Page 25 of Murder on the Brighton Express
I laughed softly. “In the process of conducting my own investigation into Ruth Price’s death, I happened to stumble upon your target. Ruth worked for her.”
“I thought she was assistant to a journalist.”
“I think it’s what she wanted everyone to believe, even her brother. The gossip columnist works forThe Evening Bulletinand goes by the pseudonym Mrs. Scoop. I’ve just come from her office.”
“What’s her real name?”
“She wouldn’t tell me. I recognized her from the description Mrs. Hessing gave you.”
“And she simply gave you the names of staff she planned to interrogate about the wedding?”
“I wouldn’t say shefreelygave the list to me. I found it in her office before she arrived.”
“She didn’t have that sort of information securely locked away?”
“Um…”
“You broke into a locked cabinet, didn’t you?”
I put up my hands in surrender. “She caught me red-handed, but I managed to convince her not to throw me out. You’re not the only one who can charm people, Harry.”
He smirked. “Give me the list of names and I’ll warn them not to talk.”
“I can’t remember them all, and anyway, you may not need to. Ruth Price did most of Mrs. Scoop’s dirty work. She was the one who was going to check in here and speak to the staff, but her death put an end to that. I don’t think Mrs. Scoop has plans to come in her stead. She doesn’t seem all that interested in the wedding, actually. She seems to have bigger fish to fry.”
“Such as?”
“Lord Pridhurst.” In a low voice, I told Harry what I’d learned about Lord Pridhurst’s debts and how he didn’t want Mr. Holland to find out. “If Holland learns the shipping company will be lost to Pridhurst, Mrs. Scoop thinks he won’t make an offer for Odette’s hand, and Pridhurst needs him to. That’s a motive for murder. If he found out what Ruth knew, he could have killed her to silence her. He was also seated only three compartments away from her on the train. That’s opportunity.”
“But clearly Mrs. Scoop also knows about Pridhurst, so killing Ruth won’t stop the story.”
“Hemay not know that. I’ve warned Mrs. Scoop to be careful, but she doesn’t seem too concerned.”
“Are you going to talk to Pridhurst?”
I’d been thinking about my next move on the way home and decided that Pridhurst would most likely deny it if confronted. I needed more evidence before I accused him of anything. “I want to talk to him without letting him know that I know about his financial troubles. I plan to speak to as many passengers as possible who were seated in the compartments between ours and Ruth’s and ask them if they saw anyone moving about the carriage. If his name is mentioned, then I’ll confront him.”
“Mapping out their movements is a good plan,” Harry said, nodding. “Although the killer will lie.”
“Hopefully I can catch them out in the lie. I already know where everyone was seated. I just need to speak to them. There are three passengers I can’t yet identify, unfortunately. Without their statements, I’ll be leaving a rather large gap in my knowledge.”
“Draw me a seating plan of the carriage,” he said.
“I already have one, but I have no intention of showing it to you. I’m working this case alone.”
“Don’t be petulant.”
“Petulant! I simply want to solve this one on my own, thank you.”
“I know you, Cleo,” he purred. “You’re afraid if you spend too much time with me, you’ll succumb to your feelings and kiss me again.”
“Again? Ha!Youkissedme, Harry.”
“Last time, yes, but you kissed me first in St James’s Park. I know you remember it.”
He was so sure of himself, so arrogant. It was even more irritating because he was right. I remembered that kiss very well. “I am not involving you in my case, Harry.”
“Then why did you sit down and tell me about it?”
