‘How is business?’ she asked, sitting down herself.
‘It continues to thrive.’
‘So it should. Half the nobility get their wine from you.’
‘Don’t exaggerate.’
‘Buying and selling were the only two things you could do well.’
He winced. ‘Let’s not descend to insults,’ he said. ‘How are you?’
‘Do you really care?’
‘You’re still my wife, Kitty.’
‘Oh, no, I’m not. I left you a long time ago, Hugh. Because you had your head in your account books, you never even noticed.’
‘People still ask after you.’
‘What do you tell them?’
‘I tell them the truth,’ he said, awkwardly. ‘I miss you.’
Her eyelids narrowed. ‘I can’t say that the feeling is mutual.’
‘There’s no need for us to fall out, Kitty.’
‘We already have,’ she said, acidly, ‘and it was all because of the foul accusation you hurled at me about Sir Roger Mellanby. I hardly knew the man.’
‘I saw the way he looked at you.’
‘Lots of men look at me that way, Hugh. It’s in their nature. I ignore them in the same way that I ignored Sir Roger. You said earlier that people still ask after me. Well, it may interest you to know that some of the men amongst them do more than simply enquire about me.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘How they found out my new address, I don’t know, but two of your friends took the trouble to call on me to see if I was – in the words of one – managing without the company of a man.’
‘Give me their names,’ he yelled, angrily.
‘I’m not having you fight any more duels, Hugh.’
‘I have the right to know.’
‘With regard to me,’ she said, ‘you don’t have any rights at all.’ She waited until his wrath slowly subsided, then she pointed a finger at him. ‘You came in here to hurl an unjust accusation against me. Let me ask you one question.’
‘What is it?’
‘Were you in any way involved in the murder of Sir Roger Mellanby?’
His mouth began to twitch.
Chevy Ruddock was not a contemplative man. He had neither time nor inclination for such things. His strength was that he knew his limitations. He accepted the world as he found it and took his allotted place without complaint. In his early days on foot patrol, he’d been ridiculed by Yeomans and Hale, slowly gaining their respect by learning his trade. The fact that he was trusted with individual assignments showed that they now had faith in him. As a rule, he was able to justify that faith.
Once again, he believed, he’d done so. He’d toiled in the rain for hours to get the information they’d demanded, yet it was thrown back in his face. Ruddock had spent money he couldn’t afford on drinks for Simeon Howlett without the slightest regret because he trusted the old actor to help him. He’d been duly rewarded with the discovery that Giles Clearwater was a character in a play and that led him to believe that someone had stolen the name to hide behind it. So convinced was he that Ruddock wondered if he should go above the heads of Yeomans and Hale and speak to their superior. Then he realised the possible consequences.
If Yeomans and Hale knew what he’d done, they would make his life an utter misery. In any case, Eldon Kirkwood, the chief magistrate, had actually met Giles Clearwater and judged him to be genuine. Ruddock’s conviction that the man was an impostor would be dismissed out of hand. All that he could do was to bide his time and hope that the truth would finally come out. Until then, Ruddock would keep his head down and his mouth shut.
Peter didn’t stand on ceremony. When he saw the two men leaving the dining room of the Clarendon Hotel, he stepped boldly in front of them and held both arms out so that there was no way past him. Barrington Oxley was fuming but Edmund Mellanby remained calm.
‘If I were so minded,’ he said, superciliously, ‘I could ask the manager to have you thrown out into the street.’
‘Your request would certainly be denied,’ Peter told him. ‘As it happens, the manager is a close friend of my brother’s. He’d never dare do anything so rash as to upset Paul.’
‘What do you want, Mr Skillen?’
‘I wish to speak with you, please.’
‘We don’t have time for an idle chat,’ said Oxley.
‘You are not included in the conversation.’
The lawyer blanched. ‘I beg your pardon!’
‘Leave us alone, Oxley,’ said Mellanby.
‘But you need me there.’
‘Have you gone deaf, man? Disappear.’
