Page 89 of A Whisper in the Shadows

“That is a question we’re still investigating,” Tilda said. “Though it may be one that we don’t find the answer to.” She regarded Clement expectantly. “What have you to report?”

Last time they worked with Clement, Tilda and the reporter had traded pieces of information one at a time. Clement would share something, then Tilda would do the same. It was an equitable exchange to prove they were both trustworthy. Hadrian expected she was doing the same now. She was waiting for Clement to share something before she told him about their leads into Eaton’s murder.

Clement met her gaze briefly before glancing at Hadrian and Maxwell. “I confirmed that Timothy Eaton does indeed have a sister in an orphanage in Whitechapel. She’s eleven years old, and without Eaton contributing money to her upkeep, they aregoing to turn her over to a workhouse soon.” Clement exhaled. “It seems Eaton had a somewhat good reason for his crimes.”

Hadrian felt a rush of empathy for the young man. Though Eaton had gone about things the wrong way, he may have felt he hadn’t any other choice to help his sister. “It’s too bad Eaton didn’t have her move into Mrs. Vickers’s lodging house with him.”

“It may not have been that simple,” Maxwell said, sounding a trifle cross. “How is a young working man like Eaton to take care of his younger sister, particularly if he has no experience with that? It isn’t our place to judge.”

“I wasn’t judging,” Hadrian retorted. “It’s just too bad families can’t always stay together.”

Maxwell’s gaze was cool. “I realize that is foreign to you, my lord, but here, it’s all too commonplace.”

Hadrian clenched his jaw. He wasn’t going to debate Maxwell, particularly when the man certainly knew better than Hadrian on this issue.

“I wish I had more to share about Eaton to help find his murderer,” Clement said.

“As it happens, we’ve made progress on that front.” Tilda told him about the naval dirk that Jarret had mentioned, as well as Nevill being a possible suspect. She did not tell him about the night soil men or the suspicion—which was more than that given Hadrian’s vision—that Nevill and Phelps may have worked together to kill Eaton. She concluded by simply saying that they were making further inquiries.

Clement inclined his head. “It sounds as though you have good leads. I want to look into these other friendly societies that Phelps—rather, Walters—started. A story about a man who serially swindled people using friendly societies will be of great interest to my readers.”

“You’ll travel to Reading?” Maxwell asked, appearing surprised.

Clement nodded. “And Maidstone and Guildford, but perhaps I will start by visiting the police station first thing tomorrow to see if I may interview Mrs. Walters.”

“She isn’t very forthcoming,” Maxwell said flatly. “Most of what she says is a half-truth or an outright lie. I think your time is better spent going to Reading.”

“Why do you suppose Phelps came to London alone?” Clement asked.

“My best guess is that he perhaps wanted to move on without her,” Maxwell replied. “But that’s only my intuition.”

Clement looked at Tilda. “Do you agree?”

She lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. He was carrying on some sort of affair with Mrs. Atkins, though that could have entirely been for the benefit of the society—or, perhaps more accurately—the benefit of his purse as he sought to gain her financial support. Hopefully, we will soon learn more about Phelps. Nevill and Furnier have just hired Ravenhurst as the Amicable Society’s new canvasser, and Maxwell is going to serve as a third administrator, at least temporarily, whilst they decide if they want him to stay permanently.”

Clement looked at Hadrian first and then Maxwell. “Are you now? That will give you excellent access to the society’s records and doings. You should be able to determine whether Nevill and Furnier were part of the swindle or not.”

“I can’t imagine they are,” Hadrian said. “Both of them are longtime residents of the ward. Nevill has a business there, and Furnier has a job and a wife. That would be rather audacious to cheat their neighbors, and if they had, I don’t know how they could expect to continue with the society. Wouldn’t they cut their losses? It seems to me Phelps started another friendly society with the intention of stealing its coffers and likelyhired Eaton, who’d already cheated at the Prudential Assurance Company, to assist him.”

Clement’s face creased into a faint grimace. “What you say has merit. I did learn something else that may be important. Furnier and his wife have lost four children, which is why they were keen to be a part of the Amicable Society. I would be surprised if Furnier had planned to commit fraud through the society.”

“How sad,” Tilda said. “I have found Furnier to be disagreeable, and it seems he has good reason to be.”

Hadrian met her gaze and nodded gently, feeling sorry for Furnier. He slid a glance toward Maxwell, who’d also lost family members. But then so had Hadrian and Tilda.

Whilst that was true, losing children was a terrible pain. Hadrian need only look at his mother to see the grief she still carried over losing Hadrian’s younger brother, Gabriel. Only recently, in fact, she’d tried to communicate with him in the afterlife.

“I think Dr. Giles is a likelier candidate for participating in the swindle,” Maxwell said. “He had motive, due to his desire to establish himself as a physician. Money would allow him to elevate his position and perhaps find his fortune in his chosen career.”

“I agree,” Hadrian said. “Dr. Giles has been very disappointed and angry about what’s happened with the society. He believes it’s cost him professional advancement, which is what he was hoping for when he agreed to work with them.”

Hadrian recalled the visions he’d had of the administrators arguing and he wished, not for the first time, that he could hear what was being said when he saw a memory. “Perhaps tomorrow night, when we attend our first administrative meeting, Maxwell and I will find out more about the inner workings of the society.Hopefully, we’ll have a better sense of whether the three men have a strong enough motive.”

Clement tapped his fingers on the table briefly. “It could be Dr. Giles. You did mention that he’d worked as a surgeon and has blades that could match Eaton’s wound. Has anyone spoken to Thetford about whether a surgeon’s tool might have been used?”

Tilda blinked. “No, but we should.” She looked over at Maxwell, and he nodded.

“I’ll send Thetford a note,” Maxwell said.