Obsidian Murder

by Beth Byers

  “Vi doesn’t think that,” Denny told his younger brother lazily. “She knows me too well.”

  Wendell scoffed and shot back, “Just because you are too lazy to kill someone doesn’t mean I am.”

  “Oh.” Violet followed Wendell’s gaze to Denny. That statement had been filled with fury. “Why are you angry with your brother?”

  Wendy turned to Violet. “He wastes himself and his brains. He spends his days drinking and eating. He’s fat because he doesn’t move.”

  “Fat is going a bit far, I’d say,” Lila mused. “More, ah, a bit chubby.”

  “He wouldn’t last a day in my life.” Wendell clenched his fists and spoke through his gritted teeth.

  “Well, who would want to?” Denny asked reasonably, keeping his lazy tone in the face of his brother’s fury. Violet noted that Denny wasn’t all that surprised by the anger from his brother. Was this a family fight they’d had time and again? She guessed it was, but what surprised her was that Denny so accepting.

  “Our aunt should never have left the money to you.”

  “Oh ho,” Violet breathed to Lila, who shrugged. Denny just crossed his legs and leaned back. Again, neither of them were surprised.

  Wendell shot a glance to Violet and snapped, “Am I wrong? You know them better than I do, you think? Hardly. Are you aware of how lazy they are? How they spend their days doing nothing?”

  “I suspect that I know Denny and Lila quite a bit better than you do,” Violet told him smoothly. She adjusted her necklace and then spun her ring. “Shall I make a guess then?”

  Wendell shot her a nasty glance while Denny waved her on.

  “Your aunt left the money to Denny rather than you because she wanted to support the coming generation and not a dig in some distant part of the world.”

  Denny gave Violet the very slightest of nods.

  “What generation?” Wendell demanded. “Lila and Denny have been married for years. Where are the children? It was all for nothing.”

  “Perhaps the chance of children was worth more than the guarantee that you’d spend your life not having children, creating a family, or moving the family generations forward.”

  Wendell flushed.

  “Jealousy doesn’t become you,” Violet told him flatly. “Especially given how I’ve heard these two talk about you.”

  Dr. Lands cleared his throat and placed a hand on Wendell’s shoulder.

  “Do you know what Lila told me when I was asked to help? That you were earnest and hardworking. They’re proud of you.”

  Wendell flushed brilliantly and his glance towards Denny was uncomfortable for everyone who saw it.

  “Let’s set aside the fighting and you can tell me why you didn’t kill Greyly.”

  Wendell grounded his teeth. “You don’t understand what it’s like to see your dreams snatched away!”

  “I probably understand better than anyone else how this could have happened. I was also the greater inheritor. Victor is rich enough from Aunt Agatha. My cousins who inherited got significantly less money. Do you want to know how you should have reacted? I can introduce you to them, and you can learn proper behavior from my family. Tell me where you were when Greyly was killed.”

  Wendell thrust himself to his feet, saw the police officer, and sat back down.

  “Why don’t we avoid who got the money and focus on who the killer is?” Violet suggested.

  “You think I’m just going to let you trap me into confessing? I didn’t kill the man.”

  “Honestly,” Violet told him flatly, “your behavior makes you incredibly suspicious. However, I value the opinion of your brother and his wife, and they’re convinced you didn’t do it. Let’s assume you didn’t, and you tell me where you were so we can narrow down who did it, and you can go back to being jealous of your brother’s money.”

  Wendell flushed. “I wrote an article to Greyly’s specifications. Dr. Lands told me to take it back, but Greyly wouldn’t give it to me. He owns the journal that publishes the nonsense we write for him. He refused to return it. He refused to remove my name from it. He intended to ruin my career. I was just trying to find it. He hadn’t had a chance to send it off yet. He shouldn’t have anyway. I—”

  Violet glanced at Dr. Lands, who seemed unsurprised. Why was he so accepting of his protégé digging through the offices of his patron? “Were you together?”

  Wendell glanced at Lands and shook his head. “Ah, no. I hadn’t found what I needed earlier when you found me, so I took the chance to search again during the fireworks. I know it was wrong, but…by Jove, so was what Greyly was doing to us.”

