Page 37 of Murder at the Dinner Party
“Encouraged the police to give up the search for Master Rupert.”
“That’s a bold accusation,” Harry said.
I suspected he was referring to the police obeying Lord Whitchurch’s demand to end the search, but Mr. Gannon assumed he meant the accusation that Lord Whitchurch tried to affect the outcome of a murder investigation.
“They may have clashed dreadfully,” he said, “but Rupert was his son. I think his lordship worried that a public trial would ruin the family more than Rupert’s disappearance. Lady Whitchurch was very fond of Rupert and wouldn’t want to see him hang.”
“Doyouthink he helped Rupert escape?”
“It’s possible.”
“What was Arthur’s relationship like with his brother?” I asked. “Couldhehave helped Rupert escape?”
“Unlikely. Arthur loathed Rupert. He was terribly jealous of his older brother. Jealous that his father invested more time and effort in him, since he was the heir, and jealous that his mother loved Rupert more. Rupert had charm and wit, courage and confidence that many adored, including their mother. Of course she knew he had faults, but she thought he’d grow out of them, in time.”
It reminded me of something Mrs. Hatch had said. It sounded like she’d also been enamored of the dashing Rupert. “Arthur resented his brother?”
“Oh, yes. When they walked into a room, all eyes went to Rupert. The worst of it was, Arthur was hopelessly in love with the girl his parents had chosen for his brother, and Rupert wasn’t in the least interested in her.”
“Wassheinterested in him?”
“It was hard to tell. She was a very quiet thing, very reserved. She was mostunsuitedto Rupert, of course. He would have grown bored with her very quickly. Anyway, Arthur got her in the end. They married when Rupert was declared dead seven years after his disappearance.”
“Do you think he’s still alive?” I asked.
Mr. Gannon shrugged. “I don’t know. Wherever he went, he would be doing something with horses. He adored them, whether it was riding them, caring for them, gambling on them…if you’re looking for him, try looking at racetracks or stables.”
“That narrows it down,” Harry joked.
Mr. Gannon chuckled.
“Can you describe Rupert’s appearance?” I asked. “If we were to look for him, we should know what to look for.”
“He was tall, although not as tall as you, Mr. Armitage.” He smiled at Harry. “Good-looking.”
“Rupert was?” I asked, just in case he was referring to Harry.
“Oh, yes. Light brown hair, blue eyes, and a light sprinkle of freckles on his straight nose. A strong jaw and chin with a cleft, but it wasn’t too deep. A dimple formed in his left cheek when he smiled, which made his smiles seem boyish and innocent, but I can assure you there was nothing innocent about him.”
“You’re very observant, Mr. Gannon,” I said.
The wistful look on Mr. Gannon’s face vanished. He fussed with the top hat perched on the marble bust at one end of the counter.
We thanked him and left. I didn’t get far before I started firing all of my theories at Harry. “Perhaps Arthur encouraged his brother to leave after the murder. He benefits from Rupert’s disappearance the most. Not only does he inherit, he also gets to marry his brother’s fiancée. If they were in love, that’s two rather large motives.”
“And the blood on old Lord Whitchurch’s jacket?”
“Perhapshemurdered Charlotte because…well, I don’t know why yet, but say he did, but Arthur didn’t know his father was responsible. Arthur tells his brother that he, Rupert, did it and Rupert is too drunk to remember so believes him. Then Arthur helps him escape to get rid of him.”
“It’s a bit far-fetched. Besides, the blood was on theinsideof the jacket. If old Lord Whitchurch stabbed her, he would have got blood on the outside and at the front, not the inside back.”
“PerhapsCharlottewas wearing it. They were together and she was cold, so Lord Whitchurch wrapped it around her shoulders to keep her warm. Then they argued and he killed her, getting her blood on his jacket, which he removed before returning to his bedchamber.” I rather liked that theory. Just because Lord Whitchurch was supposedly upright, it didn’t mean he wasn’t having an affair with the maid, too.
“The only person alive who’d know is the dowager,” Harry said. “She’ll never admit it.”
“There might be evidence to prove the theory. We just haven’t found it yet.” We walked on in silence, but my mind was still reeling. “There’s one more theory we haven’t considered yet. One that has been gnawing at me for some time, but now that I’ve spoken to Mr. Gannon, it’s taken root.”
Harry stopped and took me by the elbow, steering me out of the way of other pedestrian traffic on busy Savile Row. “You look like you’re going to explode if you don’t say something soon.”
