“How did you get those few letters to me?”
“Frank’s brother is a sailor. Frank thought I had run away from a bad home. He thought my scar was inflicted by a cruel father. He asked James to mail letters to my brother from ports he visited. I couldn’t tell you the truth, but I had to let you know I was alive and well.” Joanna looked at Jace. “I’ll testify against Chad and Reid.”
Jace hugged his stepsister. “Thank you for coming and telling the truth, Joanna. I know how difficult and painful it was.” He stroked her damp cheek and curly hair. He noted the dark circles beneath her hazel eyes and he saw how pale and tense she was. “You look tired. Why don’t you go to bed? We’ll figure out what to do.”
Joanna looked at Leigh and said, “It’s so nice to meet you. I wish it wasn’t under such grim circumstances. I’m glad you and Jace found each other and married. Please don’t think too wickedly of me.”
Leigh smiled and said, “I don’t, Joanna. I know how charming and devious Chad can be. He fooled me for a long time. He would have killed me if it hadn’t been for Jace. He’ll pay soon. After this matter is settled, we can get better acquainted. We’ll be good friends.”
After Joanna left the room, Lord Salisbury revealed, “With these facts, it will be a simple matter to clear you and Brandon, but Lord Hamilton cannot be arrested and punished. He killed himself last week. He placed a pistol to his head and ended his madness. I thought it best not to upset Mrs. Marlowe with that news. After receiving your cable, I contacted Charles Nelson, my man at Scotland Yard. I asked him to begin a routine investigation. I surmise that Lord Hamilton became worried and suspicious when questioned so thoroughly about Miss Webster’s sudden death so close to that time of a large inheritance. From Charles’s report, Lord Hamilton behaved quite strangely.”
“No, sir,” Jace refuted, “I don’t think he committed suicide. I believe Reid Adams killed him.” Jace withdrew the cable from Reid to Fiona from Mombasa. He explained his suspicions to the startled prime minister and showed him the sworn statement of Jim Hanes and the confessions of the two Arab kidnappers. He related the talks that he and Johi had overheard, and the perilous incidents involving Leigh during the safari. “As you can see, sir, it’s a complicated situation.”
Lord Salisbury shook his head and ruffled his whiskered jawline. “Madness is never simple, Jace. It is apparent that the two cases overlap. It has always amazed me what some people will do for money and power. Greed and obsessions have destroyed many people. A life in politics has shown me countless dark hearts and minds. Charles Nelson will be given this information and evidence tomorrow,” the heavy-lidded man added. “He will take down Mrs. Marlowe’s statement. You and your father will be exonerated of all charges.”
Jace sighed in relief, so did Leigh. Jace said, “I’d like to see Louisa Jennings and Cynthia Campbell tomorrow. I want their confessions and punishment, too.”
“Scotland Yard has been unable to question them, as you suggested. Lady Louisa has been very ill since her return from Africa. She is at Marquise Campbell’s estate. Charles did learn that both women are facing financial ruin. That might explain their actions. As soon as Lady Louisa recovers, she’ll be questioned and charged.”
“As for Reid Adams and Fiona Webster,” Jace added, “I have a plan to entrap them, with help from your Scotland Yard friend.”
Saturday morning, Jace, Leigh, and Charles Nelson of Scotland Yard arrived at the marquise’s estate. Cynthia refused to receive them, but Charles insisted. When Cynthia joined them in the parlor, she looked terrible. Her brown hair was dull and uncombed, her complexion colorless, her lips almost white. Her clothes were wrinkled and stained and her sunken eyes exposed fatigue and anguish. Her mood was a mixture of somberness and hostility.
With the drapes drawn, the house was dark and gloomy. Within moments, they learned why.
“I will tell you nothing about Louisa. She died Wednesday,” Cynthia revealed, “died from an awful disease she caught in Africa. I warned her to stop drinking unboiled water. I warned her to take her quinine tablets. Why didn’t she listen?” the brunette wailed in anguish. Her brown eyes chilled instantly. “Get out of my home. You did this to her!” she shouted at Jace, then glared at Leigh. Her gaze widened and she paled. “You’re dead! Why have you returned to haunt me?”
