Page 5

THREE

V ictory. Perhaps.

Relief spiked with a flicker of hope shot through Ursula. She raised her brows at the cold steel in Slater’s words.

“You have made it clear that you do not approve of what I intend to do,” she said. “What more is there to discuss?”

He eyed her for a long, steady moment and then he seemed to remember that he was holding his spectacles in one hand.

Very deliberately he put them on—and she was suddenly quite certain that he did not need them.

He wore them for the same reason she wore a widow’s veil, as a shield against the prying gaze of Society.

“What makes you so sure that your secretary was murdered?” he finally asked.

At least he was asking questions now, she thought. That was progress.

“There are a number of reasons,” she said.

“I’m listening.”

“I’m quite certain that Anne did not take her own life. There was no evidence of cyanide or any other poison in the vicinity.”

“Poisons can be subtle in their outward effects.”

“Yes, I know, but even so, Anne was not the least bit depressed. She had recently moved into a nice little house that she was looking forward to purchasing. She had bought new furniture and a new gown. She seemed very happy in her work with a client of long standing and she was making an excellent salary. In addition, Anne hinted that she was occasionally receiving handsome gratuities from her client. In short, Anne was not suffering from any financial problems.”

Slater regarded her with a thoughtful expression and then he walked back across the room. Once again he leaned against his desk and folded his arms. His eyes burned a little behind the lenses of his spectacles.

“I have been told that those who lose friends and loved ones to suicide often say they never saw any advance indications of the victim’s intentions,” he said.

Ursula turned to face him. “That may be true. All I can tell you is that in recent weeks Anne was in excellent spirits. She was so cheerful, in fact, that I had begun to wonder if she was involved in a romantic relationship.”

“That could be your explanation,” Slater said. “A star-crossed love affair.”

“I admit I had begun to wonder if, perhaps, Anne had made the mistake of becoming intimately involved with a man who was connected to her client’s household.

I have rules against that sort of thing, of course, and I do my best to protect my secretaries.

Forming a romantic liaison with a client or someone connected to the client is always an extremely reckless thing to do. It never ends well.”

“I see,” Slater said, his tone very neutral now.

“The thing is, Anne was a woman of the world. It’s quite possible that she ignored the rules. The client’s husband is a wealthy, powerful man and wealthy, powerful men are often careless when it comes to their affairs.”

Slater said nothing. He just looked at her.

She remembered somewhat belatedly that Slater Roxton was a wealthy, powerful man.

“The thing is,” she continued hurriedly, “Anne was quite capable of protecting herself in such matters. She might enjoy a discreet dalliance but she would never be so foolish as to fall in love with a man she knew could never return her affections.”

Slater gave that some thought. “You say that Anne was doing rather well financially.”

“She was comfortably established with some funds put aside for retirement and a bit of jewelry.”

“Did she leave her possessions and the retirement money to someone?”

Ursula winced. “I was Anne’s sole heir.”

“I see.” Slater exhaled slowly. “Well, there goes that theory of the crime. I can’t imagine that you would be undertaking an investigation that might lead to your arrest.”

“Thank you for that bit of logic. I assure you, I had no reason to want her dead. She was one of my best secretaries—an asset to my agency in every conceivable way. In addition, we were friends. She was the first person who agreed to work for my agency when I went into business two years ago.”

“You say you do not suspect suicide. What makes you think that Miss Clifton might have been murdered?”

“I found a short note next to the body.”

“A farewell note?” Slater asked. His voice gentled with a surprising sympathy.

“No, at least not in the way you mean. She wrote the note with a pencil. I think she was trying to point me toward her killer.”

A great intensity infused Slater. “She wrote the note in pencil? She did not use a pen?”

He did understand, she thought.

“Exactly my point, sir,” she said. “I do not think that she had time to use a pen. That would have required opening the ink bottle, filling the pen and laying out a sheet of paper in the proper way. A note explaining one’s suicide would be a deliberate act, don’t you think?

An experienced secretary would have used pen and paper.

The fact that she only scribbled a few words in pencil tells me that she was in a great rush.

No, Mr. Roxton. Anne did not leave a farewell note. She tried to leave a message—for me.”

“This note was addressed to you?”

“Well, no, but it was written in her own shorthand. She knew I was probably the only person who would be able to read it.”

“What did the note tell you?”

