Chapter 7
Seven
Rafe
After arranging for the removal of the corpse, Rafe Russell paced Priory Manor’s study, aligning all his angry thoughts before conveying his report.
Captain Huntley offered a brandy, but Rafe preferred ale, and not when he had to organize a case.
“Minerva is writing the bank. The letter should go out in the evening post.” Hunt offered the only help he had at this stage. They’d done this before. They’d learned each other’s limits.
“Why would anyone kill a banker?” Rafe finally asked. “He was no more than a clerk! If anyone deserves killing, it would be Bosworth. He’s the one who claims the land, not Comfrey. The poor fellow was only here as a courtesy to Mr. Greybourne.”
“Thea’s relation?” Hunt clarified. “Didn’t she say he was a baron?”
“Is he? He never said so. I thought he was a professor. He and his assistants didn’t seem to know Comfrey. Is there anyone else who might? We need to notify his family.” Rafe ran his hand through his unruly hair. He had more questions than answers and was lousy at interrogating.
“I’ll have Greybourne up for dinner tonight, and we’ll see who else has anything to offer. Arnaud and Thea might more discreetly question their—what are we calling the spongers? Artists?” Hunt sipped his brandy.
“Thank you, sir. Even if no one has met Comfrey, it might be good to discover if anyone was aware that he meant to be at the house this morning.”
“Since he spent the night, everyone knew he was about, even if they didn’t know who he was.
” Hunt grimaced as he followed that thought.
“Motive is sorely lacking. Surmising money is the root of most evil, I’ll have Minerva research the house’s original owners, before the bank evicted them.
There are those who paid for years before they defaulted. The resentment lingers.”
“Too true, although most of the original owners are long gone, I thought.” Rafe dug his hand into his hair again, trying to summon other possibilities.
“Meera says Comfrey couldn’t have died too long before he was found, perhaps two or three hours at most, judging by the degree of stiffness or lack thereof.
There was something about temperature being affected by the coolness of the well house and the heat outside making it difficult to assume the time any better. ”
Hunt tapped his fingers on his desk. “The Greybourne party found him about two?” At Rafe’s nod, he continued, “Then, if Meera is correct, he may have died anywhere from midmorning until a little after noon? What time did Comfrey leave the inn?”
Rafe thought about it. “He didn’t expect Greybourne to arrive until after noon, depending on when they set out from Stratford.
He was in and out, presumably talking to the workmen doing repairs.
I didn’t pay attention after he broke his fast around eight-thirty, so I don’t know the last time he left.
He did not return at noon, as expected, but that is meaningless. ”
Hunt scowled. “It may come down to who doesn’t have an alibi from midmorning on, especially if it was just a disagreement and motive is irrelevant.”
Rafe nodded. “Hotheads argued. He got punched, and oops. . . Shoving him down a well, though. . .”
“Panic. Stupidity. Drunkenness,” Hunt suggested. “Was there any evidence he might have crawled?”
“Not any more than if he was dragged. Hard dirt, gravel, half a dozen people tramping back and forth. . . We found blood traces, but that’s all.”
“What do we know about the people Greybourne brought with him?”
Rafe wrinkled his brow in thought. “The professor is writing a book. The lame lad and his twin sister are his assistants. They arrived together a little after eleven. They said they were expecting to meet Comfrey at noon.”
“So they had only just arrived and hadn’t yet met Comfrey? Unless they’d met him in Stratford at some earlier time? What time did they leave the inn?”
Rafe appreciated being given a means of organizing his thoughts.
“They ate a small luncheon and went to their rooms to freshen up. Then Professor Greybourne and the lady walked into the village about one. The lad has a clubfoot and apparently doesn’t like walking.
He took the curricle shortly after they left.
He said the house was unlocked but he couldn’t find Comfrey, so he explored on his own, which was when he discovered the pump wasn’t working.
The twins and Lord Greybourne were together when the body was discovered around two. ”
Hunt shrugged. “We’ll need to find out who saw the professor and the lady last, and at what time, but if Meera is correct, it sounds as if your guests, particularly the lad, had opportunity.
We have only their word about when and how they found the body.
While Minerva is writing the bank and asking about Comfrey’s family, I’ll have her ask if Greybourne met Comfrey while they were in Stratford. ”
Rafe preferred to suspect strangers, but a baron and the polite twins? Unlikely. Besides, the village was full of strangers, these days, ones who were far more likely to get drunk and brawl.
But grim experience had taught him not to rule out anyone or anything.