by Sonia Parin
Evie slid to the edge of her seat. “Are you suggesting he fell asleep at the wheel?”
“Quite possibly. We believe Veronal had been mixed with cocaine. The coroner described the symptoms as sluggishness, incoordination, difficulty in thinking and shallow breathing. High dosages have been recently recorded as being responsible for victims falling into a coma and eventual death.”
“And this substance is being trafficked?” Evie asked.
The detective shook his head. “We have only come across cocaine. This leads us to believe Lorenzo Bianchi had been deliberately given or sold a deadly mix.”
Evie slumped back on her chair only to surge to her feet and stride to the window. Not that she could see much since the rain continued to pelt down.
“Why?” Evie asked.
“He might have annoyed the wrong people,” the detective suggested.
Evie looked over her shoulder and said, “If you suspected him of trafficking, then you must have been on his trail.”
The detective gave a reluctant nod. “We learned of his involvement in the trafficking business only a short while ago. We believe he transported the drugs into the country. By the time the information reached us, he had already disembarked.”
“Did you search his vehicle, his trunks…?”
“Until now, we only had circumstantial evidence and no actual proof. Lorenzo Bianchi had been seen with dubious characters already suspected of dealing in cocaine.”
Why would someone like Lorenzo Bianchi become involved in something so… wicked? Even if he didn’t have any money, he had certainly married into it.
Evie swung around to face them. “Phillipa, you implied they all followed instructions without question. Does that mean the others are involved too? Please tell me you were not the only one duped into delivering drugs.”
Phillipa’s cheeks colored. “I’m afraid we have all performed deliveries at one time or another. It seemed like an easy way to earn some extra cash. I had no reason to question the contents of the packages. And, more often than not, the person receiving the package would say they’d been waiting so long for that particular cloth and how Mrs. so and so would be delighted because she would finally get her dress.”
Looking at the detective, Evie asked, “Are you hoping Isabel will be able to fill in the gaps?”
He nodded. “The thought occurred to me.”
Good luck with that, Evie thought, knowing he would get far more than he bargained for.
The detective added, “However, we’re not sure how reliable her information will be. After all, she was married to him and she might choose to remain loyal to the bonds of marriage.”
Tom waved the magazine they’d been perusing.
Oh, yes. The person of interest in the photographs.
When Tom showed him the photographs, a splash of red settled on the detective’s cheeks. “He’s one of ours. A police officer working undercover.”
“And now gracing the pages of a ladies’ magazine. Not much of a cover.” Checking the time, Evie said, “I’m going upstairs to change and to take a break from his mayhem.”
Along the way, Evie wondered about those photographs. If the police had been keeping an eye on Lorenzo Bianchi, could there be someone else the police might identity as a person of interest?
She entered her room just as she began to entertain ideas about betrayals and deceptions. If Lorenzo had been working for traffickers, he would have dealt with people who probably wouldn’t think twice about turning against one of their own or killing them.
She found Caro going through a suitcase.
Looking up, Caro asked, “Have you made any progress?”
Smiling, Evie sat down at the dressing table. “What makes you think I am in any way involved in the investigation?”
“I’d be surprised if you weren’t. I’m sure the detective knows you have a greater chance of gaining information from Isabel, what with you being her best friend.”
Evie turned to look at Caro. She had to wait a full minute before her maid chuckled.
“I’m ever so sorry, milady. I just can’t stop thinking about your friend saying you had perished with the Titanic. How is she, by the way?”
“This might sound insensitive, but I believe she will recover in no time. In her youth, Isabel made a pledge to never go into deep mourning. In her opinion, life should always be about living in the moment and always moving on.”
“She might have changed her attitude after she married,” Caro suggested.
“I doubt it. For as long as I’ve known Isabel, she has always adhered to her own brand of raison d’être. She believes she leads her life with purpose.”
“I’d be interested to know what she thinks you do.”
“I’m withering away, of course. And that would be putting it mildly. She thinks I live in town. The moment she finds out I am now determined to make a life in Berkshire, she will have a field day. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tries to intervene and rescue me from a life of wretched boredom.”
Caro held up a dress. “I brought this pale pink dress for you to wear at dinner. You seem to be neglecting it.”
“Yes, I’m not really sure about the shade. Next time I organize a new wardrobe, I want you right there with me, Caro. You have exquisite taste.” Stepping back, Evie gave Caro a head to toe assessment. Evie smiled as an idea took shape in her mind. “We’re just about the same height.”
“I’m a little shorter but thank you for saying so. I’ve always wanted to be taller.”
Taking the dress from Caro, Evie held it up against her.
“Milady?”
“Give me a minute.”
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, milady, but having been in your employ for some years now, I know a lot can happen in a minute.”
“Yes, I think the dress would suit you better. Try it on.” Seeing Caro hesitating, Evie urged, “Go on.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now.”
“But…”
“Just put the dress on.”
Moments later, Caro stood in the middle of the room looking as stiff as a board.
“I think you forgot to breathe.”
“Sorry, milady.”