“It was a trick, Cynthia,” Leigh revealed, “a trick to save my life. We all know Louisa and Chad were trying to kill me.”
“Don’t speak evil of my friend,” Cynthia cried. “You should be dead. Louisa should be alive and married to that handsome devil. It’s all Chad’s fault. If he hadn’t wanted you, we wouldn’t have gone to that death trap. I hate you. I won’t tell you anything.”
Recognizing the woman was on the edge of insanity, Leigh motioned the two men to silence. In a soft voice, she urged, “You must tell us the truth, Cynthia. It can’t hurt Louisa and Chad now. We know your people attacked me on the waterfront. We know Louisa paid men to abduct me in Mombasa. We have witnesses and evidence against both of you. If you don’t tell the truth, you’ll be arrested and sent to prison. You’ll lose everything and be humiliated. Is that what you want?”
“I’ve already lost everything,” the woman scoffed.
Leigh continued in her soothing and persuasive tone. “I can help you, Cynthia. I can give you money to pay your debts, and money to go somewhere—like Australia or Scotland—to begin a new life. You won’t have to be humiliated. You don’t have to be penniless. Why protect a dead woman and destroy yourself? Louisa was your friend. She loved you. She’ll understand you must save yourself. We can’t harm Louisa. We only want to know the truth. Please, let me help you.”
Cynthia looked around the darkened room with wild eyes. The creditors were coming Monday to take everything, to evict her, to shame her. She would have nothing and no one. With money, she could leave London, leave England. Louisa was gone. The plot was dead. She glanced at Leigh and asked, “Will you give me lots of money?”
“Yes, all you want. I have plenty. The money means nothing to me, only the truth. Will you let me save you?”
“What about him?” the brunette hinted, pointing to the man from Scotland Yard. “Won’t he arrest me?”
“No, Marquise,” Charles said. “We simply want to solve this case.” With those promises, the grief-crazed woman relented. She revealed how Louisa had poisoned William Webster so Chad could inherit and marry her. When Leigh inherited everything, Louisa went after the blonde for the same reason. She related how Louisa had pulled off the London and Mombasa attacks, and how she had removed the cartridges from Leigh’s gun before the rhino hunt. “We were best friends. I loved her. I helped her because we needed the money. Louisa hated you for messing up her plans. She would have killed you if you hadn’t died from that snakebite. But you didn’t die. My sweet Louisa did. And that bastard who lied to her, I’m glad he’s dead too.”
“Did you or Louisa punish Chad?” Leigh probed in a careful tone.
Defeated, the woman mumbled, “No. Louisa fell ill on the ship. Chad refused to help her. The doctor couldn’t help her. I brought her home with me. My doctor said it was blackwater fever. Louisa suffered terribly. I tended her day and night. Chad wouldn’t even visit her. He’s cruel and selfish. He’s been mad ever since he thought you died.”
Charles Nelson wrote out the woman’s statement. Cynthia didn’t even read it before signing it. “When do I get my money?” she demanded.
“Monday, when the bank opens. We’ll come and take you there.”
On Sunday night, August first, Leigh and men from Scotland Yard were concealed behind machinery and stacked crates inside the main Webster company, and other men were concealed outside to thwart any hirelings Reid Adams brought with him. Jace was standing in the middle of the floor, awaiting the final confrontation. One lantern was aglow nearby, casting about eerie shadows in the enormous room.
Leigh was frightened for Jace. She knew that men with drawn weapons were gua
rding her clever husband. Yet, something could go wrong. Reid Adams was an evil and unpredictable man, also a cunning one. Her pulse raced, and her heart pounded.
Reid arrived, alone. He stalked toward the light and Jace Elliott. His features looked sharper than usual in the near darkness. Malevolent shadows danced on his face and body. A cold sneer curled his tight lips upward. “I see you survived Chad’s trap. What are you doing here? Why did you send for me? What do you want?”
“My half of the inheritance, old chap. I know about the will. Leigh told me before … her little accident,” Jace hinted. “Too bad she got herself killed. I wanted to marry her and take everything, just like Chad planned. You helped him, Reid, so you’re just as guilty. If you don’t get me my half and help me escape London safely, I’ll risk going to the authorities to take you and Fiona down with me. That’s right, old boy,” Jace taunted when the man reacted to his threat. “I know all about you and Chad’s mother, and all about your little plot. Is that why you killed Chad? Did he add up the facts and confront you?”
