Lady Lost by Jane Goodger

Author:Jane Goodger [Goodger, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-08-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Constable Toby Conroy lit his lamp and settled into his most comfortable chair, which had earned that title because, other than a stool by his small kitchen table, it was his only chair. He was bone tired and sick to death of investigating the Duke of Weston’s murder. The case, which had seemed so cut-and-dried only days ago, had gone in circles, leaving him with more questions than answers. The chief had called him into his office earlier that day and demanded to know why the case was still open. It wasn’t every day that a peer was murdered, and the fact that the murderer was likely still at large was not sitting well with anyone in the department. Nor anyone in Birmingham. He wished, not for the first time, that Cannock had its own police force so he wouldn’t need to lead the investigation. Rumors were running rampant, that a mad killer was still on the loose. When Conroy had finished his explanation, the chief sat back in his chair and swore.

“And Lady Lilian is still missing? Probably with her accomplice. Hell, they could be anywhere by now. They could be in China, for God’s sake. What the hell took you so long to figure this out, Conroy?”

“My apologies, sir, but it took a few days before the daughter came forward. It wasn’t until she knew some of the details that she realized her father could not have been the killer.”

“And you’re certain?”

“As certain as I can be, sir. The fact he was shot on the right side is enough for me to at least be highly suspicious.”

The chief swore again. “This is a fine mess. We have a dead duke and a member of the aristocracy as the prime suspect. It would have been better for everyone if the dead man had been the murderer. Find the lady, Conroy, or it’s your job.”

Conroy, his face red, left the chief’s office, swearing beneath his breath. Chief Cooke had been a barrister, not a police officer, and had no idea what went into such an investigation. “ ‘Find the lady,’ he says. Why not look for a needle in a haystack? That’d be easier.” After leaving the commissioner’s office, he went directly home to mull over the day’s events.

Lady Lilian was now back at the top of his list of suspects, though it just didn’t settle right in his brain. How could a woman who was universally loved by nearly everyone he spoke with be capable of such a devious plot? Then again, like so many people who knew Weston, she had a motive. Apparently, the poor girl had lived in fear that the duke would make improper advances on her person. Every servant at Mount Carlyle had told a similar story—that they had taken it upon themselves to keep the lady safe. Which only meant that any one of the servants could also be a murderer. The more he learned about His Grace, the more he wished he could wash his hands of the investigation.

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