Hurt and offended, Oxley walked away. Mellanby indicated the lobby and went into it with Peter. They settled down in high-backed leather chairs. Mellanby was having difficulty trying to conceal his annoyance.
‘I’m a busy man,’ he said. ‘If you have anything to say, please say it quickly then leave me alone.’
‘First of all,’ said Peter, ‘thank you for getting rid of Mr Oxley. I find his manner unpleasant.’
‘Forget him, Mr Skillen. He’s disposable.’
‘Does he realise that?’
‘He will do in due course. Now, what do you want?’
‘I’d like to know what you were doing at the House of Commons when my brother saw you there.’
‘Mind your own damned business!’
‘Oxley told me that you’d come to London specifically to attend the inquest, then take the body of your father back home for the funeral.’
‘I also came in the hope of seeing my father’s killer caught.’
‘Then why did you refuse to help me catch him?’
‘Because you want to root around in my family’s affairs when there is no need to do so. It’s an unwarranted interference. The Bow Street Runners agree with me. They don’t want to intrude on our privacy.’
‘That’s why they’ll never find the evidence necessary.’
‘Have you found it, Mr Skillen?’
‘We’ve unearthed quite a bit of it, as it happens.’
‘Then it’s your duty to hand it over to the Runners.’
‘My brother and I were engaged by a friend of your father to conduct our own investigation because we have an unrivalled record of success. Had you cooperated with us, we’d be much closer to making an arrest.’
‘I have no faith in untrained amateurs like you and your brother.’
‘Talking of brothers,’ said Peter, ‘I had the good fortune to meet yours. He was much more amenable. He told me that you had ambitions to replace your father in Parliament. Is that why you went to the House of Commons? Did you wish to look at the place that might well become your alternative home?’
‘Replacing my father is a natural desire,’ said Mellanby. ‘It’s what happens in political families. The baton is passed on to the next person in line. That’s what should occur in my case.’
‘But the baton was not passed on, was it? It was viciously snatched from Sir Roger’s hand because his campaign caused too much disquiet in certain quarters. It was a reasonable assumption that you’d eventually replace your father,’ said Peter, ‘but Parliament would not be changing like for like. You had severe reservations about Sir Roger’s radical principles. Your brother told me so.’
‘David knows nothing about politics.’
‘He recognises punitive legislation when he sees it. If anyone should pick up the baton in the Mellanby family, it should surely be him. At least his views are aligned with those of your father.’
Mellanby got to his feet. ‘I don’t have to listen to this nonsense.’
‘Then let me ask you one last question,’ said Peter. ‘Sir Roger was murdered some days ago. When are you going to start mourning him?’
Refusing to answer, Mellanby swept out of the room.
Challenged by his wife, Hugh Denley got into such a state of indignation that she felt she had to calm him down. She ordered tea and one of the servants soon came
in with a tray. Denley’s ire slowly began to recede. He watched his wife pouring the tea and felt a surge of regret.
‘You don’t have to live like this, Kitty.’
‘It’s only until I buy a more suitable property in Dorset.’
‘Dorset?’ he repeated. ‘I assumed that you’d be staying in London.’
‘I’ve always wanted to live on the south coast.’
‘You’d be bored to death in a matter of weeks. Dorset is a backwater. This is where things happen.’
‘Yes,’ she said, ‘things like an unnecessary duel that could have cost you your life. I want to be in a place far away from here where I don’t have to put up with your insane jealousy. I’m the innocent party in all this, Hugh, and I’m fed up with being made to feel guilty.’
‘I did apologise.’
‘Your apologies always come far too late.’
‘Will I be allowed to visit you?’
‘What’s the point? We have nothing to say to each other.’
‘We’re still married, Kitty.’
‘Not in any real sense of the word.’
‘Do you hate me so much?’ he asked.
‘I’ve just accepted that a phase of my life has ended. It wasn’t something that I sought but I have to adjust to it. My parents used to take me to Dorset on holiday. I love the seaside. I’m sure that I can find a new life there. Apart from anything else,’ she added, ‘it will put me out of reach of those friends of yours who seem to feel that I’m available to satisfy their desires.’
