Page 20 of Murder in Disguise (Mary and Bright #5)

Off Bond Street

Near Cork Street mews

Mayfair, London

Gabriel had too much restless energy flowing through his veins as he and Mary cooled their heels in a small parlor above a jewelry store.

It seemed that Mr. Jasper Westman, owner and proprietor of fine jewelry, lived in the two floors above his shop.

And when they’d come to call, that was when he discovered that Mrs. Westman had died six months ago.

“For goodness sake, Bright, sit down,” Mary ordered him in a soft voice. “You’ll wear a path in the carpet.”

“I can’t. We have already wasted time last night. It’s of the essence now.”

Last night once they’d poked about the death site where they’d found no clues, they’d gone into St. James Place on the trail of the modiste whose shop had been violated with the corpse tableau.

After talking with her—they’d been fortunate enough to find her on the pavement outside an elegant townhouse waiting on her carriage—that conversation had also given them nothing to follow.

Of course, the modiste was visibly upset that her shop had been used as a disposal for a corpse.

Mary had attempted to comfort her, but she’d been too far gone for that.

They’d broken off the investigation and came home around ten o’clock, and there had been just enough strength left to nibble at the cold cuts and bread the cook had left out for them before they’d retired to bed.

Only to wake up to do it all over again today.

Except the mission this morning was to inform the jeweler that his daughter was found dead last night.

“It couldn’t be helped,” Mary said as she brushed at a spot of lint on her navy serge skirt. “Investigations take time; and thorough investigations take more time. I’ve never known you to overlook any avenue when you’re detecting.”

“There is that.” Gabriel stopped pacing and met her gaze. “Thank you for that, and I hope you know I couldn’t do this without you.”

“I do, but I appreciate the occasional reminder.”

Before either of them could say more, a man came into the room, and Gabriel could see from the resignation on his face that the man just knew why they were there.

“Mr. Westman, I presume?” he asked as he approached the short man with a round belly, round face, and round cheeks.

“Yes.” Dark circles left shadows beneath his eyes, and a veil of exhaustion quickly came over him. “My butler told me you are Inspector Bright with Bow Street.”

Gabriel nodded. “I was with them a couple of years ago. Now I’m a private consultant, called in to work the cases of the missing young women.” He offered his hand. “I’m sorry we have met under such circumstances.”

“As am I.” The jeweler shook his hand then peered past his shoulder at Mary. “And who is this?”

“My wife, Mary. She is my partner in many of my private investigations.”

“What a lovely arrangement.” For the space of a few heartbeats, a brightness came over the other man’s face before the sadness and desperation came back in. “Can I assume that you’ve found my Lillian?”

Aw, damn. Such a pretty name. “We have.” Gabriel gestured toward one of the sofas. “Mr. Westman, perhaps you should sit down.” He glanced at Mary, for this wasn’t his favorite part of the position. “Would you start us off?”

“Of course.” She had a way of delivering terrible news so that it wasn’t quite so harsh.

When she sat on a chair near Mr. Westman’s location, there was so much compassion in her eyes that Gabriel’s heart skipped a beat.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Westman, your daughter’s body was found in Mayfair last night, in a modiste’s shop. ”

“Dear God.” The jeweler clutched a hand to his chest where Gabriel feared his heart might attack him. “She’d gone missing a week ago. I’d hoped she might be found alive, but in my soul, I knew she wouldn’t, especially after the first two girls were found dead.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Westman,” he murmured as he dropped into a chair that matched the one Mary occupied.

“Was, she, uh, mangled?” Clearly, the father was distraught, for he kept shoving his hands through his thinning blond-gray hair then clutching his chest. Perhaps the girl had acquired her red hair from her mother.

“No.” Mary shook her head. She leaned forward and laid a hand on his arm, and he calmed.

“The way this killer works is stabbing a pin of some sort through the base of his victim’s skulls, which punctures vital tissues and arteries.

There is no mess and hardly even blood, for the method of killing produces an aneurism or bleeding on the brain.

When we found your daughter, she looked peaceful. ”

“Did she suffer, Mrs. Bright? I couldn’t bear that.”

Tears filled Mary’s eyes. “We don’t believe so, Mr. Westman.”

Gabriel forced down a hard swallow. It might be a lie, but they couldn’t be certain, for so much wasn’t known about the brain beyond what the coroner had told them. “Once Bow Street’s coroner is finished with his exam, you may collect your daughter’s body for burial.”

