Murder in the Shadows Read online

  Violet put on her pair of black shoes and smiled at herself in the mirror. She had missed these times with Victor. It was no time to focus on worrying about Jack. She had to trust him to his skills and God and allow herself to have fun with Victor and Algie.

  Violet took a clutch and joined Victor downstairs. He was standing just outside the parlor door shamelessly listening to Gerald. Hargreaves held Violet’s coat and she slipped it on and then crossed to Victor to push the point of her shoe into the back of his knee.

  He stumbled and then turned and grinned at her. In a low voice he asked, “Do you remember when I begged Kate to marry me?”

  Vi nodded. Of course she did. It was one of her favorite memories.

  “Gerald is far, far better at begging,” Victor said.

  “Is Lottie crueler? Kate said yes to you quickly.”

  “Lottie was vicious,” Victor whispered loudly. “She made him swear to her that he didn’t love or want the Bromley girl and she also made him beg. On his knees.”

  “You were wise enough to not introduce Kate to Lady Eleanor until after you had Kate’s commitment,” Vi whispered back as loudly. “Our intrepid future earl was not so wise.”

  “Go away,” Gerald called. “You two are ridiculous.”

  “This is my house.” Violet stuck her head around the door, winking at Lottie. Vi studied the two sitting together on the Chesterfield long enough to note Gerald’s arm around Lottie’s shoulders, their fingers tangled, and evidence of tears. And just as evidently, the matter between them had been settled in Gerald’s favor.

  “Did she do this to you?” Lottie asked Victor. They all knew she meant Lady Eleanor by the way Lottie said ‘she,’ as though afraid saying her name would conjure the beast. There was enough of a tremor in Lottie’s voice that Violet had to fight the rush of rage.

  Victor’s head tilted as he smiled gently at Lottie. “I’m the least important sibling.”

  “Not to me,” Violet told him, hooking her arm through Victor’s. “Even if you’re stealing my title. Who cares about the future earl?”

  “I do,” Lottie said shyly.

  “Oh!” Violet said, grinning at her brother. “Look at that! Someone is on your side.”

  “Are you going to be irritating endlessly?” he asked her.

  “Lottie and I are valuable beyond rubies,” Violet replied and in unison both Gerald and Victor groaned.

  “Having returned your love to you is quite the act of service,” Violet reminded him. “Rubies would be an excellent choice.”

  “This is what comes from having spoiled her,” Gerald told Victor. “Vi should be grateful for my sheer notice. As the future earl, my gratitude is incredibly valuable. Why are you doing this?” He gestured to the chalkboard. “What did you say? Stepmother’s enemies?”

  They all looked at the list of names on the chalkboard.

  “What’s happening with Lady Eleanor?” Violet countered. “What do you know?”

  “What are you doing for her, Vi?” The hatred in Gerald’s voice had Vi wincing for her stepmother. But only a little.

  Violet nibbled her bottom lip as she considered how to reply, already wishing she hadn’t promised to keep Lady Eleanor’s secrets.

  “Vi owes her a favor,” Victor answered. His tone was equally disgusted, but there was no doubt that Victor was on Violet’s side. He always was.

  “Why?” Gerald demanded.

  “She threw that party for Vi that helped catch that prankster.”

  “And that’s causing this?” Gerald asked, gesturing again at the chalkboards. “This is what you do when you’re meddling in Jack’s cases.”

  Lottie’s gaze was wide with shock, looking between the siblings, but she didn’t say a word.

  “Don’t worry, Lottie,” Violet told her. “You’ll understand all the details. We have to go.”

  “What is the limit of this favor?” Gerald wouldn’t let the matter drop.

  “I wasn’t bright enough to set a limit,” Violet admitted. “Has she been acting odd lately?”

  “I avoid her,” Gerald replied. “She takes breakfast in her room. I don’t linger at the house and spend rather a lot of time at my club.”

  “Why don’t you move?” Victor asked.

