One Last Smile, page 13
In the process, he releases mine, and I step away so he can’t grab it again.
“Well, Minnie wouldn’t let it go. She kept coming by, pleading with Eliza to help her do something about the baby, pleading with Oliver to forgive her, pleading with the Carltons to protect her from her parents.”
“Her parents?”
“Well, they weren’t happy, were they? Honestly, if it had been Oliver who ‘did the deed,’ they probably would have been over the moon. A whole family of leeches, the Montclairs. But since it was… well, I don’t know who it was. Not Oliver. Anyway, it got to the point where I felt I had to intervene.”
My heart begins to pound. I take another step away from him. “How so?”
He notices the step and smiles at me. There’s some mirth in that smile, but mostly anguish laced liberally with affront. “I didn’t kill her, Mary,” he says softly. “I was gone home the day before she disappeared. You can check my plane ticket if you like. I still have it somewhere in my luggage. I went to her and told her that she needed to stop coming around and inciting the family. She made her mistake, and she needed to accept it.”
“How did she respond?”
“She asked me if I knew what my cousin was doing.”
“Which one?”
“She didn’t say. I assume Veronica, though, because she called her an unrepentant whore.”
I stiffen a little. “That’s a rather unkind thing to say about Veronica.”
“Unkind, yes. Unfortunately, also accurate. You know that she fled to South Africa with some man, and that’s how we have Lucas. Who I love, by the way, and who I hope is better than any of us. He has a real chance if the aforementioned unrepentant whore ever releases him from her clutches. But that’s not all Veronica’s done. Sebastian, for all his cunning in business, is a fool in love. She has cheated with numerous men, including, it seems, the father of Minnie’s child.”
“Goodness!” I exclaim.
I want to tell him that’s not possible, but the pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fit. The fighting that occurred right before Minnie’s disappearance, Sebastian’s refusal to acknowledge the event, everyone’s dismissal of Minnie’s very existence, Dr. Chalmers’s decision to cover up the pregnancy and likely decision not to report his suspicions.
Suspicions of Alistair. But he has an alibi. I suppose I could insist on confirming it, but why would Alistair mention an alibi if he wasn’t certain it could be proven?
I still don’t have all the answers, but once more, I’m closer. I just need the answer to one more question. That answer should give me the final answer to the final question: Who killed Minerva Montclair?
“Who was the father?”
Alistair meets my eyes. He’s still smiling, but his gaze is hard. “It’s in my best interests not to say exactly who I think it was. But I can tell you that Veronica keeps her correspondence in her dresser drawer upstairs. If you can stomach digging through the disorganized pile of lace panties she keeps in that particular drawer, you might find some interesting information. You may even find an answer to your question.”
He offers his arm, and this time, I take it willingly. As we walk back to the house, he says, “I would appreciate it if you kept what I’ve said to yourself. Say that you were cleaning and came across the letters if you should feel a need to go to the police. I am a worthless waste of a man for saying this, but it would be nice to obtain at least a small sum before the Carltons are ruined. Just enough for me to have one last go at being worth something before I sink to despair and die in a third-rate bar somewhere far from home.”
We reach the house, and before I can think of a response, he pulls his arm away and bows. “Thank you for a lovely walk, Miss Mary. If it means anything at all coming from me, I hope you find your purpose.”
He walks away, leaving me alone on the porch. I wait until he disappears around the corner, this time heading toward the west garden. Then I whisper, “I believe I have, Mr. Finchley.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I head immediately to Veronica and Sebastian’s room. I have no idea if Lucas is still working on his homework or prowling the grounds, or if he’s run off to parts unknown. I have to admit I’ve been a poor governess to him. He’s older, yes, but prior to Alistair’s arrival, I got the distinct impression that I was the only good influence in his life.
And I’ve thrown it away for a dead girl. The poor lad. He deserves better than me, and if I find what I need to put Minnie’s killer behind bars, I will at least do what I can to ensure he finds it.
