Death of a Recluse (Riley Rochester Investigates Book 6) Read online

  ‘Well, I’ll confess that I was glad Theo had offered an olive branch, although it is no more than he should have. We are, after all, his family.’

  ‘I dare say, but you have yet to tell me why he suddenly invited you all here.’

  ‘I have no idea.’ Lady Allen made the admission reluctantly. ‘When I learned that he had also invited his maternal aunt and cousin, I naturally jumped to the same conclusion as you, and took it as a sign that Theo wished to heal the breach.’

  ‘But he did not?’

  ‘I don’t know. He told us he had something to discuss with us all, but that he was waiting for another guest who would not be arriving for at least another day. He had been unavoidably delayed is all he would tell us. He said that while we waited we could become reacquainted as a family, but how we were supposed to do that with strangers present I cannot begin to imagine. And most uncommonly forward strangers at that.’

  ‘Didn’t you find it odd that he had included the strangers in question, given that he was considered to be a recluse who did not form friendships easily?’ Riley asked.

  ‘Certainly I did,’ Lady Allen said briskly. ‘Most unorthodox, but that was Theo for you. He did as he pleased without considering the feelings of others.’

  ‘I am surprised that Mr Allen didn’t attend such an auspicious gathering,’ Riley said. ‘Is there a reason for that?’

  Her cheeks bloomed with embarrassment. ‘Sir Edward,’ she responded with emphasis, ‘happens to be overseas on business. India, I think he said. He comes and goes all the time. I lose track.’

  ‘I see. You reside in Cheapside, I understand.’

  ‘The house in Wandsworth became too large when the last of my daughters married, so we moved somewhere more convenient.’

  ‘Your son resides with you?’ Salter asked. ‘He’s not married with a household of his own?’

  ‘He is still young, and he is in the process of trying to establish himself.’ Which rather contradicted when she’d said earlier about Sir Theo refusing to support his independence ten years previously.

  ‘Very well.’ Riley stood, indicating that the interview was at an end. ‘Please ensure that my constable upstairs has your address, then you are free to go home. I shall have a word with your son and he may then accompany you. However, keep yourselves available, please, since I might well need to speak with you both again.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t have the least intention of returning home.’ Riley was perfectly sure that she did not. ‘There will be arrangements to make, and they will fall to my lot.’

  ‘Your son’s, surely,’ Salter remarked, and Riley understood his sergeant well enough to appreciate that he was being facetious.

  ‘Well obviously, but he depends upon me for guidance.’

  ‘There is nothing that can be done until we are satisfied about the cause of death, and that will take several days at least,’ Riley said. ‘In the meantime, my men will be in and out of this house, making a disturbance.’

  ‘Even so—’

  ‘I must insist that you go home for now,’ Riley said, his voice hardening. ‘Given your difficult relationship with your nephew I do not share your optimistic view that your husband will inherit his property.’

  ‘But he must!’

  ‘We had best let Sir Theo’s lawyers deal with the matter in an orderly fashion.’

  ‘Very well.’ Lady Allen stood too, struggling to hold onto her dignity. ‘Find who did this dreadful thing, Lord Riley. I have complete faith in you.’

  ‘We shall do our very best. One last question. What time did you retire last night?’

  ‘Me? Oh, I suppose it was about ten o’clock. We all dined together, which was a stilted affair, what with strangers at the table. As soon as the meal came to an end at about nine, Theo went to his library, and I did not see him again. Miss Bradshaw and her brother were in the drawing room, behaving as though they owned the place. I did not care for their company, so I went up to my room.’

  ‘Thank you. Salter, please escort the lady back to the drawing room and ask Arthur to join us. As soon as we have spoken to your son, you may leave. Thank you for your time. Good day to you, madam.’

  ‘Good day, Lord Riley. I wish we could have met under different circumstances.’

  Salter shot a raised-eyebrow look over his shoulder as he opened the door for Lady Allen and ushered her through it.

