Rhys Bowen - The Twelve Clues of Christmas

“I hope so. I do hope so,” she said, shaking her head.

* * *

WE THEN HURRIED back to the hall to alert the Hawse-Gorzleys while we waited for news from the inspector. Lady Hawse-Gorzley stood staring out the window.

“You mean one of those convicts has been committing all these murders with the help of his wife, who was disguised as Miss Prendergast?” she said. “God, I need a sherry. How about you?”

“It’s a little early,” I said, “but given the circumstances . . .” I accepted the glass she held out to me. The liquid felt warm and comforting as it slipped down. “So until these people are caught, I think we should make sure that all your guests stay safely in the house,” I said.

She turned to me then. “You don’t think anyone here is in danger, do you?”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “If he has been killing only the jurors from his trial, they are all dead now, except for one man, who went to Australia.”

“That’s a relief,” she said. “But I suppose he could get desperate if cornered and who knows what he’d do. The man must be stark raving mad.”

“No, I think he’s cool and calculating,” I said. “He’s been plotting this all the time he was in prison, I suspect. Or he and his wife have been planning it between them. I don’t know how involved she was and whether she was a willing party to all this. I remember that she tried to express regret to me several times, saying how sorry she was that someone had to die. Of course that could have been an act and she could be the cold, brutal one for all we know.”

Lady Hawse-Gorzley sighed. “Such a farce,” she said. “And for what? The jurors were only doing their duty. I know I’ve had many unpleasant tasks as a magistrate.” She turned to the window again. “My husband is out on the estate somewhere. Someone should find him and bring him inside.”

“Darcy already went to do so,” I said.

“Such a kind boy,” she said. “Well, not really a boy any longer, is he? It’s hard for me to think of him as grown-up. I remember him fondly as a child—such a little rogue.”

“Still is,” I said.

“I notice you two are fond of each other. Any plans to marry, do you think?”

I took a deep breath. “I’m afraid I can’t marry him.”

“Why ever not?”

I took a deep breath. “I’m part of the line of succession. I can’t marry a Catholic by law, and I don’t think he’d be prepared to give up his religion.”

She looked amused. “My dear girl. It’s not as if you’re going to be queen one day, is it? Just renounce your claim to the throne, say you’re not interested, and they can step over you.”

“I can do that?”

“Why not? Even kings have abdicated before now. One might do so again.”

Suddenly, in spite of everything we’d been through, the world was a brighter, more wonderful place.

“I never wanted to be queen anyway,” I said.

We looked up as one of the maids came in. She curtsied. “My lady, the policeman is here to see you again.”

Before Lady Hawse-Gorzley could say, “Please show him in,” Inspector Newcombe strode into the room.

“Sorry to barge in on you like this, Lady Hawse-Gorzley,” he said. “But I just wanted to come up and tell you that they’ve flown the coop. We had to break in the cottage door and they’ve gone. Taken any incriminating evidence too, although there are signs that Robbins was living upstairs.”

“Nobody saw them leave the village?” I asked.

“They must have had a vehicle hidden nearby and crept away sometime during the night. I can’t get over that Prendergast woman. Had us all fooled, didn’t she? If she was that good an actress, why didn’t she make money legitimately on the stage?”

“She wasn’t that good,” I said. “My mother saw through her.”

“Well, we’re talking of a superior actress there, aren’t we?” he said with a smile. “But I’m hoping they won’t get far. We’re sending out alerts for them all over the country and at all the ports. We’ll catch ’em eventually, you’ll see. And then they’ll both hang. And good riddance too.”

“So he’s not going to finish the twelve days,” I said. “I’m surprised.”

Lady Hawse-Gorzley had been standing there silently. Now she said, “Did you say the man’s name was Robbins? Not Robert Robbins, by any chance?”

“That’s right. One of the three convicts who escaped.”

“What an unpleasant man he was,” she said.

“You knew him?” the inspector asked.

“Oh, yes. I presided as magistrate when he was first arrested,” she said. “He came up before me on extortion charges, but I could see there was more to it than mere extortion. I was convinced he’d killed at least one landlady, so I handed him over to the Crown court.”

My heart was thumping loudly. “Oh, no.” It came out as a whisper. “Then you’re intended to be the twelfth victim. You’re the one he’s been waiting for.”

Chapter 39

STILL NEW YEAR’S EVE

Nobody dead yet.

It was the inspector who spoke first. “Right. That settles it. You’re staying in the house and we’re putting a police guard on you until Robbins is caught.”

Lady Hawse-Gorzley shook her head. “Oh, no, Inspector. Don’t you see—this is our only chance to catch him. I’m afraid I must carry on as planned tonight. I must offer myself as bait.”

“You can’t do that,” I said.

“Why not? If tonight passes without my presence, he’ll just slip away and probably be on the next boat out of England. I want him caught, Inspector. I want to make sure that this time he doesn’t escape the noose on a technicality. I want him hanged. And her too. She was part and party to all this.”

“You’ve got guts, my lady, I’ll say that much for you.” The inspector nodded grimly.

“I’m one of the old school,” she said. “We were brought up to do our duty.”

“It might just work,” he said. “We’ll provide you with a police guard, of course. You’ll be protected all the time.”

“They should be disguised as our guests,” I said. “If Robbins and his wife can use disguises, then so can we. They mustn’t get any hint that we are waiting for them.”

The inspector nodded approvingly at my suggestion. “So what exactly happens at this little beanfeast tonight?” he asked.

“We all assemble on the village green, then we go from house to house banging on pots and pans and making a lot of noise. It’s to drive out evil spirits for the coming year. Wonderfully primitive.” And she smiled. “And then we reassemble outside the pub for hot toddy and baked potatoes and sausages and there are fireworks on the village green.”

The inspector was frowning. “That sounds like the most challenging kind of situation possible to try to protect somebody. If Robbins doesn’t want to get close and reveal himself, there’s plenty of chance for a shot in the dark. I’m beginning to think it’s too risky to contemplate.”

“Nonsense,” she said, tossing her head like an impatient mare. “We have no choice, Detective Inspector. If you let him slip through your fingers tonight, he’ll be gone.”

The inspector stroked his chin. “I’m not sure I can round up enough men. We’ll need a good number, and backups sitting in vehicles nearby in case he makes a break for it.”

“But they mustn’t be obvious,” Lady Hawse-Gorzley said. “They must be laughing and having a good time with the rest of us, not appearing to look around.”

“Not an easy task,” he said.