  “Father didn’t want me to.” Gerald rubbed his thumb over the back of Lottie’s wrist. “I’ll be sending my man to find me something soon. Lottie won’t be living with Lady Eleanor once we marry.”

  The grandfather clock rang and Violet met Victor’s gaze. It was past time to go. Violet leaned down and hugged Lottie and told Gerald, “Make good choices.”

  His scowl made Lottie laugh and Victor also leaned down and hugged Lottie. “Welcome to the family, Lottie. We’re all a little mad here.”

  Algie stood as Violet and Victor approached the table. His grin was wide and happy and he hugged them both tightly. “I have missed you!”

  “We haven’t been gone that long, Algie.”

  “Yes, yes, but I needed help, and you were gone. Had to ask the wife, don’t you know? Makes a man feel a bit like a blighter when he has to turn to the old ball and chain for help.”

  Victor laughed as he seated Vi and greeted Algie’s wife, Clara. She was a tiny blonde that made one think of pixies. Quite pretty and delicate, and Algie looked at her with eyes that shone with adoration.

  Victor snorted before he admitted, “I ask Kate and Vi for help regularly.”

  Algie grinned happily. “It’s why I turned to my beloved. Thought to myself, what would Victor do and knew he’d dump the problem on the ladies in his life, so I did the same.”

  His wife laughed and the look she gave him was overly fond despite his high-pitched giggle. Vi quite wanted to put her hand over Algie’s mouth and demand a low chuckle or perhaps some sort of mocking huff, but not that girlish giggle.

  “What happened?” Vi asked as she accepted the wine that was poured for her. “Why did you need Victor and me?”

  “Being blackmailed, aren’t I?” Algie giggled once again and his wife looked at him rather fondly for such a statement. “So ridiculous.”

  “I’m sorry. What did you say?” Violet repeated, glancing at her twin and then back to her cousin.

  “You know I’m a bit of a dim idiot. Never more so before I married Clara. Opportunities to blackmail Algie Allyn abound, I fear.”

  Clara laughed. “Only if you care, darling.”

  “Yes, well—that’s what we did.”

  “I don’t understand,” Victor said. “What did you do?”

  “The only person whose reaction could really bother our life is Daddy,” Clara told him. “So we just told him. Daddy was so upset about some blighter trying to poke a spoke in our wheels that he bypassed the knowledge of Algie’s misdeeds and went straight for revenge. We tried finding the fellow, but I fear we failed.”

  “Old man’s planning to come and take care of it himself,” Algie sighed. “Clara and I are considering fleeing, but the man is supernatural. Told us if we did, he’d keep the next quarter’s allowance. I fear we’ll have to ride it out. We tend to run a little tight towards the end. I fear we need that allowance to continue our lifestyle, pay our bills, all those things. You’d think I’d have learned to set a bit by for a rainy day by now, but I haven’t.”

  “What happened?” Victor asked, glancing between the couple in wonder. “You didn’t pay the blackmailer, so—”

  “Nothing yet,” Algie said, giggling again. He did, now that Vi thought about it, sound a bit hysterical.

  “When is it supposed to happen?” Victor demanded, but Violet didn’t care so much about that answer.

  Her own thoughts had moved past Algie to Lady Eleanor. Surely whoever was blackmailing Algernon Allyn was also the same person blackmailing Lady Eleanor. What were the chances that there were two blackmailers working amongst London’s upper-crust?

  There was not much of an overlap between Algernon Allyn and Lady Eleanor. The twin’s cousin was related to them through their mother who had long since died. Lady Eleanor had always seemed retroactively jealous of the late Penelope Allyn, so any links between the two families had faded quickly.

  How was it then that Algie and Lady Eleanor were both being blackmailed? Surely it was by the same person? Violet twisted her wedding ring on her finger as her mind traveled along all the linking paths between Algie and Lady Eleanor.

  “Vi?”

  She nibbled on her bottom lip, not really hearing Victor.

  “Vi.”

  Vi blinked rapidly and glanced up at the others who were all looking at her.

