His Fatal Legacy, page 21
He was escorted into Robert’s study by Forbes, who he was quite sure didn’t like him, and was poured a Scotch before being left alone to await his friend. Robert appeared a couple of minutes later and extended a hand to him.
‘Good to see you, Andrew. I wasn’t expecting you.’
‘I know, terribly rude of me,’ he replied, shaking his hand. ‘But I have some news you really want to hear. It’s to do with Knapp.’
Andrew watched Robert’s reaction to this statement carefully. His eyes narrowed a little but other than that, there was no reaction, to Andrew’s disappointment, but then again, his friend was very good at concealing his emotions. He thought how much older Robert looked – not physically, he was still sickeningly youthful and handsome, but there was an air of gravity about him that would have been more appropriate on an older man.
‘What about him?’ was Robert’s reply.
‘I’ve just been accosted in the street by Inspector Murphy, you know, the darling of the Edinburgh police force. He wanted to ask me about my friendship with you. He also asked if I knew Knapp.’
‘And what did you tell him?’ Robert enquired, so casually he could have been asking the time.
‘I told him we were the best of friends and that I only met Knapp at the brothel when he dragged you out and at Alardyce when he escorted you home. I didn’t mention the elopement.’
Robert nodded. ‘Good.’
‘Is that all you’ve got to say, good?’
‘What do you want me to say?’
‘You can tell me what’s going on, for a start. Why is this inspector so interested in you? Does he think you’re something to do with Knapp’s death?’
‘I’ve no idea. He came here asking questions and he spoke to my father too. I think he’s struggling to solve the case, so he’s trying to blame the most convenient person.’
‘Which is you?’
‘It seems so. Why, I have no idea.’
‘You once told me, Robert, that you wouldn’t lie to me. I’ve never broken your confidence, nor would I, so you can trust me.’
‘I do trust you, Andrew, and I’m sorry to disappoint, but I’m really nothing to do with it. I didn’t like Knapp, but I had no reason to kill him. Besides, I wouldn’t have been able to get near him. He was a lot tougher than Tompkins. My life is perfect, so why would I ruin it?’
Andrew had to own that his explanation was a convincing one and that he did seem to be being truthful. But then his friend was a changed man, and he might have just got better at lying.
‘The newspapers are saying this man Bruce killed Knapp anyway,’ added Robert.
‘Yes, I did hear about that.’
‘Perhaps Murphy was bluffing?’
‘What do you mean?’ frowned Andrew.
‘I mean that maybe you’re the main focus of his attention and he only asked you about me as an excuse to talk to you. Have you been up to anything, Andrew?’
‘Me? Of course not. I’m perfectly innocent.’
‘We both know that’s not true,’ said Robert, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smile. ‘You haven’t engaged in any more frauds, have you?’ His eyes widened. ‘You’re not Terence Burgess, are you?’
‘Who the devil is Terence Burgess?’
‘It’s the latest scandal. He set up an insurance scam and ran off with all the capital put into the business by his investors. The police are currently hunting him and I’m guessing their first port of call will be anyone with a history of fraud behind them, which includes you.’
Panic exploded inside Andrew. ‘But that was years ago.’
‘It was only three years, still fresh enough to be remembered, and everyone knows how clever you are.’
‘It wasn’t me,’ he exclaimed.
‘Then I suggest you lie low for a while and hope Murphy forgets all about you. Just bury yourself in your work and lead a quiet life. It might be best to avoid Vivienne’s too until everything calms down.’
‘Yes, you’re right,’ said Andrew, so afraid for himself he didn’t question anything Robert had said. He downed his Scotch with a nervous swallow. ‘I’d better go home. I think I’ll have a quiet night in.’
‘Very wise,’ said Robert, clapping him on the shoulder. ‘Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll catch the fellow, then you can breathe easy. It might be a good idea not to go flaunting the money you won betting on me; the police might question where it came from and bare-knuckle fights are illegal. Just lead a dull, quiet life for the next few months and it’ll all blow over.’
