Death of a Courtesan: Riley Rochester Investigates

by Wendy Soliman

  Olivia smiled. ‘She said that was what you called her, and seems to enjoy the name simply because you gave it to her.’

  ‘Cabbage enjoys everything she does. She quite restores one’s faith.’

  ‘You can do no wrong in her eyes.’

  ‘I am inordinately fond of her. Where did you see her?’

  ‘Oh, I called on Amelia Cosgrove and she was there as well. They were playing the harp. Rather well, as it happens.’

  ‘Amelia has been giving her lessons. I heard her play the other evening and was impressed.’

  ‘I had Carolyn with me. It’s the first time that she and your niece have met, but they seemed to hit it off. Your niece’s enthusiasm must be infectious, because our daughter came away declaring that she too would like to play the harp. She said that it’s a good opportunity to show off the slope of one’s shoulders, whatever that might mean.’

  ‘Good heavens!’ Riley laughed. ‘I hope Cabbage’s influence isn’t too detrimental. She has yet to reach the age of discretion. Mind you, I doubt that she ever will. She is pretty much a law unto herself and speaks as she finds in such a charming fashion that no one can possibly take offence.’

  Jake laughed too. ‘Carolyn has more immediate concerns that getting to grips with sensual musical instruments.’

  ‘Your daughter must be seventeen now. Does she come out this season?’

  ‘Don’t remind me,’ Jake said with a shudder.

  ‘Take no notice of Jake,’ Olivia said with a tender smile for her husband. ‘He dotes on his daughter and will shock society by accepting every invitation that comes our way this season, if only to show her off.’

  ‘Never have children, Riley,’ Jake advised with no conviction in his tone. ‘Your life will never be your own again.’

  ‘And yet you appear to thrive on fatherhood.’

  ‘Precisely so.’ Olivia gave a satisfied nod. ‘Our son is up at Oxford, Carolyn is about to come out and Tom is starting to make a name for himself as a barrister.’

  ‘I understand Tom, or should I say Isaac, was approached by Ashton with a view to representing his son,’ Riley said.

  ‘They were,’ Jake replied, ‘but Isaac was having none of it. Tom was relieved. He is a barrister with a conscience and it doesn’t sit comfortably with him if he is required to defend a man whom he considers to be guilty.’

  Tom was Olivia’s son from her first marriage—a marriage that seemed to have been as unhappy as Amelia’s, but with more devastating consequences. Olivia had been arrested on suspicion of murdering her first husband and only Jake’s investigative efforts had prevented a disastrous miscarriage of justice. Tom had adopted Jake’s name when Olivia married him, but was not Jake’s heir. That privilege fell to their son Sebastian, born shortly after the marriage took place.

  Riley recalled first meeting Tom when he had been an inquisitive, easy-going and mischievous four-year-old, at the time when Riley’s father had been in such urgent need of Jake’s services. Tom had excelled at school and university and settled upon a career as a barrister. Still only twenty-four, he was rapidly making strides in his chosen profession, thanks in part to Jake persuading his friends, Lord Isaac Arnold and his partner Otto Milton, to take Tom on as their junior. Isaac’s growing empire of exclusive defence barristers had earned a reputation for ruthlessness and dogged determination to see truth prevail in a system still heavily biased towards the crown.

  ‘I am glad that Tom is maintaining his standards,’ Riley said.

  ‘He can afford to,’ Olivia replied, her voice bursting with pride. ‘Everyone who is anyone who is accused of a crime of any sort seems to wants Isaac’s firm to represent them and Tom thrives in that environment.’

  ‘Then I am relieved that his growing reputation hasn’t gone to Tom’s head and he still listens to his conscience,’ Riley said, smiling. ‘Otherwise those of us employed to bring criminals to book would have an even harder time proving the guilt of those who are clearly guilty.’

  ‘Tom should be home soon,’ Olivia said. ‘Stay and dine with us, Riley. I am sure he will be pleased to see you.’

  ‘Thank you, but I am otherwise engaged this evening.’

  ‘Tomorrow then. Amelia is coming and I have invited your sister too, which means Cabbage will be with her.’

  Riley smiled at Olivia’s persistence. ‘In that case, how can I refuse?’

