She abruptly rose as if she could not bear to simply sit, and began to pace across the floor, a handkerchief clutched in one hand.
“There have been late evenings with his work, however he has never failed to return home. He is so very dedicated,” she went on to explain then wiped at the tears that came.
She was obviously quite distraught and very near the edge. However, after my conversation with Dr. Pennington, I did have additional questions. As I knew all too well from our inquiry cases, very often there were things that a wife might not be fully aware of but might suspect.
“I have learned some things that might be useful, with your help,” I continued.
“Yes, of course!” She turned. “Anything that I can do…”
She sat once more at the edge of the chair across from me. I didn’t go into perhaps the more obvious reason that Dr. Bennett might not have returned the past three days after a pattern of late nights the past several weeks.
There was the possibility of gambling, which was a pastime for some. God knows my own father had the habit. I mentioned it as delicately as possible, even though I was well aware that one’s wife was often the last to know of such things.
She shook her head. “I manage our household expenses. My brother is head clerk at the bank. If there were any…” she chose her words carefully, “irregularities, I would know of it.”
The next question was far more delicate, however it needed to be asked. I chose my words carefully.
“Has there ever been any estrangement in the past?”
“Estrangement? Are you asking if my husband has ever had a relationship with another woman?” she inquired.
“It is something that is known to happen…”
“No,” she replied quite adamantly, then seemed to gather herself once more. “My husband is a brilliant man…” she continued, and I wondered if it was an attempt to convince me or herself. “He has devoted himself completely to his profession. It is everything to him, particularly after the death of his brother some years ago. Do you understand, Miss Forsythe?”
I did understand but didn’t go into it— the things that made each of us who we were.
There was another possibility, of course, that the doctor had met with some misfortune.
I explained that I had met with Dr. Pennington and that there seemed to be some dissatisfaction on Dr. Bennett’s part regarding the Medical Society and criticism he had received in the past. I noted the way her gaze slipped away from mine, her hands twisting in her lap.
“The Society hasn’t always valued his work. There were… letters that he received that upset him greatly.”
“What sort of letters?”
“At first they were from colleagues he worked with— two of them. Then another from the chairman of King’s College where he attended and has also lectured.”
“Do you have those letters?”
She shook her head. “I saw only one. He kept the others to himself, although they bothered him enormously.”
“Kept at a private office perhaps?” I suggested.
She shook her head. “Oh, he didn’t keep a private office away from the hospital. I do know that he was greatly frustrated by certain… expectations of the Medical Society and at the hospital. He commented more than once that what they supported in many cases was no more than butchery that left people maimed afterward.”
I thought of a young officer Brodie and I had met during a previous inquiry case, badly injured in the Sudan. However, he had sufficiently recovered, although he would always carry an obvious limp from the injury.
“Might I see the letter you have?” I asked. There might be something there that could provide better insight.
She rose from the chair and went to a side table that sat before bookshelves on one wall. She opened the drawer and took out an envelope, then handed it to me.
“If it might help,” she said.
I pulled the letter from the envelope. It was written on official stationery and was dated very near six months earlier. It was a formal reprimand and stated that if there were further “questionable” actions, an official inquiry would be made.
There was the usual blather about it being regrettable that the letter was necessary given Dr. Bennett’s dedication and skill, much in need by those of his profession. And the mention ofa particularly difficult case he had taken on with a successful outcome for a prominent member of Parliament.
However, the tone was obvious. It was a warning that other suchactivitieswould not be tolerated.