But I’m so close now! If I can find the evidence Alistair refers to, then I could have what I need to bring Minnie’s killer to justice tonight!
So as soon as I arrive at the bedroom, I enter and head straight for the dresser to the left of the bed. I venture a guess that it’s Veronica’s, but that guess proves to be wrong, so I cross to the other side. As I do, I’m struck by the relative plainness of the furniture. It’s not cheap by any means, but it’s certainly not the grand arrangement I expected, considering the rest of the house. The furniture is plain gray wood, and the mattress, while comfortable, is adorned only with plain blue sheets and white pillows. The vanity mirror on top of the chest of drawers is a run-of-the-mill rectangular unit, and there’s limited scrollwork on the dressers, bedposts, and armoire. I suppose since no one will be here to see the room but the married couple, there’s no need to display their wealth.
I open the other dresser and check the drawers. The top one is full of blouses and shirts. The second contains various pants and leggings. The middle contains an astonishing amount of socks, pantyhose, and bras.
It’s the fourth drawer that finally reveals the panties Alistair is referring to. I blush a little when I realize he wasn’t kidding about the lace. Whether it’s for Sebastian or the mystery men Veronica cheats on him with, they’re lucky.
I dig underneath the panties but find nothing but the hard bottom of the drawer. Perhaps Alistair was wrong. I certainly hope not, because if anyone walks in on me doing this, I’ll certainly be fired.
I laugh at that. I’m stalking a murderer, and I’m worried about my job. Hell, if I find proof of the murder, I’ll probably lose it anyway. The silly reasons my mind comes up with to avoid danger.
On the third go-around, my finger comes across something cool to the touch. I pull it out to see a key. It seems Veronica has done a better job of hiding this secret correspondence. But what does the key open?
I look around the room and see nothing with a lock on it. There’s a wall safe, but it requires a code, not a key. I check the walk-in closet, but while I find what one would expect—dresses, suits, an obscene amount of shoes—I don’t find anything that this key might fit.
She couldn’t be keeping it hidden under the bed, could she? I check there and am surprised to see that it does, in fact, appear as though she’s hidden her letters under the bed. Presumably Sebastian never checks there. Or perhaps he doesn’t check at all, and she simply ran out of space to keep them in her underwear drawer.
I pull the small wooden chest out and insert the key. I chuckle a bit at the odd fixation this family has with hiding things in boxes: Lucas’s photographs, Oliver’s letters, and now Veronica’s letters.
I spread them out on the bed, heart pounding. God, I don’t know where to begin. There are dozens, no, hundreds of letters and cards. How can I tell which one is the father of Minnie’s unborn child?
I scan the letters to look for familiar names first. Many of the letters are many years old, and in a few cases, I can’t quite read the names. But the letters I’m looking for wouldn’t be that old, would they?
I get through all of the letters and don’t find anyone I know. That’s irritating. It makes it that much harder to find out which of Veronica’s many boyfriends also had an affair with Minerva Montclair.
But Alistair seemed so sure. I’m not ready to give up yet.
I look at the old letters again and read through the first one. The tone is somewhat sappy and syrupy—typical of a love letter—but it gives me the information I want when I reach the end and find that Veronica has recorded the recipient’s name again at the bottom.
I have to read that name several times before I’m sure I’ve read it correctly. When I’m sure, I still don’t believe it, so I read the other old letters.
All of them are addressed to the same person. The last one is dated twenty-six years ago.
The person addressed is Rupert. No last name is mentioned, but it doesn’t take a nuclear physicist to infer that the Rupert mentioned is none other than the illustrious Dr. Chalmers.
The final letter appears to be a break-up letter. In it, she apologizes for choosing Sebastian over him, but protests that with Sebastian, she can have a real future.
She ends the letter with the line, This doesn’t need to mean the end of our love, only the end of our courtship. You will always remain the first and brightest star in my sky.
