A Fatal Freedom (41 page)

‘I’m being stupid!’ said Rachel suddenly. ‘Surely if Pond has died from cyanide poisoning, it must be by the same person responsible for Joshua’s death. And that means they will have to release Alice! Why didn’t you say so?’

‘Mr Jackman is going to talk to Inspector Drummond and see if he will be organising her release.’

Rachel frowned. ‘Surely there cannot be any question about it?’

‘There’s a possibility that the inspector may take the position that two persons could have been involved.’

‘You mean he may still think that Alice sent those chocolates to Joshua and that someone else killed Pond?’

Ursula nodded.

‘That’s ridiculous! It was ridiculous to think that Alice had been responsible for sending the bonbons in the first place, even more so to imagine that someone else could have poisoned Pond!’

‘What do you know about the valet? ‘

Rachel shrugged. ‘A thoroughly unpleasant piece of work.’

‘What makes you say that?’

Rachel screwed up her face, as though scenting rats. ‘He was always eavesdropping; turn round, and there he was, with a smirk on his face as though he’d caught you in the middle of doing something disgusting. I couldn’t stand him but Joshua seemed to think he could do no wrong. Alice hated him and he always acted as though he was laughing at her.’

‘I say,’ said John from the other end of the room. ‘That’s going it a bit, isn’t it?’

‘You didn’t know him.’

John opened his mouth, closed it again, then said. ‘I think I’m glad I didn’t.’

‘Do you think he and your brother-in-law were up to anything?’

‘Oh, undoubtedly. He was always running errands for him. When I was working for Joshua, Pond would be there, popping in and out of his office, whispering to him. Then the two of them would go outside and stand on the wharf smoking cheroots and discussing who knew what.’ Rachel ran her fingers through her hair, unrestricted today by plaits, ribbons or comb, in a gesture of frustration. ‘I asked him once what he and Pond were up to.’

‘What did he say?’

‘Told me to mind my own business if I wanted to go on working for him. It wasn’t long after that I left.’ A shudder ran through her.

‘Did you discuss it with your sister?’

‘Not really. She just said that she was surprised I’d stayed as long as I had.’

‘You shouldn’t have worked for him at all,’ said John.

‘Hush; I’ve told you how it was,’ Rachel said. He coloured and put his hands in his trouser pockets.

Ursula looked from one to the other of them for a moment then asked Rachel, ‘How surprised were you that Alice returned to her husband?’

‘I couldn’t believe it!’ Rachel broke off and tears gathered in her eyes. It was the first time Ursula had seen the girl become emotional rather than fired up. ‘Not only did I think she at last had got free of him but since … well …’ she hesitated and Ursula saw a bright red flush suffuse her face. Then she rose, went across to John, took his hand and looked up into his face. He smiled down at her, his eyes full of love and put his arm around her shoulders.

She turned back to Ursula. ‘After I learned what love was really all about, I realised what she had found with Daniel. If I’d been in her place, I could not have returned to Joshua.’ She spoke with a simple conviction that to Ursula seemed more telling than a passionate outburst. ‘She had more courage than I.’

‘Yet you say you are prepared to break the law, fling bricks through politicians’ windows and do other aggressive acts for women’s suffrage. That must take considerable courage.’

‘But that’s very different! That would be for something I believe in. I’m prepared to do anything for our Movement.’

Ursula looked at the girl, now full of passion in the same way as she had been at the menagerie. Yes, Rachel was prepared to do anything for a cause she believed in.

‘And your sister felt her husband had the right to be a father to his child?’

Rachel made a disgusted sound, gently disentangled herself from John’s arm and came towards Ursula. ‘His right! Oh, yes, the law would have seen to that. Poor Alice. If she hadn’t returned to Joshua, her only hope to be mother to her child would have been to leave the country with Daniel. I suggested she did that even if she knew he wasn’t the father. But Alice has such a strong sense of duty. She said the child was Joshua’s and he had been robbed of two other children.’

‘Two? I knew there was one that died, but are you saying there was another?’

Rachel nodded. ‘Joshua was married before. His first wife died in childbirth and the child with her. He told Alice that after they were wed.’

‘How sad. Perhaps that was why he was such an unpleasant man.’

Rachel sat beside Ursula and took her hands. ‘If Pond’s death doesn’t mean that Alice is going to be freed, it’s imperative that Mr Jackman discovers something that will get her released. She’s losing more and more weight and I fear for the child she is carrying.’

