“No, they seem to have been privately delivered to the house.”
“Did they come with envelopes?”
Dr. Chadwick frowned, as though this was something he had not thought of. “Yes… At least, my wife’s did.”
“Then what happened to the envelopes?” Solomon asked.
“I don’t know about the others, but ours was put on the fire.”
“Was it handwritten?”
The doctor’s eyebrows flew up. “Actually, I don’t know. It must have been, I suppose, or we would have seen at once that there was something wrong with it.”
“You understand,” Solomon said, “that we will ask intrusive questions? Including of your wife?”
The doctor nodded. “My wife has nothing to hide. She will answer you openly. The others might be harder work for you, especially if you inquire as to who else received such epistles.”
“Half our fee is payable in advance,” Solomon said.
“Your letter said so. Does this mean you will help us?”
Solomon met Constance’s gaze. They were in accord. “Yes,” he said. “We can come tomorrow by railway. Is there an inn in the village where we can stay?”
“Yes, there is,” Chadwick said, definite relief in his voice. “I would invite you stay with us, but in truth there is little room and less peace in our house. I will let it be known, however, that you are friends of mine. I can meet you at the railway station.”
*
“Well, this issomething new,” Constance said brightly, when their new client had been shown from the premises. “We’ve never had threatening, anonymous letters before.”
“It’s notterriblythreatening, though, is it?” Solomon said. “Return to kindnesssounds more like an amiable vicar’s sermon, andor you will payis almost vague enough to be ignored.”
“Unless it really meanspay,” Constance said, gazing at the slightly grubby scrap of glued paper on the table between them. “Whoever sent it might already have asked for money. Blackmail money. Dr. Chadwick wouldn’t necessarily know.”
“I wonder what unkindness the kindest woman in the world is capable of?”
“I suspect it’s in the eye of the beholder. Some people take it as a kindness just not to be hit very hard. Others think peopleunkind if they don’t constantly shower them with gifts and compliments. It will be interesting to meet the residents of Sutton May.”
Solomon looked even wearier as he rose to his feet. Was it merely tiredness and too many things still to do? Or was he just not as eager as she to investigate together again? He had said he missed her, and yet unease wriggled through her, a fear that he was growing apart from her.
He said, “I had better write this wretched report and get it out of the way.”
“Then, perhaps, take some time to sleep,” Constance suggested. “You look as if you’ve been up all night.” He probably had.
“Almost there,” he said.
As he walked purposefully toward his desk, she said, “Sol?” and waited until he glanced back over his shoulder. It took a second. “I miss you too, but I can do this one without you if I have to.”
She watched him actually consider it. She had always loved that he considered everything she said, though now it felt more like an insult. Then his eyes softened. “No,” he said. “I need to come. It will be my reward.”
Her heart eased and she quietly left his office for her own. Janey was in the hallway, blocking the entrance of someone Constance couldn’t see.
“He’s not seeing anyone else today,” Janey declared. “Mrs. Silver might be able to spare you five minutes. Otherwise, I can give you an appointment for—”
“Who is it, Janey?” Constance said, concerned by the belligerence in her tone.
Janey half turned, and the man on the doorstep took off his seaman’s cap.
Constance grasped the hall table for support. She had seen him only once before, and he’d taken her breath away then too, because even with his longer, curlier hair and rough clothes, he looked exactly like Solomon—tall, lean, and dark.