No, that wouldn’t do at all, Evie thought. “It’s Evie tonight.”
“Sorry, Evie.” Caro frowned. “Pardon?”
“Well, I have an idea.” Evie stepped back again and tapped her chin as she worked out some of the details in her mind. “I’ll tell you about it in a minute.”
“During the last minute you requested, I ended up wearing your dress. I’m almost afraid to ask, but I must… What can you possibly have planned for the next minute?”
Evie circled around Caro and declared, “Perfect.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“Now for the shoes.” Evie opened a small trunk. “These ones will do nicely. Here, put them on.”
“But…”
“And your hair.” Taking Caro by the shoulders, she guided her to the stool in front of the dresser. “I thought you were going to try to make it more fashionable.”
“It’s hardly a pressing issue with me, milady. I don’t have to look my best. I mean, not in the way you do.”
“We could try a headband.”
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for dinner?”
“Yes, in a minute. We need to sort you out first. Oh…” Swinging away, Evie pulled on the bell. A few minutes later, a footman appeared. “Could you please let Wilson know there will be an extra guest for dinner? I’ll make my apologies for the intrusion to Sir Warwick myself.”
“At once, milady.”
When the footman left, Evie turned her focus back to Caro’s transformation. “Tonight, my dear, you are going to be Miss…” Evie leaned forward. “Heavens, all this time I’ve insisted on calling you Caro. I’ve forgotten your family name.”
“Thwaites, milady.”
“Well, Caro Thwaites. You are my companion.”
“I knew a lot could happen in a minute,” Caro murmured. “May I ask why I am suddenly to become your companion?”
“I want you to mingle with the bright young things and find the culprit.”
Caro gasped. “Culprit?”
“Someone in this house is guilty of something and I believe you can unmask them. I have always thought you had a keen eye for detail. It’s time we put it to some really good use. As Lady Henrietta would say, tally-ho.”
Chapter Seventeen
Lady Carolina Thwaites I presume?
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Caro whispered.
“I’d suggest you follow my lead. However, I think you know how to get about. I trust your instinct.”
Caro tugged Evie back. “Are we just going to walk into the drawing room?”
“Would you like to be announced?” Evie smiled. “I should have given you a title. In fact, it’s not too late. You could be Lady Thwaites, my distant cousin twice removed. I’ve only just discovered I have an English cousin.”
“And I appeared from out of nowhere?”
Evie nodded. “Yes, I will be letting everyone know you are very peculiar and they shouldn’t mind your curious ways.”
“But Sir Warwick has already seen me. He knows I’m your maid.”
Evie shook her head. “He saw Caro, my maid. You are my cousin Caroline Thwaites.”
“It’s actually Carolina. My mother wanted me to be slightly different and stand out from the crowd.”
“There you go. We are in agreement. You are different.” Evie slid her arm through Caro’s and strode in. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet my distant cousin, Lady Carolina Thwaites.”
Sir Richard smiled and raised his glass. Tom gave her a lifted eyebrow look that spoke of questioning her sanity. Phillipa clapped her hands. While everyone else waited for individual introductions.
Evie smiled. “You are already a smashing success. See, I told you it would be easy.”
“You said no such thing, you wicked child.”
Evie gave Caro a worried look. “Did you just try to sound like the dowager? We are the same age, I’m sure.”
“I’d like permission to be a few days older so I can take the opportunity to chastise you.”
This time, Evie frowned. “Is this something you’ve wanted to do for some time?”
“It has been a fantasy of mine.” Caro gave her a wide grin.
“You seem to be adapting to your new station in life with great gusto. Keep it up and remember, try to engage everyone in conversation.” Looking up, Evie smiled at Sir Richard. “My cousin, Carolina.”
“Delighted to meet you.”
To her surprise, Sir Richard played along without a glitch.
“I hope our rain hasn’t given you the wrong impression about our little part of the world. We take great pride in our spring sunshine.”
“Tom, this is my cousin, Lady Carolina Thwaites.”
Caro smiled. “Oh, please, call me Carolina.”
Tom took Caro by her arm saying, “Let me introduce you around.”
Congratulating herself on a marvelous idea, Evie turned to Sir Richard. “It’s very sporting of you to join in the charade.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“Oh… Well. Never mind.” Had he not noticed Caro and Carolina were one and the same person? “You must be delighted to see the end of the rain. We should all be able to get on our way tomorrow.”
“Unless the detective says you must stay on,” Sir Richard said.
“Is that likely to happen? He has spoken with everyone. If he’d found something odd, he would have taken someone into custody.”
“Yes, you might be right. I’m afraid I’m in one of my moods and not likely to be good company tonight.” Sir Richard sighed. “Lady Warwick would have been delighted by this gathering. She loved her soirees and house parties.”
Evie thought Sir Richard must have married young. He didn’t look a day over fifty.
“It’s good to see young Hemsworth out and about enjoying himself.” Sir Richard gave a slow shake of his head. “He’ll have a job and a half trying to keep the estate together.”
“You’re familiar with it?”
