Page 27 of A Whisper in the Shadows (Raven & Wren #4)
T ilda exchanged a brief glance with Clement and managed to silently communicate that she wished to speak with him. A few moments later, he meandered by her, and she whispered, “Call at Number Five White Alley this evening. At the back door.”
Clement didn’t nod, but their eyes met the barest moment, and she knew he understood.
After milling around the common room a few more minutes, Tilda, Hadrian, and Maxwell took their leave.
When they were a distance from the pub, Tilda, who walked between the two men, looked first at Hadrian and then at Maxwell.
“Mrs. Atkins called the society a movement. Do you suppose anyone else thinks of it in that way?”
Hadrian chuckled. “Mrs. Atkins seemed quite dedicated to a society in which she cannot even be a member.”
“I found that puzzling,” Maxwell said. He glanced at Hadrian. “And she was rather taken with you.”
Tilda looked toward Hadrian. “I noticed that as well. Perhaps we can use that to our advantage at tea tomorrow.”
Hadrian grimaced. “If we must.”
Maxwell frowned as they turned into White Alley.
“I’m very disappointed I cannot accompany you to Mrs. Atkins’s.
This job at the mercantile house is becoming a burden, in addition to being horribly tedious.
I’m not able to learn anything there. I wish they needed a second canvasser, but it’s proving challenging enough to persuade them to hire one—even with Mrs. Atkins offering to pay for the position. ”
Tilda understood Maxwell’s frustration. She disliked not being an investigator out in the open, but at least she was able to make inquiries as Mrs. Harwood. Maxwell was stuck working at a job that only served to support his own disguise. “Perhaps you should try to fill the other open position.”
“The third administrator?” Maxwell asked. They’d arrived at Number Five, and Maxwell unlocked the door, opening it for Tilda to walk inside. She removed her hat as Hadrian and Maxwell followed her into the entrance hall.
Maxwell secured the door behind them. “I would have to convince Furnier and Nevill—but mostly Furnier—that I have a higher purpose in wanting to fill this role. I could tell them I have access to a wealthy benefactor who may wish to invest in the society—someone like Mrs. Atkins.”
Tilda walked into the parlor and perched on the settle.
Hadrian followed and sat next to her. “But does the society need another Mrs. Atkins? And how would you know a wealthy benefactor?”
“I could say my mother works as a housekeeper in Mayfair,” Maxwell suggested as he took one of the chairs. “Perhaps she works for the Earl of Ravenhurst.” He smirked at Hadrian.
Hadrian chuckled. “That’s not bad.”
“It’s regrettable we didn’t realize there could be a wealthy benefactor in our scheme,” Maxwell said to Hadrian. “You could have participated in the investigation as yourself, which would probably have been more pleasing to you.”
Hadrian’s brows drew together sharply. “Do you think I mind pretending to work at a gentlemen’s club or taking on the role of canvasser? Don’t forget that I’m participating in this investigation because I want to, not because I’m being paid.”
“I’m aware.” Maxwell cocked his head. “And I do find it perplexing.”
“You shouldn’t,” Hadrian said crisply. “I’m doing this because I enjoy it, and because Miss Wren and I work well together.”
Tilda sensed an undercurrent of discord between the two men. “I would say it’s proven helpful to have the three of us.”
She wondered if Maxwell felt threatened because of Hadrian’s title. But why would Hadrian be annoyed? He was no longer on the outside. He was very much part of this investigation.
Tilda wanted to return to discussing Maxwell’s idea of trying to become one of the administrators. “Since the society already has a benefactress in Mrs. Atkins, it might be more compelling if you had a personal reason for wanting to be involved with the society’s growth and management.”
“Well, that is rather easy,” Maxwell said plainly. “I do have a personal reason. I lost two siblings when they were young, and their funerals were a financial hardship.”
Hadrian swung his attention to Maxwell. “I’m very sorry to hear of your losses,” he said softly.
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 have a 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.”
“I invited him after the meeting,” she said. “I knew we’d have matters to discuss regarding the investigation.”
Ezra Clement entered the parlor a few moments later.
His bright yellow plaid pants made the furnishings look even duller.
“Good evening, Miss Wren, Lord Ravenhurst.” His gaze settled on Maxwell last. “You must be Inspector Maxwell, though I deduced that at the inquest when you sat with Miss Wren and his lordship.” He offered his hand to Maxwell, who rose to shake it.
“Welcome, Mr. Clement. Please, sit.” He gestured to the remaining open chair and retook his seat.
Clement situated himself. “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Inspector, and glad to be a part of the investigative team.”
Maxwell scowled faintly. “What have you to share with us this evening?”
“I confirmed that Eaton was indeed skimming money that he collected on behalf of the Prudential Assurance Company. He would tell clients one number that was always higher than what was actually due, and he kept the difference.”
“So much for Rippon’s insistence that his friend would never do such a thing,” Hadrian noted sardonically.