Page 37 of A Whisper and a Curse (Raven & Wren #3)

The captain smiled. “I am not always certain, but I like to believe he does. I may not approve of what he is doing, but he is still my son.”

Hadrian wondered what the man would think if he knew his son was blackmailing people. He couldn’t bring himself to tell him about it.

“How I wished he’d actually established a literary salon. He is a gifted writer and found such solace in it.” The captain glanced at the book that still sat on the table.

Tilda touched the book. “May I look?”

“Please,” the captain encouraged as he picked up his teacup once more.

Hadrian took another biscuit as Tilda opened the book. She turned a page and skimmed the handwriting.

“What sort of stories did he write?” Hadrian asked before taking a bite of biscuit.

“Romantic tales, mostly,” the captain responded. “There are some poems as well.”

The barest intake of breath reached Hadrian’s ears. He looked over at Tilda to see her turning another page. Then she moved the book so that it was easier for him to read. “He’s an excellent writer,” she said in a tone that seemed—to Hadrian—to trill with excitement.

Hadrian popped the rest of the biscuit into his mouth as his gaze fell on the handwriting. He nearly choked.

The lettering matched that of the threatening message Tilda had received. Hadrian would stake his life on it.

He dared to look at Tilda. She briefly met his gaze, but then focused her attention on Captain Vale. “I can see why you hoped Thaddeus would become a writer. Mayhap he will yet.”

The hell he would. Hadrian was going to see him arrested just as soon as they returned to London. They would go directly to Scotland Yard.

“We must be on our way,” Hadrian said abruptly in his eagerness to get to Mallory. “We’ve a train to catch.”

“Do you need transport to the station?” Captain Vale offered.

“We have a gig waiting outside, such as it is,” Hadrian replied. “But thank you for your kindness and your hospitality. This is not what I expected.”

“It has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lord. I do hope you’ll consult me if you have further questions. Or if you’d just like to talk about our … uniqueness.” The man smiled warmly, and Hadrian fleetingly wished he’d had a father like Captain Vale.

Tilda rose, and Hadrian joined her. The captain followed suit, then escorted them from the library.

“Did I help you at all?” Captain Vale asked as they made their way through the blade-adorned entrance hall.

“More than we ever expected,” Tilda replied with a smile. “Thank you again.”

They took their leave and rode in silence to the train station. The train wasn’t due for a little while yet, so they went to the refreshment hall to wait.

Hadrian guided Tilda to a table in the corner, out of earshot from anyone who may want to eavesdrop.

Not that they would, but he didn’t want anyone to overhear their discussion.

His pulse was still thrumming from what they’d seen in the captain’s library—proof that Lysander Mallory, or Thaddeus Vale, had threatened Tilda.

And that the threat more than implied he was the Levitation Killer.

“Have we found the killer?” he asked after they sat down.

“It seems we may have,” Tilda replied, her expression tight with excitement. “The note I received was definitely Mallory’s handwriting. We must go straight to Scotland Yard.”

“Agreed.” Hadrian couldn’t wait to see Mallory in irons.

“Are we calling him Mallory or Vale?” Tilda sked.

“I’d say Mallory since that is how we met him. Vale is now the captain in my mind.”

“You liked him,” Tilda said with a gentle smile. “He was very helpful to you. I’m glad we didn’t tell him about the note his son sent me.”

“He will find out soon enough,” Hadrian said darkly. “I’m sorry for that, for I did like him. That is why I didn’t mention the blackmail either.”

Tilda’s brow creased with compassion as she regarded him. “How do you feel after everything he told you?”

“I am still trying to understand it all. Ask me again tomorrow.” Indeed, Hadrian’s thoughts were spinning with what he’d learned regarding his bizarre ability and about unmasking the Levitation Killer.

Tilda nodded. “I can understand that.” She paused before saying, “I am trying to determine why Mallory would kill two of the most prominent mediums in his society—an organization he worked hard to build.”

“Worked hard deceiving people, including his own father.” Hadrian sneered. “But I understand what you are saying. It certainly doesn’t make sense, especially with Ward, who’d garnered the support of a wealthy duchess.”

“Exactly. I am struggling to come up with a motive for him to kill Ward. With Mrs. Frost, perhaps he was upset that she was thinking of leaving. Now that we know they were once romantically involved, we must consider their relationship was complicated.”

“Is that what romance does?” Hadrian asked. “It complicates things?”

“It certainly complicated your life after Louis Chambers was killed,” Tilda said. “If not for your past romantic attachment to his wife, you would not have been involved.”

Hadrian couldn’t argue with her logic. He also began to see her perspective on romantic relationships. If she saw them as difficult, why would she want to pursue one?

“Perhaps it was difficult for them to be romantically involved and work together once the society was founded,” Tilda suggested.

