“Continue,” His Highness said as he stood before the windows, his back turned toward us so that it was impossible for me to know his expression.
“We have additional information from the physician who attended the body of Lord Salisbery’s son, and we were able to view the second body from the evening past.”
“Go on.”
“There is a similarity in two of the wounds.”
Prince Edward turned. “Similarity? Might that indicate the same person is responsible?”
“It might verra well.” Brodie took out the sketches that Lily and I had made. He laid them at the desk.
“These two sketches were drawn after the incident the other evening. I made this one from my visit with the physician who assisted in the matter of Lord Salisbery’s son. He recognized the two drawings. As you can see, the one I made is almost identical.”
His Highness approached the desk once more and studied the sketches.
“Lady Forsythe was able to speak with a footman from White’s who had not been questioned previously.” Brodie continued with a look over at me.
I explained what I had learned about young Salisbery’s departure that evening, the coach that had arrived quickly just after Mr. Masterson had called for one, the stop the driver made at the street end not far from the club after departing, and the man seen departing the coach who was not young Salisbery.
“The footman who summoned the coach saw quite clearly as the weather was mild and there was no fog that night,” I continued. “He described the man who departed the coach as having an obvious limp of the left leg. The driver then continued on, and the young man’s body was discovered when he arrived at his family residence.”
His Highness nodded and I continued.
“The man who was seen running from Marlborough House by Miss Montgomery the other evening did have a limp in the left leg.
“There is something more,” I added.
Brodie and I had discussed what we would tell His Highness before leaving the office. We agreed that, from what we had learned, it did seem there was information the Prince of Wales had not shared with us. Brodie nodded for me to continue.
“Something that could be important to the case.”
Prince Edward nodded. “Please go on, Lady Forsythe.”
“The note that was left by the murderer here at Marlborough House had that disturbing message—‘Now there are two.’ It does seem as if there will be more attacks. I learned information when we began our inquiries.” I deliberately did not mention that it came from my great aunt. “However, when I attempted to unearth more about it, it seems that great care was taken to remove it from the newspapers.”
Brodie had cautioned me about what His Highness’s reaction might be to information that my great aunt had provided. Yet, with the reference in notes found on the two bodies, it did seem there could be a connection.
As we had discovered in the past, certain questions often best came from him with his experience as an inspector with the MET and his reputation in private inquiry cases. And of course, there was the very real possibility that when asked, His Highness would simply show us the door and that would be the end of it.
Brodie was respectful of the man who stood across from us. Yet at the same time, he was direct with his next question.
“What can ye tell us, Yer Highness, about theFour Horsemen of the Apocalypse?”
Thirteen
I caughtHis Highness’s reaction, eyes narrowed, lips parted as if he was about to deny any knowledge of the Four Horsemen. Then, he looked down at the desktop, his left hand clenched in a fist, and the frown amid the grey streaked beard that was almost a grimace of pain.
A moment passed, then another. Edward Albert, Prince of Wales, and heir to the throne, sat down heavily in the chair behind the desk.
“Sir Knollys,” he called out and his personal secretary appeared as if he had been waiting just beyond that door, which of course, he had.
“You will cancel my next meeting, and I am not to be disturbed until I send for you.”
“That would be the meeting with Mr. Gladstone?” his secretary inquired, to make certain of the instructions.
I recognized the name of the prime minister.
“If he has not yet left his office, a reschedule will be necessary. If he arrives, please make my apologies,” the Prince of Wales replied. Then repeated, “We are not to be disturbed.”
