Obsidian Murder

by Beth Byers

  “Did you find the killer?”

  “We knew who it was from the first. We just needed to prove it.”

  His tone told her who it was, but she needed him to tell her anyway. “The father? The husband?”

  Jack’s jaw tightened and he nodded once. “He was a monster. The children are orphans. There’s no one to take them. I—Vi, they’re good kids. They deserve better. That baby—she’s so little. Some kindly neighbor is feeding her with her own child, but Vi. It was bad. It was so bad.”

  Violet’s heart broke. She wasn’t an orphan in the traditional sense. She had a father, a stepmother, and her great-aunt. Despite all that, she’d felt the lack of a mother keenly.

  “What do you want to do?”

  Jack pressed his chin on top of her head. “We can’t save them all.”

  “Why not the ones who’ve already crawled into your heart? It’s not like it would be the first time.”

  “Another Ginny?” he asked, referring to her and Victor’s ward. Violet had ended up agreeing to take the girl on when her grandmother died. Violet wasn’t sure she would have been capable of saying no to any child, but Ginny was a special case—she’d helped Violet save her sister from a kidnapper. “Or that other one? Mathers’s little sister. I know you keep Ginny out of trouble and get the other one into it.”

  Violet grinned. She wasn’t responsible for Anna Mathers like she was Ginny.

  “We could send them to a good orphanage? Check in on them?” Jack obviously didn’t like that idea, but he said it anyway.

  “We could hire a nanny for them and buy a seaside cottage. What better place to grow up than playing in the ocean? Send the children to school. We could bring them to our house. Oh! Oh, by Jove! I’ve got it!”

  Jack pulled back. “What?”

  “Kate’s mother! My goodness, Jack, I bet she would raise them. If we added a governess and paying for school, getting them established somehow? We’ll send Beatrice—no! Oh goodness, we should definitely have them come here. We’ll have the children at…Lila and Denny’s.”

  Jack frowned. “Why Lila and Denny? They’re idiots. Though lovable idiots,” he added.

  “Mrs. Lancaster is a woman who takes care of things. She’ll see them failing terribly at caring for the children and take over. We’ll have big conversations in front of her about what we should do and maybe get her to visit some of the more horrible orphanages here.”

  “And what if she doesn’t step up?”

  “Then we’ll go with plan two. If this works—” Violet glanced around to check for prying eyes and then pressed onto her toes leaving a kiss on Jack’s chin as she whispered, “Victor will owe us forever.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “I think his mother-in-law is already on her way to London, Jack.” Violet laughed into his chest. “They weren’t even supposed to be back yet, and she’s on her way.”

  Jack winced, and she glanced around again, checking for spies before she kissed his chin. She whispered up at him as though Victor could somehow hear. “He’d owe us forever.”

  Some of the darkness leaked out of Jack’s gaze as she grinned up at him. “We could hold it over him.”

  “Even Kate would appreciate it, and she loves her mother.”

  “We’ll owe Lila and Denny,” Jack said, and Violet felt the rush of shock.

  They would owe Lila and Denny. Vi and Jack were becoming a—unit. She loved it. Violet grinned at him, twining her arm around his. “Shall we go have breakfast?”

  “You need to warm up,” he said. “Your nose is red.”

  “I’ll take a quick bath, change my clothes, and meet you in the breakfast room.”

  Jack led the way up the stairs and inside the house. Hargreaves was there to take Rouge, and Violet and Jack left their wet coats with him as well. Jack tugged her into the parlor the moment Hargreaves disappeared down the hall.

  “I missed you.” Jack lightly drew her closer by her arm, giving her the chance to pull away, but Violet jumped into his arms and pressed her lips to his. Within moments, any remaining chill from the walk in the rain was gone.

  The door to the parlor opened a moment later, and Victor called, “Jack! Here already? I didn’t think you’d get here so early in the day.” They shook hands, and Victor grinned. Jack had stepped back, but Violet left her hand on his chest.

