"My name is Emily Chambers," I said to her. "And you are?"
"Finch," she said, eyes downcast.
George looked at me as if I had a memory like a sieve. Jacob, however, nodded his approval. He at least seemed to know what I was doing.
"Your first name?" I persisted.
"Maree, miss." Her hands, reddened and chapped, twisted and stretched her apron to the point where I thought she might tear it.
"Well then, Maree, Mr. Culvert tells me you started working here only a month ago."
"On the twenty-fifth, miss." Still she did not look at me.
"Ask her if she stole the book," Jacob said.
I refrained from rolling my eyes. Just. "Do you know the book Mr. Culvert claims was stolen from this library, Maree?" I asked instead.
Maree's gaze flicked up to mine then lowered again. "I don't know nothin' 'bout no books, miss. I can't read." Her hands twisted faster and faster and she shifted her weight from foot to foot as if she would bolt at any moment.
"Don't fret, Maree," I said, touching her shoulder. "No one's going to hurt you. You're not in trouble. I believe you."
She looked at me, her eyes not quite trusting. "You do?"
"I do." I smiled at her. "You must not have any need for books or the time to learn to read them."
"I don't, miss. Them words and stuff all looked funny to me. And the pictures in that book scared me, they did. I wanted nothin' to do wiv it."
George shook his head. "And yet-"
"Of course you didn't," I said, cutting him off.
George cleared his throat and thrust out his chin. Jacob chuckled beside me. "He thinks your methods aren't getting results."
I had a feeling George wasn't the only one. I gave Jacob a pointed glare. If he had a better way of doing this, then he was welcome to feed me questions to ask the maid.
"So if you wanted nothing to do with the book," I said to her, "who did you give it to?"
Maree's gaze remained downcast. After a moment her shoulders slumped and began to shake. She was crying. Oh dear, I was going about this all wrong. I put my arm around her but she stepped away and I let my arm fall to my side.
George frowned at the girl. "Answer Miss Chambers, Finch. Who did you give the book to?"
"No one." She wiped away her tears with her apron but still they came. And still she kept looking at the rug. If she'd only meet my gaze I might believe her.