  Violet hid her reaction to that rush of fury and looked to the mentor. “Where were you, Dr. Lands?”

  “Just in the crowd,” he said without hesitation. Was it because that was the truth or because he had an answer prepared?

  “I understand you intend to publish a book to counteract the damage you’ve done working for Greyly?”

  Dr. Lands’s brows rose and he admitted, “That wasn’t well known.”

  “Parker told me,” Violet admitted.

  Dr. Lands eyed Violet. “I’m surprised my old friend would tell you that.”

  “I bribed him,” Violet told him bluntly. She glanced towards Parker, who met her gaze. She didn’t know him well enough to know how he’d feel about her revelation, but if she had to guess, her guess would be that he’d shrug at Lands and tell him that patrons were hard to find and the work was important.

  “Why?” Wendell demanded.

  “Denny and Lila love you. If you’re important to them, you’re important to me.”

  The flush of anger changed, and his entire face was brilliantly red. “I—”

  “Don’t worry about it, Wendell,” Denny told his brother. “Help Violet help you. Did anyone see you when you were digging through Greyly’s stuff for your article?”

  “I was trying to not be seen.” Wendell’s jaw gritted. “I’m—” His tone reflected the desire to apologize, but he didn’t quite get it out.

  “Why did Greyly come to you about the fires?” Dr. Lands asked Violet.

  She sighed and leaned back. “Sometimes I’ve meddled. Sometimes it helped to find killers. The real reason, however, is that Jack Wakefield is a famous investigator.”

  “Who’s Jack Wakefield?”

  “He’s my intended,” Violet said. “We’ll be married in April. Greyly manipulated all of us. He heard about Jack through my father. He had issues with fires. He wanted the arsonist found, and he used Denny and Wendell to get to me.”

  “You aren’t with Jack Wakefield.” Dr. Lands glanced Violet over, lingering on the dip in her dress over her chest.

  “I’ve been hurt a few times while I’ve meddled.”

  “So Greyly got you involved to get your fiancé involved?”

  Why had she let herself get sucked into this? She remembered that feeling of melancholy and realized that it was her own state of mind that had pulled her into this. The intrigue had faded her blues. She needed to find another way to deal with these flashes of emotion.

  “I am thinking so.” Violet took a deep breath in. “Manipulated on all sides. It’s a real blow to my pride.”

  “What do you do, Lady Violet, when you aren’t meddling?”

  Violet’s head tilted as she examined Dr. Lands. “I write books, manage investments, enjoy dancing, cocktails, and time with the people I love. I take my dog for walks and sometimes I spend the day lazing about my bedroom doing nothing at all. I have the luxury of doing whatever I wish.”

  “Wouldn’t that be nice?” Dr. Lands asked Wendell. “To not have to worry about money, and you could do whatever you wanted?”

  “It is nice,” Denny told them.

  “Wendy is doing what he wants,” Lila snapped. “He has wanted to dig up ancient worlds since he was a grubby little boy. You can tell yourself these woeful tales, but he isn’t suffering like Denny did in those offices.”

  “Oh, poor Denn
y,” Wendell shot back. “He was educated as well as I was, and he had the options to go to whatever school he wanted and get whatever education he needed for whatever career.”

  Lila’s eyes narrowed on Wendell. “He got the education he needed to support us, you idiot. Your aunt didn’t owe either of you the money. She left it to Denny because you were happy and he was miserable. Because you have no desire for a family and Denny and I do. She left it where she wanted, which was her right.”

  Wendell met Lila’s gaze, who didn’t flinch in the slightest. They two of them stared each other down. Denny started to speak, but Violet grabbed his arm. It was Lila’s right to defend her husband and Wendell deserved it even if they’d help him regardless.

  “You’re right,” he finally said. “I was wrong. I was always wrong. I even knew it. I told Dr. Lands about it, and he said the same thing. It was her money to do with as she wanted. It was done, and I should let it go. To be happy for you. I am. I know Denny hated that job. Bloody hell! I—Denny—”

  “I’d have been jealous too,” Denny told Wendell. “Never thought she’d give it to me. Everyone knows you worked way harder than I did.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Jack came back into the room and waved Violet into a corner.

