Dora relayed the order and waited for the landlord to present the two glasses. ‘Why don’t you go and sit over there.’ She gestured Miss Austen to take a seat in the window. She had had enough of having the woman hanging on her apron strings all morning, and landlords were better tackled one on one.
With a nod, Miss Austen took her drink to the table and drew out a notebook.
The landlord jerked his head in her direction. ‘What’s her deal?’
‘She’s a writer,’ said Dora.
‘Do I know her?’ He was wondering if he had a customer he could boast about to future patrons.
‘Not famous. You won’t have heard of her.’
He wiped the clean top of the bar. ‘All right. What information is it that you’re after?’ He flicked his gaze up and down her, trying to judge her social standing from her clothing. ‘Husband run off? Sorry– can’t help you there.’
‘Do I look married?’ He smirked. ‘Nothing like that.’ She put one of her calling cards down on the counter. ‘I work for an agency making private enquiries for our clients. I’ve been asked to find out as much as I can about the double murder that took place here in July.’
His interest sparked. ‘NowthatI can tell you about. But it’s worth more than a shilling.’
‘Naturally.’ She placed several more coins on the counter.
He huffed. ‘I don’t come cheap.’
She laughed and put another down. ‘That’s my limit or I’ll have to walk home.’
He swept them into his apron pocket with a grin. ‘They had the inquest in here.’
‘I know that.’
‘I had to speak before it.’
‘That I did not know. What did you say?’ She sipped the gin to put him at his ease. See, they were just settling into a lovely little gossip about things he would probably talk about for free.
‘I told ’em how that Lorenzo– he was an odd fish of an Italian– came in here on the very morning around eight o’clock and downed a glass of gin just like the one I served you. Then he went off and killed his master and mistress.’
Dora wondered if the killer had resorted to the gin to screw himself to the sticking point, or perhaps he was a drunkard and that was part of the reason for the violence. ‘An Italian? I thought he was a deserter from the French army.’
‘He was– but he was recruited in Italy for Bonaparte’s army. If the newspapers have it right, Old Boney has gobbled up most of Europe and, like them Roman Emperors, he takes all nations into his army. But never you fear, we’ll beat him in the end. Rule, Britannia, eh?’
That didn’t feel very likely with Napoleon striding across Europe, heading for Russia, but Dora wasn’t here to talk military campaigns. ‘Had Lorenzo been in here before?’
‘Oh, yes, he was a regular what with the house only being a couple of doors down. Regular bit of trouble he was too. Temper like a tiger and proud as anything. No wonder he deserted from the French army. That weren’t principle; that was not liking being told what to do, if I know anything about a man’s character.’ His expression turned pensive. ‘Some of my girls thought him handsome, but I didn’t see it. We all knew to walk softly around him, if you know what I mean?’
‘I do indeed. Were you surprised to hear what he had done?’
‘’Course I was! He wasn’t drunk– I wouldn’t’ve let him go out of here if I thought he was a danger to anyone.’ He said that quickly, to shield himself from any of the blame. ‘It was morning– he came in, one drink– then off to commit carnage. Talk about unexpected!’
‘But not unimaginable, if he had a temper?’
The landlord scratched his chin. ‘Now that’s a trickier question. In the inquest it sounded like he’d planned it. He knew the lord and lady had weapons in their rooms, primed pistols and daggers. The maid, Susannah Black, nice girl, said he’d fired one of their pistols two weeks earlier, and was told off for doing so.’
‘They had loaded pistols in both bedrooms?’ Now that was a telling detail.
‘Must’ve been terribly afraid of burglars, mustn’t they?’ He gave her a hard look suggesting he had his suspicions. ‘Or old enemies.’
And the couple didn’t sleep together. That wasn’t unusual in high society, but if they were fearing an attack, they hadn’t joined forces for defence. That suggested a rift in the marriage. Were they seeing other lovers?
‘Leaving loaded pistols lying around does seem like a recipe for disaster,’ said Dora.
‘You’re right there. I prefer a cudgel– doesn’t need loading and sorts out the unruly.’ He drew one from under the counter.