  Her head tilted as she examined her brother, and for once, Violet realized what he’d been doing when he appeared whenever Violet and Jack were alone. The smirk on Victor’s face was just subtle enough she’d missed it every other time. Before, however, she’d been flustered. This time she’d been looking for it.

  Violet glanced up at Jack, who had placed his hand over hers on his chest and answered Victor mildly. Was Jack irritated? He looked down at Violet, and his eyes glinted just enough to tell her that he was fine.

  “Where’s Kate?” Violet demanded.

  “She’s unwell,” Victor said.

  “Demon spawn,” Violet told Jack. “Call for Lila, Victor. I need her help with a project. Also Beatrice and perhaps Hargreaves’s sister.”

  She didn’t respond to Victor’s inquiring look. He had been playing games with her and Jack, and she hadn’t even been aware of it. She would make this work with Mrs. Lancaster if she had to take the woman aside and bribe her.

  Chapter Seven

  Violet wore a long, dark cream dress on Bonfire Night. The dress was covered in gold beading and embroidery, and the beads caught the light, making her shimmer. The design formed curls and lines over the simple fabric and led down into the fringe. The hem stopped above her knees, but the fringe extended to her mid calves in a zig-zag.

  Violet’s shoes were heeled and beaded, matching the dress. They’d been made for each other, as was the headpiece that held Violet’s dark brown bob off of her face. Violet applied her makeup carefully, then added her birthday gift from Jack. The gift included a long strand of gold beads for her neck and another series of bracelets for her wrist. Vi added her gold and diamond bangles to her other wrist. Violet examined it in the mirror and then changed her mind. She switched her bracelets, so they’d be a combination of diamond bangles and gold beaded bracelets rather than all one version on each hand.

  Violet wore the engagement ring from Jack on her left hand and a stack of gold bands on the middle finger of her right hand, with a gold and diamond ring on the second finger of that hand. She was glittery and sparkling, and all she needed were some earbobs to round out her jewelry. She dug through her jewelry box until she found diamond and gold chandelier earbobs.

  Violet had deliberately determined to wear something shocking to the party. It was why the hem above her fringe was higher than usual, and it was why the v-cut of her dress showed the top and sides of her breasts.

  Greyly, at least, had already shown he had little respect for the intelligence of a female. A nearly blinding female with the amount of gold and shimmer Violet had put on? He didn’t stand a chance. Especially when you added in low party lights and fireworks. Let alone the bonfire and the heavy alcohol.

  The long gold necklace somewhat masked just how much of her chest was showing with her dress, but Violet knew that the gentlemen of the party would notice. Victor would, and Vi smiled evilly at the realization. Violet applied her lipstick carefully and popped it into a gold handbag with her powder compact.

  She was dressing herself alone that evening. It had taken about one-third of an explanation for Beatrice to agree to get the children and only one more moment for Beatrice to offer up her cousin, Letty, as a nanny. Mr. Giles had been telegrammed to pick up Letty on the way back to London. It was all working out, even with Lila, who wanted to try mothering on for size, and Denny, who wanted to have a reason to play in the dirt with the children and have un-mocking cocoas for every evening and every morning.

  The day had been wonderful despite the rain, the worry over the children, and the fires. They hadn’t talked about the murder or the fires. Instead, they
’d had breakfast, lingering over the kedgeree. Jack had snoozed in a deep-seated arm chair near the fire with a Cuban pipe, and then the two of them had enjoyed a cocktail before they’d separated to dress.

  The G&T had gone down particularly well when they discussed keeping Jack’s rooms versus buying a house. Jack had mentioned Kate’s baby without inquiring whether Violet was ready for one of her own. He more left the opening so Violet could tell him what she wanted, but she wasn’t sure.

  Violet shimmied and made sure her dress stayed in place, and then she pulled her fur coat on over the dress. She didn’t want Jack swallowing his tongue or Victor’s comments delaying them. Neither of them had been pleased to hear that Violet had made a date with the archeologist Henry Parker. She thought she’d save them from further frustration until it was too late to talk her out of it. Vi made her way down the stairs and found both Victor and Jack standing side-by-side over the little man in the tuxedo who was waiting to take her to the party.