  “What have you found out?” Jack’s gaze flicked down Violet, and he handed her the wrap that Kate had been wearing. “She thought you might want it.”

  Violet did want the wrap. She didn’t object to her dress. She had worn it on purpose when she wanted to take a slew of archeologists by surprise and flirt answers from them about possible arson. As one of two women in a room full of possible killers, she definitely didn’t want their attention. Violet wrapped it around her shoulders and shimmied a little as she glanced up at Jack through her lashes.

  “Wendy was looking for the article he wrote for Greyly when the killing happened. He doesn’t have any witnesses to where he was. It turns out that Dr. Lands advised Wendy not to put his name to one of Greyly’s articles. I think that Lands regrets his life working for Greyly and was trying to help Wendy.”

  Jack nodded. “Digging through the dead man’s things during the murder is hardly a good alibi. I have to admit, however, that from what I’ve been able to discover, Wendell had every reason to be concerned about Greyly’s intentions. What about Lands?”

  “He says he was in the crowd. I’m not sure what to believe there. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was trying to help Wendell.”

  Jack looked Violet over again. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded.

  “Did you see the body?”

  Violet shook her head.

  “If we wrap this up quickly, do you think you’ll have those dreams?”

  Violet paused before answering. “I have no idea. I’m trying, Jack. I don’t want to have nightmares or get the blues. I’m sorry.” She looked down, hating this feeling. It was like she was unworthy of his caring.

  “Violet Carlyle,” Jack snapped. “You don’t get to slide out of loving me or escape the life we’re crafting. So I suggest that you help me find this killer and then we’ll go home. We’ll have dinner the next day at the Savoy, we’ll go for a walk along the river, and we’ll find a way. You’ve said yes, and I’m not letting you go.”

  “I don’t want to go. I want that house,” Violet shot back. “I want to eventually have your children, but maybe not right away. I want to wake up from my nightmares and know you’ll be there, and I want to marry you. I just…feel like you can do better than me.”

  Violet had no doubt that if they didn’t have an audience of murder suspects he’d press a kiss on her forehead and then move down her face. His gaze was burning, and it promised that when the chance appeared, he’d make those kisses happen.

  “Who do you think killed him?”

  Violet took a deep breath in and faced the room. Everyone was fixated on the two of them and not one of them looked upset or guilt-ridden. She looked back to Jack, who said, “It could be any of them, Violet.”

  “Victor took Kate home?”

  “Even I’ve heard her sicking up, Violet. I wasn’t going to make her stay when I knew she didn’t have anything to do with this case or the people involved. Victor made me promise not to let you leave without me. I’d like to keep you.”

  “Do you have faith in my ability to help?”

  “I’ve never not had that faith, Vi,” Jack said. “If it were a different time, you would be a good investigator. I prefer the present time when I know you’re a little safer.”

  Violet grinned and whispered, “Real police officers have to work every day and don’t get to take naps.”

  “That’s true,” Jack said. “I can’t remember my last nap.”

  “It was in Cuba. Or by the sea. You definitely napped.”

  “Does it count if you’re snoozing in a chair?”

  “Those are just man-naps.” Violet laughed behind her hand, hiding her humour from the room. “Shall we go somewhere warm, and you can nap in a chair there?”

  “Yes,” Jack said. “Greece?”

  “I don’t care where,” Violet said. “I sleep better when I can hear the sea.”

  “We should consider a seaside cottage,” Jack said. “After we get the house in London.”

  “I have a lot of capital,” Violet told him. “These houses are for both of us and whatever children we end up having.”

  “I have enough for the house, Violet.” Jack grinned for a moment and then asked, “How long were you fighting with how to offer the money?”

  “Since the second I heard of it, so not long. I’d rather overpay drastically, Jack, than live farther away from Vi Junior.”

