one who bundles up so heavily for the cold was going to step outside in this climate for some "fresh air." She was still misleading you, somehow.

"Ha ha! Your instincts are good. Okay, fine. The reason I stepped outside was to look around the rest of the island while Eric, the butler, was tied up elsewhere. It's such a rare opportunity, you know? The island of Mesmer's Manor is practically a holy site for us writers, a place where magic and mystery still exist in this dull, increasingly well-trodden world of ours. It only stands to reason that I'd want to snoop about, does it not?"

You warned her: snooping about at a time like this was going to make her suspicious. Snooping alone means time unaccounted for.

She put on a pouting expression. "You're right..."

Curious, you asked if she'd found anything during her snooping.

"I knew you'd be interested," she chuckled, putting her mischievous smile back on, but then switching to a sympathetic one. "Unfortunately, all I confirmed is that the place is just as lonely and overgrown as it looks at first glance. There wasn't very much to look at. I thought I might find a little shack, for a groundskeeper or something, but there's nothing such. Between the lack of anywhere inhabitable out there and the weather that's incoming, you can safely keep any investigations to the inside."

It was remarkable. She'd treated this place like a new mystery unfolding before anything had even happened.

"My writing brain never turns off, for better or for worse," she explained. "I'm glad to see you still have a nose for sleuthing and a will for interrogation yourself! Otherwise, I'd..."

You raised an eyebrow.

"Nevermind! Ha ha ha. Your technique is good, but please, let a girl keep a few secrets." She straightened her hair out with the side of her hand, looking suddenly flustered. "Well, all I mean to say is it's encouraging that you've become just the man I thought you had."

You returned her smile, telling her you felt likewise about the sort of woman she'd turned out to be. You'd always known she had the talent and drive to make it big. It was encouraging to see everyone else felt the same way, but you still swelled with pride, knowing that technically, you'd been the first to discover her all those years back.

"You're going to make me blush," she spoke quietly, as though she wasn't already blushing. She adjusted the glasses on her face, then pointed towards the lounge. "Perhaps you should go interview some of the others? Give me some time to cool down. I mean, warm up! After the cold."

Having completed a successful round of flirting-- sorry, interrogation-- you handed Linda's coat and scarf to one of the servants, then went off in search of the other guests.

--You've earned someone's trust!--

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