I turned my attention back to Hetty. “How does one dispose of stolen goods anyway?”
We all looked at each other with bemused expressions. What did one do with stolen goods? Especially items that could be recognized.
“Well,” Hetty mused, “I suppose anything of gold might be melted down and sold somewhere, although who would buy a lump of gold?”
Again none of us had an answer.
I stood and took the pencil from Aunt Hetty and drew a horizontal line across the bottom third of the page. “Obviously none of us knows the answer to that question, and we’ll never get anywhere by wondering about it. This is a question for Delaney, so that should be one of our action items.”
I wrote the question under the line. “I’m sure to see him in the near future, so I can take on that task.” I handed the pencil back to Hetty and returned to the sofa.
“Excellent,” she said. “Now the third theft was Mrs. Stoke-Whitney’s bracelet.”
“On the seventeenth,” Fiona added.
“And that brings us to the list of suspects Alicia and I prepared.”
Both Fiona and Hetty turned to me in surprise. “That’s right,” Hetty said. “You mentioned something about a list when Capshaw was killed. What’s that about?”
“When I returned the bracelet to Alicia, Delaney had us prepare a list of possible suspects—other guests who were near Alicia just before she noticed the bracelet missing, and near me shortly after.”
“Well, that should certainly narrow the field. How many names are on it?”
“There were only ten, but some of them are more coincidence than suspect.” I turned to Fiona. “You, for example.”
She placed a hand on her chest, eyes glowing with delight “I am a suspect in a crime? How absolutely thrilling.”
Hetty released an impatient sigh so I supplied the remaining names on the list.
“Does George know he’s a suspect?” Fiona clearly found this amusing.
“I don’t think I mentioned it, but it hardly matters. Delaney’s checking the names on that list against the guest lists for the other two events where a theft took place, and George didn’t attend either.”
“Aside from Graham, do you know if any of these people are short of funds?” Hetty asked.
Fiona and I answered her with blank stares. “That’s a difficult question,” I said. “The only reason I know of Graham’s financial problems is through my close acquaintance with him. The general population would assume he’s well off. Just as I assume the rest of these people are.”
Hetty nodded. “If that’s the case, Graham has my vote for chief suspect for two reasons.” She held up two fingers. “He needs money, and by leaving the bracelet in your reticule, he could ruin your reputation.”
Fiona stared in confusion. “Why would he want to ruin your reputation?”
“Inspector Delaney suggested it might improve Graham’s odds of winning his lawsuit.”
“Oh, please,” Fiona muttered, dismissing the idea out of hand. “Inspector Delaney has no understanding of how society works. If Graham ruins your reputation, he ruins his as well. You are part of the same family.”
Aunt Hetty wasn’t ready to drop her pet theory. “Even though she’s only family by marriage? And she’s an American?”
Fiona shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Graham and Delia will be tarred with the same brush. Reputation is very important to Graham, even more so to Delia, and he would never want to disappoint her. He’d be more likely to murder you than ruin you.”
That stung.
“Are you saying Graham would murder me for the money in my account?”
She shot me a look of exasperation. “Of course not. You take me too literally. I’m simply drawing a comparison as to how unlikely either action would be. Graham might file a claim to your funds, and while a few people may know about it, it’s a private matter. He would never publicly draw the family name through the mud.”
Fiona’s argument was convincing, and I hoped Hetty was beginning to see things her way. Graham was very conscious of appearances. And I always had thought it was chance, not intention, that put the bracelet in my bag. I looked up at Hetty, still standing at the easel.
She held up her hands in surrender. “You know him better than I do. If you don’t think it’s possible, perhaps it isn’t. But Graham is still the only one who needs money.”
“As far as we know,” said Fiona. “Besides, can’t the thief be stealing for other reasons? Compulsion, or just for the thrill of it? That would mean all ten of us are still suspects, including George and me.”
I shook my head. “Neither of you attended the first two events, so unless you have a confession to make, Fiona, let’s move on to the footman, Mr. Capshaw, and I’ll tell you why I suspect one of Lily’s suitors.”
Hetty wrote his name on the pad of paper. “I think it’s safe to assume he was murdered because he had some knowledge he intended to relate to Frances.”
“Would that knowledge have anything to do with the stolen bracelet?”
“If it were only about the stolen bracelet, Capshaw would have told Alicia. But he overheard me saying Lily’s suitors were on the list of suspects. I even named them. So I believe he was coming here to give me some information about one of them, possibly that he’s the thief. Capshaw was part of the staff at Alicia’s ball. Perhaps he actually saw it happen.”
Both women scoffed at my theory. “If he saw the theft, he would have told Alicia,” Fiona said. “Don’t you remember she asked the servants to help her look for it?”
“Then perhaps his information wasn’t related to the theft, but I believe he knew something to the detriment of one of those men and planned to tell me. However, it’s possible Capshaw visited the man in question before coming to me, offering to remain silent for a price.”
I watched as realization dawned on both women. Fiona shook her head in regret. “A poor move on his part. So you think the gentleman in question hid in your yard and coshed him?”