  Poor Mr. Parker looked up at her in utter relief. She was sure he was regretting his decision to help her with this case. Her gaze was merry as she glanced him over, and he was observant enough to note the riches on her fingers and throat, a silent assurance that she had the money to assist him with his work. As for Victor and Jack, she had little sympathy. The two of them had been working together to keep Violet ‘pure,’ and she felt they both deserved to suffer.

  “Henry!” She made sure her voice was cheery and happy as walked down the stairs. Kate was standing next to Victor, somehow looking as though she glowed despite the sound of her sicking up most of the day. Vi winked at her sister-in-law and then said, “Oh, I am looking forward to this evening.”

  Jack and Victor both shot Violet quelling, irritated looks that she ignored. She wanted Jack to suffer—just a little—for the game he and Victor had been playing, while also plastering herself in gifts from Jack. She knew he’d get the message, and his gaze certainly fixated on her gold beads peeking out of the top of her coat.

  “Lady Violet,” Henry Parker squeaked. “Ah. Oh. Hello.” His gaze flicked to Jack and then back to Violet. “I—”

  Violet hid her grin. “See you at the party, fellas.”

  Before she could follow Mr. Parker out the front door, Jack snagged her wrist with just his finger. He lifted a brow, and Violet said, “Have you met Greyly yet?”

  Jack shook his head.

  “You’ll understand, but the game is on, my friend. The game is on.”

  “Are we on opposite sides?” Jack asked, and she was pleased to see that whatever darkness had remained in his gaze had faded as the day had gone on.

  “Do you think you can win?”

  “I am the professional,” he said, but he was smiling at her. The shadows had indeed fully faded, and the sheer idea of them competing over not a murder amused him despite Henry Parker’s presence.

  “You’re a scary investigator, and I’m an idiot female. You’ll put them on their guard, and they’ll tell me things thinking I don’t even understand what it means.”

  He laughed further, a near shout of humour that had her own eyes glinting back at him. What an utter relief to see him happy again. “You’ll entrap them?”

  Violet blinked innocently up at him and then shrugged. “It’s not my fault they think I’m stupid because I’m wearing lipstick and a dress.”

  “It’s their fault,” Jack agreed. “I’d never fall for that.”

  “Which is why,” she shot back, “I fell for you. It’s even why Kate loves Victor.”

  “You know,” Victor told Violet as Jack let go of her arm, “Jack is the perfect man for you. I’m about as much of a lapdog as a man can be and not even I would let my fiancé leave the house with another man.”

  Kate rolled her eyes and shot Violet a look, as if to ask if she could believe this nonsense. Violet clucked. Her brother was no lapdog, and Kate would do what she wanted regardless. Besides that, Jack trusted Violet, and he knew what she was up to. It helped that Henry Parker was a tiny little man with round glasses, an ill-fitting tuxedo and ink on his fingertips.

  “Darling Vi,” Jack said, just as Violet stepped out the front door after Mr. Parker. She turned and stuck just her head back inside the house. “Remember who you’re marrying.”

  Violet winked at him and left with a laugh.

  “I’m a little concerned,” Mr. Parker said softly, “that your fiancé will take me aside and murder me.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that,” Violet said merrily to him. “Jack would never murder anyone. He’d just scare you away. Tell me what you found out?”

  “How do you know I discovered anything?”

  “Small groups of people gossip, my friend. There’s no way you didn’t go back to your group of colleagues and discuss what was happening.”

  Mr. Parker blushed as he harrumphed in the back of the black cab. It took him a full minute or more to confess. “I did talk to a few people.”

  It was dark, so she couldn’t see his face.

  “Greyly has four main digs going. Mostly funded by him, but he’s good at getting other wealthy folks to donate to his cause. He does things to make them happy they donated such as gifting the large donors with things from the dig or mentioning them in articles. Those four digs each have an archeologist in charge, and they’re all here in London.”

  Violet glanced out the window. It wouldn’t take too long to get to Greyly’s house.