“It was in her unique stenographer’s script. It directed me to the location of the notebook and her little collection of jewelry. Oh, and there were two packets of seeds there, as well. I can’t imagine for the life of me why she hid the seeds. It is another mystery.”

“Where, exactly, did she conceal all those items?” Slater asked.

“Behind the convenience. Didn’t I mention that? Sorry.”

Slater looked quite blank. “The convenience?”

Ursula cleared her throat. “The water closet, Mr. Roxton.”

“Right. The convenience. My apologies. I’ve spent most of the past few years out of the country. I’m a bit rusty when it comes to polite euphemisms.”

“I understand.”

“Regarding this note Miss Clifton left—it’s obvious why she would conceal her jewelry. You said you don’t know why she concealed the seeds. But what of the notebook? Any thoughts on why she would hide it?”

“An excellent question,” Ursula said, warming to her theme. “I spent most of last night trying to transcribe several pages but the process did not shed any light on the problem. It’s all poetry, you see.”

“Anne Clifton wrote poetry?”

“No, her client did. Lady Fulbrook is a wealthy but extremely reclusive woman. She employed Anne to take dictation and transcribe the poems on a typewriter. Anne said that Lady Fulbrook is recovering from a case of shattered nerves and that the doctor prescribed writing poetry as a form of therapy.”

Slater was briefly distracted. “What sort of poetry?”

Ursula felt the heat rising in her cheeks. She assumed a professional tone.

“The poems appear to be devoted to the themes of love.”

“Love.” Slater sounded as if he was unfamiliar with the word.

Ursula waved one gloved hand in a vague way. “Endless longing, the travails of lovers who are separated by fate or circumstances beyond their control. Transcendent waves of passion. The usual sort of thing.”

“Transcendent waves of passion,” Slater repeated.

Again he spoke as if the concept was utterly foreign to him.

She was quite certain she caught a flash of amusement in his eyes. She tightened her grip on her satchel and told herself that she would not allow him to draw her into an argument about the merits of love poetry.

“Although the themes are obvious, there are some odd elements in the poems—numbers and words that don’t seem to suit the meter. That’s why I’m not sure if I’m transcribing the dictation properly,” she said. “As I explained, over time a skilled secretary’s stenography becomes a very personal code.”

“But you can decipher Miss Clifton’s code?”

“I am attempting to do so. But I’m not sure what good it will do.” Ursula sighed. “It’s poetry, after all. What can it tell me about the reason for Anne’s murder?”

“The first question you must ask is, why did Miss Clifton go to the trouble of concealing her notebook?”

“I know, but I cannot imagine a reasonable answer.”

“The answer is always concealed within the question,” Slater said.

“What on earth is that supposed to mean?”

“Never mind. You suspect that Anne Clifton might have become involved in a liaison with the client’s husband, don’t you?”

“With Lord Fulbrook, yes, it has crossed my mind.”

Slater was starting to take an interest in the situation, Ursula thought. A great sense of relief came over her. Perhaps she would not be alone in this inquiry.

“Any idea why Fulbrook would go to the trouble of murdering Miss Clifton? Not to be callous about such matters, but high-ranking gentlemen frequently discard mistresses. There is rarely any need for them to resort to violence.”

Ursula realized she had a death grip on the handle of the satchel.

“I am aware of that, Mr. Roxton,” she said through her teeth. “Which makes Anne’s death all the more suspicious.”

“What of Lady Fulbrook? If she was jealous of her husband’s attentions to Anne Clifton—”

Ursula shook her head. “No, I’m quite sure that is not the case.

According to Anne, Lady Fulbrook is very unhappy in her marriage.

I was given the impression that she is also quite timid.

Evidently she goes about in fear of her husband, who has a violent temper.

It is difficult to envision such a woman committing murder in a fit of jealousy. ”

“Jealousy is a wildfire of an emotion. Very unpredictable.”

In that moment Ursula was certain that Slater viewed all strong emotions, in particular those associated with passion, as wildfires to be contained and controlled at all costs.

She straightened her shoulders. “There is another factor to consider. Anne told me that Lady Fulbrook never leaves her house. That is not just because of her poor nerves. Evidently her husband does not allow her to go out unless he, personally, escorts her.”

“So, we’re back to Lord Fulbrook as our main suspect. Do you think Anne had an affair with him?”