  Riley spent the few minutes he had alone before Salter returned weighing up what he had just learned. And what Lady Allen wanted him to believe. He was no closer to knowing why Sir Theo had opened his house to his family, or to Miss Bradshaw and her brother. But if anyone knew the truth, he suspected that it would be those two. He intended to speak to them last.

  Then there was the question of Trent’s history with Sir Theo to consider. He had clearly been a great deal more than a butler. Riley wondered why he had not mentioned the fact. He had known Sir Theo far better than Riley had supposed. And definitely better than anyone else alive. It was not unreasonable to suppose that Sir Theo had looked upon him as a father figure, although he was not old enough to be the man’s father. There had probably been less than fifteen years between them. But given that Sir Theo’s father had been away from home a lot, presumably amassing his fortune, Theo would have come to rely upon Trent in his absence.

  As the man who had been closest to the reclusive victim, Riley held onto the hope that Trent could supply him with vital information pointing him in the direction of the killer. He wanted this case resolved quickly so that he could go back to worrying exclusively about Amelia’s forthcoming confinement. Since the killer had to be one of the people residing under Sir Theo’s roof the previous night, it should be relatively easy to identify the guilty party.

  The door opened and Arthur ambled through it, hands in pockets, followed by a scowling Salter. He clearly didn’t think much of Arthur, and Riley was in accord with him in that regard.

  ‘You wanted to see me?’ He slumped into the chair his mother had just vacated. ‘Terrible business this, but I’m not sure what help I can be to you.’

  ‘Our condolences,’ Riley said urbanely.

  ‘Oh right, thanks. Appreciated.’

  ‘When did you last see your cousin? Before yesterday, I mean,’ Riley asked.

  Arthur threw back his head, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘Not for years. Not since he fell out with the rest of the family, I shouldn’t think.’ Arthur’s upper lip curled into a snarl. ‘Ungrateful little blighter. Shouldn’t speak ill of the dead and all that, but I can’t deny the truth. We took him in, nurtured the little squirt, and he repays us by leaving us destitute. Still, all this will come to us now, so Mother assures me. Poetic justice, if you like.’

  ‘And also a compelling reason to commit murder.’

  ‘Just a minute, Inspector.’ Arthur jumped to his feet, the most animated that Riley had seen him. ‘I didn’t have much time for Theo even when he lived with us. We had nothing in common. He was a bit of an intellectual. Me,’ he shrugged as he resumed his seat. ‘Well, I don’t have much of a brain, I’ll be the first to admit it. I’m more of a sporting man myself. But I didn’t wish the little weed any harm.’

  ‘How do you make a living?’ Salter asked.

  Arthur yawned without bothering to cover his mouth. ‘I help Father out with his import business. He has a warehouse down at the docks. I oversee the flow of goods in and out of it. Dreadfully tedious and not terribly rewarding, but needs must.’

  ‘You are absolutely sure that you’ve not run into your cousin about town at any time in the past ten years?’ Salter continued. ‘Taken the opportunity to tap him up for a handout, maybe, then lost your temper when he declined? Perhaps you saw an opportunity when you were invited here to redress the balance.’

  ‘He didn’t go out on the town.’ Arthur replied to Salter’s question with exaggerated patience. ‘Well, not to the places I frequent. We didn’t belong to any of the same clubs. If he is
a member of any, which I doubt, they will be of the intellectual variety.’

  Riley and Salter continued to pepper him with questions, but got nothing back other than languid disinterest and a total lack of regret at his cousin’s demise.

  ‘What of Miss Bradshaw and her brother?’ Riley asked.

  Arthur showed a little more animation at the mention of the lady’s name. Riley had noticed him looking her way frequently in the drawing room earlier, and could understand why. She was a rare beauty and, Riley suspected, out of Arthur’s league, despite his expectations following Theo’s death. He hadn’t yet spoken a word to Miss Bradshaw, but he liked to think that she would have better taste than that.

  ‘A cracking girl!’ he enthused. ‘Mother doesn’t like her, of course, but then she wouldn’t like anyone who was close to the dearly departed cousin. Competition, don’t you know.’

  ‘She was worried that Theo might marry and produce an heir, one imagines.’

