“Ah.” He brushed past me towards it. “There it is.”
“We didn’t touch it,” I said, as I pivoted to watch him approach the window, “although I doubt there are any fingerprints on it.”
He shook his head. “There’s been so much talk about fingerprints lately, that everyone knows to wear gloves. But it’s always good to have the weapon.”
“Can I suggest that you lock the gun room and take away the keys this time?”
“We already had,” Tom said. “Someone must have known where to find a spare.”
Interesting. Yet another finger pointed at someone actually living in the house.
I glanced over my shoulder—not at anything in particular, more at the two walls and the hallway separating us from St George’s rooms—and then back at Tom. “Do you know who the murderer is? Are you getting any closer to figuring it out?”
“We have an idea,” Tom said cautiously, “but I’m not going to tell you.”
I put my hands on my hips. Or rather, I put one. The other arm twinged at the movement, so I dropped it. “Why not?”
“Because we don’t want anyone to tip this person off that we’re suspicious of them. They’ve committed two murders and tried to commit a third, and we don’t want to give them any more of a reason to try again.”
“If you wanted to use me as bait, to try to catch them in the act…?”
“Absolutely not,” Christopher said firmly.
Tom glanced at him before shaking his head, too. “We’re Scotland Yard, Miss Darling. We don’t do things like that.”
“Pippa,” I said firmly. “And really? Whyever not? Because it seems like a good idea…?”
“No,” Christopher said. “It’s not a good idea. Absolutely not. I won’t hear of it.”
I turned to him. “I wouldn’t be in any danger, Christopher. You’d all be there to make sure nothing happened to me.”
“No, Miss Darling.”
I looked at Tom and he rolled his eyes. “No, Pippa. We’re not going to use you as bait. And furthermore—”
“He absolutely forbids you to do it yourself,” Christopher cut in. “Tell her, Tom. Tell her you forbid it.”
“I forbid it,” Tom said. “You are to behave exactly as normal, Miss Darling. Go down to supper, say the things you’d normally say, do the things you’d normally do. Don’t say anything suspicious and don’t look sideways at anyone. Try not to antagonize St George any more than you have to. And also, don’t do anything stupid, like have any long walks in the garden by yourself before bed.”
No, it was probably a good idea to avoid that. Especially if it hadn’t been planned beforehand and no one would be skulking in the shadows to intercept any further attempts on my life.
“I suppose supper will be safe?”
“As long as you eat from the community plates,” Tom said. “Anything handed to you specifically is suspect.”
I nodded. “I’ll be careful. But are you really not going to tell us who you suspect?”
“I’m really not. It’s a suspicion, nothing more. We don’t have the proof yet. And with someone as volatile as this, we don’t want to risk tipping them off that we suspect them. All of you are people with money and resources and connections. It would be very easy for any one of you to disappear.”
That was true, of course. At least for all of us of the younger generation. And it wasn’t like the older generation was even that old. If Uncle Harold or Uncle Herbert wanted to disappear, I’m sure they’d manage.
And speaking of that…
“You don’t think that’s what Uncle Herbert and Uncle Harold are doing, do you? Disappearing?”
“No,” Tom said. “I’m sure His Grace and Lord Herbert will be along in time for supper. And on that note…” He reached for the rifle and wrapped a (gloved) hand around it. “I’d better get this downstairs. Once Finch is finished with it, I’ll send him up here to have a go at the window. Don’t touch it.”
We shook our heads.