“Cut his throat,” I corrected, then felt guilty as she blanched. I suppose she didn’t need all the details. “Delaney questioned Alicia’s servants to learn if any of them knew where he planned to go before coming here. Alicia agreed to find out what Delaney learned, and pass that information on to me, when I visit her today.”
“Good work, Frances.” Aunt Hetty was scribbling notes on the paper. I also told them about obtaining Capshaw’s references from Alicia, and my theory that a former employer might explain how Capshaw met one of the three men. I was warmed by the pride in my aunt’s eyes.
“And I thought you were content to let everything flow around you. My apologies, Frances. I underestimated you.”
“As did I,” Fiona added. “At least I was unaware you had such powers of detection. I’m quite impressed.”
“Well, I haven’t actually detected anything yet. So far I’m only attempting to gather information.”
“One must start somewhere,” Fiona said. “And now that I consider the matter, you shouldn’t visit Alicia alone. You are investigating a murderer after all. Whoever killed the footman has a secret he is desperate to keep. If you’re determined to discover what it is, you may be next.”
“Thank you so much for sharing that insight, Fiona. It does much to increase my confidence.” I gave her a glare before continuing. “It’s not as if I intend to catch the criminal myself. As I said, I’m only gathering information, which, of course, I will pass on to Inspector Delaney, while at the same time, I’ll keep my sister safe from an unworthy admirer.”
“Nevertheless,” Hetty said, “I agree with Fiona. You shouldn’t go to Alicia’s alone.”
I turned to my aunt. “Really? Who do you propose to go with me?”
Chapter 16
“I must say, Fiona, I feel so much safer with you at my side.”
Fiona harrumphed in response, as we descended from her carriage at Alicia’s town house. “Laugh at me if you like, but should
this horrid thief try to accost us, I assure you my footman would show you just how safe you are.”
Indeed, I was quite assured, as I glanced up at her footman, a giant of a man, currently presenting our cards to the butler at Alicia’s door. The butler bowed us inside, and escorted us to the drawing room where, once again, I found Alicia closeted with Inspector Delaney.
I was of two minds about this situation. I wanted to meet with Delaney and discover his progress on this case, but on the other hand, I didn’t want him discovering me, calling on Alicia. I doubt he’d approve of me snooping about at his case, although I don’t know what he could do about it.
No matter. I put on a pleasant smile, hoping Alicia wouldn’t mention the reason for my call, and gave a nod to the detective who was now standing upon our entrance to the room. I introduced Fiona, and we all seated ourselves in an area of the drawing room arranged for intimate conversation. We got the pleasantries out of the way—I confirmed that my sister and daughter had left for the country, and learned Delaney was just on the point of departing.
“Then I’m pleased to find you still here, Inspector. How are you getting on in investigating poor Mr. Capshaw’s murder?”
“Still plenty of work to do, Lady Harleigh,” he replied, revealing nothing.
“My aunt and I were discussing the possibility that the jewel thief murdered that young man, and we wondered how one would dispose of the type of articles he stole, as they would be so easy to identify.”
“Sadly there are many establishments in the city willing to buy stolen goods.” His eyes narrowed. “Just what exactly is your interest?”
I countered with widened eyes, hoping to look as if I had no particular interest at all. “Only that finding the goods might be a way of finding the thief himself.”
Delaney’s countenance darkened. Oh, dear.
“It’s a good way for the police to find the thief. At least it can be a start. Which is why we’ve been doing just that since the first theft was reported.” He rose to his feet as he spoke and loomed over me. “I want to stress that this is something for the police to do. Not a private citizen, and certainly not a lady like yourself. Do I make myself clear?”
I fought the urge to shrink back in my chair. The man could be horribly intimidating when he put his mind to it. My two companions seemed to be absorbed in examining their fingernails so I’d receive no support from them. “You most definitely do, Inspector. You may put your mind at rest. I simply wondered if we’d stumbled onto a possible line of investigation.”
Delaney rolled his eyes to the ceiling. I could almost hear him praying for deliverance from meddling women.
Not that I’d let that stop me. “Have you been able to learn if anyone from our list attended either the Haverhill or the Chesterton event?”
“The details of a police investigation are none of your affair, Lady Harleigh.”
“Actually, I’m more concerned about my investigation. The three gentlemen?” I refrained from reminding him that I was paying for that investigation.
He conceded my point with an audible sigh. “I apologize for my lack of work on your investigation, my lady. However, I can tell you all three of the gentlemen were at both events. I wouldn’t let your sister marry any of them just yet.” With that he gave the three of us a nod, and bid us good day.
“Well.” Fiona infused the single word with a wealth of disdain—but not until Delaney had actually left the room. I didn’t blame her for not speaking up until he was out of earshot.
“Well, indeed,” I agreed. “Two avenues of investigation that lead us nowhere.”
“Yes, but at least you know the police are looking into it,” Alicia said. “Did you really consider looking for the stolen items?”
I shook my head. “I never thought it through that far. It did seem finding the stolen items might lead to the thief. I should have realized the police were already doing that.” I heaved a sigh at my own stupidity. “I suppose that is evidence of my amateur status as an investigator.”
“I do believe Delaney is right on that point.” Alicia’s voice held a consoling note. “The police already know the usual and customary places to look for stolen goods, and they provide more of a threat in confronting the buyer.”
