Page 12 of The Last Chance
“Why? You scolded Mr Daventry on my behalf.”
Daventry seemed to find their spat amusing but quickly addressed the serious matter at hand. “Take me to the crime scene. I want to see Howard’s body before I summon the magistrate.”
A knot twisted in Aaron’s gut. The magistrate would assume Miss Lovelace was Howard’s mistress, particularly as they were well-acquainted.
“You don’t seem surprised he’s the victim,” Aaron countered. Howard was an unpopular fool, but even criminals refrained from murdering peers.
“According to my sources, Howard owes Two-Teeth O’Toole five hundred pounds after betting on a fight on Hounslow Heath last month.”
Grateful someone else had a motive for murder, the tension in Aaron’s muscles eased. “That fight was rigged. O’Toole pays his men to lose previous bouts to improve the odds. It’s as good as highway robbery.”
“And as you know, the interest on the debt is colossal.”
“Mr O’Toole was not responsible,” Miss Lovelace was quick to inform them. “I would have noticed an unsavoury character on the premises. And I’m confident my gentlemen patrons possessed all their teeth.”
A master criminal could enter undetected. Deciding not to embarrass her in front of Daventry, Aaron did not mention she had gone to bed, unaware of the dead body upstairs.
“What about your female members?” Aaron said. “I’ll need the names of those who joined after you agreed to invite men to your Thursday soirees.”
She motioned to the ledger in his hand. “They’ll be listed along with the date they paid their first subscription.” Turning toDaventry, she said, “I recorded the names of the gentlemen in attendance, but the list has disappeared.”
“Interesting,” Daventry said, then asked about the night’s entertainment.
Miss Lovelace spoke of whist and cribbage in the card room and the delightful solo from the maid soprano. Tame games like charades and brain-teasing puzzles had brought much amusement.
She smiled before repeating one such riddle. “I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?”
“An echo,” Aaron said bluntly.
Blinking in surprise, she said, “Yes. I’m rather glad you weren’t here. The fun is in hearing all the ridiculous suggestions.”
“That’s where our ideas of fun differ.” It reminded him they were incompatible. The more time he spent in her company, the more he needed to reinforce the point.
“My wife and I often play riddles for forfeits,” Daventry said in her defence. “It can be quite a thrilling game, though I often lose on purpose, depending on what Sybil wants from me.”
Miss Lovelace looked at Daventry like he’d sung a beautiful aria. “There’s nothing more romantic than a man who makes sacrifices for a woman,” came her veiled dig at Aaron.
“I assure you, it’s no sacrifice.”
Aaron ignored the hum of satisfaction in Daventry’s voice. He didn’t remind Miss Lovelace that he’d sacrificed sleep and his sanity to come to her aid tonight. “We have more pressing worries than riddles and games. The magistrate will wonder why we delayed summoning him.”
Daventry thought for a moment. “The Thames Police Office has jurisdiction here. We can trust the superintendent, but as the victim is a peer, we’d better summon the magistrate, Mr Harriott.”
Daventry left to instruct his coachman to fetch the magistrate.
That’s when Miss Lovelace offered Aaron a reprieve. “Return home if you must. I can deal with Mr Daventry and speak to the magistrate. When I give my statement, I’ll confirm you have not set foot on these premises before tonight.”
If she believed he would walk away from a problem, she was mistaken. “I’m not leaving. I shall see this matter to its obvious conclusion.”
“Which is?”
“Someone else murdered Howard.” He’d wager the list of suspects stretched the length of the Thames. “I’ll not rest until the hangman has the culprit’s neck in a noose.”
She went to touch his arm but thought better of it. “I’m sorry for involving you. I didn’t know what else to do. I know we struggle to be civil, but I’m truly grateful for your help.”
He struggled to breathe in her company, let alone make conversation.
“I’m thankful you did. Forewarned is forearmed. I’d prefer to be involved than have the magistrate surprise me with news of Howard’s death.”
