Less Than a Treason

by Mary Birk

  “Miranda, this is no business of yours.” Lady Flora gave her daughter a sharp look.

  “It’s very much my business. Mine and Rodney’s. Our inheritance.”

  Reid was surprised at the hostility in Miranda’s voice as she addressed her mother. Something more must be going on here.

  He glanced over at Miranda’s brother. Rodney always seemed to be able to read Miranda’s moods and act as peacemaker, but just now he stood quietly, looking into the fire, as if he wasn’t even listening to the conversation.

  “Miranda, it’s not your decision to whom I leave any of my property.” Lady Flora’s voice was decisive. “And George, you are not helping the situation. Please let’s not involve the children in this.” She set her cigar down on the ashtray on the end table nearest to her.

  Reid, hearing the escalating tension in the exchange, decided he needed to intervene. “I’m certain this talk of business can wait for another time. Let’s change the subject.”

  Miranda looked at him, obviously embarrassed. “Sorry, Terrence. You’re right. Sorry, Mother.”

  Lady Flora patted Rafe’s hand. “Let’s talk about something more pleasant. The christening tomorrow. What a brilliant idea to have it on Christmas Eve, and in Dunbaryn’s Lady Chapel.” The lovely stone sanctuary attached to Dunbaryn Castle had been transformed by Reid’s great-grandparents from Church of Scotland to a Roman Catholic chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mother after Reid’s great-grandfather married a devout Roman Catholic woman who convinced him to convert.

  Reid nodded. “Christmas Eve was the Countess’s idea, but it’s family tradition to have our children baptized in our chapel.” And in their faith. In fact, theirs was one of the few remaining earldoms in Scotland of the Roman Catholic faith.

  “What a lovely child you have, Terrence.” Lady Flora continued to steer the conversation to safer waters. “You must be terribly proud.”

  Finally, a subject he was interested in. “That I am. But I’m sure all parents feel that way about their children.”

  “All the same, he is precious.” She smiled. “He looks like you. I should know, I remember you as a baby, even though admitting that shows my age.”

  “Yes, he’s a darling child.” Miranda put her hand on Reid’s with a familiarity that made him instantly uncomfortable. He pulled his hand away, then realized he’d been abrupt, maybe even rude. He saw Lady Flora’s eyes catch the exchange. He’d probably just made two more women mad, but what the hell. He might as well make it unanimous among their sex.

  Rafe Kensington got up. “I’ll go see how Lance and his friend are doing, then I’ll probably toddle on to bed.” He patted his wife on her knee. “All right with you, my dear?”

  Lady Flora nodded and absently picked up her dead cigar. George Greene leaned over and flicked his lighter to revive it.

  Chapter 14

  REID EXCUSED himself saying he had work to do, and went to the library. It was well after ten, but he knew Harry would be up.

  “Guv?”

  “Anything new on the Pooley death?”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be on holiday?” Harry asked.

  “Of sorts.” Reid heard a woman’s voice in the background on Harry’s end.

  “I was going to email you in the morning. There is, in fact, something new.”

  “Yes?”

  “He was definitely murdered.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Dead sure. It was set up to look like he’d overdosed on a speedball, but the needle went in the wrong arm. Pooley couldn’t have injected it himself—his right hand was bad, some nerve damage, so even though the hand looked fine, he couldn’t have done anything like that with it.”

  “He didn’t report any other threats, did he?”

  “Not after the one at the museum do. Besides, he was supposed to have till the New Year’s to make the payback to Von Zandt. Why would Von Zandt give a deadline and then kill Pooley before he even had a chance to make good?” Exactly what Reid had been asking himself.

  “Something must have happened to change things.”

  “Maybe, guv. Or maybe it’s not got anything to do with Von Zandt. Maybe one of his clients offed him.”

  Reid thought about that. “No chance it was a burglary gone wrong, I suppose?”

