Page 72 of Death of a Courtesan
Riley kept his attention focused upon Mirabelle as he made the statement. Everyone else gasped, then the ladies all spoke at once, declaring it to be impossible. But Mirabelle’s expression darkened and she didn’t say a word. Riley would wager fifty guineas that what he had just revealed hadn’t come as a complete shock to her, much as she pretended otherwise.
‘I can assure you it’s the truth,’ he said, still watching Mirabelle as he spoke. ‘The police doctor who examined her body was adamant on that particular point.’
‘You knew?’ Ruby asked Mrs Sinclair, wide-eyed with astonishment.
‘I did.’
‘How can it have been possible?’ another asked.
Riley allowed them to talk amongst themselves, noticing that Mirabelle remained sullen and made no contribution to the discussion. The dispute was interrupted by Peterson and Harper clumping down the stairs, waving the diaries in the air that had recently made their way up the same staircase, concealed beneath Peterson’s uniform.
‘We found these, sir!’ he cried, brandishing them above his head. ‘Hidden beneath a lose floorboard.’
‘Thank you, Peterson,’ Riley said, swiftly standing and relieving the constable of the books that contained nothing more incriminating than notes from old cases that Riley had taken from his desk. ‘Not here.’
‘Sorry, sir.’ Peterson looked convincingly contrite.
‘Here, what are those?’ Mirabelle demanded to know.
‘Since my constable’s enthusiasm got the better of him, I suppose there is no harm in your all knowing that they appear to be Adelaide’s diaries.’ Riley stood, flipped through the books and allowed himself a satisfied smile. ‘I need to return to Scotland Yard in order to study them in more detail. This is excellent work, Peterson!’ he said, slapping the constable’s shoulder. ‘These books could well break the case wide open.’
Peterson grinned. ‘Just doing my job, sir.’
‘Even so.’ Riley took in all the occupants of the room with a single glance. ‘If anyone here has anything further to tell me that might shed some light on Adelaide’s murder I would strongly suggest that you come to the Yard and talk to me before I discover it for myself from these books.’ He again flipped through the pages and then tapped the books against his thigh for emphasis. ‘Adelaide appears to have been a scrupulous diarist.’
Mirabelle mumbled something indecipherable, got up and flounced back up the stairs. Riley watched her go, then thanked Mrs Sinclair for her time, promising to keep her up to date with developments.
‘Well, that put the cat amongst the pigeons,’ Salter said, chuckling as he strode along beside Riley, on the lookout for a vacant hansom. ‘Mirabelle’s actions were right suspicious. There’s more to her than meets the eye, take my word for it.’
‘I thought you wanted the uncle to be guilty.’
‘Perhaps they were in it together,’ Salter said optimistically.
‘Mirabelle was aware of Adelaide’s virginity,’ Riley said. ‘She gave herself away by showing no reaction.’
‘I noticed that, too.’
‘It would account for her abject dislike of her rival. Mirabelle thought that she was Adelaide’s equal in terms of looks, wiles and tricks of the trade. Yet she has to spread her legs for her customers on a regular basis, whereas Adelaide was devious enough to avoid that fate. I’ll wager that their rivalry came to a head at some point in the recent past and Adelaide took pleasure in telling Mirabelle how she had the last laugh over the lot of them.’
‘A motive for murder if ever I heard one.’
‘Quite, and if we’re right about it then it was also a foolish miscalculation on Adelaide’s part. She usually remained tight-lipped about her personal affairs, but I expect Mirabelle goaded her once too often and she couldn’t resist taunting her.’ Riley sighed. ‘But will she come to us with a story to explain whatever it is that she thinks Adelaide might have written about her, Jack, that’s the question?’
‘Here, what if she tries to scarper? She could disappear into the back streets and we’ll never find her in a month of Sundays.’
‘Peterson and Harper are taking it in turns to watch the place, but I’m guessing that she will hold her nerve. She knows that if she runs it would be tantamount to admitting her guilt. Besides, Mrs Sinclair will tell me at once if she does take off. She is well aware that it’s in her best interests to remain in my good books, even if it costs her one of her best girls.’
‘If Mirabelle runs she will have lost her anyway and if we think she allowed her to go and didn’t tell us immediately, we could shut her down.’
‘Exactly, but I honestly don’t think Mirabelle will take the risk. She has it relatively easy in Mrs Sinclair’s house, especially with her main rival out of the way.’ The cab then had just clambered into moved off with a jolt. ‘Unlike Adelaide, I suspect that Mirabelle hasn’t put much money aside and would have to lower her standards in order to survive on her own. We’d find her soon enough if she went to another house so she can’t risk doing that. Ergo, she’s better off riding out the storm, trying to decide what Adelaide might have written about her and coming up with an explanation.’
‘Aye well, time will tell.’ Salter sighed. ‘What now, sir?’
‘Now, Salter, we go back to the Yard and wait.’
Riley had just come back from updating the superintendent upon his activities when Carter and Soames returned from Ware.
‘All of the family was there, sir, including the uncle and the brothers. Not sure how efficiently a business can run if its owners take no interest in it,’ Carter opined, sniffing. ‘Employees will take advantage, I dare say.’
