Chapter 17
Saffron was already outside the police station when Alexander arrived, buzzing with nervous energy.
She’d agreed to put off coming until the early afternoon.
He’d had appointments and errands for the expedition he couldn’t reschedule, and she grudgingly agreed.
But it meant she’d spent hours that morning in Maxwell’s office, unable to focus on work.
The realization that had come to her looking at the aconite the previous evening had shaken her deeply.
Berking had created a crossbreed of a dangerous plant.
In his office, she’d found a folder containing notes suggesting her father had worked on hybridization.
There was no further evidence than that, the logical, scientific part of her mind insisted, but her chest filled with ice each time the pernicious thought crossed her mind, wondering if the two were connected.
Saffron spent the morning researching aconite in the library, in part to avoid the North Wing where she might run into Berking, and trying to determine what to say to the inspector.
Their meeting about the xolotl vine hadn’t gone well at all, but she believed her evidence had contributed to clearing Maxwell.
Hopefully, Inspector Green would trust her more today.
Alexander looked no worse for wear after their late night adventure.
His navy suit was in perfect order, his jaw smooth from a fresh shave.
Only his right hand was marred with a scratch.
Saffron had her lavender coat buttoned to the top, and her hair was arranged in a lower twist than usual, to conceal the red scratch still along her neck.
They settled into Inspector Green’s office in the same uncomfortable chairs as they had the last time, then waited in silence while the inspector opened his notebook and prepared his pen.
Saffron counted the number of cracks in the wall; there were seven, unpleasantly reminiscent of the spread of the xolotl vine over the wall in the greenhouse.
When she couldn’t take the tension any longer, Saffron spoke. “Inspector, Mr. Ashton and I have been looking into the poisoning of Mrs. Henry, and—”
The inspector looked up with a frown and said, “Have you?”
“Y-yes,” she said, hesitating at his hard tone. “I happened to find something in Dr. Berking’s office. It was part of a formula that included the chemical aconitine, the toxin found in aconite. Aconite is wolfsbane, the poisonous flowering plant.”
Inspector Green’s mouth thinned. “Happened to find?”
Saffron was grateful Alexander continued, for her mouth had gone dry at the unamused look on the inspector’s face. “After further research, we discovered that one of the other compounds in the formula is a preservative.”
Dreading their next piece of information, Saffron drew her fingers together tightly. “So we went to Dr. Berking’s house and in his garden was a plant.”
The inspector looked up and cocked an eyebrow. “Most irregular. A plant in a botanist’s garden.”
Saffron almost smiled at his dry tone. “It is a member of the Aconitum genus, although it isn’t formed like any species I’ve seen before.
I have the specimen here.” She removed the carefully cushioned handkerchief from her handbag and put it on his desk.
She opened the folds to reveal the plant, now sadly shriveled as she hadn’t dared utilize any of the department’s resources to better preserve it.
“How did you obtain this plant, Miss Everleigh?”
Saffron cleared her throat and met his eyes. “I took it from Dr. Berking’s garden, Inspector.”
“That would be illegal.”
Numerous ill-advised responses crossed her mind about how no one would have known about it if not for her illegal snooping and stealing.
“I think you’ll find, in conjunction with the formula, it’s relevant to your investigation.
The plant is a new species of aconite, one that doesn’t appear in any books I’ve been able to get my hands on. ”
Saffron pointed out some salient features, to which the inspector nodded minutely and notated. When Saffron asked about the type of poison used on Mrs. Henry, he glanced at her warily. His silence was confirmation that they still hadn’t identified it.
After another pregnant pause, Saffron added, “The only reason we’ve brought this to your attention is because it seems likely that this plant is connected to the poisoning.
It’s possible that Dr. Berking needed a new kind of aconite to camouflage a crime.
It would be well within his skills to breed a new species.
This new species might have a different chemical composition, perhaps included in that formula.
The garden bed where we found the plant had recently been cleared, so there were likely more plants that were taken and perhaps used.
” She glanced at Alexander, who gave her an encouraging nod.
