Page 31 of The Missing Maid
‘But Polly is the most likely suspect,’ Harry insisted, wishing she could share what she’d learned from Beth. ‘You have to admit it’s suspicious that she’s left the Finchem household.’
Oliver gave her an impatient look. ‘No, I don’t. I hope you’re not planning to interrogate Lady Finchem about this, Harry. I thought we’d agreed to leave Mildred’s case to the police.’
She threw up her hands in frustration. ‘Can you at least tell me what’s happening, then? Have they found any evidence that she’s telling the truth?’
‘No,’ Oliver admitted. ‘Like us, they suspect an organised gang but if it is the Forty Elephants, they’ve covered their tracks well.’
Again, Harry thought of Beth’s observations about Polly’s family and their roots in South London. It couldn’t be a coincidence but, as Oliver had pointed out, there was noconcrete evidence. And Polly’s disappearance made it more difficult for Harry to prove the connection. ‘So what happens next?’
‘I’m in contact with the detectives working on the case,’ he said. ‘We’ll have to wait for them to make a breakthrough. And in the meantime, I’m optimistic Mildred will give a good account of herself at trial. She’s polite, well-mannered, and of previous good character, aside from the Finchem matter. I think a jury will like her.’
The idea of poor Mildred having to explain herself in the dock made Harry shiver. ‘It can’t come to that. We have to find out the truth before then.’
‘No, Harry,’ Oliver said, his expression darkening. ‘I told you before, this isn’t something you should be involved with.’
‘Why?’ Harry exclaimed with a flash of irritation. ‘Because I’m a woman? I can look after myself, believe it or not.’
He exhaled sharply. ‘You have no idea what kind of people you’re dealing with.’
‘I’m not afraid,’ she snapped, folding her arms.
‘Then you should be,’ he whipped back. ‘Gangs like these aren’t afraid to use force to protect themselves. If you cross the wrong person, it won’t be just your job you lose. It could be your life.’
The vehemence in his voice made her pause. ‘You’re trying to scare me.’
‘Because you’re not listening!’ Running a hand through his hair, he softened his voice. ‘As I said when we left Holloway, I don’t want anything to happen to you.’
‘Because you still see me as Lawrence’s kid sister when I’m so much more now,’ she argued, but even as she spoke, Beth’s warning echoed in her head.Have a care for your safety. There are dangerous people around.‘And I’m getting better at disguises.’
‘You need to let this go, Harry,’ Oliver said, as though she hadn’t spoken. ‘You’re not R.K.Moss, or whatever made-up name you came up with, and you aren’t working for Sherlock Holmes. This isn’t a game.’
The insinuation that she was playing at detective work caused her temper to flare even more. ‘Is that why you came down here? To make sure I was being a good girl and doing as I was told?’
He sighed. ‘No, I came to see you and your family, because I like being here. Nothing more sinister than that.’
His words took the wind out of her sails. ‘Oh.’
‘I’m not trying to oppress you, Harry,’ he went on. ‘I’m trying to keep you safe.’
Deep down, she knew it was true but it didn’t make her feel any less patronised. ‘Well, I’m glad you came, even if you are being an insufferable prig.’ She eyed him reproachfully. ‘I do understand how serious this is, you know. An innocent girl’s future is at stake.’
‘I know,’ he said. ‘Look, I appreciate you’re trying to help and I’m very glad you brought Mildred’s situation to my attention. But it really would be best to leave things to the professionals now.’
By which he meant men, Harry thought, but there was nothing to be gained by losing her temper again. Instead, she began to climb the stairs once more. ‘I’m going for a nap. See you at dinner.’
Harry lay on her bed for what felt like an age, the conversation spinning in her head, mingling with everything she had learned so far. Oliver’s dismissiveness irked her more than anything, even though she knew it was born from concern for her wellbeing. But she had made the link to Mrs Haverford’s Bureau and she had uncovered the similarity between Mildred and Dora that was at the heart of the case, details sheinstinctively felt to be important. And she couldn’t shake the feeling that the police did not appear to be trying very hard – if they had made even a modicum of progress, she might have felt more confident in leaving matters to them. But there was no fresh evidence, no hope that Mildred might be proved innocent, and that meant Harry could not do as Oliver demanded. As she had told him, a young girl’s future hung in the balance and Harry could not stand by and let her take the blame.
After tossing and turning for a few more minutes, she huffily gave up on sleep. It galled her to admit it but Oliver had not been wrong about everything – she could not risk directly investigating the crime. Her family would be mortified, for a start, and their embarrassment would only be the start of Harry’s problems; she would most likely find herself banished to Scotland to keep Rufus company. But it did not follow that she could not investigate at all, however; she simply needed to be cleverer, which meant following in the footsteps of Holmes and expanding her repertoire of disguises. Luckily for her, she had an almost endless supply of costumes at her disposal.
Leaving her room and making as though she was going for a bracing walk, Harry doubled back to the barn where the sacks of old clothes were waiting to be redistributed through her grandmother’s charity. She began to sort through the clothing, her mind abuzz with possibilities. Sarah Smith needed a different coat and hat, but not fresh boots, and perhaps there were some black items she could wear when she needed to blend into the shadows. Harry contemplated a pair of men’s trousers thoughtfully; with a belt they might stay up and they were certainly more practical than skirts, although her mother would faint clean away at the mere suggestion.
Mindful of the time, Harry made her selections and arranged the sacks exactly as they had been before. The hardest thing was going to be smuggling her finds back to London without anyonenoticing – Oliver, in particular, would be watching her closely and might pick up on an overstuffed bag. She would have to leave some of her own clothes behind to make room. But it was a small sacrifice if it helped to set Mildred free, and Harry was more determined than ever to do just that.
12
At dinner, Harry found herself seated between Percy and James Finchem, an arrangement so blatant in its intentions that it made her blush just to think of it. Sebastian had not fared any better – he was squeezed between Maud and Rosalind Goldsworthy. Further up the table, their mother regarded them with matriarchal satisfaction. Swallowing a curse, Harry steeled herself for the charm offensive and tried to ignore Oliver’s sympathetic smile from directly opposite. Was it a coincidence that he was sitting well within earshot of everything she might say? Surely he hadn’t sweet-talked her mother into seating him nearby?
But it turned out Harry had misjudged the entertainment value of the Finchem brothers. As dinner progressed, she found herself in equal parts charmed and amused. On her left, James took every opportunity to flirt, while on her right, Percy consistently shot his efforts down with deadly humour. They were, she decided as the exquisite main course of pheasant was served by the household staff, quite the double act.