  ‘Obviously you cannot.’

  ‘What brings you here, Riley?’ Jake asked. ‘Not that you aren’t always welcome.’

  ‘My latest case, it’s a bit of a puzzler and I would welcome your insight.’

  Jake put his glass aside and spread his hands. ‘Then I shall be more than happy to oblige.’

  ‘And I shall be forever in your debt for taxing his brain,’ Olivia added. ‘He’s like a bear with a sore head when it is clicking away on idle.’

  ‘I’ve gone from one extreme to the other with my investigations, at least on the face of it.’ Riley smiled at them both. ‘My last big case involved the upper echelons of society. This one centres upon the death of a courtesan.’

  ‘I read a small piece in today’s newspaper but it didn’t say much,’ Olivia remarked.

  Riley filled them in on the particulars. Jake flexed a brow when he learned of Henry’s involvement but didn’t interrupt Riley’s flow.

  ‘And so, you see,’ he finished, ‘I have all these suspects with compelling motives and absolutely no way of knowing which of them is the murderer. I can imagine what my detractors will have to say if I fail to expose the guilty party—despite the fact that most of them think the life of a courtesan isn’t worth investigating. Salter thinks—’

  ‘How is he?’ Jake asked. ‘I still recall the fresh-faced young constable with his tall hat and serious expression, all buttoned up in his uniform, when we dealt with that matter pertaining to your father’s unfortunate situation. I was impressed with Salter even then. He was a bit overawed by us all but didn’t let that stand in his way. I always knew he’d do well for himself.’

  ‘He has made himself invaluable to me. Never lets anything get on top of him and never believes a word that spills from a suspect’s mouth. That said, he’s having trouble looking at this case subjectively.’

  ‘Because he’s a family man?’ Jake suggested.

  ‘I would imagine so. He has a daughter not much younger than Adelaide was when she ran away to avoid her uncle’s demands, so I suppose it’s not to be wondered at. Salter has a puritanical streak and doesn’t approve of the world’s oldest profession.’ Riley chuckled. ‘If the uncle does prove to be the killer, I’d best not leave him alone for long with Salter.’

  ‘Perhaps you should,’ Jake suggested mildly.

  ‘Don’t tempt me.’ Riley leaned back in his chair, comfortable in the presence of his friends. ‘How the devil am I supposed to flush the killer out, Jake?’ he asked, allowing his frustration to show. ‘I am all out of ideas, so suggestions would be most welcome.’

  ‘The uncle has the most pressing motive, it seems to me.’

  ‘He does indeed. And a gap in his alibi that we have yet to ask him to account for. But Ray Clement is also a prime contender. He despises the fact that his mother was a prostitute, even though she eventually married well. We suspect that he can’t forget some of the degrading episodes he witnessed during his early years. He idolises his step-brother but doesn’t have his brains. Michael lets him dabble on the fringes of his wine business, which means he gets to oversee a lot of the deliveries.’

  ‘Including those to Maiden Lane?’ Olivia asked.

  ‘Precisely. He could have seen Adelaide there—in fact he probably did, because she took an interest in Mrs Sinclair’s wine cellar. He then saw her with his brother, jumped to the wrong conclusion and…’

  ‘And knew his way around the premises. He could easily have sneaked in and, as a fishmonger, wouldn’t have felt squeamish about slicing open Adelaide’s thr
oat.’ Jake flashed an apologetic smile at his wife when she winced. ‘My point is that he would know how to go about it without getting splattered in blood.’

  ‘I accept that he could easily have slipped into the house,’ Riley replied, ‘and lain in wait. He claims to have been playing cards until gone midnight and left the tavern where the game took place in the company of his fellow players. But by his own admission they were all in their cups, so I wouldn’t put much stock by the word of his friends if they say he was where he claims to have been. He could easily have slipped away or, come to that, simply gone on to Maiden Lane. We know Adelaide was still alive at two in the morning. He had enough time.’

  ‘Even if he was intoxicated?’ Olivia asked.

  ‘Even then. Besides, perhaps he wasn’t as drunk as he made out to be, or maybe he can handle his liquor better than he lets on.’

  ‘If you are right, Riley,’ Olivia said, ‘how did he tempt Adelaide into that room without attracting attention to himself?’

