Page 136 of Murder in Highbury

“Then do tell all, Mrs. Knightley,” Frank said, his good humor apparently restored by the scone. “The locals are agog with curiosity.”

“I’m afraid I cannot tell all that much,” she confessed. “Mr. Suckling was exceedingly rude. He refused to tell George where he’d been on the day of the murder, claimed that everyone in Highbury was a fool and a scoundrel, and was adamant that he would speak only to his solicitor and his wife. He even swore at George, if you can imagine.”

Mr. Weston huffed with disgust. “Outrageous. Man’s a thorough cad!”

“It was a great waste of my husband’s time, certainly,” Emma replied.

When George returned home two evenings ago after a long day, he’d been thoroughly out of sorts. He’d opined that Mr. Suckling was either quite mad for refusing to talk to him or was indeed Mrs. Elton’s killer.

“What will you do now?” Emma had asked him.

“I believe I must ride into London tomorrow and attempt to speak with Mrs. Suckling. Surely she will be more forthcoming and would at least wish to provide her husband with an alibi.”

That venture, unfortunately, had also proved less than satisfying.

“And what of Mrs. Suckling?” asked Mr. Weston. “I assume she’s still staying in London, in that town house they rented. Was Mr. Knightley able to speak with her?”

“George was kept waiting in the hall for twenty minutes, and then a servant informed him that Mrs. Suckling wouldn’t speak to him,” Emma dryly replied. “If I didn’t know better, I might even begin to think the woman doesn’t exist. After all, none of us have ever laid eyes on her.”

Frank shook his head. “Another sad waste of a day for Mr. Knightley.”

“Not entirely, because he stopped in Brunswick Square to speak with his brother, John, who has been looking into Mr. Suckling’s finances. Apparently, hehassuffered substantial losses and will be forced to retrench. John is of the opinion that he might even be forced to sell Maple Grove.”

“I doubt there is a bank or an investor in England that would be willing to lend him the necessary funds at this point,” commented Mr. Weston.

“Emma, do you truly think Mrs. Suckling was unaware of her husband’s financial difficulties?” asked Mrs. Weston. “Given that the situation is apparently so dire, that would seem hard to believe.”

“Mr. Elton is convinced she didn’t know. He said Mrs. Elton was determined to apprise her sister of the situation and enlist Mrs. Suckling’s help in recouping the funds, regardless of the consequences.”

Jane put down her teacup. “Are you suggesting that Mrs. Elton would have been willing to expose Mr. Suckling’s financial troubles?”

“So Mr. Elton believes. He claims it was the reason behind her murder in the first place.”

Jane firmly shook her head. “Mrs. Elton would never have exposed her sister to scandal or treated her so shabbily. They were exceedingly close. I believe she would have done everything she could to protect Mrs. Suckling, not humiliate her.”

Mr. Weston smiled kindly on her. “You would think so, my dear, but you have a very tender heart. Whatever good one might say about Mrs. Elton, one would never call her tender or sentimental.”

“No, I agree with Jane,” Frank put in. “Whatever her faults— and they were many—Mrs. Elton was genuinely devoted to Selina. She also set great store in her sister’s elevated status in society and would do everything she could to protect it.”

“Even at the expense of her own status and financial standing?” Emma asked.

“I believe so. After all, she stood more to gain by Mr. Suckling successfully retrenching than from going bankrupt. For one thing, how could she ever recover any of her lost savings if he did not?”

That observation struck Emma with significant force, as it cast an entirely new light on the situation.

“That’s very true, Frank,” she said. “What would she gain by exposing Mr. Suckling if he would then be unable to repay her?”

“Nothing, as far as I can see.”

“But the necklace,” said Mrs. Weston. “It was found in his luggage. Surely there could be no doubt about his guilt, given that evidence.”

Emma hesitated but then voiced an idea that until this moment had been nothing more than an ephemeral wisp dancing at the edge of her thoughts. “Unless someone planted the necklace in his bag, hoping to divert suspicion.”

That stunned the others into silence.

Mrs. Weston recovered first. “But who would do such a thing?”

“Possibly the person who found it,” Emma slowly replied.