Chapter 30
Forensics managed to find enough evidence linking Lady Halliwell to the poisons to make the arrest stick.
There had been residue of two of them in her purse, as well as a stray Chinese Lantern leaf under the bed, and some dental dams and rubber bands that could have been used to milk the snakes.
She also had a number of small perfume bottles with nothing apparently in them, including one at the sink that had clearly been recently washed.
All this was enough to get her talking, once she woke up and found herself handcuffed rather than exonerated.
"You're all horrible!" she hissed. "Just like that Wicket, treating me one way and saying something else."
Alex paused for a moment, brows knit, and then said, "But surely you knew from the gossip that Wicket never made good on his flirtations?"
"I was supposed to be different!" Her voice cracked. "He was so much more intense with me than those others, but no, I was just another amusement to him!"
"All right, but then why Miss Winterson and the others?" asked Lapointe.
"She had his attention, didn't she? And everyone was fawning over her, even though she was right there and could have done it, too. She's nothing special," said Halliwell, angry and finally starting to leak a few tears.
"And us because we were investigating, I guess?" said Alex.
"You two just swanned in like you were soooo special," she said, hissing again at the end there. "Interviewing fine ladies like common criminals!"
"Oh, we don't let him interview common criminals," said Lapointe, sounding amused.
"But wait, if you were mad at Wicket for not coming across," said Julian, "why Camellia? He would definitely have taken you as a lover."
"He just wanted a fling, as though I'm some trifle!" she said, haughtiness back in force. "As if I was some kind of, of game animal to be caught and discarded!"
"And Lady Applewhite?" asked Lapointe, looking at her list.
She huffed. "That little goody two-shoes," was all she was willing to say, which made Alex wonder if she'd even known who was getting the tray, or if she'd decided they were all against her and deserved to die.
It was well into the afternoon by then, time flying between forensics and the rest. Jessamine had even managed to identify Halliwell as the noble lady who'd bumped into her, once the other jacket was brought out to demonstrate how she changed her appearance.
Everyone was exhausted from all the bureaucracy and Halliwell's continued bad attitude, not that they'd expect any less from a murderess.
The only thing they really had going for them was that with the poisoner caught and cuffed, everyone could have food and drink again, finally.
People were also released to go home as forensics finished with their rooms, and Chudleigh spent a lot of time in the foyer saying his farewells and promising a murder-free good time at his next event.
Alex and Julian popped down a few times to keep him apprised so Lapointe could deal with the business of proving that the Lady in question was guilty beyond any kind of string-pulling doubt.
Dr. Geoff mostly stayed with him, though he did insist on checking over Miss Winterson before she left.
"I think she should see her regular doctor, just to be sure there's no lasting effects," said Geoff, "but really she's fine."
"We did good, saving her," said Julian with a happy little smile that made Alex's heart melt a little.
"We did," agreed Alex. "I wish something could've saved Wicket, he seems like he was a perfectly harmless victim here. Camellia, well. At least Applewhite is okay?"
They all laughed as they were meant to, but then the widow came down with her packed bags to say her goodbyes.
They gave their condolences, but then Alex and Julian escaped the conversation to check on whether they, too, were allowed to leave.
James and Jacques were shadowing them still, but in a more social way than before, though they'd faded into the background when Lady Herbert came down.
"When will you set us free?" asked Alex plaintively, giving Lapointe giant puppy eyes.
She huffed. "You'll come in tomorrow for statements?" she asked.
"I'll make them," said Jacques. "We'd like to get them home so Alex can stop radiating stress and get a little rest. He's only mostly over the poisoning, no matter what he says."
"Hey," said Alex. "That was a secret." He really did feel mostly better, but he could feel weariness creeping up that was making him cranky. Well, crankier.
"Not to us," said James dryly. "So, are we cut loose?"
"As long as you two promise to keep them safe, yeah," said Lapointe. "I'd hate to lose the case because one of these two idiots vanished before the trial."
"We will," said Jacques. "We'll install them in their stupid bathtub and that'll make even Alex relax."
Alex wrinkled his nose at Jacques but then relented. "You're not wrong," he admitted. "I could definitely use a soothing bath and a nap. I feel like a cranky, tired toddler."
"I'll just text Jones," said Julian, giving him a teasing look. "And Smithson, who we should thank again before we vanish."
"Also he'll probably help with the luggage," said Alex. "Uh, assuming forensics is done with us?"
