Her sister-in-law waved that remark off. ‘Jane, that’s nonsense. No one would suspect someone like me of writing your books. You are far too clever for all of us.’
Dora had to agree. The writer ofSense and Sensibilitywas not to be underestimated again.
‘Miss Austen, I owe you an apology, not the other way round. I am the investigator and yet I did not pause to wonder even for one second about you. Now you have been attacked?—’
‘Not I, but my private papers.’ Miss Austen saddened at the recollection. Though she was making light of it, she clearly did not like losing her letters.
‘That can feel like the same thing– a violation. It does, however, put to rest the question as to who was behind the attack on Dr Sandys and warns us to expect the same might come the way of all of us involved in this case. The evidence appears to be pointing to someone looking for thecomte’s last report, or other information that he held and on which he based his work. He knew something that still presents a danger to the attacker.’
‘But the man who killed him is dead,’ protested Eliza. ‘Surely the danger has gone to the grave with him?’
‘He is, but he might not have acted alone. Today’s events bear this out.’
‘Someone put him up to it?’ asked Miss Austen. ‘And when Lorenzo did not deliver the report, they decided to go after us, thinking we had it?’
Alex spoke for the first time in the debate the women had been dominating. ‘Dora, this is all very well, but why would the servant kill himself in that case? Why not make a run for it, or carry on looking elsewhere?’
‘Indeed, you have a good point.’
‘I did notice something, if I might be so bold?’ said Miss Austen.
‘Be bold,’ said Dora, waving her to continue. She wanted to hear what the observant novelist might’ve noticed that she had missed.
‘Did Susannah Black ever tell us exactly who else was in the house? I can imagine how it would be possible for someone to slip past witnesses during the confusion of that fateful morning.’
‘You’re right. She told us she didn’t see Lorenzo shoot himself; she only cleared up the mess. No one saw him commit suicide, so what if it wasn’t suicide?’
Miss Austen nodded. ‘And there is something else that is bothering me. Susannah described Lorenzo as proud and forceful, not depressed and desperate. Why go back upstairs after achieving his aim of killing his employers?’
‘I can think of two reasons. One: he knew there was a second loaded pistol there and was thinking there was no other way out. Two: to look for something else.’
‘The first is likely only if he was ready to commit self-slaughter and I don’t believe from Susannah’s description of his state of mind that he was,’ said the writer. ‘It sounds like he could easily have fled the scene.’
‘Which means he went back upstairs to continue his search.’ Dora felt like she and Miss Austen were thinking with one mind, completing each other’s thoughts. ‘And he might not have been alone.’
‘Whoever was up there could well have taken that moment to shoot his accomplice and escape, leaving the blame all with Lorenzo.’
‘And yet thecomteoutwitted them both. He has hidden what they were searching for– or sent it away. And where do you send something you want to keep safe?’
‘To the bank,’ said the writer. Both Miss Austen and Dora turned to look at Henry. ‘No wonder they are suspicious of our involvement in this. Henry, you must make sure your office in town is guarded and your partners know of the danger.’
‘Henry is at risk?’ squeaked Eliza, rushing to her husband’s side. ‘Darling, you must take precautions.’
‘Indeed, he must,’ said Miss Austen. ‘I assume they have a list of people who might conceivably have the papers they are after. I am hardly the top of that, but they saw the opportunity whilewe were at dinner to break in, my room being the least defended and I had been with Miss Fitz-Pennington all day.’
‘Writing everything down,’ said Dora. ‘If they were watching, they would assume you were something in the way of a secretary, recording what we saw. Your notebook?’
‘I keep that with me at all times.’ She patted her pocket then frowned. ‘When was Dr Sandys attacked?’
‘Around six o’clock,’ said Alex.
‘Then we have more than one person involved, because that was about the time my room was searched. I’d got back from my day with Miss Fitz-Pennington, changed for dinner and went down at around five-thirty.’
‘They took letters, you say?’ asked Dora.
‘They were on the desk and in the drawer, not hidden. They cleared those out. They tossed a few clothes and books around but were disturbed by a maid coming to turn down the bed.’
‘Did she see them?’