‘I’m ashamed to have put you in that position.’
‘At least you recognise that it was your fault. That’s progress.’
He sipped his tea. ‘Thank you for this. I needed it.’
‘When you’ve finished it, I’d like you to leave.’
‘But I came here to talk.’
‘We’ve talked more than enough.’
‘I have something else to say.’
‘Then please say it and be on your way.’
Denley was hurt. ‘Why are you being so hostile towards me?’
‘I believe that I’ve been quite polite.’
‘Listen,’ he said, taking a deep breath before going on, ‘the real reason I came here was to make a confession. I miss you.’ She pulled a face. ‘Don’t be like that, Kitty. I’ve done my best to give you a good life. I’ve admitted that I accused you unjustly of being involved with … someone else, and I had a rush of blood to the brain when I demanded a duel with him. However … that’s all in the past.’
‘Oh, no, it isn’t,’ she said, firmly.
‘I’m not asking you to come back … well, not immediately, anyway.’
‘Then what are you asking for, Hugh?’
‘I want us to reach an amicable agreement.’
‘That can’t happen yet. The wound is still smarting.’
‘I was injured as well, you know,’ he said, irritably. ‘My wounds were physical as well as emotional. They still haven’t healed.’
‘Don’t ask me for sympathy.’
‘Do you have to be so harsh?’
‘No,’ she conceded, tone softening. ‘I don’t, and I must school myself to be more understanding. When a marriage breaks up, husband and wife both suffer. My feeling is that the pain will get worse.’
‘There are ways to reduce it, Kitty.’
‘That will only happen if I move away.’
‘Do you really have to go that far?’
‘I need a feeling of safety,’ she said, ‘and I can never have that here. In a strange way, I’m touched that you want me back but it’s something I couldn’t even begin to consider. Goodbye, Hugh. Please don’t call again.’
She rang for a servant to show him out.
Hector Golightly was pleased when Paul Skillen called on him. It gave him the opportunity to apologise for arriving at Paul’s house the previous evening without notice.
‘You couldn’t have been more welcome,’ said Paul. ‘The news you brought has given us food for thought.’
‘One pistol – three victims.’
‘I don’t think that they were the only ones. A man who takes the trouble to embellish his bullets has doubtless killed before. I made that point to Dr Quine.’
Golightly was startled. ‘You’ve met him?’
‘I spoke to him earlier. It’s obvious that he’s a brilliant surgeon but how can he work in such foul conditions? The stink was almost overpowering.’
‘Human bodies decay, I’m afraid.’
‘Dr Quine showed me one of those bullets.’
‘What was it like?’
‘It was exactly as you described. It was an unusual shape and had the letter “D” scratched carefully into it. Since it had penetrated a skull, its nose was slightly bent out of shape. It had lodged in the brain.’
‘Why did the killer autograph his bullets?’
‘Perhaps it’s an example of his vanity.’
‘Can someone really be so proud of shooting people dead?’
‘A soldier like you shouldn’t need to ask that question,’ said Paul. ‘You must have had people in the army who joined for the sheer pleasure of killing.’
‘We did. Whenever battle was joined, they became almost frenzied. But tell me what else you and your brother have been doing.’
‘We’re going over old ground in case we’ve missed anything. Peter had a crack at Hugh Denley and I paid a second visit to Sir Marcus Brough. Behind his bluff exterior is a very shrewd politician.’
‘We’ve thought from the start that this was a political assassination,’ said Golightly. ‘The person who initiated it might be higher up in government than Sir Marcus. The name that keeps coming back to me is that of Viscount Sidmouth. I remember Sir Roger saying that he could be merciless.’
‘He’s still our prime suspect.’
‘Proving that the Home Secretary was involved is well-nigh impossible.’
‘It won’t stop us trying,’ said Paul. ‘When you were in public with Sir Roger, did you ever get the feeling that you were being watched?’