  “Not a one. Besides, what kind of a burglar wastes good drugs on setting up a fake suicide for his victim?”

  “You have a point. Did you get a list of Pooley’s other clients?”

  “Aye. Had to bother a lot of people already on their Christmas hols to get it, so I’m not the most popular Christmas elf.”

  Reid laughed. “When will we get the post-mortem results?”

  “Full results should be in by tomorrow morning. Medical examiner was cooperative. I had a feeling he was glad for an excuse to get away from the family festivities, even if it meant dealing with an overripe body.”

  “Overripe?”

  “Aye, the heat was on full blast in the flat. Didn’t I tell you that?”

  “You did, sorry. So, do we have an estimate of time of death?”

  “The heat screwed that up, but from his last meal it looks like it was sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning. He had food delivered in from a Chinese restaurant Sunday night about eight.”

  “Good work, Harry.”

  “Please, no praise for the basic. The leftovers were in the fridge, and we found the receipt in the rubbish bin. Delivery was for two people.”

  “Interesting. Did you talk to the person who delivered it?”

  “I’m going to pretend you didn’t ask that, guv. Where is your faith?”

  Reid laughed again, feeling momentarily lighter. “Sorry. I can’t imagine what I was thinking.”

  “Delivery git said Pooley answered the door in his jeans with no shirt. He didn’t let the delivery boy in. The guy’s impression was it was a post-coital meal—or perhaps between times.”

  “Not a direct quote, I assume.”

  “I was trying to put it more delicately. His exact words were . . .”

  Reid interrupted. “I don’t need the exact words. I get the picture.”

  “Good. Anyway, the delivery boy didn’t see the other half of the dinner for two.”

  “You didn’t notice anything indicating a recent tryst when you found Pooley’s body?”

  “No, guv, the place was neat as a pin and the man was dressed in a robe and pajamas. I didn’t disturb the body but the ME got a better look and says his initial impression is Pooley recently had sex.” Harry paused. “With another male.”

  “That’s news. I know you hadn’t told me that.” Reid hoped he hadn’t been that distracted so he’d missed this as well.

  “I hadn’t. The test results will be a few days but definitely semen in the rectal area.”

  “Maybe his death isn’t related to Von Zandt, after all.”

  “Maybe not.”

  “Coincidentally, I have a friend who was working on putting on a party at the museum that Pooley was chief sponsor for. He was inviting his clients and other contacts; I should be able to get that list.” Reid had never told Harry that Miranda was the one who had invited Pooley to the November event where Von Zandt showed up and threatened him. Or that Reid himself had been at the event for a short time, although, he’d left before Von Zandt had arrived.

  “Great. Send the info on to me and I’ll check it out. How are your hols going?”

  “Fine. We’re getting snow.”

  “None here yet—you can keep it there if I have a say in it. Everything all right?” Harry’s voice was casual.

  “Fine, as I believe I said already. What’ve you got Allison doing?”

  “She’s going through Pooley’s personal accounts and a review of his customers. She’s burning the midnight holiday oil, so she’ll likely have a report for you in the morning. Oscar and Frank are still working on the analysis of Von Zandt’s investments Pooley gave you.”

  “Can I get t
he list of Pooley’s clients as well? I’ll go through it and compare it with the one I get from my contact here.”

  “Aye, guv. I’ll email you the list in the morning or later tonight. Go have some eggnog or something. Or some of that posh brew your family makes. You’re supposed to be on holiday.”

  “I want to finish slogging through the account information Pooley gave me to see if anything strikes me. I’ll let you know any thoughts I have on it tomorrow.”

  “What does the word holiday mean to you, guv?”

  “Not a whole lot, Harry. What does it mean to you? You’re still taking calls at close to eleven and the rest of the team’s eyes are crossing in front of their computers. I should have stayed in town.”

  Harry’s voice was quieter than usual. “Family holidays can be hell at my house as well. If you decide to come back early, we can share a holiday meal in a pub, guv. With an emphasis on alcohol.”