“Thank you.” The jeweler nodded. “I never thought this would happen. When I lost my wife earlier this year, I lived for my daughter.” His voice broke. “My wife wanted her to marry well, and since I have connections within the ton , I was able to find a sponsor for Lillian…”

That was interesting. Gabriel’s eyebrows rose. “Which family was that?”

Mr. Westman heaved a sigh. “She was best friends with the daughter of Viscount Tottersham. He died a few years back and his son holds the title now.” He shook his head.

“I don’t care for the son; he’s too much a rake for my peace of mind, but Lillian adored the sister, and when they offered to sponsor her, how could I refuse? ”

“That was quite the boon,” Mary said with a nod as she slid a glance at Gabriel, for this was the second time the young viscount had come up in conversation as an unsavory character. “Did the current Lord Tottersham flirt with your daughter or make her feel uncomfortable in any way?”

“The man flirted with everything in skirts.” Anger threaded through the jeweler’s voice. “He wasn’t a good fit for my daughter, and I told her to avoid him while out and about.”

“What did she say?” Gabriel wanted to know as Mary jotted down notes.

“She agreed. Said he wasn’t the sort of man she wanted for herself anyway.”

Mary nodded. “Did he keep on?”

“For a bit. Asked a handful of questions about the jewelry I had on hand in the jewelry shop. I didn’t like that at all, and told Lillian that. Had the feeling the viscount would try a robbery. My daughter was skilled in avoiding him, and eventually he lost interest.”

“Is he the type to take rejection badly?”

“I would have no idea. I didn’t concern myself with the likes of him.”

“Did your daughter seem worried or anxious about anything prior to her being kidnapped? Did she confide in you if she was?”

“Now that you mention it, Lillian had been quiet of late, and she suffered from exhaustion. I thought her pale skin and listless behavior was due to taking on too much during the Season, or perhaps she suffered from the lurgy.”

He frowned. “You didn’t ask what ailed her?”

“Every time I did, she said it was nothing to concern myself with, and that things would prove right as rain quite soon.” Another swath of sadness went over his face. “If you don’t mind, I need time to myself after this news.”

Damn.

Slowly, Gabriel stood. “Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Westman. My partner and I will have a conversation with the viscount.”

“I hope it yields something for you.” The short man stood, as did Mary.

She laid a hand on the jeweler’s arm. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Westman. Please know, again, how sorry we are about your daughter.”

“Thank you.” He nodded. “For all our sakes, please catch this murderer, Inspector, Mrs. Bright. Don’t let any other girls be killed for whatever reason.”

“I’m certainly going to try.” Bright’s smile felt all too tight as he offered a hand to his wife. “If we’re fortunate, the viscount won’t still be abed, seeing as how calling hours have barely started.”

Tottersham House

Hanover Square

Mayfair, London

Gabriel narrowed his eyes when the viscount finally came into the parlor where he and Mary had been waiting for the past hour. “It’s about time you decided to grace us with your presence, my lord.”

Possibly in his late twenties, the man swaggered in as if he were the most important person in the world.

The sunlight streaming through the window put a blue sheen in his black hair.

Not exactly lean but not overweight for his height either, his form had nothing interesting about it, perhaps because he was so young.

Arrogance and contempt reflected in his eyes.

He peered down his hawk-like nose at Gabriel while completely ignoring Mary.

For that, Gabriel disliked the man.

Immensely.

“I was still abed, until I was rudely awakened by my valet, being told I had guests who were quite insistent.” The viscount frowned as he crossed his arms at his chest. “What could possibly prove so urgent?”

Gabriel glanced at Mary, who shrugged. Clearly, she wanted nothing to do with this man.

Focusing on the viscount, he blew out a breath.

“A Miss Lillian Westman was found dead last night. She is the third girl in a week, and one of the people who ties them together is the fact that you knew all of them. Care to explain?”

Boredom flickered through the younger man’s expression. “What’s to tell? I like to keep options open, and there is a wide selection of debs out this year.”

God, what a prick. “So, then you flirted with Miss Westman, as well as Miss Bilson and Miss Sheridan?”

“I’d imagine so if they were more than passingly pretty.” The viscount shrugged. “I’ll wager you acted the same when you were my age.”