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“How did she die, do they know?” Jeb asked as he spread jam on his toast.
“God, how can you eat at a time like this?” his father demanded with a scowl.
Jeb stared down at the toast in his hand and shrugged. “My time in the Army prepared me to take on fuel while the opportunity was there because you never knew when you would get a bre
ak in fighting to eat again. Besides, my work for the Star Elite brings me into contact with dead bodies. I am not squeamish about death and dying. You see too much of it at war.”
His father was subdued for several moments while he considered that.
“I am not going to succeed in getting you to return to live here, am I?” He said morosely after several moments of thoughtful silence.
Jeb considered the wall opposite for a moment while he thought over what he had shared with Sophia last night.
“I wouldn’t say that,” he replied obliquely before tucking into the eggs on his plate.
When his father’s brows lifted in shock, Jeb knew he had to explain or else he would get pestered remorselessly.
“I am not saying no. It is just that at the moment the Star Elite are involved in quite an in-depth investigation for the War Office that I just cannot walk away from. I have to see it through to its conclusion before I can take up a future anywhere.”
He picked up the broadsheet and, sure enough, an article was there reporting yet another burglary, this time from the home of an eminent Professor. From the sound of the article, the theft was very similar to the recent spate that had hit several members of the aristocracy in London. Many items had been taken right under their noses while the household was asleep, and people were now demanding answers.
Aware that his father was waiting, Jeb slid the broadsheet across the table. He motioned to the article at the bottom of the page and waited while Algernon read.
“Good Lord. Do you know who it is yet?”
“We do, but pinning anything on him is difficult. We suspect the culprit is a notorious criminal who is surrounded by people prepared to lie for him. We will catch him, but it takes time because we have to gather evidence to prove his guilt.”
“It sounds like the thefts here, doesn’t it?” He froze and stared at Jeb in horror. “Do you think -?”
Jeb nodded. “It’s one of the reasons why I was allowed to leave the investigation to come here,” he admitted. “Usually, we are not authorized to go anywhere during an investigation but, given the similarities between the two sets of thefts, I was asked to look into what has been going on. It is safe to say now that I have reason to believe the thefts here were committed by someone unconnected to the London thief.”
“Oh? Have you found the culprit here then?” Algernon looked at him hopefully.
Jeb paused.
“Who is it?” his father demanded when Jeb didn’t reply.
“I am not going to say until I have some more proof.” Jeb knew he had made the right decision when he saw a tell-tale flash of anger in his father’s eyes.
“The thefts sound the same.” Algernon tapped the broadsheet for emphasis.
“Yes, but there is one significant difference,” Jeb replied calmly.
“What?” Algernon was clearly not prepared to be appeased easily.
“Some of the items taken recently have been returned.”
“What?”
Jeb placed his father’s trinket boxes onto the table before him, and watched astonishment flood his father’s face.
“Good Lord, where did you get them from? Who took them?”
Jeb smiled. “I cannot say right now, but I have managed to retrieve several stolen items. At the moment, I need to focus my attention on who murdered Tabitha, because I suspect they are still in the area somewhere. Once that has been dealt with, I will make sure the thefts stop, and that should be the end of it. Then, and only then, I will tell you what I intend to do about the future.”
“Is it likely to be based here?”
Jeb smiled at his father and nodded. He was touched when his father beamed, and knew he had just bought himself the time needed to deal with the stolen goods, the murder, and Delilah.
