Page 106 of Murder at the Mayfair Hotel

“Nor was I, when I confided my suspicions to her. It was Mr. Armitage who made the connection.”

“Mrs. Kettering told him I was with one of the guests, didn’t she?” Edith asked.

“She suspected you were.”

“I hate her,” she bit off.

I didn’t tell her the housekeeper’s own crimes. It seemed irrelevant now.

“What did you do with the teacup that held the poison?” the inspector asked.

“Threw it away in a lane.” Edith tried to sit up higher but hissed in pain. “So you see now that it was me who poisoned her, Inspector.”

“You did it for him,” he said. “He put the idea into your head, he gave you the poison, and the means to do it and cover it up later. He’s just as guilty, if not more so. You can argue in court that he lied to you and that his charismatic presence put you under his spell.”

She seemed to consider this. “But he won’t hang, will he? Not when he didn’t do the poisoning.”

“It’s not up to me to decide his fate.”

She started to cry again. “I don’t want my words to lead to his death.”

“The inspector will speak to you again before the trial,” I said before the inspector could answer. “Thank you for your help, Edith. You’ve been so brave in speaking to us today. Truly marvelous considering all you’ve been through. Everyone is very grateful.”

Afterwards, when Detective Inspector Hobart and I were finally outside again, he turned to me. “That was a little thick at the end, wasn’t it?”

“It was necessary if you want Edith to testify. The last thing you want is for her to retract her statement.”

“Why would she?”

I blinked up at the pale glow of the sun, trying to pierce through the gray clouds only to fail. “Edith did what Conrad wanted because he knew how to make her feel worthy. He made her feel good about herself after years of being overlooked. If you make her feel important, and that she is central to the investigation, then she might turn her attention to you. She might want to please you instead of him.”

He looked up at the sun too then at me. “If that’s your way of asking me to go gently with her, then I will, if it’ll get her to testify at Conrad’s trial. I want him to be found guilty.”

He didn’t mention Edith’s guilt, and I didn’t ask. It was impossible to know if a jury would sympathize and let her off or would consider her to be just as guilty as Conrad.

I shook off the melancholia that had descended upon me when I first saw Edith lying bruised and battered in the bed. The horrid events were over and it was time to move forward. It was a new century after all, full of possibility. I couldn’t wait to see what it held for me.

I smiled at the inspector. “You policemen might be good at detecting, but you’d be even better if you combined that with a knowledge of human nature.”

“I understand something of human nature,” he said defensively. “Just not women.” He smiled. “Don’t tell Mrs. Hobart I said that.”

I laughed. “If what you say is true, then it’s quite likely she’s already well aware.”

He chuckled. “She’d like you, Miss Fox. You should come to tea.”

My laughter faded. “I’m afraid she hasn’t forgiven me for getting your son dismissed. I can hardly blame her. I’d be furious with me too.”

“She’ll come around. As a matter of fact, she invited you to join us for tea this afternoon.”

I eyed him with suspicion. I doubted she’d invited me but it wasn’t polite to question him.

“Harry will be there,” he added.

“And you?”

“I have a few things to finish at the Yard after hearing Edith’s confession, but the investigation is largely wrapped up now, so I can manage it.”

At least there’d be one friendly face there, although I wasn’t entirely sure if the inspector had forgiven me yet, despite appearances to the contrary.