Page 47 of What Cannot Be Said

“A few weeks. I’m staying with one of my brothers—he’s a barrister with chambers in Middle Temple.”

“Had you seen Laura since your return?”

Finch drew a deep breath, pressed his lips together, and nodded.

“How did McInnis come to hear of it?”

Finch swallowed and looked away. “That I don’t know.”

Again Sebastian wasn’t sure he believed him. “Were you in London before? Between when Bonaparte first abdicated and his escape from Elba, I mean.”

“Yes, for months. I was on extended leave, thinking of selling out. As far as I knew, the wars were over, and I figured it was time to move on with my life. But then word came that Napoléon was back in Paris, so I rejoined my old regiment.”

“I take it you saw Laura then, too? When you were in London before, I mean.”

Finch hesitated a moment, then nodded again. “Yes.”

“Why?”

Finch looked at him. “What do you mean, why? We’re old friends.”

“You grew up near her in Leicestershire?”

“I did, yes. My father was the vicar of the village there. Laura’s mother died when she was still a baby, you know, and the old Viscount never cared about much of anything besides his horses and his mistresses and the gaming tables. If it hadn’t been for my mother stepping in and being there for Laura, I don’t know what would have happened to her. We essentially grew up together. Why wouldn’t I see her when I was in town?”

“So you also know her brother, Salinger.”

“Yes, but not well. He was years older than we were.”

“And Sir Ivo? You know him?”

Something hardened in the other man’s face. “I used to run into him every now and then when he’d be at the Priory with Miles. And then of course he bought a hunting lodge nearby.”

“How much did you see Laura when you were in London before Boney’s escape from Elba?”

Finch gave a negligent shrug and looked away again. “I don’t know. Some.”

The artless evasion told Sebastian all he needed to know. “And how did Sir Ivo feel about his wife seeing her old childhood friend?”

This time Finch met Sebastian’s hard gaze and held it. “I didn’t think he knew.” He paused, then said, “I know how that sounds, but Ivo’s a nasty bastard and—” He broke off, then leaned back in his seat, his eyes widening. “My God. You think McInnis killed her because of me?”

“If his daughter hadn’t also been murdered, he’d be my first suspect.”

“Yes, of course.” Finch scrubbed a shaky hand down over his face. “This is all so horrible, I still can’t seem to take it in.”

Sebastian watched the other man lift his tankard to take a long, slow drink. “When you heard Laura had been murdered, who did you think had done it?”

Finch lowered his tankard. “Honestly? My first thought was McInnis. But with Emma dead, too, I realized that couldn’t be....”

“Can you think of anyone else who might have wanted to kill her—kill them both?”

“No.”

“What about a chimney sweep named Dobbs? Did Laura ever talk about him?”

“Hiram Dobbs? Yes, she told me about him. I know he threatened her. I was worried about her, but she wouldn’t take him seriously. Are you suggesting he could have done this?”

“At this point, I’m not ruling out anything. What about a foster mother near Richmond that she tangled with? Did Lady McInnis tell you about that?”

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