“Dear God,” she said, dragging her awed gaze from David to Constance. “There’s two of them now? You are one bloody lucky woman.”
Constance squashed back the hysterical laughter. “Keep it buttoned, Janey,” she said. “You haven’t seen this gentleman.”
“I suppose I ain’t seen his hair all over the floor, neither?” Janey retorted. “Don’t need to clean it up, then, do I?”
“Sadly, yes,” Constance said serenely. “But not until Mr. Grey has finished his report.”
“It’s done.” Solomon pushed back his chair. “If he wants any more, he can ask me.” He handed a fat envelope to Janey, whotook it in her teeth, since her hands were full, and sailed out of the room.
Solomon and David regarded each other.
“You make a good me,” Solomon said at last.
“No, I don’t.”
“You’re right,” Constance said. “You slouch and you walk like a seaman, as if the ground is rolling beneath you. Straighten your back and stride out as if you’re the king.”
Solomon regarded her. “I donotwalk as if I’m the king.”
“Emperor, then,” she said. “Don’t worry, David, no one will notice. You can go in the carriage.”
“Janey’s already sent a boy to fetch mine,” Solomon said. “Constance will go with you, David, and make sure the servants leave you alone for the next couple of days. Jenks will keep any visitors away. If you feel the urge to go out, just don’t say more than a good morning if anyone recognizes you, and never stop to talk.”
“Your accents are different,” Constance added. “I suppose you can’t go home, Solomon, if David is meant to be you. You had better go to the establishment to sleep, because it’s not exactly comfortable here.”
To her annoyance, she blushed as she spoke, but Solomon did not appear to notice.
“Oh, I’m not going to sleep just yet,” he said. “I’m going to the police to see what they know about the murder. David, do you have a name for the victim? Or the sailor you thought killed him on the ship?”
David shook his head. “I don’t remember. I’ve a feeling I didn’t like either of them and kept out of their way. But it’s fuzzier than most of the memories that have come back to me, more like a nightmare. Likely, I had nothing to do with the merchant.”
“Why would a wealthy merchant drink at the Crown and Anchor?” Constance asked, frowning.
“Even I have drunk there,” Solomon said, “with my wallet sewn into my coat. Perhaps he was looking for a ship’s crew or fallen on hard times. My hope is that the police have discovered his identity and are prepared to divulge it. At least that would give us a starting point.”
“What if they just arrest you because you look like me?” David said uneasily.
“Oh, it won’t enter their heads,” Solomon assured him. “We have friends among the police. Sort of.” He hesitated. “We’ll be gone on another case for a couple of days, but we will set inquiries in motion and return as soon as we can.”
He still intended to come.
Flabbergasted, Constance caught his eye. “Are you sure—”
He gave her no time to finish. “Yes.” He nodded to David, almost as if he really were a mere client. “Good luck. I’ll see you when we come back. In the meantime, if you remember anything else helpful, write. Constance will give you the address and Janey will be here at the office.”
It was too difficult for him, she realized. He needed the physical distance—and perhaps the other, unconnected investigation—to be able to think clearly.
She wondered if David knew that. If he cared. Like Solomon, he was difficult to read. And he was also shocked, appalled by what had happened, and dazed, probably, by his still-returning memories of Solomon and his family in Jamaica.
It wasn’t surprising that the short carriage ride to Solomon’s house near the Strand passed mostly in silence.
“He liveshere?” David murmured as the carriage pulled up at the front door. “I thought he would have some big mansion in Mayfair or Belgravia.”
“No. I have one of those. Solomon’s tastes are simpler. He only has three servants—the coachman, a butler, and a cook. At least you won’t be disturbed by a valet.”
“A what?”
The coachman opened the carriage door and handed Constance down. David landed beside her almost immediately. While she dismissed the coachman, David fumbled in his unfamiliar coat pocket and fished out the key Solomon had given him. However, if he had hoped to avoid the servants by this method of entry, he was disappointed.
