Brodie’s silence was his answer.
“Very well,” the chief inspector continued. “She was the daughter of…”
“Sir Edward Mallory, barrister,” Brodie finally replied. “The dailies published the information.”
He said nothing of the copy of the police report, and I did wonder if Mr. Graham was aware that it had been made available to us.
He nodded. “Yes, of course, the dailies. That brings us to the matter regarding my request for this meeting. As you are aware from Mr. Dooley’s call on you in the middle of the night, therehas been another murder of a young woman under somewhat similar circumstances.”
Brodie merely nodded. He was deliberately letting the chief inspector continue, to reveal as much as possible about the latest murder in an attempt to learn what we could from the meeting.
“As I’m certain Dooley shared with you, the new murder victim, Margaret Cameron, is the daughter of Judge Harold Cameron. The circumstances are frightening and quite similar.
“It does seem that the two murders may have been committed by the same person, which brings us to my request for this meeting.
“With your experience, I don’t need to explain the high importance of these two cases and the urgency to find the one responsible. In that regard, I’m proposing a joint investigation.
“You have resources from your time with the MET as well as in your private work, which is commendable,” he continued, “while I have the resources of the Metropolitan Police and the vast experience of many years of service. Not to mention that you are one man, and the MET is well over thirteen thousand constables and inspectors who are on the streets of London daily. A collaboration of efforts could be highly successful.”
Collaboration? Joint investigation?
I could only imagine what that might look like.
How would new clues be handled?
The MET might have several thousand constables, however the rampant crime that still plagued the streets of London spoke to their efficiency. Or lack thereof. And then there was the question of authority in the joint investigations.
There were dozens of questions, none of which solved the murder of either young woman. I could only imagine the paperwork that would be required, perhaps daily filing of reports. And precisely how were we to obtain information from those working the cases at the MET?
I looked over at Brodie. His expression was unreadable in that way that gave nothing away of his thoughts. Yet, I could imagine what some of them might be.
The chief inspector, temporary that he was, was suggesting an alliance that would put Brodie back in partnership with the very organization, under the authority of Chief Inspector Abberline, that had caused Brodie to leave the MET some years before. And recently, he had been imprisoned by Abberline under false charges and brutally beaten during a private investigation.
I knew precisely what my answer would have been, under the same circumstances, something polite but very direct.
Still, I was fully aware that certain connections Brodie had within the MET had been valuable in the past. Maintaining those relationships was a delicate balance as it was.
Most certainly Mr. Dooley, who had recently made inspector. And Mr. Conner as well. Although now retired, he had no great affection for the MET after over twenty-five years of service.
All three had seen a great deal on their time on the streets. However, Brodie’s experience had exposed a darker side of the MET that included unscrupulous tactics, even revenge against fellow inspectors.
“Yer proposal has merit,” Brodie tactfully replied. “However, there are several questions to be answered. Who would be in authority? What sort of structure between the both of us do ye propose?
“As ye well know time is often crucial when investigating a crime and gaining the trust of those on the street most critical as that is where information comes from. I do understand the urgency in particular in this matter, with the deaths of the daughters of two prominent members of the legal system who want answers.”
“I understand that you might need some time to consider this, and to discuss it between you,” the chief inspector commented.
“As to the authority in the matter, you would, of course, have authority over your own part of the investigation, including any sources you rely upon, with the provision that there would need to be a sharing of that information.”
“And from the MET as well,” Brodie replied.
“That would be the purpose of such an arrangement,” Mr. Graham acknowledged. “I do realize that you have reservations about such an arrangement considering past issues. However, in the interest of finding the person who has committed these horrible crimes, perhaps…”
“I appreciate the consideration, sir,” Brodie told him. “And I do understand the important nature of the situation. However, joining the two investigations might hinder as well as help in the matter.”
Mr. Graham turned to me.
“Surely you see the advantage, Lady Forsythe. Particularly in consideration of the past inquiry into the disappearance of your sister.”