  “Let alone your twin.” Jack took her hand and squeezed her fingers. “I’ll have my man over in the morning. I’ve already made a note. That house is my priority, even over this case. Ham is on his way. I asked them to send him quickly. He’ll be here and accompanying you with this side of things, but not as an actual investigator. He’ll be playing the overprotective friend. On purpose, so don’t let it assault your modern woman.”

  Violet’s head cocked, and she winked at Jack since they had an audience.

  “I’m going to delay asking further questions by clearing the people who were here as random guests. I want to give you and Ham time to work the room. Violet, don’t leave with anyone other than Ham, myself, or Denny. That includes young Wendell.”

  Violet nodded. She didn’t want to be hurt again. It had taken far too long to get over her injuries last Christmas. She had a wedding to avoid planning, a house of her own to purchase and decorate, and a life to live. Just because she’d been lucky before and survived, did not mean she’d be lucky again.

  “Victor is sending a babysitter,” Violet told Denny and Lila as she rejoined them. “He doesn’t want anything to happen to me when he takes Kate home, so I’ll be watched over by our good friend, Hamilton Barnes.”

  Denny froze for a moment. “Ham, you say. Good man.” He didn’t refer to anything about Barnes’s position as a commander at Scotland Yard. Barnes’s intent to go incognito among the group would hopefully help them find the killer more quickly. At least, that was her hope.

  “Surely your fiancé will clear you and send you home,” Dr. Lands said. “No need for you to stay. It’s one thing for Greyly to get you involved and another thing for your man to keep you involved.”

  Violet nibbled her bottom lip. “I might have seen something that he’ll need to know more about later. You never know. It’s one thing to send home the people who clearly weren’t involved, but I fear I was more involved in this case than I should have been to be able to slide out and go home to my bed without a conversation about what I might have witnessed.” Violet touched Lila’s shoulder. “I’m going to go apologize to Parker for leaving him on the dance floor.”

  Wendy snorted, but Violet ignored him and crossed to the corner where Jones and Parker were watching the rest of the room.

  “Come
to torture the truth out of us?” Jones asked. “I hear you’re a wiseacre when it comes to trapping fellows into confessions.”

  “Who me?” Violet asked, leaning against the wall near them. She played with the ring on her finger and said, “Parker’s in the clear. Mostly.” Violet smirked at the little man, whose gaze widened behind his glasses. “The police will add what he saw to the list of facts and details, especially since he doesn’t have much of a reason to kill Greyly.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Jones said, grinning at Parker. “He cares more about the integrity of the community more than anything else. I think Parker might have the strongest motive for killing Greyly than all of us.”

  Parker flushed brilliantly as he stuttered. Violet felt a flash of sympathy at the sight of his face. “You know what I find telling? No one in here is upset. Greyly was the patron of four of these men and their underlings. People could be losing their life’s work.”

  Jones leaned back, crossing his leg. “We’ve already lost it. It’s been a long, slow decline and all that is left is the burial we all knew was coming. You know what’s the worst of it? Greyly has been hinting around that he might be done anyway. Pulling us all in, one final hurrah, and then he’d cut us loose.”

  Violet hid the shock on her face. Bloody hell! Did the archeologists know? What if they lost their last chance to pursue this work? What would they have done then if they’d known? Violet took a deep breath in and then let it slowly out, trying to hide her reaction. What kind of madness was this?

  She asked Parker, “Would you introduce me to Richard Lovegood?”

  Parker nodded, his gaze resting on Jones. “What are you going to do next, my old friend?”

  “I’ll find something, Parker. Don’t you worry.”

  Violet turned to Jones. “Did you have a retirement plan before Greyly died?”

  He nodded. “I’ve been saving since I realized that teaching or lecturing wasn’t going to happen for me. I’ve been thinking about a little pub on the sea. Not in England, somewhere warm.”

  Violet could understand that sentiment. She wanted to be somewhere warm very much. It was past time she thought to head to the Amalfi Coast and spend some time in the house that Aunt Agatha left her. She fiddled with her ring before Parker stood and held out his arm. As he did, Hamilton Barnes entered the room in a brown suit. His cheeks were a little ruddy. If Vi had to guess, he’d been drinking wherever he’d been celebrating the evening.