Solomon drank with her and allowed a respectful silence. “I met Mr. John on the board of St. Peter’s Hospital. Do you know much about his charitable interests?”
“A little. The poverty of his fellow men concerned him.”
“What about the homeless? Vagrants living on the streets?”
She thought about it. “I think he gave money for the building of a men’s hostel. But he was not particularly involved, except on the matter of health, as in St. Peter’s. Are you thinking of the vagrant who shared his doorstep?”
Solomon nodded. “If there is a connection between them, I would like to find it.”
“It was probably made that night,” she said. “If he saw someone in need, he would not pass him by.” She frowned. “On the other hand, what was he doing in a stranger’s back garden?”
“Precisely,” Solomon said. He hesitated. “I think you were aware of the nature of that particular doorstep before I mentioned it.”
She looked amused by his delicacy. “I was. The police constable told me with some relish. But I am not foolish enough to imagine Terrence was visiting the house. It was not in his nature.”
“Perhaps not. And it’s perfectly possible there is no connection at all between St. John and the tramp. The men could have been brought from entirely different places to be found there.”
“Why?” she asked blankly.
He sighed. “I have no idea. Perhaps to impugn my wife, who owns the house.” He set down his glass. “Thank you for your help, Miss Paul. If you should think of anything else at all that might help, you can always reach me or my wife through the address on the card. We would be very grateful.”
“I would certainly rather tell you than the vulgarly offensive constable. But am I not obliged to tell the police?”
“We would be happy to do that for you,” Solomon assured her. “They may come to you for a statement, but I shall suggest Inspector Harris calls himself. He is in charge of the case.”
“You are very considerate.” She eyed him curiously, rising with him as he stood to depart. “You are a well-travelled man, are you not?”
“All the way from Jamaica, by a somewhat circuitous route.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Indeed? I would like to hear your story some time. I hope you will call again.”
“Thank you. I would like to,” he said truthfully.
“Bring your wife. She must be a very interesting woman.”
*
Constance spent mostof the afternoon making notes on the uses and abuses of opium, and then on the entire sum of their knowledge of the two dead men. There was depressingly little of the latter.
When Janey and Lenny returned to the office, crowing with delight because they had solved their theft case, she cheered up and celebrated with them, joining them in a cup of tea with cakes bought from the baker’s shop round the corner.
Recklessly, she gave them each a bonus payment and sent them off for the rest of the day to enjoy themselves. She hoped Lenny would not simply go home and work on his carpentry.
She smiled as she watched them out of the window striding along the street arm in arm, talking and laughing. When they had first met Lenny, he had never even smiled, so lost was he in his personal tragedy. Janey had been good for him. Perhaps Silver and Grey was, too.
A hackney pulled up and Solomon alighted. Immediately, the world brightened further. She had to stop herself from rushing to the door and dragging him inside. After all, this was a respectable and professional office.
“Constance?” he called, closing the front door behind him.
“In here.”
He strode down the hall to her office, filling it at once with his presence. Because she wanted to, she walked straight into his arms. She had grown too used to being there during the weeks of their honeymoon. It seemed to make even short separations more difficult. Though she was more than happy with their reunion kisses.
It was some time before they sat very close together on her sofa, his arm around her waist, ready to discuss the case.
“What have you learned about opium poisoning?” he asked.
It made her smile. They had always had odd conversations for lovers. “That a massive dose could not be easily disguised. The most likely situation I can come up with is that he was taking laudanum or some other form of opium anyway, and simply took, or was given, a larger dose on one or more occasions.” She reached for the notes at her feet and passed him the relevant page.