‘He is pursuing every avenue. That is why he wanted to talk to the valet this morning. He thinks Joshua Peters has been blackmailing people and that Albert Pond was his accomplice.’ Ursula decided not to mention Count Meyerhoff or
Maison Rose
. ‘He was going to try and offer the man a deal, warn him it was almost certainly one of their victims who murdered Mr Peters and that he could suffer the same fate if the killer wasn’t identified.’ She looked from Rachel to John. ‘And it would seem that this is what happened. We looked for the documents they must have had in their possession – but there was nothing. We think the killer removed them. I came here to tell you about Pond’s death and Mr Jackman was going to go to your sister’s house to see if there was a safe that could hold some of the evidence.’

‘There is one,’ said Rachel. ‘Alice and I tried to open it after Joshua died but we couldn’t find the key. Then she was put in prison and I forgot all about it.’ She rose in a burst of energy. ‘Why don’t we go round there and try again?’

At that moment the door opened and Martha announced, ‘Inspector Drummond!’

In came a tall man wearing a sharply cut dark suit. He removed a curly-brimmed bowler to reveal startlingly yellow hair. Behind him came a uniformed constable. The inspector halted in the middle of the room like a general about to address his troops.

‘Ladies, gentleman,’ he said with a curt nod of the head. ‘Miss Fentiman, I’m arresting you for the murder of Albert Pond.’

For a moment the three of them could have been waxworks in Madame Tussaud’s famous museum.

Ursula rose. ‘I think you must be making a mistake,’ she said.

Drummond hardly glanced at her. ‘You would be?’

‘Ursula Grandison, a friend of Miss Fentiman’s.’

She received a piercing look. ‘Ah, according to Doctor Barton, my old colleague’s new assistant,’ he said, his upper lip curling in a pronounced sneer. ‘I cannot imagine you will have anything to say I need to hear.’

John Pitney took a step forward. ‘Miss Grandison was about to say that Miss Fentiman spent all yesterday afternoon with myself. We were discussing her sister’s plight,’ he added.

‘And you are?’

‘Lord John Pitney,’ said Rachel, moving to his side. ‘Younger son of the Duke of Walberton.’

Inspector Drummond blinked. He looked from the young man to the girl. ‘Is there anyone who can confirm Miss Fentiman’s movements, my lord?’ He spat the title out.

‘I think my word is good enough.’

Ursula would not have believed that the gentle-seeming John Pitney could sound so haughty. In the background, the uniformed constable shifted from one foot to the other.

Once again the door opened and Martha showed in another visitor. ‘Mr Jackman,’ she announced in a resigned tone.

Ursula felt profound relief.

‘The proverbial bad penny; I should have known you would show up.’

‘Indeed, Charlie,’ Thomas said smoothly. He nodded to Ursula and Rachel and held his hand out to John Pitney, who shook it. ‘Thomas Jackman, sir. Miss Fentiman commissioned me to investigate the death of Joshua Peters.’

‘And are causing a great deal of trouble to the official police,’ said Inspector Drummond.

‘Really?’ Thomas raised an eyebrow. ‘The impression is that very little investigating is being done by “the official police”.’

‘You need to watch yourself, Tommy, or you’ll be in my clink. Which is where Rachel Fentiman is going. Constable …’

‘Just a minute, Inspector,’ Thomas broke in. ‘Do I understand Miss Fentiman is under arrest?’

‘That is so. For the murder of one Albert Pond,’ Drummond said.

‘You have evidence of that?’ Thomas challenged him.

For a moment it looked as though the inspector was not going to say anything more. Thomas regarded him steadily.

After a minute’s silent battle between the two of them, Drummond checked the condition of his fingernails and said, ‘We have a witness.’

‘A witness? To murder?’ Thomas could not have sounded more surprised.

‘Fentiman was seen entering the deceased’s lodging. Around the time the doctor declared the poison would have been administered.’

‘This is a lie!’ Rachel shouted. ‘I don’t even know where Pond lives – lived.’

John Pitney caught hold of her hand. ‘Of course it’s a lie and we’ll prove it.’

‘You have a description that fits?’ Thomas asked Drummond.

The inspector nodded.

‘If you are arresting Miss Fentiman, may we assume that you will be releasing her sister from prison?’