  Jake answered her. ‘I expect it could be done. Perhaps he even hid himself in the room where Adelaide was found. He could have concealed himself in her private quarters. You said she occupied a room alone?’ Riley nodded. ‘Well then, she wouldn’t have been expecting to find anyone there. He could easily have overpowered her, gagged her and carried her downstairs when the house was quiet.’

  ‘He could, I suppose, but why not just kill her in her room and be done with it?’ Olivia asked.

  ‘It would have been symbolic, I expect,’ Jake said. ‘Perhaps he saw his mother submitting to similar punishments during her working years. That image probably never left him. When he saw his step-brother in conversation with Adelaide he assumed that Michael liked being whipped, and saw red. You said yourself that he lacks intellect.’

  ‘It’s a possibility that I hadn’t considered—the method and reasoning, I mean. The only problem is that I can’t credit the man I met with sufficient intelligence to think it through and carry it out. There is another major suspect to consider, though. Mirabelle and Adelaide were arch rivals in Mrs Sinclair’s establishment. There was no love lost between the two of them and with Adelaide out of the way, Mirabelle’s star is very much in the ascendency.’

  ‘Worth killing for?’ Olivia asked, her expression sceptical.

  ‘People have killed for considerably less, and as I understand it,’ Jake said, ‘competition in Adelaide’s line of work is…well, lethal.’

  ‘Speaking from experience?’ Olivia asked playfully.

  Riley felt a moment’s jealousy at their closeness. His thoughts briefly veered in the direction of Amelia, wondering if things would be that way between them after twenty years of marriage, but quickly disciplined himself to return his mind to the matter in hand. ‘There is also the aunt and Adelaide’s two brothers to throw into the mix,’ he said. ‘The aunt despised her niece and, if she knew what she had become, she wouldn’t hesitate to permanently remove that particular threat to the family’s reputation. The boys would do whatever she told them to.’

  ‘Was there any way for a connection to be made between Adelaide and her family?’ Jake asked. ‘I don’t suppose she used her real name in a professional capacity.’

  ‘No, but the aunt is a shrew of a woman who wouldn’t have passed up an opportunity to get rid of the girl, I’m absolutely sure of it.’

  ‘It would be risky, Riley,’ Olivia pointed out. ‘She couldn’t do the deed herself, and involving her nephews, even if they looked upon her word as law, would be a rather dubious strategy. I just don’t see it.’

  ‘That’s why she’s low on my list.’

  ‘It seems to me that you will have to tempt the killer into some form of indiscretion,’ Jake said pensively.

  ‘Suggest publicly that I have evidence that points to his or her guilt, you mean.’ Riley shrugged. ‘The same thought had occurred to me,’ he added, not waiting for Jake’s response. ‘But I don’t see how that will help. It’s not as though the guilty party could break into Scotland Yard and steal my mythical evidence back.’

  ‘Indeed not, but you could perhaps spread word indirectly, so that you’re sure it will reach the ears of all the suspects. Let it be known that you have discovered something incriminating at the scene and that you are near to making an arrest as a result of that discovery.’

  ‘You think that will encourage the killer to come forward with a plausible explanation for what he thinks Riley’s found?’ Olivia asked.

  ‘I don’t see how.’ It was Riley who replied. ‘There was absolutely nothing in that room that didn’t belong there. Besides, if Mirabelle is the killer, then anything of hers would have a legitimate reason to be there. Adelaide wasn’t the only one to use the room.’

  ‘Perhaps you found something in Adelaide’s private quarters then?’ Olivia said, picking up her husband’s theme. ‘A diary suggesting that a certain person meant her harm and that Adelaide feared for her life.’

  ‘Now that, Lady Torbay, is a much better idea!’

  Jake grinned. ‘She has them occasionally.’

  Olivia threw a cushion at her husband.

  ‘Superintendent Thompson thinks I should try and find her money and see who benefits from it in the event of her demise, but I don’t think money plays a part in this particular crime, especially since no one other than Clement and his wife seems to be aware that she had saved any. Besides, I have absolutely no idea who represents her interests.’

