“The Four Horsemen,” she commented. “His Highness was the fourth member of the club at university.”
And we were no closer to learning who was behind the murders than when we started.
There was another person I wanted to speak with, Lady Walsingham, an acquaintance of Aunt Antonia, regarding the tragic death of her son in that riding accident. Was there a connection?
Mr. Cavendish emerged from the alcove and met us at the sidewalk. The hound appeared to have returned as the weather had worsened, covered with the usual mud and debris from the street, which he decided to share as he loped toward Lily with a toothsome grin.
“Mr. Brodie returned a short while ago,” Mr. Cavendish informed us.
“He was to meet with Mr. Dooley.” I wanted very much to know what the police had learned from their inquiries into the death of Lord Salisbery’s son after he left White’s that night.
Mr. Cavendish nodded. “And there was a gentleman waiting for him across the way, though no gentleman in my book. Sir Avery Stanton.”
He gave me a long look from under the bill of his cap.
“Gave a taste of his boot to the hound. They came to a rather quick agreement in that regard.”
I could well imagine that, as the hound could be quite formidable when provoked. “He seems not to have been injured.”
Mr. Cavendish grinned. “Not at all.”
I looked at the office on the landing. We knew that Sir Avery, with the Special Services Agency, had been called upon by the Queen regarding the incident at Marlborough House.
He had his sources and could be quite thorough, as I had learned. I was not at all pleased that he was there.
“Sir Avery?” Lily commented, as she gave Rupert strokes about the ears. She was most fond of him. As she had once said, they were both orphans.
“What does he want?”
Precisely, I thought.
After a somewhat difficult business in the past where Brodie could have been brought up on charges and imprisoned, he regarded the man with caution and chose not to involve us in any “Crown situations” as they were called.
As for myself, it was quite simple. He was the Queen’s man who had been given a great deal of power when it came to protecting the “interests of the Crown” that might fall outside the usual boundaries of propriety or the law.
He felt that he could do almost anything to achieve his own purposes. To say that I was not fond of the man was a mild understatement. Quite simply, I didn’t like or trust the man.
And now, I could only assume that he wanted something from us, information no doubt. Most interesting.
Lily and I proceeded toward the lift. When the hound would have followed, Mr. Cavendish started to call him back.
“It’s quite all right,” I assured him. “I’m certain a warm fire would be welcome on a day such as this.” Not to mention that it would be interesting to see the reaction from Sir Avery.
He grinned. “Miss Effie said as how it was good and warm at the Public House as well. I believe I do hear a pint calling me name—to warm my bones in this weather. What’s left of them, that is.”
He was not the least impaired after the loss of both legs at the knees in an accident. He wheeled his platform sharply about and launched himself across the roadway in the direction of the Public House, icy rain exploding in clouds around him.
I called Rupert, and we went to the lift and made the slow trip up to the second-floor landing. We arrived just down from the office where a light shone through the glass panes in the door and I could see Sir Avery seated across from Brodie who sat at his desk.
Rupert had run ahead as I opened the gate of the lift. He waited expectantly at the door, ears perked, tail standing up as well in anticipation.
“Should we leave him outside?” Lily inquired. “He is a bit soggy.” She wrinkled her nose. “And after that confrontation Mr. Cavendish mentioned.”
“Not at all,” I replied and opened the door.
Rupert bounded into the warm office. He slid to a stop on the wood floor, in that way I had seen my father’s hounds do as achild when they picked up a scent on the hunt. The hound then launched himself.
Sir Avery came part way out of his chair as Rupert attacked.