I set the letter down and think about what I’ve just read. There are no more letters between them. That could suggest that their romance did indeed end despite Veronica’s promise.
But I saw the look in Rupert’s eyes when he came to visit. Clearly he still loves her. Yet, at the same time, Veronica was almost annoyed by him and eager to leave. It could simply be that she didn’t want me to realize how close they were. But then, if their dalliance ended decades ago, before she even married Sebastian, then why would Rupert still be chasing her? And why would he agree to help cover up Minnie’s pregnancy?
The more I think about the doctor, the more suspicious it all becomes. He is clearly in love with Veronica, but just as clearly he lusts after Eliza. And it seemed very much that Eliza was attracted to him. Probably she doesn’t know about her mother’s relationship with the doctor, but it certainly doesn’t paint the doctor in a flattering light that he is such a womanizer.
And Eliza is near in age to Minnie. That is evidence of Rupert’s attraction to younger women. But he still wants Veronica, so it’s not an exclusive perversion, as is the case with most violent sex offenders.
And he claimed Alistair was the killer. Not in so many words, but it was clear what he was insinuating. Then again, it’s clear Alistair holds no love for him. It’s equally clear Alistair suspects him.
One of them is lying. One of them is trying to frame the other to remove suspicion from himself. Or possibly both of them are lying, and they’re trying to obfuscate things so that no answer is ever found. Unlikely as it seems, I must also admit that it’s possible that neither of them are lying. Both genuinely feel the other is responsible but also feel that they’re not in a position to do anything about it. If that’s true, then it means that once more, I’m chasing a red herring.
One thing is true: Dr. Chalmers knows more than he admits. It looks like I’ll need to make another appointment with him after all.
I hear noise coming from downstairs, and a moment later, Veronica’s voice calls, “Lucas, darling? Are you here?”
I quickly throw the letters back into the box, lock it, and place it under the bed. I start to rush from the room, then remember the key. I curse and run back to the dresser, tossing the key back into the drawer. I hear footsteps climbing the stairs and curse again.
I rush from the room and reach the other side of the twin staircase, descending just before Veronica says, “I’m just going to change, then I’ll call Henri and see about an early dinner!”
Lucas calls back, “All right. Hey, have you seen Mary?”
“I’m here,” I call, reaching the first floor. “Have you finished your schoolwork?”
He pokes his head out of the study. “There you are. Yes, I’ve just finished. I’m caught up now.”
“Wonderful! Just in time for the weekend.”
I keep that smile and go through the motions of checking his work. All the while, my heart is pounding with a mixture of fear and excitement.
I can almost taste victory. Just a little more work, and Minnie shall have justice.
I will have accomplished my purpose.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“You’re leaving us so soon?” Oliver exclaims. “You’ve just got here!”
Alistair gives him a smile that contains more than a hint of sadness. “Yes. I’m afraid duty calls.”
Sebastian and Veronica both appear shocked at this. “Duty?” Sebastian exclaims. “I thought… well…”
“No need to be coy, cousin,” Alistair says. “You thought I drifted to your door because my latest venture left me as penniless as the last. Well, you’re right. I’m afraid I have naught but the clothes on my back and the money I used to buy my plane ticket back to Japan. But I have some goodwill remaining with my former investors, and I’m armed with a plan—a real one this time. I feel confident about it. And anyway, it’s high time I spread my own wings and flew.”
Sebastian looks utterly flummoxed for the first time in my memory. “You… Is everything all right?”
Alistair laughs. “Everything is wonderful, cousin. I just… want to grow up is all.”
“How do you plan to do that with no money to live on?” Veronica challenges.
“I will be happy to share all the details with you later,” he says. “I don’t wish to spoil your dinner by discussing my financial woes, nor do I wish to bore you all with my very mundane plan to rescue myself from them. I wish to enjoy a merry meal with my lovely cousins and then hear them wish me success as I venture into the future!”