  Arthur shrugged. ‘Doubt if it would have happened. He was too set in his ways. Besides, I don’t suppose he’d know how to go about creating an heir. I don’t think our Theo would know where to put it.’

  ‘Why were the Bradshaws invited?’ Salter asked.

  ‘No idea. You’ll have to ask them that. I tried to talk to the gal last night, but I couldn’t get near her. Either she and Theo had their heads together, talking in whispers, or Mother needed me for something or other. Damned frustrating.’

  Riley was perfectly sure that it must have been.

  ‘But she seems pretty upset by the old fool’s passing. Seems only right to stay here and console her.’

  ‘I’m afraid you’ll be returning home,’ Riley said, standing. ‘Your mother is waiting for you to escort her.’

  ‘Oh, right. Fair enough. I’ll toddle off then.’

  Riley nodded for Salter to escort him back upstairs. ‘Bring Mrs Marshall back down with your, Salter.’

  That lady proved to be as refined as the other aunt had been coarse and avaricious. She seemed genuinely upset and perplexed by Theo’s untimely death.

  ‘Just when we were getting to know him again,’ she lamented. ‘It is so very sad. He was such a clever boy.’

  ‘You will have missed his company these past ten years,’ Riley said gently. ‘I can tell that you were extremely fond of him.’

  ‘I missed his company, yes, but we still corresponded regularly.’

  ‘You did?’ Riley sat forward. ‘But never met?’

  ‘Theo assured me that his quarrel was with Mabel…Mrs Allen and her family, not with me and mine. They were always chasing him for money, you see, playing upon his conscience, and in the end he got tired of acting as their personal bank. He told me so more than once. He acknowledged that we never asked him for anything, and never would have. I was very pleased to be invited to come here at last, although a little upset to find Mabel and Arthur here as well.’

  ‘You don’t know why you were asked to come?’ Riley asked.

  She shook her head. ‘Theo was very excited about something. He told us that he had a big announcement to make.’ She leaned forward. ‘If you asked me to hazard a guess, I would say that he intended to announce his engagement to that charming young lady.’

  Riley flex a brow. ‘She confided in you?’

  ‘Good heavens, no. And I would never ask such an intrusive question. It’s just that I’ve never seen Theo so alive before, so outward-going. I was delighted, and I told my son George that I really hoped I had got it right. If anyone deserved to be happy it was Theo.’

  ‘What time did you retire last night, ma’am?’

  ‘I think it was about ten-thirty. Mabel went up before me, which meant the drawing room was a much nicer place without her dominating the proceedings. But I tire easily, so I went up not much after her in the end, leaving the Bradshaws, Arthur and George alone.’

  Riley smiled at her. ‘Thank you, ma’am, you have been very helpful. Your husband did not join you?’

  She shook her head. ‘He passed away five years ago.’

  ‘I am sorry to hear it. Where do you reside?’

  ‘I have a small residence in Wandsworth. More than adequate for my simple needs. George has rooms here in town and works at Lloyd’s as an underwriter. A very responsible position.’

  ‘I am sure it is. Thank you very much, Mrs Marshall. I shall have a brief word with your son and then you are both free to go on your way.’

  Chapter Four

  Before Salter could return with George, Trent entered the room bearing a laden tray.

  ‘It is past the hour for luncheon, my lord. I took the liberty of having coffee and sandwiches prepared for you and your sergeant.’

  ‘That is thoughtful of you, Trent. Thank you.’

  Trent stood in the doorway, looking distracted. ‘I did not realise that Sir Theo had been murdered.’ His composure had almost completely disintegrated and he looked like a broken man. ‘That has come as almost as much of a shock as his death itself.’

  ‘Explaining, I would imagine, why you did not give me a full account of the precise nature of your relationship with him earlier.’

  Trent bowed his head. ‘It didn’t seem relevant. Theo has suffered from ill-health his entire life, you see, hence the need for my services when he was still a lad. I slept in his room, you know, in case he was taken ill in the night. I just assumed that ill health had finally caught up with him. That the strain of entertaining relations he didn’t especially like had proved too much for him.’ He choked up and took a moment to clear his throat and regain his composure. ‘I saw his body, of course, and observed no signs of foul play. He looked almost at peace. Peace was one commodity that eluded a busy mind such as his. However, I have clearly got it wrong. How did he die precisely, Lord Riley, if I might take the liberty of asking?’