Reid pulled a pistol.from beneath his coat and pointed it at Jace. “That’s right, but you won’t tell anybody anything. I have men watching all the doors so you can’t escape me. Nobody is spoiling things for me and Fiona. We waited too long to have each other and the money. Nobody, not even Chad, knew the truth about me and my beautiful Fiona. We were careful over the years to conceal our love, so nobody would suspect we had anything to do with those deaths.”
“In the beginning, Chad was the one who wanted Leigh dead,” Jace said to elicit evidence.
“You’re right, Jace, but he got weak on me. The plot was devised cleverly and perfectly: Leigh was to die; you were to be framed; Fiona was to inherit; and Chad was to run the empire. But Chad didn’t know we had additional plans. Fiona and I were going to marry, then travel wherever our spirits took us. It was five long years of terrible sacrifice, of annoying pretenses, of sneaking around, of having to dally with other women like that Campbell whore. I was miserable after Fiona left for India, but I had to prevent her from falling under suspicion in case anything went wrong with the plot.”
“She’s home now,” Jace pointed out, “so you should be very happy. But how could you let the woman you love marry another man?”
“I hated for my sweet Fiona to wed William Webster and to sleep with that old man, but it was necessary for our future. I would do anything for my love, and she had wanted the Webster empire that her son dangled under her pretty nose. None of us expected the old man to leave everything to his granddaughter, or to die so soon. Then he thwarted us from the grave with his strange will. Chad should have stuck to the original plan, and everything would have been fine. Chad would still be alive, and very rich. I liked Chad. But when it came to a choice between having it all with Fiona or letting Chad have it all with Leigh, even a friend has to be sacrificed.”
“You’re right.” Jace said. “How did you do away with him?”
“It was simple. He was acting crazy after losing Leigh. When the law started nosing around, he got worse. I got him drunk, put a pistol in his hand, and helped him pull the trigger. Have you ever read Tennyson’s ‘Lancelot and Elaine,’ old boy? ‘Sweet is true love though given in vain, in vain; and sweet is death who puts an end to pain.’ That’s all I did, put Chad out of his bittersweet agony. He was going to kill that blond witch until she enchanted him. I couldn’t let her live. I couldn’t let her and Chad take away my dream with Fiona.”
“So, you were the one behind Leigh’s so-called accidents. You were very clever, Reid. I finally caught on, but too late.”
Reid laughed, a cold and menacing sound. “Yes, I tampered with Louisa’s gun. You and Leigh were always in front of her. I hoped that redhead would shoot her, or get rid of the man who kept rescuing her. I needed a scapegoat. Louisa or you were perfect for that role. Chad shocked me when he fell in love with that girl and changed our plan, even dropped his revenge on you; that told me how enchanted he was. With Leigh leaning his way or with Chad believing she was, I couldn’t provoke him into mistrusting and killing her. She really had him under a tight spell. I figured if you two began fighting over Leigh, you’d be distracted from my threat. Or from Louisa’s. Since I couldn’t get Chad to doubt Leigh and to carry out the original scheme, Leigh’s death was up to me.”
“But Louisa was after her, too. And Chad was also part of the crime.”
Reid didn’t seem to care what Jace learned now. “Yes, but he kept wavering. When Chad was drugging her canteen, that last time, I added an extra dose. I hoped she would fall or shoot herself or be unable to flee a wild animal. Somehow she always eluded my traps. She was one lucky bitch, until that snake solved everything for me. But the cleverest of all was the quicksand.”
Reid bragged on how he had accomplished that “accident.” “As soon as Leigh said she was heading for the pool after teatime, I excused myself to cut brush to pile in the right trail which would force her to take the wrong fork when I scared her later. I sneaked into her tent by that secret flap you two used for your lusty meetings and stole her derringer. While Chad and Louisa were playing around inside their tent, I left Cynthia in ours and sneaked into the jungle again. I scared Leigh right into my trap. Once she was in the quicksand, I tossed her gun into the pile of her possessions, cleared the trail, and hurried back to camp. I picked a fight with Cynthia so no one would realize I’d been gone. You see, old chap, I know a thing or two about tracks and trails, too. If you’re as good in the wilds as you and others believe and you hadn’t been so distracted, you could have been on to me that day.”