“We shall miss you, cousin,” Eliza says. There’s a touch of relief in her expression, though, and I’m not sure if she means it.
“And I will miss all of you,” he says. “But think of it this way. I won’t be around to annoy you with my affection, and your husband won’t have to be jealous of my rakish good looks and superior wit.”
Eliza rolls her eyes and says, “I’m sure he’ll be quite thrilled.” At the same time, she tenses and casts a nervous look at her mother.
Veronica purses her lips, but I can’t tell if it’s jealousy that prompts her reaction, or concern for Eliza. My experience with her suggests that she cares little for her older children, but after all I’ve only been here a week. Perhaps I’m wrong.
In any case, it’s clear Alistair refers to Rupert. It’s been clear since the first I saw them together that Rupert is attracted to Eliza. I assumed at that time that Eliza couldn’t possibly feel the same way about him. Now, I suspect she might.
Could she have been involved in Minnie’s death too?
Lucas looks genuinely upset about his cousin’s departure, and my heart goes out to him. I think that Alistair’s arrival is the closest he’s come to feeling truly free.
Alistair notices his expression and says, “No tears from you, little cousin. It’s only for a little while. When I have established myself, I’ll fly all of you out to Japan and show you how we party in Asia. In the meantime, you made a promise to me to devote yourself to your studies. I will expect that when we see each other again, you will tell me all about the scholarship you’ve earned.”
Lucas smiles at him, his eyes moist. “I will.”
“Good. Mary?”
I turn to him. “Yes?”
“Be good to my cousin, please. Teach him well and protect him as much as possible.”
“I… of course, yes.”
Veronica and Sebastian look between us, their brows furrowed. I feel heat climb my cheeks at the same time as a chill runs down my spine. I would have much preferred it had Alistair shared this missive in private.
“What does that mean?” Veronica asks. “Protect him from what?”
“From stodgy instruction and rote memorization, of course,” he says. “You know how I feel about education in Britain.” He grins and winks at me. “Mary is wise enough to allow his mind to develop rather than cram it in a box.”
“Quite so,” I say. “He’ll be in good hands.”
Veronica gives me a suspicious look, and I shrug a little, as though to indicate that I don’t understand him either.
She sighs and gives Alistair a slightly exasperated smile. “Well, I wish you well. And don’t hesitate to call us if you need help. I admire your choice to try to stand on your own two feet, but don’t feel you need to stand or fall. We love you.”
“I promise you,” he replies, “should I stand at the edge of a precipice, I will grasp whatever rope is extended to me.”
His phone rings, and he says, “Ah. That’s my ride, I believe.”
“You’re leaving this minute?” Oliver exclaims. “In the middle of dinner?”
“Time and opportunity wait for no man,” Alistair says, “least of all me.” He stands and walks to each of us in turn, planting a kiss on each of our cheeks. “I love you all! When next I see you, I shall be shogun!”
He heads to the door, and just as suddenly as he arrives, he is gone.
The rest of us sit in silence for a moment, discombobulated at his abrupt departure.
“Well, that’s odd,” Veronica finally says. “What on Earth could have inspired him to leave us so abruptly?”
Sebastian shrugs. “Perhaps he means what he says. I’ve always told you he won’t live like this forever. Sooner or later, he’ll want to be a man and stop living on my coattails.”
“Father!” Eliza exclaims.
“What? It’s a compliment! I approve of his choices, and I always knew he’d shape up. What’s wrong with that?”
The others continue to debate the legitimacy of Alistair’s choice to reform. At the moment, I suspect that Rupert Chalmers might be more closely involved with Minnie’s death than Alistair, but I can’t help but wonder if Alistair is fleeing because he is, after all, her killer. He knows I’m close, and perhaps he only distracted me long enough to make his escape.
I hope he isn’t the killer. I rather liked him for all his immaturity. I would like to believe he is simply what he seems to be, a no-longer-young man who realizes he’s wasted his life and wants to seize one last opportunity to make something of himself.
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