But why scream? If she had just killed Phineas, why wouldn’t she flee from the scene? Why stay and incriminate herself?
Mr. Moore closed the last drawer and said, “There is nothing in here that is useful.”
Greydon turned to face the barrister. “Did Lady Eugenie say why she screamed?”
“She was trying to get help for Lord Rushcliffe.”
“And you believe that?”
“You don’t?” Mr. Moore countered. “Why else would she scream?”
Greydon bobbed his head. “I am beginning to wonder the same thing. She could have just walked out the door and disappeared into the crowd. So why stay?”
“Sir David claims that she panicked and was trying to deflect blame off of her,” Mr. Moore replied.
A water basin sat on the table in the corner, and he walked over to it. He could see a reddish tint to the water. “Did Lady Eugenie say that she attempted to wipe the blood off her hands?”
“No, why?”
“There is blood in this water,” Greydon pointed out. “Based upon the amount, I would say that someone washed the blood off their hands.”
“Someone else was here,” Mr. Moore said.
“That is what I have concluded, as well,” Greydon responded. “But was it the murderer or Lady Eugenie’s accomplice?”
“Lady Eugenie is innocent.”
“I credit your feelings, but I need to look at the facts, without bias,” Greydon said. “I am, however, beginning to doubt the scenario that Sir David has created. It just doesn’t make sense, based on what I have seen.”
Mr. Moore shook his head. “Well, thank heavens for that,” he mocked.
“Do you know how long Lady Eugenie had been my brother’s mistress?”
“She wasn’t his mistress,” Mr. Moore said. “That is what Sir David wants people to think, but it is not true.”
Greydon was still skeptical. Why would a lady lower herself to visit a known rakehell if she wasn’t his mistress? “Then why was she here?”
“She won’t say,” Mr. Moore replied. “She says that she is willing to take the reason to her grave.”
“She might have to,” Greydon said.
“That is what I have been telling her as well.”
Greydon’s eyes roamed over the bedchamber until they landed on the fireplace. He saw the remains of a fire, but the hearth had not been cleaned in days. He suspected it hadn’t been cleaned since the murder. He crouched down in front of it and saw the burned curled corners of papers in the soot. “Someone burned papers in here,” he informed the barrister.
“Do you suspect your brother or someone else?” Mr. Moore asked.
“I don’t know,” Greydon replied. “But someone went to great lengths to ensure those papers were destroyed.”
“With all of this evidence brought to light, it might create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury,” Mr. Moore remarked.
“I doubt it. Lady Eugenie was found standing over Phineas’ body with blood on her hands,” Greydon said, rising. “It is going to take more than reasonable doubt to help her at this point.”
“What do you propose?”
“You need to speak to your client and try to convince her to tell you the real reason she came to my brother’s apartment.”
“I wish it were that easy,” Mr. Moore sighed. “Lady Eugenie has been quite tight-lipped on that issue.”
