I was becoming more and more certain that he had been involved in the break-in. He was too young to have been entangled in Gabriel’s murder, but surely he knew something.
“Right, of course. Where are you staying? Somewhere nice I expect. You look well-rested. How long do you think you’ll be away from home?”
I prided myself on being a kind and fair employer. But even I had my limits. Today of all days most especially, a day when I left a warm, sun-kissed goddess in bed to be harassed by a particularly incompetent, nitwit of a criminal.
Still, I needed whatever information he had, and I wasn’t likely to get it by slamming my office door in his face. No matter how tempting the thought.
“I am staying with a friend. And I will be gone as long as necessary. Now, I believe there is work to be done…” I raised a brow in the direction of his desk, and he finally had no other option but to scamper off.
I needed to discuss this with Kit.
I dug Xander’s documents out of my satchel, the one that never left my side when I was in the office now. I was nearly finished with some of the contracts Xander had requested when Kit finally returned, looking rumpled and harassed.
“Finally made it in?”
“You’re one to talk.”
“I was helping my sister and her arse of a husband with her ball, you were… Well, I have no wish to know what you were doing,” he said, grabbing the last tart and wandering into my office. He tugged the door shut behind him.
“Are you ever going to forgive the man?” I asked.
“He made Kate sad. Have you met Kate? That ought to be impossible. She may have forgiven him, but I don’t have to.”
He took the seat across from me and grabbed a scrap of parchment, then scribbled a note.
Bates is listening at the door.
“How is dearest Kate? Prepared for her ball tonight?” I asked, writing my true reply while overenunciating my question.
He knows who is involved in all of this. Should we interrogate? Or try to get him to slip?
“I hadn’t thought you were listening when she invited you to the ball,” he replied.
There have been no further attempts. We can risk a more subtle approach.
“I wasn’t.”
Agreed, but we should keep him from more sensitive accounts. He may be after more than the Hasket documents.
“So the lovely Lady Rycliffe has convinced you to attend? What did she offer, I wonder?” He nodded his assent.
“Nothing at all, merely the gift of her company.”
“Ah, threatened to dance with other men, did she?”
“You can leave my office now.” I held the page over a candle until it caught, then I held the flaming parchment over the rubbish can and watched it burn thoroughly, completely, before pouring the day-old cup of tea on my desk into the bin.
“I could, but where would be the fun in that?”
“Christopher…” I grumbled in mock irritation.
“You should head out early. Kate will have your head if you make Lady Rycliffe late. Kate adores her.”
“That is hardly a novelty. Everyone adores her.”
“Too right,” he said before wandering out the door and into his office.
Reviewing Xander’s documents took most of the morning and proved a sufficient distraction. Unfortunately, it left the afternoon without occupation.
