Page 80 of Murder on Harley Street
“You deserve congratulations,” he said flatly. “Both of you.”
“Thank you,” Harry said.
“It’s good of you to acknowledge our efforts,” I agreed. “Although I can see why you thought it was Mr. Hamlin. We did, too. If it wasn’t for Mr. Pierce telling us that Sister Dearden had assured him the doctor would get what he deserved, I doubt we’d be here now. So you see it’s quite by chance that we solved it at all.”
“I know you’re saying that to be kind, Miss Fox, but we both know I could have managed this investigation better. D.I. Hobart would reprimand me if he were still my superior officer.”
“My father wouldn’t have been too harsh,” Harry said. “He understands that hurt feelings can cloud judgment.”
“Hurt feelings?” The sergeant glanced sideways at me beneath his furrowed brow. “I meant I should have taken more notice of the Electro Therapy Machine before I asked the manufacturer, Mr. Reid, to look at it. He put it back the way it was supposed to be, after informing me it had been tampered with. I should have taken more notice of the way the wires were rearranged, to help determine the level of electrical understanding required. If I’d known a woman could do it, I might have cast my net wider.”
“Is that so,” I said coolly.
“I’ve put in a request for my own portable camera. That way this won’t happen again. If I forget how the crime scene looked, I can simply refer back to photographs rather than relying on memory and notes.”
I tilted my head to the side and regarded him.
He narrowed his gaze. “Is everything all right, Miss Fox?”
“Oh, er, yes. I hope we can work on another case together soon, Sergeant.”
“Not too soon, given the circumstances in which we always meet. And hopefully I’ll have a camera by then, although I don’t know if my superiors will grant me one after I made a poor account of this case.” He held out his hand to me. “Until we meet again, Miss Fox.” He shook my hand then Harry’s. “Armitage.”
“Forrester,” Harry intoned.
We waited until he was gone then went in search of the Iversons. We found them in Mrs. Iverson’s bedchamber, where she was sitting up in bed with a cup of tea.
Her husband sat beside her but stood upon our arrival. “I’ll fetch your fee from my study, Armitage, if you’ll be good enough to wait here.”
“Before you do, I have a request,” Harry said. “I’d like you to reduce my portion.”
Dr. Iverson glanced at me. “With the rest going to Miss Fox?”
“No,” I said, firmly. “I didn’t become involved to receive financial compensation.”
“Then why?”
“For something interesting to do?” Mrs. Iverson suggested.
It seemed right to confess now that it was all over. Besides, I wanted a favor and he ought to know the reason behind it. “My aunt is Lady Lilian Bainbridge.”
“My patient?” Dr. Iverson regarded me anew. “I see the resemblance between you now. Does she know about…” He cleared his throat as his gaze flicked to Harry.
“My sleuthing? She does, although not about this case specifically. By the way, she is no longer your patient. She’s seeing a new doctor now. One who is helping her overcome her addiction to cocaine.”
Dr. Iverson stiffened.
“You know the Nerve Elixir you advised her to take was making her addicted,” I went on.
“The tonic works wonders to revive the constitution of the anxiety ridden.”
“Temporarily, yes. But once its effects wore off, her anxiety was worse than ever.” I suddenly felt so very weary. He and many others in the medical professionmustknow what cocaine did to the body, yet they continued to deny it. “She had suffered for months and continues to suffer. You are very aware of this, Doctor. It will all be in her file.”
“I say, this is an ambush!”
“Is this true?” Mrs. Iverson asked her husband. When he didn’t answer, she grabbed his hand. “Is it true?”
“The research into addiction is quite new.” At her urging, he added, “But from my own observations, it appears so.”
