Chapter Twelve #2
“If only everyone were like you and Henry, Inspector.” She blew out a breath.
“I won’t lie. When the duke and Tifton were arguing, I was frightened for what would happen, and I was glad I wasn’t alone.
Though the butler didn’t say much, I was grateful for his presence.
He had this odd onyx button on his uniform that didn’t match the others, so I kept looking at it because it flashed in the candlelight and I thought it pretty.
Perhaps he’s a collector. At least this chapter of my life is over, and I’ll be more discerning the next time.
” Then, with a wave at Bright, Adelaide left the room.
“Well, this whole conversation was rather much,” Bright said as he rubbed a hand along the side of his face. “We will need to interview Tifton’s lover, the groom.”
“Yes, I suppose we will,” Mary said as it felt as if her mind still spun. As a distraction, she peered at Henry. The young man was far too dapper for his own good. “Where are you off to, Henry? I haven’t seen you this happy since before this case started.”
“I thought since Boddingford is dead, I am free to return to my own home and office. And that means Priscilla can come home too. I’m excited to see her.” He bounced his gaze between them. “Unless you still need me for something related to his case?”
Bright shook his head. “No, but out of an abundance of caution, you should leave the paperwork relating to Mr. Corbett here until we can sort everything out.” He shot Mary a speaking look. “In the meanwhile, we need to pay a call to the Earl of Edgington.”
“Right?” She nodded as she stood. “Let me check in on the children then I’ll be ready.”
Edgington House
Hanover Square
Mayfair, London
Mary stood at the window, for they had been waiting in the earl’s drawing room for at least twenty minutes, and he still hadn’t come in to speak with them.
“Where is he? We don’t have time to keep cooling our heels with members of this family.” She was unaccountably annoyed, for every member of the duke’s family didn’t seem to think either death was a priority. “Do they not value human life?”
“Since we aren’t privy to what their lives were like when the duke was alive, I couldn’t even begin to assume how they feel.” Bright drifted close. “But I agree. This case is dragging on, and with each interview, we are shoved further from the truth.”
“Or there are several little truths that we need to piece together like a puzzle for a glimpse at the greater picture.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Just this.” She held his gaze. “Have we been blinded about the double murders that we’re trying to force an outcome that we can make sense of?
Instead, let us break the cases down into more easily digested chunks.
There is no argument that Boddingford killed Mr. Corbett.
Either by his own hand or someone he hired. Agreed?”
“Yes, of course. I intend to write that up in my report because that case has gone cold and it’s now a dead end.”
“Right.” Mary nodded as she warmed to her subject. “And there is no doubt that the duke was universally hated by nearly everyone he met.”
“Again, that is correct.”
“What happens if we are not searching for just one killer? Could it be that we need to look for more than one? What if there was a pact formed to remove the duke from this mortal coil?”
Shock reflected in his dark eyes. “You believe his family came together to cut him out like a cancer to the body?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know for certain, but if he had gotten to the point of acute embarrassment for the family and they were tired of the hate he spewed because the next generation was being considered...”
The soft clearing of a masculine throat at the doorway interrupted her supposition. In some surprise, she glanced at the earl as he came more fully into the room.
“Thank you for indulging us, Your Lordship.” Or perhaps she should address him as Your Grace, since he was the heir apparent.
“Of course, Mrs. Bright.” Though the earl nodded, he didn’t appear pleased to see them in his drawing room.
In fact, he seemed more haggard than he had when last they spoke, and a bit wild around the eyes.
“As you can understand, this is a trying and confusing time for my family. I would ask that this visit be brief.”
“We will try, Your Lordship,” her husband said as he slowly came across the floor to meet the earl in the middle.
“After conducting other interviews, it has been determined that you were one of the last people to see your father alive, and what was more, you’d argued heavily with him, even went so far as to threaten him. ”
The earl scoffed. “So because of that you assume that I killed him?” He threw up his hands. “Everyone my father ever met hated him at some point.”
While her husband continued to ask the earl questions, Mary wandered about the room, looking at the bric-a-brac on shelves and tables or the objets d’art in curio cabinets. On one of the shelves, something out of place caught her eye, and when she investigated further, she gasped.
“Uh, Inspector?” Quickly, she dug her handkerchief out of her reticule.
“Yes?”
“I think this has definite bearing on your investigation.” As gingerly as she could, Mary grabbed the object and brought it off the shelf while keeping it stable in the handkerchief, for she certainly didn’t wish to have the blood touch her fingertips.
Then she turned and held up a knife with dark, dried blood staining the blade.
“I think I just found the murder weapon.”
The earl stared. “I’ve never seen that in my life.”
Bright frowned. “That’s what everyone says when confronted with damning evidence.”
“But I’m telling you the truth!” As the earl backed away, her husband stalked after him, finally catching his upper arm when he would have escaped into the corridor.
“I don’t know if I believe that since everyone in this damned family is lying and keeping secrets!
” He must be at his breaking point if he’d resorted to yelling.
“Mary, have the butler summon the countess. Then we are taking the earl into Whitehall. Chief Inspector Morritson can interview him. I have grown weary of this Drury Lane production. Perhaps we can finally lay the case to rest and have our lives return to some semblance of order.”
“And this?” She bounced her gaze to the knife.
“Put it in your reticule. We’ll bring it along.” He gave the earl a little shake. “Come along, Your Lordship.”
“Inspector, listen to me! I didn’t do this. Yes, I didn’t like how my father treated my wife or some of his viewpoints, but I would never kill him. I have too much good in my life to mar it by becoming a murderer after years of abuse.”
After Mary wrapped the knife in her handkerchief, she carefully placed it in her reticule then trotted after the men, who’d already gained the stairs due to their longer strides.
Could it be that easy? They’d found the murder weapon in a man’s house who had the greatest motive.
Almost as if the earl had hoped he’d be found out…
Or as if someone had banked on the fact that she and Bright would have discovered the knife and connected the dots.
I’m not certain Edgington is guilty. Bright wouldn’t be best pleased if she didn’t back up his theory, but she wasn’t going to lie. Not after seeing what keeping secrets had done to a family who had been all but destroyed.