  “The first is a man named Simon Jones. He’s a bit of a snake. Even before Greyly hired him on, Jones had made enemies.”

  “Do you think he started the fires?”

  “I don’t know,” Parker admitted. “I never understood him. It’s not like he has the passion for the work. If you want an easy job, this isn’t it.”

  “Where is he working?”

  “Jones? I think he was in Mexico. Or Guatemala?”

  “My friend was in Egypt. Why in totally different places?”

  “Because Greyly doesn’t care. He’s not pursuing some great revelation, like where Troy was or whether it existed. Greyly wants a piece of history and discovery, any piece of history, any discovery, any bit of notoriety.”

  “What about the others?”

  “There’s a Richard Lovegood who works in Greece. He’s older. He’s not great at what he does. He does what Greyly says, writes what Greyly says. I doubt he’s your fellow. Your fiancé is working this as well?”

  Violet gasped as the cab driver opened the door to the cab suddenly. She hadn’t felt it come to a stop. She grinned over at Parker after she stepped out and saw the house for the first time. Greyly’s house was ostentatious on a level that screamed new money.

  “Well, well, well, where does his money come from?”

  Violet placed her hand on Parker’s and followed him up the steps. Just as they stepped into the house, she looked back over her shoulder and saw Jack stepping from another black cab. He handed out Kate and then Victor followed.

  Violet lifted both brows at them before stepping inside. Greyly was greeting guests as they came in, and he stopped in shock at the sight of Violet on the arm of Henry Parker.

  “Where’s your fiancé? Parker? What is this? Why are you here, Parker?”

  Vi smiled at Greyly, patted him on his arm, and said, “Now, now, my good fellow. Mr. Wakefield has arrived. You’ll have to see if he wants to be your girl Friday. I’ve decided to learn all about archeology and perhaps even steal young Lancaster from you.”

  She winked at him and sidled by, pulling Parker with her. After they were out of Greyly’s earshot, she said, “Why does Greyly recognize and not like you?”

  “You think that other archeologists just let Greyly pollute our findings and our knowledge?”

  “Are you the nemesis of Greyly and his friends?” The idea gave her pause, but she covered it with laughter.

  Chapter Eight

  Violet followed Parker through the ballroom. There were displays around the ballroom flo
or showing all manner of finds from around the world. There was a display with coins, some rusted and ancient looking and some polished and shining. There was another with ancient jewelry and another with knives of all kinds. Violet paused a long time as she examined them.

  “What is this here?” she asked, pointing to a black blade. It looked like a piece of glass growing out of carved wood handle.

  “That’s obsidian,” Parker said. “Those knives are very, very sharp, but brittle. They’re volcanic glass.”

  “Do they make jewelry out of it? It’s so pretty. I admit, I have black pearls, and I’m about as spoiled as they come—”

  “I can see that,” Parker told Violet. “Centuries from now, people will look at your jewelry and use it to make guesses about how we lived.”

  Violet grinned, glancing over her shoulder and finding Jack on the dance floor with a lush blonde. Given it wasn’t Lila, Violet let her gaze linger for a moment.

  “I want to meet the archeologists, but first, we’re definitely dancing.”

  “I feel certain that your inspector is going to kill me.” Parker glanced over his shoulder. Did he notice Jack’s broad shoulders? Violet certainly did, but she wasn’t sure that Parker saw them with the same appreciation.

  “He might,” Violet told Parker, just to watch him pale, “if he weren’t an inspector—saved by the morals he espouses. Congratulations to myself,” she said happily, “on the excellent man I’ve seduced with my wiles. Were you aware that I’m more valuable than rubies?”

  Parker snorted. “That’s why we’re here, isn’t it? You offered those rubies, and I have work that needs financed.”

  Violet laughed so hard, it hurt. She took hold Parker to keep herself upright and said, “Touché, my friend, touché.”

  Parker led her around the dance floor rather than onto it, with frequent glances towards Jack. When they reached the other side, Parker stopped. “Jones, how’s the work?”