She did not look at him as she said this, and Hadrian was curious about her thoughts on the matter since they worked together.

Was it possible she didn’t think they could pursue a romance and investigate together?

“I suppose that’s possible,” Hadrian said slowly. “Grenville remarked that Mallory did not maintain romantic relationships for a long period of time, so perhaps it was simply that. I think it’s possible people can work together and be romantically connected without complication.”

Now Tilda met his gaze. “And what evidence do you have of that?”

“None whatsoever. I don’t know any men and women who work together—except us.

” He paused, noting her nostrils flaring the barest amount.

Hadrian’s pulse ticked a bit faster. “I suppose I am aware of husbands and wives who own a business together—Mr. and Mrs. Pollard from our last case come to mind.”

Tilda arched a brow. “I would say their business relationship was a failure, given that Mrs. Pollard was a murderer and Mr. Pollard had no idea.”

“I suppose that is true, but I think they worked together just fine. Except for the murdering and hiding that,” he added drily.

“I am still not convinced, but we digress. The issue is whether Mallory could have killed his former lover.”

He went back to the purpose of this conversation. “I find it hard to comprehend, unless she’d done something that upset him, and he reacted in a passionate manner.”

“Such as betray him?” Tilda asked, flicking him a glance. “That was the motive for you potentially killing Chambers. Your fiancée betrayed you with him.”

Hadrian grimaced. “I do not need to be reminded, thank you. Of the betrayal or that I was a suspect in his murder.”

“My apologies,” Tilda murmured. “You are completely entitled to be upset about both of those things.”

Hadrian knew she wholly supported him and was grateful for the relationship they had. “Setting aside the romance between them, it’s possible Mallory was upset about Mrs. Frost leaving for non-romantic reasons. Perhaps he was concerned she would reveal society secrets.”

Tilda’s brow creased. “Then why not pay for her to go away in silence as he did with Grenville last year?” She fell silent a moment before adding, “I suppose it’s possible his emotions controlled his actions. His father indicated he could be volatile.”

Hadrian’s blood chilled. He’d been so worried he was going mad when he started seeing and feeling things.

Tilda had assured him time and time again that he was not.

Now she was suggesting the opposite about Mallory.

Whilst Hadrian didn’t care for the man, he did not want to think that someone like him suffered from anything akin to madness.

That would mean that Hadrian was perhaps vulnerable too.

“I still can’t countenance him as the Levitation Killer,” Hadrian said. “It seems antithetic for him to endanger the very society he founded. Murdering its prominent mediums would turn people away from it.”

Tilda looked at him slyly. “Or perhaps draw attention to it. The Levitation Killer is the talk of London. They’re even aware of the murders here in Swindon.”

“You are again suggesting that Mallory is perhaps mentally unstable.” Hadrian took a breath to slow his racing pulse. “He’d have to be in order to commit such heinous acts.”

“I’m only thinking through ideas,” Tilda said, seemingly oblivious to the turmoil he was suffering. “We ought to consider that Mallory might be … less than reasonable.”

“Struggling to deal with this bloody curse does not make him mad,” Hadrian snapped.

Tilda’s eyes rounded briefly, and Hadrian realized he’d spoken sharply.

“My apologies,” he said gruffly. He was not himself after all he’d learned today. Worse, he wasn’t quite sure when he would be. Perhaps the man he thought he was had disappeared in January, when he’d been stabbed and had hit his head on the pavement. This new Hadrian wasn’t comfortable.

“Don’t apologize.” Tilda touched his arm. “I must apologize. You are not like Mallory, apart from the similar gift you each have. I should have realized how deeply our interview with Captain Vale affected you—as it should have. But we can talk about that another time, as you said.”

Hadrian exhaled after holding his breath whilst she spoke. He was very glad for Tilda’s presence. She calmed him, and she understood him. He worked to focus on their investigation and all they’d learned today. “Our trip to Swindon has given us much to consider.”

Tilda’s brows rose as she nodded. “Quite. We know much more about Mallory, including that he is really Thaddeus Vale, that he has the power to experience others’ memories, which he uses to blackmail others in order to enrich himself and the society.”

“And, most important of all, that he is likely a murderer and threatened you.”

“Teague will be shocked when we tell him that.” Tilda frowned. “Though we can’t tell him about Mallory’s power. I suppose we could. We wouldn’t have to reveal that you possess it too.” She was watching him carefully.

Hadrian shook his head. “He wouldn’t believe us, and anyway, there’s no way to prove it under the law.”

“That is true,” she said on a sigh. “We will still call on him to disclose the rest. I’m glad he gave us his home address.”

“Whilst I hate to disturb him, it must be done.”

“Oh, he will want to be disturbed.” Tilda’s eyes simmered with purpose. “All of London will be relieved when he arrests the Levitation Killer.”