AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Information. As you know, I’m a private investigator. I’m willing to pay for it, but it must be the truth, Your Grace.”
“I don’t need money to give the truth. If I may ask, who are you working for?” the Duke wanted to know.
“I’m trying to solve the murders,” Lord Dunsmore replied. “I’m doing it because I believe in safety for the gentlemen of the ton.”
Charles felt like he was observing a game of chess, played by two master players. He stood silently by, listening and absorbing everything that was being said—and being left unsaid.
“I would never,” the Duke replied. “I’m merely a procurer of items which may or may not be tricky for someone to get.”
“For example?”
“Silks, champagne, caviar—I can get them moved without tax.”
“How do you do that?”
“I smuggle them in secretly,” the Duke replied. “I run them through the river up by Tiverwell Manor. Then, I bring them to London.”
“This makes you a lot of money, then?”
“Yes,” the Duke replied. “As you can imagine, I want to provide for my only child.”
“So, if I wanted to have you send me a case of French champagne, without the duties?” Lord Dunsmore asked.
“I would have it to you next week,” His Grace replied.
“How much?”
The Duke wrote an amount on a bit of paper, and handed it to Lord Dunsmore, who looked at it, slipping it into the inside pocket of his coat.
“Have the money sent to me by tomorrow at ten o’clock. I will make all of the arrangements done forthwith.”
“Very good, Your Grace.”
“If you change your mind, just do not send the funds,” the Duke said.
“You will receive the funds forthwith, Your Grace,” Lord Dunsmore replied.
Lord Dunsmore and Charles both exited, making their way back out of the building. They returned to the carriage in silence. Once the door was closed and the carriage was on its way back to Charles’s offices, they spoke.
“Why did you remove your disguise?” Charles asked.
“It made His Grace let his guard down,” Lord Dunsmore explained. “However, the test will come as to whether a murderer comes to get me as a result of my dealings with His Grace, Mr. Bones.”
“You’re putting yourself in danger? Why?” Charles removed the cotton from his mouth. It was unpleasantly damp. He stuffed it into his pocket.
“It’s necessary,” Lord Dunsmore replied. “I’m very skilled in the Japanese martial art ofkenpo, after all. I’m sure one assassin would have a hard go of it.”
“If not him, then who could it be?” Charles pointed out. They didn’t have any other leads. Neither did the constables, unless they were going to persist in pointing the blame at Charles. The thought made him extremely nervous.
“At this point, your guess is as good as mine,” Dunsmore replied. “If it’s not him, then we need to start looking at the case from a different angle. There’s something that we’ve overlooked, Mr. Conolly.”
Charles nodded his agreement. There was something that they had overlooked—someone else, who had remained undiscovered, by either the private detective or the proper authorities. The murderer—the true murderer, for he didn’t believe the Duke capable of murdering other gentlemen—was still out there, hiding in plain sight.
* * *
The Murderer lurked in the shadows. Dressed in the warm dark cloak, purchased through the sale of certain stolen articles— the winter chill did not touch Nemesis. The Duke of Longmire has been the most difficult to get on his own, thus far. However, he had his faults, ones which Nemesis could not overlook.
Just like the Viscount of Drysdale, the Duke of Longmire planned to persist in his sins after his marriage. He had told Nemesis as much, himself. He’d been drunk—crowing proudly of his successful acquisition of the Lady Arabella’s hand in marriage. How he planned to live as he was used. That was something that Nemesis couldn’t let stand.
