Let's Talk of Murder by Joan Smith

Author:Joan Smith [Smith, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: regency Mystery/Romance
Publisher: Belgrave House/Regency Reads
Published: 2012-09-14T03:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 16

Corinne and Coffen found Luten ensconced behind a leather-topped desk in an oak-lined office whose carved trim of books, ink pots, quills and astrolabes Luten fondly believed to be the work of Grinling Gibbons. This was a point hotly disputed by Prance, who insisted Gibbons would have had more imagination, though the actual carving, he admitted, was good.

Luten looked up from a document he was reading, smiled and said, “Ah, good morning. I didn’t hear you come in. Grey and I have been working on our program. You, Corinne, will be happy to hear the Irish question is near the top of our list.”

“That’s grand, Luten,” she replied, “but we’ve come about the murder.”

“Oh yes, the murder. Let us go into the drawing room.” He reached for his cane and pushed himself up from his chair. “We’ll be more comfortable there.”

When they had found seats around the grate in the drawing room, he said, “Any news? I heard carriages coming and going all morning and have been most curious.”

“Clare’s running a whore house,” Coffen said bluntly. Luten’s jaw dropped in disbelief, then firmed to anger as Coffen told his tale. When he was done, Luten said, “We’ll put a stop to that, but has it anything to do with Fogg’s murder?”

“It might,” Coffen said. “ ‘Twas Henry Fogg who got Fanny in touch with the Morgate Home. Very likely Fogg had no notion what was going on there. If Fanny found out and told him, Henry might have threatened to get the place closed down. With his high connections, he could have done it. There’s a solid motive for Clare to kill him. The house would be turning a good profit.”

Luten listened, then said, “Or was Henry in on the setup, perhaps demanding a higher percent of the profits? He wasn’t an elder son; he had only a small income, but he lived well. He’d need a fat purse to sit down to cards with Prinney’s crew.”

“Perhaps he stole the profits, and Clare went after him, they fell into an argument and Fogg was killed,” Corinne suggested.

“But then how do we account for the missing ring and the lock of hair?” Coffen pointed out. “Unless they’re red herrings.”

“It would take a cool head to shoot a man, then set about leaving false clues,” Luten thought.

Corinne frowned at this idea. “Do you think Fanny herself might have done it?” she said, in a tentative voice. “If Henry took her to that home without her knowing what sort of place it is, then found out– Well, I, for one, would not much blame her.”

“No females were ever seen at Henry’s flat,” Coffen reminded her.

“That’s easily enough explained,” she said with a scoffing shrug. “She dressed in men’s clothing.”

“Where would she get it?” Coffen asked. “The only men who get into the place are Harper and Clare.”

“Someone might have left off men’s clothing for the bazaar.”

“Not likely they’d leave shoes and a hat and all the bits and pieces,” he countered.

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