The agent moved to the side and opened the door, allowing him entry. “Kendrick was asking about you earlier.”
“Was he in a good mood?”
“Is he ever?” the agent joked.
“You make a good point,” Caleb replied as he stepped into the main hall.
He passed all the agents that were stationed at their desks, no one giving him any heed. Once he arrived at Kendrick’s office, he knocked and waited to be acknowledged.
“Enter,” Kendrick ordered.
Caleb opened the door and stepped into the small, square room. “I received your message,” he said, closing the door behind him.
Kendrick shuffled the papers on his desk before giving him his full attention. “I made some more inquiries into Lady Hungerton’s death and I discovered a few odd discrepancies.”
“Such as?” Caleb asked as he sat on a chair that faced the desk.
“The coroner that was sent to investigate her death turned up dead a few weeks later,” Kendrick replied. “Someone broke into his home and shot him.”
“Did they find the killer?”
Kendrick shook his head. “They had no leads, no witnesses, and the case eventually went cold,” he said.
“Do you think the coroner’s death was related to Lady Hungerton’s case?”
“I don’t know, but shortly after Lady Hungerton’s death, the baron let go all of the household staff at his country estate and boarded it up,” Kendrick replied.
Caleb frowned. “Did he at least provide them references?”
“Some, but others, he let fend for themselves,” Kendrick shared. “According to the villagers, Lord Hungerton never has come back to his country estate.”
“You could make a case that he is grieving the loss of his wife.”
Kendrick bobbed his head. “You could, but that is where it gets a little more interesting.” He leaned back in his seat. “When we looked into Lord Hungerton’s finances, per yoursuggestion, we discovered he has been sending Mr. Underwood fifty pounds a month for the past two years.”
“Who is Mr. Underwood?”
“He is one of the Bedlam’s Governors,” Kendrick said. “Also, I should note that right before Lady Hungerton supposedly drowned, a large donation was given to Bedlam by her husband.”
Caleb furrowed his brow. “Why the sudden interest in Bedlam?”
“Why, indeed?” Kendrick asked. “The Court of Governors has been pleading for donations to fund the asylum for years but Lord Hungerton doesn’t strike me as a kindhearted donor.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Caleb agreed.
“There is only one explanation that I can come up with, and I don’t think you are going to like it,” Kendrick said.
It was easy to deduce what Kendrick was going to say but he hoped it wasn’t true. If Lord Hungerton truly had his wife admitted to Bedlam, then her fate was worse than death. Many sections of the hospital were deemed uninhabitable, and the cruel, unusual treatment of the patients had been under investigation for years.
Kendrick met his gaze. “If he hid her away in Bedlam, it would explain why her body was never found.”
“But why lie?” Caleb asked. “Why not just have her admitted?”
“Because it would cause too many questions and Lady Hungerton was well-liked amongst theton,” Kendrick replied. “No doubt the news of her admittance would have made its way to the queen and she might have interceded on Lady Hungerton’s behalf.”
Caleb jumped up from his seat. “If this is true, we have to do something to help Lady Hungerton.”
Kendrick gave him a knowing look. “Lord Hungerton hasevery right to admit his wife to Bedlam. It isn’t right, but it is the law.”