  Reid silently cursed himself for being so transparent in his misery, then remembered the woman in the background waiting for Harry. Reid suspected Harry was having exactly the kind of holiday Harry wanted to have. He’d kept his sergeant too long on the telephone.

  “Thanks, Harry. Sorry to call so late.”

  “No problem, guv.”

  “I’ll ring you in the morning with my thoughts on what I’ve reviewed so far.”

  “Aye, guv. But not too early, okay? Some of us like to stay in bed past five a.m.”

  “No, not too early, Harry. Thanks.”

  *****

  “For the love of God, Terrence, sit down and stop pacing around.”

  “I’d really rather not discuss this now.” Reid sent a silent plea for understanding to his father. The Earl had gone through something too much like this, and the last thing Reid wanted to do was make his father revisit those desolate times.

  “Nor would I, but I think we have to. Please sit down.” Charles Reid rarely attempted to exert his authority over his eldest son, but Reid knew that when he did, his father expected him to listen.

  Reluctantly, Reid sat down in the brown leather chair that was companion to the one his father occupied. He looked into the flames leaping about inside the fireplace, trying to decide how much to tell. His father had skillfully intercepted him in the library where he’d been working, and now here they sat, about to have a conversation neither one of them really wanted.

  “Apparently, I’m missing something everyone else seems to know. Something about you and your wife.” The Earl lit his cigar and puffed on it to get it going, then looked over at his son. “So? Why was my comment about her coming to live with you here in Scotland out of line? I could tell from your mother’s intervention that I’d stepped in it. What’s going on?”

  Reid felt his jaw clench. He was going to have to tell people sooner or later, and it looked like it was going to be sooner. “She’s not going to be living in Scotland.”

  “Your mother says you and Anne aren’t sharing a room. Are you two separated? To be clear, I mean in the relationship sense of the word. I know you’ve not lived on the same continent since you got married. Something else that has never made any sense to me.”

  Reid watched the fire, listening to the crackling sounds as it burned, trying to figure out how to explain without maligning his wife.

  “Terrence, my boy, what am I missing? You’re still married to her, aren’t you?”

  He lifted a hand in surrender. He’d tell the truth but only a portion. “We are. For now.”

  His father frowned. “For now?” Then realization seemed to dawn on the Earl. “Is the child not yours?”

  Reid shifted in his chair, but still didn’t face his father. “He’s mine.”

  “And your marriage?”

  “We’re not together anymore.” Reid spoke into the fire, keeping his voice matter-of-fact. “I’ve asked Stone to work with an American lawyer to draw up papers for an annulment. Civil and religious.”

  The Earl exhaled a cloud of smoke, leaning back in his chair. “And Anne?”

  “She’s agreed.”

  “It was your request? Not hers?”

  Reid nodded. “That it be an annulment rather than a divorce was my request.”

  “She wants a divorce?”

  Reid got up and went over to the drinks table. He poured himself a brandy. “Would you like something?”

  “Brandy would be fine.”

  He filled another snifter, handed it to his father, then sat down again with his own. Inhaling the strong fragrance of the brandy, he tilted the glass to his lips. The molten heat of the liquor slid down past his throat, only slightly thawing the ice in his chest.

  His father didn’t give up. “I repeat. Does your wife want a divorce?”

  “Yes.” Even if Anne hadn’t actually gotten around to telling him, her actions made her feelings clear.

  “Do you have someone else? Another woman?”

  “You know me better than that.”

  “I didn’t think so, but your mother seems to think Miranda Greene has the idea you and she have something going on. Frankly, from how the girl acted toward you at dinner, I think your mother is right. As she usually is.”

  “Nothing’s going on between me and Miranda or anyone else.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” The Earl swirled the brandy in his glass. “Does this have to do with that man Anne was involved with? The one whose daughter was murdered?”

  “I can’t discuss that.” Reid turned to face his father. “I understand you have an interest in knowing what’s going on, but that’s between Anne and me.”

