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Zach widened his eyes, his heart soaring to his throat, his stomach churning with nausea.
Nanette lay naked and prone, a pool of blood surrounding her. Next to her hand, on the wood floor adjacent to his Oriental rug, written in presumably her own blood, were three letters.
Z-A-C.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Zach swallowed, his nerves jumping. No wonder they were looking to him to answer for this.
“So you see, Mr. Newland?” Benny said.
Zach said nothing in response. What could he say? The evidence literally pointed straight to him. He had last seen Nanette alive and well after their argument the previous evening. He had left around nine thirty and arrived at Sophie’s estate around ten. He had stayed there until four in the morning. Clearly he had an alibi, but he was unable to tell the constables. At least not without talking to Sophie first.
“What have you got, lads?” Harkins asked.
“We haven’t been able to ascertain the exact time of death,” Jonesy said. “However, when the employee of the theatre found her at four, he said the body was still warm. Rigor still hadn’t set in when our first men arrived. Rigor set in around six. Since rigor can set in anywhere from two to six hours after, we estimate that death occurred between midnight and three thirty, before the employee arrived.”
Zach’s heart jumped. Yes! He did have an alibi. Sophie’s mother had witnessed him arrive at the estate at ten o’clock. But of course, she didn’t know he was still there at three thirty.
But Sophie did.
“Gentlemen,” Zach said, “I assure you I had nothing to do with this.”
“The same employee who found Miss Lloyd said he witnessed you and her arguing last evening. Is that not correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct, but she left here alive and well shortly after nine o’clock, after which I also left the theatre and did not return until now.”
“Mr. Newland,” Benny warned, “you may want to stop talking until your solicitor gets here.”
“I’m telling you I need no solicitor. I am innocent.”
“Is there anyone who could testify to your whereabouts between nine o’clock last night and three thirty in the morning?”
Zach forced back a nod. Yes, there was. Sophie. But he could not say anything without speaking to her first. He couldn’t be responsible for the demise of her reputation. He also could not name his servants. They would not be able to testify because he had indeed not been home. He hadn’t gotten home until after four in the morning.
None of this made him look good.
He needed to call his solicitor. And he also needed to speak to Sophie.
“No, I’m afraid not.”
“Well, if you were at home,” Harkins said, “surely you have house staff who could testify to that fact.”
“I…er… I wasn’t at home.”
Harkins let out a chuckle. “So you were with a lady friend, then? Not a problem. We just need to speak with her.”
Zach shook his head. “Afraid it’s not that simple, gentlemen.” He cleared his throat. “I would like to send word to my solicitor.”
* * *
The coach arrived at the theatre, and the coachman helped Sophie alight. Sophie swallowed. What in the world? The theatre had been roped off. Several of the actors and actresses stood, milling around, talking in hushed tones.
Sophie spied Elizabeth, the young actress who had been kind to her. She approached the young lady. “Do excuse me, Elizabeth, but what is going on?”
“Oh, Lady Sophie, it is the most horrible thing. Evidently a murder was committed at the theatre last night.”
Sophie jolted. “A murder? Who was killed?”
