Page 38 of Death of a Courtesan
Riley strode into the room ahead of Salter, who closed the door behind them. Derek Huxton was a very different proposition to his older brother. He had never moved out of the family home and had never married. He worked in the family’s wine business and had taken control of it since his brother went into decline following the death of his wife. He dressed more flamboyantly than his brother and, but for the thin, jagged scar running the length of one cheek, he was better looking and far livelier. A lady’s man, Riley instinctively knew, and one who was unused to rejection.
‘About time,’ he said, jumping to his feet. ‘What’s the meaning of keeping me cooped up in here like a common criminal when I have just now come from identifying my niece’s body? Are you completely devoid of sympathy?’
‘Sit down and shut up,’ Salter replied, setting his knuckles onto the desk in front of the other man, who subsided into his chair with obvious reluctance.
‘You must excuse me, inspector,’ he said, addressing Riley and completely ignoring Salter. ‘It has been a trying day, as I am sure you can imagine.’
‘When did you last see your niece?’ Riley asked.
‘Five years ago, just before she disappeared from our home in Ware. We have all been looking for her ever since. Her leaving like that for no reason tore our family apart.’
‘Like she tore your face,’ Salter said, not an ounce of sympathy in his tone. ‘Why did she do that?’
‘I have absolutely no idea.’ Huxton spread his hands in an unconvincing show of puzzlement. ‘She had changed in the few months before she ran away. She had become nervous and skittish, jumping at shadows. We assumed it was because of her age. She was almost a woman, beautiful and admired. It was bound to have an effect upon her.’
‘You admired her?’ Riley asked.
‘I tried to guide her. Warn her of the perils that she would encounter if she mixed in local society. Not all the men she met would be gentlemen.’
‘And she attacked you for trying to guide her?’ Salter frowned. ‘You were her uncle. Presumably she respected your opinion. I don’t understand why she would—’
‘She got it into her head that I’d offended her. It was complete moonshine, but that’s young girls for you nowadays. She became overfamiliar, I had to rein her in and she took offence.’
Salter sent him a disbelieving look. ‘You expect us to believe that she took a knife to you because her pride had been hurt?’ He slapped his hand on the surface of the desk, making Huxton start. ‘We didn’t come down in the last shower. You wanted her, didn’t you? That beautiful, fresh little thing growing up before your eyes. All that youth and innocence, flaunting herself, tempting you. You had to have her. You thought she wanted you, didn’t you? But it turned out that she didn’t. In fact, she was disgusted at the very idea. And you couldn’t bear it, could you?
‘I would like to see you prove your theory, sergeant,’ Huxton replied with an over-confident sneer. ‘The girl’s dead and no one else was there when she made her unprovoked attack upon me. Besides, I fail to see what difference it makes now. You ought to be looking for her killer.’
‘That’s precisely what we are doing.’ Salter glowered at the man. ‘And I shouldn’t be a bit surprised if I was looking right at him.’
‘What! You cannot believe that.’ He flapped a hand and laughed. ‘Why would I—’
‘She damaged your face and rejected your advances. Your pride was hurt.’
‘She attacked me five years ago! God, you people.’ He gave an elaborate sigh. ‘She became a prostitute. It’s not worth wasting your time investigating the death of a worthless whore, so you jump upon the easiest target and make unfounded accusations. I have a good mind to complain to your superiors.’
‘Your complaint would carry more weight if you started telling us the truth,’ Riley said, his calm tone a complete contrast to Salter’s belligerence.
‘How many more times?’ Huxton growled, clearly a man quick to fly into a temper. ‘I have told you the truth, but you are determined not to believe me.’
‘Tell me again when you last saw your niece,’ Riley invited, fixing them man with a look of cool appraisal.
‘I already did.’ But for the first time there was a hint of hesitation in his previously confident tone.
‘And we know you are lying,’ Riley replied. ‘This is your last chance to confirm what we already know, and I strongly advise you to take it.’
Huxton offered them a furtive look. ‘I will admit that I happened by chance to see Mary in a London street several weeks ago. My attention was drawn to her because she was staring at the warehouse we use to store our wine supplies down by the docks.’
‘You recognised her?’ Riley asked.
‘Immediately. Naturally I went to speak to her, told her how devastated we all were by her disappearance, and that it had caused her mother’s death.’
‘You blamed her for that?’ Salter asked in an incredulous tone.
‘I’ll admit that I didn’t handle the situation well.’ Huxton had the grace to appear discomposed, but Riley thought it was most likely an act. He cared only about himself and diverting suspicion. ‘Seeing her took me by surprise, you see. We assumed that she must be dead, given that suddenly and for no apparent reason she disappeared off the face of the earth. She got angry with me, wouldn’t tell me where she lived or how she’d managed to survive. Then she stormed off. I never saw her again and I didn’t tell my brother that I had seen her and let her go. It would have crucified him. And that’s why I didn’t tell you either.’
Riley and Salter kept at him for another half hour but he refused to change his story.
‘One final question,’ Riley said, aware that they would have to release him, at least for now. ‘Do you ever wear a buttonhole?’
