Murder on the Sea Witch: A Redmond and Haze Mystery Book 7 (Redmond and Haze Mysteries) by Irina Shapiro

Author:Irina Shapiro [Shapiro, Irina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Merlin Press LLC
Published: 2022-02-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Superintendent Ransome was in a meeting, the door to his office firmly shut, but raised voices came from within, and Daniel was sure Ransome wasn’t going to be in a good mood once his meeting finished. It took nearly a quarter of an hour for a flustered Detective Inspector Hillier to finally emerge. He murmured something that sounded like a greeting and hurried away.

“Come,” Ransome called when he saw Daniel waiting in the corridor.

Daniel and Jason entered the office, settled in the two guest chairs, and faced the superintendent.

“Well?” Ransome demanded, pinning Daniel with his dark gaze. “What have you got for me, Haze?”

“We have three possible suspects, sir: Jock Thomas, Adam Longhorn, and Dr. Scarborough. All had motive, means, and opportunity.”

“And what were their motives?” Ransome asked, somewhat mollified to be presented with a list of suspects.

“Blake Upton took credit for Jock Thomas’s discovery, adding fuel to resentment that was already motivated by professional jealousy. Adam Longhorn may have been embezzling funds, while Dr. Scarborough was blamed by Blake Upton for the death of a member of the group, a young man whose family Mr. Upton was close to. He threatened Dr. Scarborough with professional ruin.”

John Ransome gave Daniel a baleful look that said volumes about Daniel’s abilities as a detective. “Anything else?” he demanded, clearly striving for patience.

“We’ve also just learned that Blake Upton may have been robbed by a member of the crew. If Mr. Upton meant to report the theft, the man would have had a motive for murder.”

“May have been robbed?” John Ransome asked, his eyebrows lifting in astonishment. “Was he or wasn’t he?”

“This is the first we’ve heard of this, so we need to speak to the sailor in question and see what we can discover before arriving at any conclusions.”

Ransome leaned back in his chair and fixed Daniel with his dark, unblinking gaze. “Haze, first, it’s not we, it’s you. You’re the detective, and this is your case. Last I checked, Lord Redmond wasn’t on the pay roster of Scotland Yard. I take no issue with his offer of help, but I am in no position to make any demands on his time and intellect. Second, and more important, do you have any evidence against any of these men that would stand up in a court of law?” Ransome asked. “Do you have the murder weapon? Witnesses? Bloodstained or brain-splattered clothing? In other words, can you offer me anything besides baseless supposition?”

“Not yet, sir. It’s only been two days,” Daniel reminded him.

“Yes, two days in which you’ve learned next to nothing. The public already think we’re blithering cretins. It’s not enough to suspect someone of a crime. We need evidence to charge them.”

“I’m aware of that, sir,” Daniel retorted.

“Then go out there and find some. Where do you plan to start?”

Daniel felt as if he’d been punched in the stomach. He had no immediate answer. He needed time to think and analyze the matter before coming up with a next step. He

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