“It would be easy enough to have it tested, Inspector. If the toxins in the plant match what was in Mrs. Henry’s blood, then you could be sure about Dr. Berking’s involvement. ”
Saffron was rather at a loss. The deadpan policeman didn’t seem at all interested in their evidence. She was ready to get up and leave when she realized they hadn’t said anything about the equipment forms.
“We also discovered”—now Inspector Green showed the slightest hint of exasperation as she continued—“that Dr. Henry has submitted requests for an outstanding amount of supplies for the expedition, running to hundreds of pounds. The other members of the expedition have asked for only a fraction of what Dr. Henry asked for. We wondered if he was perhaps involved in embezzlement of the expedition funds. That would set him up to be either a target of someone trying to cover up their mistake or involvement, or as someone with something to hide.”
This seemed to mean something to the inspector, who paused in his writing and looked up. “Where did you obtain this information?”
Alexander explained his observations when he’d visited Richard Blake’s office.
Leaning forward in her chair, Saffron asked, “Do you think Mr. Blake might be connected to both the poisoning and the embezzlement? He is known to have had a quarrel with Dr. Henry about joining the team and the funding. And he was possibly having an affair with Mrs. Henry.”
The inspector gave her a piercing look. “I beg your pardon?”
With another glance to Alexander, whose expression said she was on her own with that particular theory, Saffron said, “Well, I … I saw them speak together at the party, and they exchanged some significant looks. Mrs. Henry, in the conversation I overheard during the party, was well aware of Dr. Henry’s various, ah, friendships.
” She contemplated sharing the letters they’d found, but her theories about Miss Ermine seemed unimportant now.
“Miss Ermine mentioned to me that Mrs. Henry was not exactly faithful herself.”
“I see.” Inspector Green finished his notes, then shook Alexander’s hand and then Saffron’s, whereupon he said, “No more investigating. If I hear of further misconduct, from either of you, I shall have to place you under arrest for interfering with a police investigation. If you learn further information, please refer it to me.” He said the words firmly, without his usual disinterest.
Saffron and Alexander stepped into a teashop down the street to recoup. They settled at a small table and soon had a fresh pot of tea before them.
Alexander shook his head, saying, “I never have any clue what Inspector Green is thinking.”
“Ha! Now you know how it feels! You can be just as cryptic.”
“I do more than frown and write. He must be a very successful interviewer. We didn’t get a thing out of him.”
“Alexander, I rather think you’ve caught the bug!” Saffron grinned.
His eyes warmed over his teacup. As he set it back down, he said, “I think we know that the embezzlement idea is relevant, at least. That was the only part he was interested in.”
“Yes.” Saffron patted her mouth with a napkin, frowning.
“But what connection is there between the aconite, Dr. Berking, and the embezzlement? Berking was in on the embezzlement? Perhaps the conflict between Berking and Henry is a ruse to disguise their alliance. Dr. Henry used Berking’s skills to create a mysterious toxin to poison his wife or perhaps Blake?
” Saffron mused, stirring her tea. “There are simply too many possibilities.”
“The inspector has far more information than we do, and now we’ve given him even more to consider. I’m sure he will figure it out. After all, he is trained to solve crimes.”
Saffron, curiosity still burning, said, “But it could be weeks before he solves it! You could be stuck in the with a murderer by then!”
“Plants and poisons may be in your wheelhouse, but an embezzlement scheme is better handled by the police.” Alexander smiled, his tone softening. “If we see or hear anything else, we can let Inspector Green know.”
The bus jostled Saffron and Alexander together and apart in turn as it trundled back toward Fitzrovia.
As they entered the Quad, Saffron paused, asking, “Should I have told him about Eris Ermine and the letters? It could be important, and the inspector might not know about her involvement with Dr. Henry.”
“I can’t imagine that didn’t come up in his interviews with the other witnesses,” Alexander replied. “And it would necessitate you revealing you looked through Dr. Henry’s desk in addition to—”
Saffron was nearly knocked to the ground when a blur of a figure pushed into her. Alexander caught her arm and Harry Snyder, with pink cheeks and an overwrought expression, gasped, “Terribly sorry, Miss Everleigh.”
“Mr. Snyder? Whatever is the matter?” Saffron asked.