  ‘Tom should be able to…’ The door opened and the tall figure of a young man wearing a dark coat, with windswept hair and his mother’s striking blue eyes stood in the aperture. ‘Ah, talk of the devil! There you are, darling.’

  Riley stood and shook Tom’s hand warmly. The men exchanged pleasantries and Riley accepted an offer of a refill from Jake’s whisky decanter.

  ‘You look tired, darling,’ Olivia said. ‘They work you too hard.’

  Tom laughed. ‘Oh, you know me, Mother. I am never happier than when I am up to my elbows trying to find a way to have a falsely-accused murderer acquitted.’ He grinned at Riley. ‘No offence implied,’ he said.

  ‘None taken. Just so long as it isn’t any of my murderers you’re attempting to acquit.’

  ‘Isaac knows better than to take on anyone charged by you. Unlike some of your colleagues, you make sure of your facts before preferring charges.’

  Riley inclined his head in acknowledgement of the ambitious young barrister’s compliment. ‘Thank you.’ He paused. ‘I think.’

  ‘Riley came looking for a favour, Tom,’ Olivia said, ‘and we thought you might be able to help him.’

  Tom gave an affable smile. ‘If I possibly can. Not that I would ordinarily go out of my way to help the police. It goes against the grain, don’t you know, but I’m willing to make an exception in your case.’

  ‘Glad to hear it.’

  Despite his avowed aversion to representing defendants arrested by Riley, there was still an outside possibility that Tom might defend whoever was charged with Adelaide’s murder. For that reason Riley didn’t go into detail about his investigation and knew that Jake and Olivia wouldn’t enlighten Tom either. He merely asked if there was a way to discover who represented a murder victim’s interests.

  ‘I would imagine a query to the law society might bear fruit,’ Riley finished by saying. ‘But, frankly, it would take too long for one of my detectives to plough through all the red tape. Olivia suggested that you might know a way around the system.’

  ‘I know a few people in the clerks’ office. Do we know what name the girl used?’

  ‘Ah, I see what you mean. I suppose she would have had to use her legitimate name if she wanted her affairs to be equally legitimate but I very much doubt if she gave her family’s address. And I know for a fact that nothing of a legal nature arrived for her at Maiden Lane, so we must assume that she used an accommodation address.’

  ‘I’ll see what I can do and ge
t back to you tomorrow.’ Tom took no notes but Riley knew he would remember all the important points without referring to them. ‘Will that be soon enough?’

  ‘Better than I hoped for.’

  ‘Anything for the services of law and order,’ Tom replied with a wry smile.

  ‘We’ll make a prosecutor of you yet,’ Riley joked.

  ‘Not a chance. No money in it.’

  Riley laughed. ‘Ever heard of job satisfaction?’

  ‘Can’t say that I have.’

  Riley stood shortly thereafter to take his leave, feeling reenergised now that he had a new line of enquiry to pursue. Olivia’s suggestion could very well work, and Riley was annoyed because he hadn’t thought of it himself.

  ‘Don’t forget that you are engaged to dine with us tomorrow evening,’ Olivia said, smiling at him when Riley again took her hand and kissed the back of it.

  ‘I look forward to it,’ he assured her.

  And, he thought, as he sauntered along the now thankfully dry pavements, he looked forward to spending an evening in Amelia’s company even more.

  Chapter Fourteen

  ‘Good morning, Jack,’ Riley said cheerfully.

  ‘And good morning to you, sir. Do I take it from your cheerful demeanour that there has been progress with the case?

  ‘Not precisely. At least not yet. Take a seat and I’ll explain.’ He waited for Salter to settle himself on the opposite side of his desk and then posed a question. ‘How did we finally get to the truth in the Ashton case?’

  ‘Through the discovery of the girl’s diaries,’ Salter replied without hesitation. ‘But to the best of my knowledge Adelaide didn’t keep one.’

  Riley laughed. ‘You and I know that, but our suspects don’t.’ Salter’s grin widened as Riley laid out his plans. ‘Actually,’ he admitted, ‘the idea came from Olivia Morton. She and the earl send you their best wishes, by the way.’

  ‘Good of them to remember me,’ Salter replied. ‘And I can see merit in the suggestion. But the thing is, how do we let word of these diaries slip, casual-like?’