"We had them do you early on, victims and suspects alike," she said. "You're fine, go on. We'll see you tomorrow for lunch."
"See you then," said Alex, relaxing a little for the first time since Wicket had died, really. A part of him had been on alert for the next threat, the next poisoned cup, the next misstep that would lose him his Julian or even his own life.
He kept hoping their luck wouldn't run out this time, but he knew one day it might, and it would be more than a broken arm or an afternoon's illness.
He texted Smithson and they all four met the man up in their rooms. Alex whistled a little magical tune to see if they'd left any stray possessions and found a handkerchief under the chair, hiding out where no one would see it for days.
"Sneaky," said Alex, bending down to retrieve it.
Julian whistled at the view.
"Hey," Alex protested falsely, coming over to gather Julian close and kiss him. He looked at the hankie in his hand and chuckled. "I believe this is yours, good sir?"
Julian looked at the deft embroidery of his monogram and some vines and laughed. "I forgot they'd begun to decorate everything they can get their hands on," he said, pocketing the offending object.
"This's got spells on it so one man can move it easily," said Smithson cheerfully, patting the big trunk. "I'll get it down to your car and have your man bring it around."
"Thanks," said Alex. "We'll go say our goodbyes and make sure Alys and Nat are expecting us."
"You just want your brownie-made food," said James, "not that I blame you."
"You want my brownie-made food, too," countered Alex. "Come on, this day has already been long enough."
He texted Nat and Alys, and also Lapointe, inviting her and Thomas over for a treat whenever they could get away. The Guardians would be with them for a few days more, which would make it almost a party. But the good, murder-free kind this time.
Chudleigh was standing around the foyer looking a little lost, so Alex shoved aside his usual reluctance and went in for a hearty, back-slapping sort of hug, the kind that made men like Lucas smile.
"We're finally set free," said Alex. "Will you and Geoff be all right without us?"
Chudleigh gave him a tired smile. "Having Geoff here will make it all right, now that they've caught her. I had no idea that Miss Halliwell harboured such resentment against Wicket."
"Even Flora had no idea," said Alex. "I asked her for all the gossip a few weeks ago and mostly Halliwell is considered a decent conversationalist, if a little dull."
"I won't be inviting her again," joked Chudleigh tiredly. "This has been such a disaster, but it would have been much worse without you, Julian, and my Geoff."
"Make sure you tell him that," said Julian, coming in for his own sweet, comforting sort of hug. Alex loved those hugs. "Dr. Geoff deserves appreciation."
"But so do you," said Alex. "You've kept it together, and made sure none of your people got hurt."
Chudleigh sighed. "It doesn't feel like enough when two people died, but it's not like I could have known."
"You can't control everyone," said Julian. "Your staff stayed safe, and that's important in a situation like this."
"And you got us all fed," added Alex. "That was a pretty big accomplishment that I know wasn't all Rowlinson's doing."
Chudleigh laughed. "It was so hard not to just get mad and yell at people," he admitted quietly, "but honestly, everyone really came through for me. They'll all get a bit of a danger bonus for this weekend."
"It's things like that that make them want to work hard for you," said Julian wisely.
"Jones is here," said James, who'd been lurking by the front door while they talked to their friend.
"Give Geoff our love," said Julian.
Alex gave Chudleigh's arm another little squeeze. "We'll see you soon without all the drama."
"Thanks for coming," said Chudleigh, and that was that.
They all moved away and got into the car, shivering after the brief moment in the cold winter air before they got tucked into the back of the limo.
"Alys says you're to go straight inside," said Jones by way of greeting. "Nat will deal with your luggage."
"We always do what Alys says," replied Julian. "How have you been with this blizzard?"
Jones chuckled. "I've been using the time to paint rooms in my cottage," he said. "It's almost ready for Jenny. I just need to finish a few more things and get her to help me find furniture."
"Smart," said Alex. "That way she won't accidentally hate something you've bought."
"Not that we think she would," said Julian, poking him through their bond, "but it's always nicer to choose together."
"You made a decorator choose," said Jones with a laugh.
"We made some choices," Julian prevaricated.
Jacques chuckled. "The brownies picked out all the kitchen stuff for that reason, anyway."
"I didn't get to fully redo the kitchen," admitted Jones.
They spent the rest of the hour-long ride talking about home upgrades and Jenny's reaction to the house and all the rest, and it almost felt normal again.