‘Why should you assume that, Tommy?’ A negligent, almost throwaway comment.

‘You surely don’t think there are two poisoners in action here?’

‘When they are sisters, why not?’ Drummond sounded matter-of-fact.

‘How dare you suggest Mrs Peters and I would administer cyanide?’ Rachel was almost incandescent with rage. ‘To start with, we wouldn’t even know where it could be obtained.’

‘Never been involved with rat poison?’

‘No, inspector, I have not had to sully my hands with any such activity. Nor have either my sister or I had any reason to remove my brother-in-law or his valet from this life.’ She pulled her hand away from John’s, ignored his beseeching glance, and stood alone.

‘I would question that.’

For a moment Rachel was disconcerted. ‘What possible reason could there be?’

‘Freedom.’ Drummond threw the word at her almost insolently.

‘Freedom? From what?’ The girl was magnificently disdainful.

‘From the shackles of a marriage that no longer suited, a husband who had been thrown over for another man; and you from the demands of a blackmailer.’

Rachel had lost her rage; now she confronted the inspector with a coolness that, given her situation, Ursula found extraordinary.

‘My sister returned willingly to the father of the child she is carrying.’

‘A father who would have complete power over that child. Either your sister or you decided he needed to be removed. Since then the man Pond has been blackmailing you.’ Drummond sounded very certain.

‘Indeed?’ Rachel’s voice was contemptuous. ‘And what would he be blackmailing me about?’

‘The fact that you were an accessory to murder.’

‘That is ridiculous. I had nothing to do with my brother-in-law’s death. And Pond was not blackmailing me. ’

‘I disagree.’

Ursula glanced at Thomas and saw that for the briefest of moments he looked startled. Was he revising his opinion on Rachel’s possible guilt?

‘Constable, cuff her.’

The uniformed policeman advanced, holding out a pair of cufflinks.

‘You are making a great mistake,’ John Pitney said with simple authority. ‘I shall be contacting your Chief Constable regarding your treatment of Miss Fentiman; we are affianced.’ It was said quietly but proudly.

‘But …’ Rachel started, then was silenced by a look from him. For the first time since Ursula had met her, the girl seemed at a loss.

‘Take her away.’ Inspector Drummond waved an imperious hand.

‘Come with me, miss,’ the policeman said, fastening one half of the cufflinks to her right wrist and the other to his left one.

Rachel looked panic-stricken but drew herself up. ‘You will soon realise that you are making the second serious mistake of your career. Neither my sister nor I is a murderer.’

‘I advise you to go quietly.’ The inspector put on his bowler hat and turned to Rachel’s fiancé. ‘Don’t think you can scare me with talk of grand relations.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘Drummond can and Drummond does; that’s what I’m known for. No one catches more villains.’ With that he swept out, followed by the constable with Rachel.

The moment the door closed behind him, Martha rushed in. ‘What’s happened? Where’s that man taking her? Oh, not Miss Rachel as well!’ Her eyes were full of tears and her hands scrunched up the apron she was wearing. ‘What would Mr and Mrs Fentiman have said!’

Ursula put her arm round Martha’s shoulders and gently sat her down on the sofa. ‘I’m sure there’s been a dreadful mistake. But Mr Jackman is going to try and sort it out.’ She looked up at Thomas.

‘Can you help, sir?’ John Pitney asked.

‘I came here from Montagu Place. I’d hoped to be able to search for Mr Peters’ address book but the cook, who seems to be in charge at the moment, would not let me in. Mrs Trenchard’s orders. I was looking for Miss Fentiman to provide me with a letter of authority. As it is …’ he shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

‘We were about to go there with her,’ Ursula said. ‘Apparently there is a safe and we were to look for the key.’

‘We’ll go to Mrs Trenchard,’ said Martha with sudden resolution. I’ll tell her what’s happened and she’ll give you your authority.’ She spoke as though there could be no doubt. Ursula, having seen the elderly maid with Mrs Trenchard, could not doubt it either.

‘I will go and cable my father,’ said John Pitney. ‘He will know whom to contact to get Rachel released.’

They found a hansom cab and Ursula, Martha and Jackman squeezed in.

‘The last time I saw Mrs Trenchard,’ Jackman said after he’d given their direction and the cabbie managed to get his horse into motion, ‘she banned me from ever entering the Peters’ house again. Is there a chance she will have forgotten or forgiven?’