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“Mallory mentioned thallium,” Gray says. “I admit I am not even familiar with that.”
“It is a new heavy metal. Discovered in 1861. I believe there are efforts under way to study its medicinal properties.”
“Ah,” I say. “So no one has realized it’s poison then.”
Her brows shoot up. “Simply because an element has been discovered to be poisonous hardly precludes it being used in readily available products, Mallory. Has that changed in your time?”
“Er, no. Not really. So you know thallium is lethal.”
“I do. I can also think of at least one case where it was suspected as the agent in a murder. It is, however, not your typical poison and notsomething your typical killer would think to use, which is good, because otherwise…” She shudders.
“Odorless, colorless, and tasteless,” I say. “Nasty stuff. That’s my guess for this, mostly on account of the sudden hair loss and burning in the feet.”
“It is a valid hypothesis. I cannot test for it specifically, but I can be sure we’re dealing with a heavy metal and one that isnotarsenic.” She glances at Gray. “Will I be able to get tissue samples before the family claims Gordon’s…” She wavers. Then her voice drops as she says, “I suppose the person to grant that would be Annis. As she is his closest family. And also the primary suspect.”
“I will provide the samples needed,” Gray says. “Annis will not object, and Dr. Addington knows the tests are being done, so there is no need for subterfuge, which I would hesitate to engage in when it could affect Annis’s case.”
“You think she is guilty?” Isla says.
“I…” Gray clears his throat. “I hope the evidence will prove otherwise.”
“For her sake,” Isla murmurs. “Otherwise, she may carry herself to the gallows on the sheer force of public sentiment. While I do not believe that women should be forced to downplay the stronger aspects of their personalities, I fear our sister is… not an easy woman to like.”
“And averyeasy woman todislike,” McCreadie says. “Which is, in this case, far worse.”
“It most certainly is.” Isla sets down her teacup with a sharp clink. “We must act quickly to answer our questions. Is there anything else I need to know?”
Isla rises, clearly expecting us to say no.
When no one speaks, she looks across our faces. “Yes?”
“This has… not been the first poisoning since you have been gone,” McCreadie says. “There have been two so far. Along with talk of a, er, that is, a…”
She turns on him. “No.”
“Yes,” Gray says. “The papers talk of a poison ring.”
“Well, the papers, as usual, are wrong.”
Gray’s eyes shift to me.
“Duncan?” she says. When he glances my way again, she says, “Fine. Mallory then. What is my brother not telling me?”
“He’s punting the ball my way because it’s my observation, and he’d really rather not be the one to suggest a so-called poison ring. While I understand why the accusation would piss you off, it’s also kinda fascinating. The idea of passing around poison, like a shared recipe for dealing with abusive husbands—”
“Not an actual thing,” she cuts in. “I am sick to death of such nonsense. People act as if women are out there with pocketfuls of poison, victims dying daily.” She looks at me. “Did you know there was a move to restrict the sale of arsenic to men only? Based on what? The majority of poisoning deaths are accidental or the tragic taking of one’s own life. Poison rings are the product of overworked imaginations and misogynistic paranoias. A mere fiction.”
“Until it’s not. That’s the problem, right?” I settle on the sofa. “Last week, you and I discussed the Lord William Russell case, how the murder was blamed on a novel. Well, a novel that spawned a gazillion hugely popular plays because you guys have a shitty concept of intellectual property. But we have the same argument in my time. Can a fictional representation of crime—in a book, a movie, a video game—give someone the idea for a crime?”
“Dare I ask what a video game is?” McCreadie says.
“A game you play on TVs, cell phones, and computers. I’m especially fond of postapocalyptic zombie first-person shooters.”
“I… understood none of that.”
“Which is why she says it,” Gray says. “Having fun at our expense. I presume the point you are making, Mallory, is that it is possible that the unfounded fear of a poison ring has led to that exact thing? In short, that it gave someone an idea.”
“Yes.”