  “I respect that.”

  “Thank you. I don’t want to make an announcement about the annulment until after Anne’s gone. I think that will be less awkward, and I don’t want to embarrass her.”

  “Frankly, it would have been much less awkward if you’d warned your mother and me. We never would have planned such a public christening.”

  “I didn’t know about the Countess’s plans until Anne and her family had already been invited and had accepted.”

  “Couldn’t you have talked to Anne about not coming, in light of the circumstances?”

  “In retrospect, perhaps I should have.” Reid leaned toward the fire.

  The Earl shook his head. “Why didn’t you?”

  Reid decided he had to tell his father the truth. “I wanted Michael to be baptized here, with our family. And I needed to talk to Anne about having our marriage annulled instead of her filing for divorce. I could have done that over the telephone, but I thought I might ask the Monsignor to talk to her if she didn’t agree. But, as it turns out, she’s agreed, so that won’t be necessary.”

  The Earl shut his eyes briefly. “What a bloody mess. I’m going to ask you this again. You are sure the child’s yours?”

  “Positive.” Reid pushed his hair back from his face. “I have confirmatory test results.”

  “As distasteful as that sounds, I’m glad to hear it. Of course, I’d have known it anyway. He looks just like you.”

  Reid turned to his father. “If you think that sounds distasteful to you, think of how it feels to me. Not just that there were tests, but that you even had to ask. I’m sure you’re not the only one wondering if he’s my child. I can hardly drop the results of the DNA testing into the conversation when I see that thought going through people’s minds. Thank Christ he looks so much like me, is all I can say.”

  “I’m sorry, son. That was extremely thoughtless of me.”

  Reid waved away his father’s apology. “It’s a difficult situation for everyone. Without those confirmatory test results, things would have been even worse. But I thank God every day for my son. Michael is a blessing that makes everything worth it.”

  “He is indeed.”

  Reid knew there was more he needed to say. “I need to apologize for the embarrassment this whole mess of my marriage has already caused our family. I haven’t said anything before because I can’t think of anything to say. I
pushed Anne into a marriage she wasn’t ready for, and didn’t really want, because I wanted it so much. So it’s all on me.”

  “You’ve always been an enormous source of pride for us. I’m sorry if I’ve made this any worse for you. I think we all look at the face you show the world and forget there is a mere mortal behind it. That’s inexcusable in your family, and I’m sorry.”

  Reid shook his head. “Don’t be. I just want to get through this and do the right thing for our son, to provide for Anne, and to walk out of this mess with some kind of dignity. Most of all, I want Michael to know he’s loved.”

  They sat in silence, for a few moments before the Earl spoke again. “You’ve been going through hell, son, and I apologize for not recognizing the extent of it. I, of all people, should have understood what you were going through.”

  Reid reached out his hand and laid it on his father’s arm. Unfortunately, his father knew what it was like to have everyone know that one’s wife was another man’s mistress, that she hadn’t loved him enough to stay faithful. To have to hold his head up every day and go on knowing what people are thinking and saying. At least the child Anne had conceived during their separation had been his, and not another man’s. His father hadn’t had that consolation.

  “I haven’t handled this as well as I should have, though God knows I’ve tried. I’ve not stopped with any of my duties or projects; I’ve gone to Mass, I’ve run and worked out until I hoped I’d drop from exhaustion. I know I’ve stayed away from Dunbaryn too long, but I didn’t know what to say to you, to Mother, to the damned servants.”

  “If I’d realized, I never would have allowed your mother to plan this whole thing with Michael’s baptism.”

  Reid shrugged. “It was a bit of a shock when the Countess told me she’d made the arrangements, but it’ll be fine. Anne’s got her family here to support her, and we’ll get all the paperwork done and end things between us while she’s here.”

  “Can I get you another brandy, son?” The pain in the Earl’s eyes seared Reid’s heart.