Page 56 of A Whisper in the Shadows

Tilda looked at Maxwell with sympathy. “Would you want to share that?”

“It’s the truth, so yes, I would. I do happen to genuinely hope the Amicable Society can continue. It will be a great help to many people.”

Tilda knew how important that was to him. “You have a true calling to help others. It might also help your cause if you havea plan for how to handle the current situation regarding the members who were admitted fraudulently.”

Maxwell blew out a breath. “We’ve no idea how many there are besides Gilbert Cardy.”

“You could offer to audit the membership rolls and finances,” Hadrian suggested.

Tilda flashed a smile at Hadrian. “That’s a good idea.” She returned her focus to Maxwell. “You could tell them it’s preferable to have you—a new member, who couldn’t possibly have been involved in anything that has gone on before—complete the audit. It may help calm the gossip and allay people’s concerns.”

Maxwell’s eyes gleamed with approbation. “That is brilliant, Miss Wren.” He sobered quickly. “Even if they accept me into that position, I can’t leave the mercantile house without provoking curiosity as to how I will earn a living, which means I am still not dedicating as much time to the investigation as I would like. The administrators all maintained their jobs, except for Phelps.”

“Meaning they weren’t paid.” Tilda glanced toward Hadrian. “Unlike Ravenhurst will be as the canvasser. Perhaps we can convince Mrs. Atkins that her financial support should include paying a salary to the administrators of the society—or at least one of them.”

Hadrian met her gaze then Maxwell’s. “We could argue that paying someone to manage things may protect against future attempts at fraud.”

“Another excellent idea,” Maxwell declared.

“We’ll speak with Mrs. Atkins about it tomorrow,” Tilda said.

Maxwell’s eyes held a sheen of anticipation. Tilda felt a kinship with his eagerness to find new ways to conduct their investigation in order to find the truth.

Mrs. Kilgore entered the parlor. “Pardon me for interrupting. I heard you’d arrived and wanted to ask how the inquest went.”

Maxwell nodded at her. “Of course. The jury found that Phelps was murdered, which is no surprise. The coroner interviewed many people, including your cousin.”

“I knew she would be there. I hate that she had to endure it. Do you think Chisholm is any closer to arresting the murderer?”

“I don’t know,” Maxwell replied. “Thetford was able to identify the murder weapon, so that should help.”

“We also learned a great deal about how the society operates,” Hadrian said. “That will aid our investigation.”

Mrs. Kilgore nodded. “Good. I know my husband is eager for you to make progress. As am I. It’s not easy being away from home—though I am pleased to help.”

“Based on today’s testimony from several people, it does seem as though Mr. Eaton was responsible for breaking the society’s policy and admitting members who were ill,” Tilda said. “Furthermore, it seems he may have been charging them double the entrance fee and doing the same with their weekly dues.”

Mrs. Kilgore gasped. “He is truly despicable.”

“We should try to confirm that,” Tilda noted.

“We learned Eaton was sacked by the Prudential Assurance Company for skimming money,” Hadrian said. “Can we assume he was charging a higher amount, depositing the society’s stated fees, and then pocketing the difference?”

Tilda had the same thought, but she tried not to draw conclusions before she’d made the proper inquiries. “I don’t like to assume anything, especially since Mr. Rippon, who seemed to be a good friend of Eaton, was so adamant that Eaton would never do such a thing.” Her gaze met Hadrian’s, and she was sure he was recalling the vision he’d seen at the Wolf and Dove, in which the two men appeared to be good friends, especially since the barman said he saw them together regularly.

Maxwell looked to Mrs. Kilgore. “I should mention that Mr. Eaton was found dead.”

She gasped once more, her eyes rounding. Her hand fluttered to her chest. “Was he also murdered?”

“That has not yet been determined,” Maxwell said.

Mrs. Kilgore turned her head toward the back of the house. “I think I hear someone knocking.”

Tilda had thought she’d heard it too. “That will be Mr. Clement. I asked him to come to the back door. Would you mind letting him in?”

Nodding, Mrs. Kilgore turned and left the parlor.

Maxwell blinked at Tilda. “I didn’t know he was coming.”