Page 14 of A Whisper at Midnight

Tilda heard his irritation and sarcasm. She didn’t think it helped at all but refrained from saying so.

Teague had watched Hadrian intently whilst he spoke and didn’t react to Hadrian’s frustration. “Have you had any interaction with Chambers—or Mrs. Chambers—since they wed?”

“I’ve encountered Beryl a time or two but not intentionally. Which is why I was quite shocked to receive a letter from her yesterday asking me to call on her. She said it was a dire matter and that if I’d ever cared for her, I would come.”

He hadn’t shared the details of the letter’s language with Tilda before. She hadn’t realized Mrs. Chambers was prone to being emotional.

“I will need the letter,” Teague said. “I assume you still have it.”

Hadrian nodded. “I will bring it to Scotland Yard later, if you like.”

“I would, thank you.” Teague contemplated Hadrian a moment. “So, you received this letter from Mrs. Chambers after all this time, and you decided to come here. Upon arriving, you discovered her husband is dead.”

“It’s incredibly shocking.” Hadrian glanced at Tilda. “I was also surprised to learn from Tilda that Beryl wanted to divorce her husband.”

Teague looked to Tilda. “I haven’t yet sat down to speak with Mrs. Chambers at length, so I was not aware of this. How do you know?”

“I work for the barrister she hired,” Tilda replied. “I called here yesterday to meet with her.” She went on to disclose all she’d learned the day before, including Beryl’s bruises, the missing jewelry, and her husband’s potential affair.

“That is all deeply concerning,” Teague said. “Chambers doesn’t sound like a particularly pleasant fellow.”

“No,” Tilda agreed. “I met him briefly yesterday, and he was most disagreeable. To hide the purpose of my visit, I said I was here to help with refurbishment. That made him very angry as he said there was no money for that. He bumped into Mrs. Chambers on his way out, and while that may sound innocuous, he did so violently. I do not believe it was an accident.”

“I would say Mrs. Chambers is better off without him,” Teague said with a dark frown. “Which makes her a suspect.”

Tilda did not respond to that but glanced at Hadrian, whose expression was somewhat dour. Addressing Teague once more, she said, “I’ve already published a list of the missing jewelry in a few newspapers.”

“Do let me know if you hear anything, please,” Teague said. “I appreciate you sharing this information. What will become of your investigation now?”

“Since Mrs. Chambers is no longer in need of a divorce, my work is concluded. Except for searching for the jewelry. That was a separate endeavor.”

Teague nodded. “I was afraid you were going to tell me that you plan to investigate Chambers’ murder.”

Tilda wished she was, but she could not afford to work without being paid. “I have not been hired to do so. But would you have a problem with that?” It sounded as if he might.

“As detective inspector, conducting this investigation is my job now,” he said. “This case will have my full attention until I’ve found the murderer.”

“I am glad to hear it,” Tilda said with smile. “Congratulations to you. The Metropolitan Police are lucky to have you in this role.”

Teague smiled in response. “Thank you, Miss Wren. If you think of anything else that would help our investigation, I hope you’ll let me know.”

“Of course. I’m sure you’ll try to determine whether Mr. Chambers had a paramour, and if so, who she could be. You’ll also want to look into the drapery shop he was opening with a man named Edgar Pollard.”

“I did hear mention of the shop,” Teague said. “I believe the butler said someone should notify his partner.” He turned to Hadrian. “Do you have anything else to share?”

Hadrian shook his head. “I’ve told you everything. I’ll deliver Beryl’s letter later today.”

“Thank you. I am sorry for the discomfort this situation may have caused you. I don’t mean to offend.” He turned toward the door. “I must go interview Massey. I would ask that you delay your departure for a short while, as I would like to send a constable outside to speak with your coachman.”

“Of course,” Hadrian replied.

Teague left, and Hadrian turned to face Tilda. “Am I a suspect now?”

“He didn’t say, but he’s at least gathering all the information he can, which includes your alibi. I would do the same.”

“But you are not, because this is not your investigation.” Hadrian studied her a moment. “Do you wish that it was?”

“There is no point in wishing,” Tilda said brusquely—because she would dearly love to. “I can’t afford to work without payment, and Mrs. Chambers no longer needs my services to obtain a divorce.” Tilda frowned slightly. “It’s convenient that her husband is dead. I know you said she would never kill him, but I do think Teague will focus his investigation on her.Iwould, at least for the moment.”