  “Someone else we know is being blackmailed. They’re being scrooge-ish with the details. What can you tell us about how you got your blackmail demand?”

  “I dunno really. Just appeared in my pocket at the theater. Always so crowded there. Could have been anyone.”

  “The theater?” Victor asked. “Box seats?”

  Algie nodded.

  Violet glanced at her twin. He was thinking the same thing. Lady Eleanor adored going to the theater. She hated the plays themselves, but she did like seeing her friends and putting herself on display. She had a regular box. It was possible that she was also being caught there.

  “Maybe we can go with you next time,” Violet suggested to Algie, who nodded with a grin.

  “We’ve got seats for tomorrow night,” he said. “They’re doing Twelfth Night. Why is it that Shakespeare had so many plays about fellows dressed up as ladies and the reverse? Ridiculous.”

  Violet sipped her wine. She didn’t want to turn her thoughts to the bard. She played with her wedding ring as she considered what she knew. She slowly realized that she wasn’t that close with either Algie or Lady Eleanor. If there was an overlap in their friends, acquaintances, or even servants, Violet wouldn’t be able to tell.

  Violet shook off her thoughts and asked, “Do you know Charlotte Wilder?”

  Algie glanced at Clara to check with her. Slowly they both shook their heads.

  Because Victor understood what Violet was doing, he asked, “What about Genevieve Bromley?”

  Again they looked at each other before they answered. Another negative.

  “George Terrance? Lisa Van Lyden?”

  This time the couple both shook their heads without needing to confirm.

  “Are they being blackmailed too?” Clara asked.

  “Not really,” Violet said obliquely. She needed to safeguard all connection to Lady Eleanor or they’d never hear the end of it. “What are we eating?”

  Chapter 7

  Violet wrote Jack a letter the next morning catching him up on the events since they’d arrived back in London. She asked him vaguely about his case with clearer demands that he be careful. She knew that he’d note the vague inquiries and answer with equal vagueness which was what she needed and intended.

  She hurried to the ballroom where they had gym equipment and worked with her jiu-jitsu instructor. Often Kate, when she was home, joined her. That morning Beatrice did.

  “Beatrice, love,” Violet said, “have you seen Mr. Smith lately?”

  “Why would I see him?”

  “He seemed intrigued by you.”

  Beatrice avoided Violet’s gaze as she stretched. Violet waiting, knowing the silence would put pressure on Beatrice and that the woman would be inclined to answer anything Violet asked. It wasn’t fair to her, Violet knew, but she needed to hunt up the man rather quickly.

  “He’s been known to catch the same bus as I take,” Beatrice muttered to her knees. “If I happen to be going to Mr. Frederick’s office or for a meeting. Especially in the evening.”

  “Not always?”

  Beatrice shook her head.

  “Would it be too much to ask you to call him and ask him to visit Victor and me?”

  Beatrice paused for a moment and then nodded her head. “I can take care of that for you, Mrs.—” Beatrice cleared her throat and then said, “Violet.”

  “You need to get used to saying my name, Beatrice. You’re a professional woman now. The men you’re dealing with need to know it.”

  Beatrice nodded and they both rose when the jiu-jitsu instructor arrived.

  John Smith appeared at Violet’s door later that afternoon. He followed Hargreaves into the library where Violet and Victor were considering how to pin down Lady Eleanor. He glanced around and then asked, “No Beatrice?”

  “She has other duties,” Violet told him. He was as pretty as an angel and had the mind of a devil. Violet both liked him and felt certain that he was not good enough for Beatrice.

  “Are you going to warn me off of her?”

  “I was warned away from Jack. Did you know? It turns out that I knew what was best for me. I won’t warn you off of her, but I will caution you that if she doesn’t want you and you ignore her wants, I’ll crush you.”

  “And if she doesn’t tell me to go away?”

  “Mr. Smith, I like you, against my better judgement. Perhaps she does as well. I am neither her mother nor her keeper. I am, however, her friend.”

  Mr. Smith glanced between the twins and then asked Victor, “What about you?”

