Page 22 of Nature of the Crime
“You suggest that she poisoned the inquiry agent out of revenge,” Dr. Heard summarized.
“In a fit of hysteria?” Lieutenant Edmunds tacked on. He didn’t sound convinced, and Hugh marked him down for a reasonable man.
“That is correct,” the baron replied.
“Arsenic poisoning takes some planning, or so I would think,” the lieutenant said. “I wouldn’t consider it an act made in haste or frenzy.”
If he saw the baron’s disapproving glower directed toward him, he ignored it.
The coroner, looking distressed, stammered that yes, he thought it would be best after all for tensions to cool, as Hugh had suggested before.
“Do fetch the manifest, my lord,” Dr. Heard said after dismissing the jury for a break. The baron bristled and then stormed back through the nave. The others avoided Hugh as they dispersed, the publican calling for everyone to come down to his place for a brew. Sir stood up, and with a nod from Hugh, dashed away.
“My lord,” Carrigan said softly, stepping up beside him. The driver’s eyes were on Sir as the boy disappeared through the transept door. “He was careful just now, but if I saw it, so might’ve someone else.”
That was one thing about Carrigan—he didn’t judge. And he didn’t ask questions. He trusted that whatever reason Sir had to root around in the dead man’s bag, it was a good one.
“If you could be sure he arrives at the inn without interference?” Hugh said. Carrigan nodded and left on his task.
“Hell, Neatham,” Fournier said the moment the driver had gone. “Audrey is in a fair amount of trouble, as is Cassie. Making an enemy of the magistrate overseeing the inquest is unwise.”
Hugh shrugged and tried to make it appear blasé. “He is already our enemy. Has been since we arrived. We need to find out who hired Vaillancourt.”
The duke frowned. “What do you think his game was, taking those letters?”
Sir had suggested he was looking for something. Something Audrey would impart in a private letter to Hugh?
“If he was monitoring Audrey’s letters, he would not be able to easily reseal the wax wafer and use her personal stamp. So instead, he never sent them. And because my letters would have complained about not hearing from her, he intercepted mine to her as well.”
“She sent Genie and me several letters. They got through. Why not yours?”
Hugh was the only other person who knew about Philip. He would have placed a hefty wager it had something to do with the late duke. And if that was the case, it might also be connected to the threatening note left for her in her Paris hotel room.
“I don’t know,” he said instead of everything he had just considered.
Fournier made a grating sound in his throat and moved on. “We still have a day, maybe two, before Sir Gabriel can reply with any further information. Even if the jury finds Audrey is a worthy suspect—which I doubt, considering the coroner’s report—provoking the baron won’t do us any favors.”
They reached the entrance to the church and exited into the frigid, bleak air. Hugh silently thanked Basil for insisting he bring his fur-lined great coat, even if he thought he looked like a pompous bear wearing it.
“Maybe not,” Hugh said as he pulled up his collar. “But it might help us get our hands on the passenger manifest. And the more he resists, the more I’m convinced there is something on it the baron doesn’t want us to see.”
Chapter
Nine
At the swift rap of knuckles on her door, Audrey broke from the well-worn route she’d been pacing around her guest room. It wasn’t Cassie—her knocks were lighter, and usually numbered several more than the two decisive ones that had just landed. This had to be Sir.
She took a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever the boy had taken from Mr. Vaillancourt’s belongings. Though, she couldn’t ever be fully prepared. Every object held a surprise, sometimes ones she didn’t wish to see. But as she had been several times since meeting Hugh Marsden, she was willing to look into the memories of objects, no matter what gruesome or disturbing things they had to share, to help further an investigation. She’d done it before to help others, like Philip and Hugh, and her older sister, Millie. Now, she would do it to help herself and Cassie, for she was growing more concerned that her sister-in-law might be named as an accomplice.
The hinges on the door let out a soft squeal as she opened it. Still expecting to look down to meet Sir’s face, Audrey was awed again to find that the boy’s eyes were nearly in alignment with her own. He was no longer a smelly guttersnipe at all, but he was also unlike any other footman or servant she’d encountered.It wasn’t that he lacked a certain polish, but that he exuded confidence and individuality, when most servants held their own personalities in reserve when interacting with their employers or higher-ups.
Then again, Sir wasn’t truly a servant. Not to Hugh, at least.
“No paper, Lord Hugh said.” Sir held out his hand, and in his gloved palm were two objects. Strangely, she was touched Hugh had remembered paper was not a powerful conductor of energy. Sir quirked a brow. “Do I want to know why?”
With a handkerchief ready in her hands, she carefully and quickly took the offered pocket watch and penknife before Cassie could open her own door across the landing and see them.
“It’s a secret,” she replied.