  ‘His brandy was poisoned. Cyanide.’ Tears sprang to Trent’s eyes. ‘I am sorry. You have cyanide in the house?’

  ‘Yes. It’s kept in the kitchen. We use it to catch rats, amongst other things.’

  Riley nodded. Most households did. ‘See if it’s all there, Trent, but be discreet. I don’t want anyone else knowing the precise means of death right now.’

  ‘You may depend upon my discretion, my lord.’

  Riley heard footsteps and voices growing closer. Salter was returning. ‘We will talk later, once I have finished with Sir Theodore’s guests.’

  ‘I shall be here, my lord.’

  Salter’s eyes lit up when he walked back into the morning room with George Marshall and saw the refreshments laid out on the small table in front of the window. He poured coffee for himself and Riley and sent a longing glance towards the plate of sandwiches.

  ‘I understand you have already had refreshments served to you in the drawing room, Marshall,’ Riley said, taking a sip of his coffee and then placing the cup and saucer aside.

  ‘Thank you, yes. We have coffee coming out of our ears. Dreadful business with Theo,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘One doesn’t quite know what to think.’

  ‘What do you mean by that, sir?’

  ‘Well, it stands to reason that unless someone broke in during the night and clouted poor Theo over the head, which obviously they did not, then one of us must have done it. Made it dashed awkward in the drawing room, sitting there, trying to be polite yet looking at one’s relatives and wondering, “was it you?”.’

  ‘Did you not ask yourself why?’ Salter flexed a brow. ‘Seems like the logical first question. Understand why and you’re more likely to discover who.’

  Marshall leaned back in his chair, hands dangling casually over its arms. The posture of a man with nothing to hide? Or one who knew how to project an air of innocence? ‘I’d have said the reason was obvious.’

  Riley fixed him with a probing look that was designed to elicit a response. ‘And that reason would be…’

  ‘Money, of course. Theo had more of the stuff than he knew what to do with. The rest of us
are in financial straits, to greater or lesser degrees. One assumes his big announcement was to be his engagement to the charming young woman in the drawing room, so…’ He spread his hands and left his sentence unfinished.

  ‘You include yourself in the pool of suspects,’ Riley remarked, picking up his cup and taking another sip of coffee. It was excellent, but then he had expected nothing less in the household of a man who could afford the best of everything. ‘And by implication, you exclude Miss Bradshaw.’

  ‘I am perfectly sure she didn’t bump Theo off. You only had to see them together to realise just how fond they were of one another.’

  ‘Arthur did not make that observation.’

  George blinked. ‘He wouldn’t notice the queen herself if she walked through the room stark naked. Arthur is, by his own admission, as thick as two short planks and thinks only of his own comforts. He’s had Miss Bradshaw in his sights since he arrived here. Almost salivates every time he looks at her. I tried to point out to him that he was wasting his time, but he’s always enjoyed success with the ladies and it wouldn’t occur to him that any of ’em would prefer Theo to him, in spite of all Theo’s wealth.’

  ‘If he’d tried to force himself upon Miss Bradshaw and she set him straight, are you suggesting that Arthur would have killed his cousin in expectation of inheriting all of his possessions—Miss Bradshaw included?’ Riley allowed his scepticism to become obvious as he posed the question.

  ‘Well, when you put it like that, I don’t suppose he’d have the gumption.’ George paused, then leaned forward as though about to reveal a confidence. A fair-haired young man, with an open, honest face, he was an entirely different proposition to his cousin Arthur. Be that as it may, Riley was well aware that murderers came in all shapes and guises, so he wasn’t about to be taken in by George Marshall. ‘But, frankly, I wouldn’t put anything past my aunt.’

  ‘What of your circumstances, Mr Marshall? I understand you are an underwriter with Lloyd’s.’