Andrew nodded, looking pale. ‘I can’t believe Murphy tricked me like that, the sneaky swine.’
‘That’s police officers for you.’
Robert smiled to himself as he watched his friend leave, so worried he didn’t even say goodbye. Was there nothing he couldn’t do?
He gave it ten minutes before leaving the house. It was time to celebrate. He would stalk the streets and find another woman whose back he could stripe. He deserved a treat.
Amy was taking a walk in the grounds of Alardyce House, lost in her own thoughts. Once again, the peace of her life had been shattered. There weren’t many women who had to tolerate the toxic influence of their son’s father over their child after he’d died. It was tempting to blame everything on Matthew, but she knew she couldn’t. Robert did bad things because he liked doing them. The worst thing was she suspected she was helpless to stop him. He was too secure in his own power and success.
She stopped by the elegant stone building they used as a summerhouse. The old one, where Henry had witnessed her disgrace herself with Matthew, had been knocked down, and this new one held only happy memories of times she and the children had played together, and intimate moments with her husband. However, no matter how hard she tried, she could not shake off the spectre of the past. She would always be a haunted woman.
As she exited the front of the summerhouse, she thought the tall, dark figure striding towards her was another ghost, until she realised she could hear the rustle of his feet as he walked across the lawn. The man’s demeanour was very determined and, for some reason, he looked familiar.
‘Lady Alardyce?’ he called.
His Irish accent gave her the final clue she needed. ‘Inspector Murphy, I take it?’
‘Yes, your ladyship. I wondered if I might have a word?’
Behind him, she saw a panting Rush appear from around the side of the house, for once looking a little frantic.
‘Sorry… my lady,’ he gasped, struggling for breath as he hurried to catch up with the policeman. ‘He wouldn’t wait… house…’
‘It’s quite all right, Rush,’ she replied. ‘You can go back inside. I’ll talk to the inspector.’
‘Yes… my lady,’ he gasped, throwing Murphy a disdainful scowl before turning and making his way back to the house even more slowly than he would normally move.
‘I’m sorry for upsetting your butler, your ladyship,’ said Murphy. ‘But this is police business.’
‘Has something happened? Are my husband and children all right?’
‘They’re fine. I wish to talk to you about Mr Knapp.’
‘Surely it’s my husband you need to discuss that with? He’s gone to Police Chambers…’ She smiled when realisation struck. ‘It’s no coincidence he’s asked to go there and then you show up.’
‘One of my colleagues must have asked him to go in. I do apologise, I knew nothing of it.’
‘I don’t believe in coincidences, Inspector. Neither do I appreciate being lied to.’
Amy was so dignified that Murphy felt ashamed of his little deception. ‘You’re right. I’m sorry, but it is vital I speak to you in private.’
‘And I would have granted you an audience had you just asked like a gentleman.’
‘That is something I shall bear in mind in the future. I do hope you will give me a moment of your time now, although I admit I don’t deserve it.’
‘Very well, but we shall walk as we talk. I’m not cutting short my turn about the grounds.’
‘You’re very gracious. I don’t often get to walk in beautiful gardens such as these. My life is taken up with the seedier side of the city.’
‘I can imagine, but it’s important to appreciate the beautiful things in life. It reminds us that the world isn’t entirely lost.’
He glanced sideways at her as she spoke, the sadness clear in her voice. He bore in mind that this woman had just as much experience of the criminal element as himself. Murphy could see what Andrew Charteris had meant. She was a handsome woman, her coiled chestnut hair catching the light, reflecting a myriad of colours, and her figure was very upright and strong, her hips curvaceous and breasts large, which was what he liked, and he found he couldn’t stop looking her way as they walked. There was something irresistible about her that demanded closer attention, although he couldn’t have said exactly what that was. No wonder there’d been such a furore around this woman. That unnameable seductive something was bound to attract attention.