I waved a dismissive hand. “It was just a possibility. I’m more disappointed that we couldn’t rule out one or more of Lily’s suitors. Have you learned anything from your butler?”
“I have a little information for you, but not as much as you’d hoped. James mentioned only that he planned to visit an old friend he hadn’t seen in some time.”
My spirits sank. “That’s it? No location? No name?”
“Sadly, no. But we have reason to believe his friend lived nearby. One of our maids asked if he was taking the train, and he replied that it wasn’t far, so he planned to walk.”
“So this friend might have been any of the ten names on our list, including Lily’s beaux. That hardly narrows it down.”
“It tells us nothing,” Fiona insisted. “This friend of his might have been one of those gentlemen, or it might even have been you.”
Both Alicia and I turned to her. “Well, he’s not likely to say, I’m going to visit Lady Harleigh, and sell her some information, is he? He’d say, I’m going to visit a friend. In fact he might actually have visited a friend who has nothing to do with this.”
I had to admit she was right. Capshaw’s so-called friend might have been anyone, including me. But somehow I didn’t think he meant me. “Alicia, does anyone know what time he left the house?”
“Not precisely, but Bradford, our butler, said he was gone by noon.”
“And he arrived at my home about three. So he did go somewhere else before coming to me, and it was somewhere local.”
“A park, or a café?” Alicia’s face held the wonder of someone in the midst of a revelation. “If you were about to blackmail someone, would you march up to your victim’s door, and reveal all in the privacy of his library, where he could just as easily shoot you as pay you off?”
“But then the so-called victim would have all the bother of a dead body to explain.”
I found Fiona’s tone a bit more acid than necessary under the circumstances. Alicia was only trying to help. I placed a restraining hand on her arm. “That’s actually a good point. Capshaw might not have been concerned about his safety, but he wouldn’t want to draw undue attention to himself. He wasn’t a gentleman, so he couldn’t just walk up to a gentleman’s door and ask for him. At least not without a great deal of arguing with the butler, or footman, who answered the door.”
Both ladies nodded in agreement so I carried on. “Capshaw would have sent a note, just as he did with me, arranging a place to meet. And it’s very likely he’d feel more comfortable in a public place.”
“If that’s the case, then how do you proceed?” Fiona asked. “Ask each of the men on your list if they’ve had any interesting conversations in the park lately?”
I ignored the remark. “Now, if Capshaw was coming to sell me information, and it appears he was . . .” I looked to both my companions for agreement, and received nods in return. “And if he left Alicia’s house three hours before he arrived at my home, then what he did in those hours before reaching my garden gate likely caused his death. Can we all agree on that?”
I received an emphatic nod from Alicia and a grudging glare from Fiona. “Go on,” she urged.
“There are a number of things he might have done with that time, but most of those activities would not cause him to be murdered upon reaching my house. So I submit he spent that time blackmailing the very person he was coming to see me about. Can we agree on that?”
This time Fiona nodded in easy agreement. Alicia drew a deep breath. “That’s a reasonable theory, but I have to ask if you really know who, or what, James was coming to talk to you about?”
“Of course I can’t be certain, but I can only imagine it was about one of Lily’s suitors. In which case,
that narrows the list of suspects to three gentlemen, two of whom I’m dining with tonight.”
Fiona’s brows rose in surprise. “How do you intend to broach the subject?”
“I have absolutely no idea. However, my maid, Bridget, is walking out with Lord Ainsworthy’s butler, so I can ask her to find out if he received any unusual notes, followed immediately by a trip to the park.”
Alicia stared at me, aghast, while Fiona chuckled. “Ladies, I’m a babe in the woods. I’ll ask Bridget to use her wiles to discover anything she can about the viscount’s movements on the day in question. I suppose I’ll attempt to do the same in my own way at the dinner party. Mr. Hazelton will be with me, and with his aid, I hope to pull this off without looking like a complete fool.”
“I’m not as concerned about you looking like a fool, as I am about your looking like a corpse.”
I winced at the blunt comment, but Fiona did not relent. “One of these men might be a murderer, Frances. You don’t want to let on that you suspect either one of them, or you may put yourself in danger.”
* * *
I blamed Fiona for my nerves that evening. I’m usually quite socially adept, and since my mother drilled me from the age of twelve, my conversational skills are second to none. So it had to be fear of giving away my suspicions that had me as nervous as a debutante.
We traveled in George’s carriage to the home of my friend Lady Georgianna, who was giving this dinner. Her daughter was vying with Lily for the interest of two of the Season’s eligible bachelors, Viscount Ainsworthy and Mr. Daniel Grayson. As I had a need to speak with both gentlemen, I was especially grateful to be invited myself.
I’d just briefed George on the necessity of these conversations and learned that he’d already done a bit of investigating on his own. He felt confident Mr. Grayson was living a blameless life, as he currently resided at the family home in London, with his mother and two sisters, acting as their escort. I wasn’t so sure blameless was the right word. I told George about seeing the young man with Alicia the night before but I had to admit that didn’t make him a thief or a murderer.
A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder Page 18