He gave a small nod. “North of here in Buckinghamshire. In my youth, I attended a few shooting weekends at Hemsworth House. The place is crumbling around them. It’s a pity and now possibly too late for them to recover. It’s all about keeping up with the times and adjusting to new methods, something they haven’t been able to do. One must never attach oneself to the familiar.” He made a gesture with his hand. “Always remember to bend with the wind of change.”
“So, what do you think Batty will do when he inherits his crumbling estate?”
“He’ll either be imaginative or pragmatic and sell.”
“What about the tenants?”
“Oh, they’ve long gone. Hence their downfall. The farms were the first to fall and without that income, they relied on what little money they could borrow. I believe there were also some bad investments.”
Would Batty consider trafficking as a lucrative business to get into in order to keep his estate running? He seemed to make a habit of utilizing his strengths to get by. Evie had to admit hiring himself out as a batsman for struggling cricket teams had been a genius idea.
What if Batty had masterminded the delivery of packages by using the car rally group?
According to Phillipa, she had found the packages containing the cocaine in the trunk of her car. Someone in the group had to be responsible for putting the parcels there. She couldn’t think of any other explanation.
“You’re looking pensive, Lady Woodridge,” Sir Richard said. “I hope you’re not experiencing difficulties back home. I would be surprised if you were.”
Pushing her thoughts aside, Evie smiled. “Oh, no. The estate is in fine hands. My husband made sure of that.”
“Oh, yes. Nicholas Halton. I met him a couple of times. A forward-thinking man, always on the lookout for ways to improve his farming techniques and making sure his tenants flourished along with him.” Sir Richard laughed. “I say, your cousin Carolina is quite a star.”
Evie scanned the room and found Caro surrounded by the bright young things who appeared to be hanging on her every word.
Tom strode toward her and engaged Sir Richard in conversation. That freed Evie to move around and target someone who might inadvertently reveal something of worth. Excusing herself, she made a beeline for Unique but before she could reach her, the detective strode into the room and interceptive Evie.
“My apologies for appearing underdressed, Lady Woodridge.”
“I’ll survive, I’m sure.”
He took stock of all the people in the drawing room and asked, “Who is that lady holding so many guests enthralled?”
“Oh, that’s my second cousin twice removed, Lady Carolina Thwaites.”
“I didn’t realize your cousin had traveled with you. You didn’t mention her.”
“An oversight. As you can see, she doesn’t require any assistance with promoting herself.” Caro’s ability had Evie mesmerized. What could she be talking about?
The detective asked, “Did she come into contact with Lorenzo Bianchi?”
“You needn’t worry about questioning Carolina. She is far too self-involved to notice anything or anyone.”
“So, you are quite prepared to vouch for her.”
“Of course. She is, after all, my cousin.”
“Twice removed,” the detective said and tapped his chin in thought. “She reminds me of someone.”
“Oh, Carolina reminds many people of someone else. We often joke she could become a spy because she has this wonderful ability to mimic people and blend in. You know, she aspired to be an actress, but her mama wouldn’t hear of it.”
“And still she reminds me of someone. That’s often a worry with people in my profession. We come across so many criminals, everyone we meet begins to acquire the
characteristics.”
Grinning, Evie said, “I hope you don’t make the same comparisons when you look at me.” Trying to change the subject, she asked, “Did you discover anything new from the photographs Tom showed you?”
The detective shook his head. “The detective put in charge of following Lorenzo confirmed he only came into contact with the people appearing on the photograph.”
“He might have found other ways to communicate with a co-conspirator.”
“Such as?”
Evie thought about it for a moment. “If someone wishes to pass on a message to me, they don’t necessarily have to do it in person. They could… leave a note in my room.”
Evie remembered Caro saying Edmonds had heard noises in the night. Could that have been someone stowing the cocaine packages in the trunks? Perhaps Lorenzo employed the same tactic and had an arrangement with someone to simply deposit the package in his motor car… “I assume you have searched his wrecked vehicle.”
The detective gave a knowing smile. “I wondered if you would get around to connecting the dots.”
“Pardon?”
“Several packages were found in Lorenzo Bianchi’s trunk.”
“Were they parceled up in such a way as to camouflage them?”
He slipped his hands inside his pockets and studied her long and hard. “Have you ever considered becoming a detective?”
“Oh, heavens. No, however, there is some interest in me becoming a writer. Specifically, a mystery writer. You might want to look into it yourself. I’m sure you have come across many interesting murder cases.”
“Yes and, lately, most of them somehow… involve you.”
A footman approached them with a tray of drinks.
“Oh, these look divine,” Evie exclaimed.
“Cocktails, my lady.”
Evie helped herself to a glass. “Detective, I believe you still owe me an answer.”
“And I am reluctant to provide it,” he admitted.
“You didn’t notice any similarities in the packages?”
“The constable located the cocaine and passed on the information during one of our telephone conversations. Remember, I have been stuck here for most of the day.”
When he didn’t continue, Evie said, “Did the constable also give you detailed information about the packages.”