‘I was very sad to hear about Mr Knapp,’ opened Amy, surprising the inspector. He was used to people clamming up until they absolutely had to speak. ‘I greatly admired him.’
‘May I ask why?’
‘He had a very strong sense of right and wrong.’
‘How did you feel about him being sent to watch over your son? I assume Sir Henry arranged all that?’
‘He did and I thought it was a good idea. Robert was being rather rebellious at the time and he needed a strong hand.’
‘Forgive me for sounding rude, but was Sir Henry unable to be that strong hand?’
‘Oh, no. Henry is a good disciplinarian, but he and Robert weren’t getting along at the time and were constantly arguing. You could call it a clash of personalities, they are rather similar and it wasn’t pleasant for our other children, so we decided Robert needed some time away from the estate. It worked, too. He was much calmer when he returned.’
‘And he married his wife shortly after?’
Amy forced herself not to glance his way, afraid he’d read something in her eyes, she could feel how closely he was watching her. ‘Yes.’
‘Wasn’t that rather quick for a boy who had been misbehaving?’
‘I don’t think so. He and Jane were very much in love and their separation only seemed to be making things worse. It was the right thing to do because getting married certainly calmed him down and he’s an excellent husband and father.’
Murphy glanced at her sharply. Did he detect doubt in her voice? She seemed so calm and in control he decided he’d imagined it. ‘No banns were read before the wedding.’
‘We decided against it. You see, our family has endured so much scandal. When other people get a whiff of anything involving us, we’re once again studied, judged, sometimes even ridiculed. Robert and Jane didn’t want their wedding turned into a farce and neither did we, so we arranged a quiet ceremony here at Alardyce and the news was broken shortly after.’
Murphy was annoyed that this made sense. ‘You must be very proud of your son,’ he said, not taking his eyes off her as he spoke.
‘I am.’
‘He’s been very successful in business and he beat Tommy Tompkins in a bare-knuckle fight. That’s quite an achievement for an eighteen-year-old.’
‘He’s always been a very bright boy,’ she slowly replied.
‘His father had a very good head for business too.’
‘Yes, Henry does,’ she replied, wilfully ignoring his use of the past tense, seeing exactly where he was going.
‘I was referring to Matthew Crowle.’
‘I know you were, Inspector, but I have no wish to discuss him.’
‘Does Robert miss his real father?’
Her blue eyes were as sharp as knives as she glanced his way. ‘What a ridiculous question.’
‘Is it?’
She came to a halt, turning to face him. ‘His real father was a confidence trickster, rapist and murderer. None of us like to think about him and I refuse to answer any more of your questions until I know why you’re asking about Robert.’
‘I’m looking into the people Knapp was close to, who he interacted with.’ He glanced down at her hands, which she wrung together. Although they were hidden by gloves, he knew the fingers were twisted and deformed thanks to Edward Alardyce and his mad compulsions.
‘It’s over a year since we last saw Knapp,’ said Amy. ‘In the time between then and his death, I’m sure he met with lots of different people, so I fail to see why you’re harassing my family and friends. I know that not only have you spoken to Henry, Robert and now myself but you’ve gone around the village asking questions too. If you’re trying to insinuate that Mr Knapp’s death was something to do with my family – which I can tell you it’s not – then I’d rather you just came out with it, instead of snooping around asking your devious questions.’
‘Very well, Lady Alardyce, I can see that you’re the type of woman who prefers to face things head on. I believe someone hired some thugs to murder Mr Knapp and I suspect that person was your eldest son.’
Amy’s cheeks flushed with colour but Murphy spotted the fear in her eyes before it was replaced with indignation.
‘How dare you,’ she hissed. ‘My son would never do anything like that. Why do people always have to try and drag him down? We’ve endured censure and ridicule from society and just when we’re finally being accepted again – which is all thanks to my son, by the way – you want to drag us down. Well, I won’t let you and if you dare slander Robert again, then my husband will ensure you’re stripped of your position and set to work as a night watchman in the filthiest, most degraded slum in the city. Now get off my land before I have you thrown off,’ she yelled before marching back to the house.