Jace was furious with himself. Reid was correct. He hadn’t checked the area because Leigh had convinced him of her error and he had been distracted by their dispute. Reid had lured her into death’s jaws, heard her scream for help but sneaked back to camp. While the man’s wits were dulled by over-confidence and his tongue was loosened by pride, Jace asked, “Did you know Louisa poisoned William Webster? She told me before she died.”
Reid looked surprised. “She was so eager to get Chad and his money that I should have guessed. I’m certain Louisa was behind the London and Mombasa attacks on Leigh, but I didn’t tell Chad. I didn’t tell him that Louisa’s family was facing financial ruin. I needed that redheaded whore on the safari to take the blame when Chad wondered who was behind Leigh’s accidents and then her death. I was very careful not to drop any clues to Chad, particularly after he fell for his ward and switched plans on me. I hated Louisa and Cynthia, and I didn’t want those wanton bitches around me. But there was a possibility that Louisa would get rid of Leigh for us. She might have, if Chad hadn’t duped her and halted her deadly schemes. Louisa was a prime suspect because of her reckless actions. I figured, if Leigh’s death looked odd to anyone, she could be framed easily.”
Reid sent forth evil laughter before revealing, “Every time she let up on Leigh during the safari, I provoked her again, or tricked Cynthia into doing so. I tried with Chad, but he loved her and wanted her as much as I do Fiona. I’m glad that bitch killed the old man. It ate me up to let Fiona sleep with that old bastard. After Chad pushed Sarah Webster down the steps, he convinced Fiona to marry William to get his money. Of course, that wasn’t Chad’s plan, either. He loved the old man, and he wanted them to be a family. He liked being William’s son, but he was damned mad over that crazy will. Fiona and I agreed to wait five years before killing him, but he only lasted four. Now that Fiona’s home from India, soon I can publicly woo her and marry her. Too bad her son got suspicious of us, but we couldn’t let him spoil things. As soon as it’s proper to marry and slip away, we’ll be gone and happy.”
“You mean as soon as the mourning periods are over? Why didn’t you ask me to take Leigh Webster off your hands? I would have been delighted to hold her captive forever at my jungle plantation. I would have settled for her instead of half the money, especially since Chad wanted her so badly.”
“Webster’s the one who endangere
d his granddaughter by leaving it all to her. Fiona and I would have settled for half. After serving him for years, she deserved payment. She deserves every shilling.”
“Before you pull that trigger,” Jace coaxed, “mind telling me if Chad and Webster framed me and my father. Call it a dying man’s last request. You owe me that, since my jungle killed her for you.”
“William Webster a killer and arsonist?” Reid scoffed. “He wasn’t involved. The old man didn’t know anything about it. Chad burned out Stokely and killed him. He scattered around that evidence against Brandon, and made certain your father didn’t have an alibi. Your ignorant stepsister did that little task. Chad had her duped. If she hadn’t escaped, she’d be dead, too, just like those witnesses Chad and I got rid of. I’ll tell you something else, old chap: before Chad killed your father, he forced him to write that suicide note implicating you. He told Brandon he was holding Catharine and Joanna captive and would kill them if he didn’t. I guess your father figured you could get away or clear yourself, so he did as ordered. Chad planted that other evidence to make it look like a political murder.”
“So, it was all for revenge aimed at me. Why did he warn me to flee years ago? I could have been captured and hanged.”
“Chad didn’t want you arrested and killed. He wanted you alive to suffer like he had. He was having you watched. He knew you didn’t have an alibi. He forced your father to make that suicide note sound crazy on purpose. He wanted it to look like you knew about his crimes and you were connected to those Irish rebels. Chad knew that evidence would force you to stay out of England and keep you from interfering. Once you’d suffered enough, he was going to have ‘your plantation burned, lure you here, then let you be arrested and executed. He got revenge on you and got a business monopoly with the same scheme. Of course, he passed plenty of business to me for helping him, but I only did it both times so my sweet Fiona could profit.”
Whispered Kisses Page 43