‘I didn’t but he certainly did.’
‘Wasn’t he worried by that?’
‘On the contrary, he gloried in it. Sir Roger loved the idea of being viewed as a threat. But what of the Runners?’ asked Golightly. ‘While you’ve been gathering evidence, they’ve been doing the same thing. How far have they got?’
‘They claim to have found someone who witnessed the murder.’
‘So did you.’
‘This man, apparently, saw who the assassin was and had the wit to follow him. When the reward notice appeared, he went to the Runners.’
‘How did they react?’
‘Knowing Yeomans and Hale as well as I do, I expect they tried to steal his evidence and use it for their own ends.’
‘What was the name of this witness?’
‘Giles Clearwater.’
Harry Scattergood refused to let him off the hook. Even though he’d interrogated Kinnaird five times in a row, he insisted on doing it again.
‘But you said that I was word perfect,’ moaned Kinnaird.
‘Let’s try it once more.’
‘Why?’
‘Six is my favourite number.’
‘I’m tired, Harry.’
‘One last time,’ decreed Scattergood. ‘Are you ready?’
‘I suppose so.’
‘What’s your name?’
‘Alan Kinnaird?’
‘No, you buffoon!’ shouted the other. ‘That’s your real name. At a stroke, you’ve given the game away.’
‘I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.’
‘Let’s start again. What’s your name?’
‘Charles Mifflin.’
‘And what’s your occupation?’
‘I’m a gentleman of independent means.’
‘What were you doing at the Covent Garden Theatre on the night in question?’
‘I went to watch a performance of Macbeth.’
‘Why did you do that?’
‘I wanted to see Hannah Granville in the role of Lady Macbeth.’
‘Was that the only reason?’
‘No, I was following Sir Roger Mellanby.’
‘Why?’
Kinnaird gave the answer he’d rehearsed many times. There were no mistakes. He was clear, well spoken and convincing. Scattergood gave him a slap on the back.
‘Well done, Charles Mifflin. You’d fool anybody.’
‘There’s only one thing that worries me, Harry.’
‘What is it?’
‘The reward is for the arrest and conviction of the killer. We don’t get a sniff of it until I’ve been tried and found guilty.’
‘I’ve told you before. Once I have the money, I can use some of it to buy you out of Newgate. I know exactly who to bribe.’ Scattergood laughed. ‘Clever, isn’t it? Having escaped from Newgate more than once, I’ll be breaking into the place to help you get out.’
‘When?’
‘When the time is ripe, of course.’
‘And when is that, Harry? I don’t want to be stuck in there for weeks on end. You know the black-hearted villains who’ll be locked up in there. One of them might try to do the hangman’s job for me.’
‘The way it works is this,’ said Scattergood, speaking slowly. ‘Sir Roger was a well-known figure. They’ll want his killer punished as soon as possible. That means a speedy trial during which I’ll give evidence against you. Then you’ll be dragged from the court and taken out past a mob howling for your blood.’
‘That’s the bit I’m not happy about.’
‘Before you know it, you’ll be inside the safety of Newgate.’
‘And what will you be doing?’
‘I’ll be counting the reward money,’ said Scattergood. ‘As soon as I’ve done that, I’ll get into the prison to rescue you. I’ll have to wait for the right moment, of course. That goes without saying.’ Kinnaird’s face fell. ‘Trust me, old friend. Nothing can possibly go wrong.’
‘It had better not.’
‘Giles Clearwater will come to your rescue.’
The previous day, they’d found a means of escape into one of Shakespeare’s plays. That morning it was music that offered them a source of relief. With Hannah seated at the piano and Dorothea standing beside her, they sang a series of duets. Each one was carefully discussed afterwards. The second time they sang it, Dorothea put the advice that Hannah had given her into practice. Before the first hour was over, there was a marked improvement in the younger woman’s voice. Hannah was discovering a talent for teaching that took her by surprise.
Rage of the Assassin Page 22