He took a moment to admire that fine figure of hers as she returned to the house, shaking with indignation. Judging by the way she moved, all the physical trauma she’d endured in her life hadn’t adversely affected her.
Murphy left Alardyce, pleased with his day’s work. He’d shown his hand, but he knew he wouldn’t get any evidence against Robert for Knapp’s murder because there was nothing to find. However, panicking people made stupid mistakes and if Robert knew he was being actively investigated, he might be pushed into making one.
24
Henry returned to Alardyce House after a rather puzzling and seemingly pointless conversation with a young sergeant at Police Chambers to be greeted by an extremely anxious wife.
‘Thank God you’re home,’ said Amy, running into his arms when he entered the drawing room.
‘What’s happened?’ he said, holding her close.
‘Inspector Murphy came here to talk to me.’
‘So that’s what the interview at Police Chambers was about. I thought it was all very odd.’
‘What did they ask you?’
‘They just wanted me to confirm everything I’d told Inspector Murphy, which I didn’t see the sense of. They didn’t even get me to sign a statement. It was a complete waste of time. Now I know it was so he could talk to you alone.’
‘He said he thinks Robert hired someone to kill Knapp.’
‘My God,’ he breathed.
Henry was forced to release her when she started to pace up and down the room.
‘It’s bad enough us suspecting him,’ she began. ‘But if the police do…’
‘They have no evidence, that’s why they’re pulling tricks to talk to us. They’re hoping to scare us into revealing something and we must not play into their hands. Inspector Murphy is extremely clever.’
‘What put him onto Robert in the first place?’
‘He must have found out that Knapp visited him just before he died and that they quarrelled.’
‘My boy can’t hang,’ Amy said, tears shining in her eyes. ‘He just can’t.’
‘I fear it’s worse than just Knapp.’
She stopped pacing to regard him, her skin turning pale. ‘What do you mean?’
He picked up the newspaper off the table, searched through the pages and held it out to her. ‘You need to read this.’
She took it from him with a shaking hand and scanned the article. ‘Another woman attacked in the street and beaten. Sweet Lord, she was strangled.’
‘Thankfully she was released before it went too far.’
Amy’s hand involuntarily went to her neck. ‘Matthew did that to me,’ she rasped.
Henry’s jaw tensed, hating the thought of anyone hurting her. ‘It could be someone else doing this.’
‘No, it’s not. We both know the truth, Henry. I think it’s time we had it out with Robert.’
‘Perhaps we shouldn’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘Remember what I said – Murphy’s been pushing our family so Robert will make a mistake. If he had anything on him, he would have arrested him by now, but he hasn’t. If we steam in there and get Robert riled up, which is what will happen, he may take some retaliatory action that will point to his guilt. We mustn’t fall into Murphy’s trap, so we will carry on as normal…’
‘And pretend our son hasn’t killed anyone and that he isn’t attacking women?’
‘As distasteful as it is to me to say it, yes, for now, anyway. Let all this die down first. It will also give us time to work out how to handle Robert. Yelling at him and banning him from doing something won’t work any more. We must come up with a better way.’
‘You’re right,’ she said, thanking God for her husband’s wisdom and cool head. ‘We’ll carry on as normal and not see Robert.’ She sighed. ‘Sometimes I wonder whether we should protect him. He’s only going to get worse. A monster stalks this city and we’re doing nothing about it.’
‘Only to save him from the gallows. My influence wouldn’t be enough to stop him from being hanged. Knapp was very popular, especially in the Old Town, he was a champion of the people. If his killer escaped justice, there would be riots in the street and our family would become a target for their violence. We are isolated out here. They could burn the place to the ground with all of us inside before any help came. Even if we survived all that, the doors of society would be closed to our family again, ruining our children’s futures, as well as Emily’s.’