  “Violet’s friends are my friends.”

  “What do you need?” Smith asked, changing the subject. If he’d been seeking an answer, perhaps he’d gotten it. Or perhaps, he’d break into their house and search through their things for some clue. With Smith, one never knew.

  “Our stepmother is being blackmailed.”

  “Heard that’s been going around,” Smith replied.

  “Are you working another case?”

  He didn’t answer either way and Violet glanced at Victor who shook his head slightly. Victor didn’t know any more than Vi.

  “We’d like your help finding out who is doing it, and also, if possible, discovering if Harry Mathers is in London.”

  “That’s the partner of your sister’s dead fiancé?”

  Considering their association with Smith came far after those events, Violet was shocked he was aware of them, but not all that surprised upon further consideration.

  Vi took a deep breath and then summarized the events of the engagement to the elder Mr. Danvers, the younger Mr. Danvers kidnapping Isolde, and the financial crimes that eventually put Harry Mathers in jail.

  “Not easy to break out of prison,” Smith said. “I doubt the fellow did it without help.”

  “That was our assumption,” Victor told Smith. “We need to find out who helped him and if either of them is connected to Lady Eleanor.”

  “I can delve into the prison.” Smith lifted a brow and then glanced between them. “You might get a message from me if I get in and need help getting out, but I suspect I won’t need it. I have, in my idle moments, planned several escapes from prison.”

  “Have you also planned how to get away with murder?” Violet demanded.

  “Of course, I have. Haven’t you?”

  “I don’t plan on murdering anyone,” Violet said. “Why would I need to?”

  “I don’t plan to either, but we see so many people who’ve become killers who wouldn’t have imagined doing so. For meddlers, like yourself, it’s just a matter of time.”

  “I hardly think so,” Violet snapped.

  His ridiculously handsome face seemed to emphasize his scoff more than someone less beautiful. Violet scowled back at him, and he simply met her gaze. She finally shook it off.

  “Fine, get it done however you need to do it. We need to know how Mathers got out of prison. I’m not sure how else we’ll get the information we need without linking whoever helped him to Lady Eleanor. Or at least someone who could have known what Carlton Danvers knew to use against our stepmother.”

  “You know,” Smith said thoughtfully, “your father seems like a person who might know more than his wife would think.”

  Victor cleared his throat but said nothing. Vi knew her brother well enough to know that he also thought it might be possible that Father would have a pretty good idea of why Lady Eleanor was being harassed. The twins’ gazes met and they had another one of their silent exchanges. Victor finally said, “I’ll look into it.”

  Violet ran her fingers along the edges of her letter from Jack and then went out to the auto. Holmes darted ahead, so she couldn’t leave him behind. She had called for the auto on the off chance that she’d be able to engineer her way into Genevieve Bromley’s home. Or perhaps instead she’d consider trying to visit Lottie Wilder and ensure that her affections were fixed. The chances were likely, Violet thought, that if Genevieve Bromley really thought she’d be able to marry Gerald, Vi would be able to acquire an invitation to her house without a problem.

  But did Violet want to stick her oar in there? Genevieve Bromley was on the list of those who might be an enemy of Lady Eleanor. What exactly, Violet wondered, had her stepmother promised the wealthy Bromley daughter?

  Before Violet decided which way to go, she read Jack’s vague letter in the peace of the auto. Their letters had crossed paths, so he hadn’t answered her latest questions, and any news from his end was as vague as she expected. The letter did, however, remind her that he was alive, she was in his thoughts, and they loved each other.

  Lottie had left a note for Violet, inspiring Vi to dare something else instead. The note was nothing more than a thank you, but Violet would rather get to know Lottie better than deal with the lies Lady Eleanor had probably had told Miss Bromley. Vi motored to the middle-class house where Lottie’s family lived and knocked on the door. The woman who opened the door eyed Violet suspiciously.

  “Hullo,” Violet said brightly, ignoring the daggered glance she was sending Vi’s way.