Page 74 of Death of a Courtesan
Chapter Fifteen
Riley presented himself at Grosvenor Square at the appropriate hour that evening. A whirlwind descended upon him in a flurry of petticoats and bouncing curls.
‘Uncle Riley, there you are!’
‘Hello, Cabbage.’ Riley draped an arm affectionately around his niece’s shoulders. ‘What have you been up to?’
‘Oh, I have had the most tremendous time. Carolyn Morton and I are already the best of friends. She comes out this season. The lucky thing! We have been visiting the shops and choosing endless pretty things for her to wear. Of course, she is pretty enough in her own right and is bound to be admired wherever she goes, but still…Papa has returned home. I thought he might insist that I go with him, but in the end he didn’t even come to say goodbye. He just sent a message.’ Sophia seemed unperturbed by her father’s disinterest in her. ‘I should be used to that, I suppose, and it used to bother me but this time I was glad for it and…’
Laughing, Riley held up a hand to stem the breathless flow of words. ‘I almost regret asking,’ he said, unsure if he was relieved that his brother had left the capital or angry with him for continuing to ignore his delightful daughter.
Olivia joined him with her daughter Carolyn at her side. Riley greeted them and watched the girls wander across the room, heads together, talking one another’s ears off.
‘I’m sorry if Cabbage is being too exuberant,’ Riley said with a fond smile. ‘I enjoy that aspect of her character, but it’s definitely an acquired taste.’
‘I am very glad that she and Caro get along so well. My daughter is serious like her father, doesn’t make friends easily and isn’t as outgoing as Sophia. They are good for one another.’
There were twenty people present and Riley was absorbed into their midst. But as always, it was Amelia who held his attention. He made his way to her side and she smiled a greeting.
‘I suppose you are still delving the murky depths of London’s demi-monde,’ she said by way of greeting.
‘Something of that nature,’ he replied, raising her hand to his lips and lingering over it. ‘How are you? I hope Cabbage is not taking advantage of your good nature.’
‘I think it is rather more a case of me enjoying her lively company. It’s impossible to brood when I’m in the same room as her.’ A burst of laugher from the corner of the room occupied by the two girls had everyone smiling and proved Amelia’s point. ‘When did we become so jaded, Riley?’
‘Life tends to make one cynical, I find. I hope that doesn’t happen to Cabbage for a very long time.’
Dinner was announced and Riley offered Amelia his arm. The meal was excellent, and the company entertaining. Cabbage, seated across from Riley, behaved impeccably at what had to be one of her first adult dinner parties. Only when the ladies had withdrawn and the port was making its second circuit did Riley have an opportunity to discuss progress on the case, or the lack thereof, with Jake and his brother-in-law, Daniel Gaston.
‘I now think that my superintendent was right to suggest the entire affair hinges on money,’ he said quietly as the three men wandered, glasses in hand, towards a window.
‘Do you really think Celeste Clement could be that conniving?’ Jake asked.
‘I’m not sure,’ Riley admitted. ‘Salter and I visited her this afternoon and she showed no alarm when we told her that we’d tracked down the solicitor who handed Adelaide’s affairs and plan to visit him tomorrow in the hope of discovering who stands to inherit her wealth. Then would have been the time for her to admit that she knew it was her, but she said nothing. She seems genuine, a true friend to Adelaide who is distressed at her murder and wants to see the killer brought to justice.’
‘But the amount of money involved would be enough to turn a completely honest person’s head,’ Jake pointed out.
‘Quite.’ Riley acknowledged the point with a grim nod. ‘Celeste, to the best of my knowledge, is not dishonest but she is becoming increasingly desperate to be rid of her husband’s judgemental step-sibling. She can’t live openly with her husband and feel safe until she achieves that ambition, which makes her a prime suspect in my book.’
‘She wouldn’t have cut the girl’s throat,’ Daniel said.
‘No, but her husband might have been persuaded to do the deed. His wife is a trained seductress and Clement is besotted with her. It wouldn’t have been hard for her to talk him round.’
‘Wasn’t he supposed to be in France?’ Jake asked.
‘He could easily have slipped back into the country. He knew which day of the month the parties took place because he was required to deliver fresh stocks on wine on that day…or rather Ray delivered them on his behalf. If I ask to see his travel receipts you can be sure that they will show he left on the day that he said he did and returned well after the murder. But there’s nothing to say that he couldn’t have come and gone again in the meantime. He knew his way around Mrs Sinclair’s establishment and could easily have left a message for Adelaide to meet him in her workroom after the close of business. She trusted him and would have kept the engagement without suspecting anything.’ Riley paused to take a sip of his drink. ‘I’ve been wondering why she didn’t put up much of a fight, so assumed it must have been Mirabelle who cornered her. It very well might have been, but equally it could have been either of the Clements or her uncle. All four had compelling reasons to want her out of the way.’
‘And all four of them had the means of accessing that room,’ Jake said, nodding. ‘I don’t envy your task, Riley, but I think you have done the right thing to try and force the killer’s hand. Don’t dismiss Ray Clement simply because Adelaide wouldn’t have relaxed in his company. Bear in mind that he guts fish for a living. Sorry to be so blunt but if he somehow lured her into that room, she wouldn’t have had a chance to fight back. Rage, strength and proficiency with a knife meant that she wouldn’t even have had time to raise the alarm.’
‘Have you considered the possibility that perhaps Mirabelle recognised in Ray the resentful character that we know him to be?’ Daniel asked.
‘You think she persuaded him to do the deed on her behalf?’ Riley asked. ‘No, I had not thought of that aspect but it’s entirely possible. She could have got Adelaide into the room, accounting for her willingness to be there, and left Ray to do the rest.’
‘Ray disliked prostitutes. He might be willing to kill one, but not at the behest of another.’
‘You tell me that Mirabelle is beautiful and manipulative,’ Jake reasoned. ‘She desperately wanted Adelaide out of the way and recognised in Ray the means to make it happen.’
‘How?’ Daniel asked.
