Wrexford pulled a chair over to the chaise longue and took a seat. “Oliver Carrick has a great deal of explaining to do.” He told her what he had learned. “Granted, the fellow may be lying dead in a ditch somewhere and so is innocent of any subterfuge or crime.” A pause. “But if he isn’t, why the devil hasn’t he shown his face?”
Charlotte couldn’t think of any plausible answer.
“We need to have a talk with Mrs. Guppy,” announced the earl.
“Yes. But let us pray that Hamden is right, and we don’t have to travel to Bristol to do so,” she said dryly. “The prospect of bouncing over rutted roads for two days is definitelynota tonic for my body or spirit.”
“Sarcasm doesn’t become you, my dear. I’m the one with the caustic tongue and cynical disposition.”
“Pour me another whisky, and I promise that my disposition will greatly improve.”
Wrexford did as he was asked. “Alas, I’m not sure that you should make that pledge.” A sigh. “Given what I’ve learned so far, I fear that Cordelia is going to experience some very painful revelations.”
“If what you suspect is true . . .” Charlotte knew that he thought all the evidence uncovered so far indicated that Oliver Carrick had to be considered the prime suspect for the murder.
“Then that means Cordelia will suffer a double blow, losingtwodear friends under unimaginably painful circumstances,” she finished. “I—I wish there was some way I could believe that there is some innocent explanation for Carrick’s continued absence. Word of Milton’s murder has been published in the newspapers. Surely, he must know that people will think the worst if he remains in hiding.”
“Perhaps he has no choice,” said Wrexford. “So far, it’s only circumstantial evidence against him, but the investigation hasn’t really begun in earnest. Now that Griffin has been assigned the case, Carrick may fear it’s only a matter of time before someone will recall seeing him at a time or place that will tie him to the crime.” A pause. “Indeed, he may have already fled the country—or is doing his damnedest to arrange his flight.”
Charlotte put down her glass of whisky, her throat suddenly too tight to swallow.
“However, I shall try to keep an open mind as to whether he is guilty or not.”
“That’s only fair,” she responded, even though she, too, was beginning to fear the worst.
“Speaking of fair, we ought to send word to Cordelia and Kit. They won’t thank us for delaying in telling them—”
However, the sounds of voices in the corridor announced that their friends had already arrived.
“Any news—” began Sheffield, but on catching sight of the earl’s expression, he swore under his breath.
Cordelia came to an abrupt halt, the color draining from her face. “Is Oliver . . . dead?”
“No,” Charlotte assured her. “But what Wrex has discovered isn’t overly encouraging.”
Sheffield put his arm around Cordelia. “Tell us.”
They listened in taut silence as Wrexford recounted his conversation with Hamden.
“I simply can’t—I simply won’t—believe that Oliver murdered Jasper,” exclaimed Cordelia. “They’ve been close friends and collaborators since their university days!”
Charlotte refrained from repeating Griffin’s warning that a lethal falling-out between close friends was an age-old story.
“I’ve heard of Sarah Guppy, and Hamden is right. She is very astute when it comes to business,” observed Sheffield. “Everyone associated with the family’s enterprises acknowledges that she’s in charge of overseeing both the finances and the actual manufacturing of their products.”
He paused. “However, she’s a very wealthy woman, so why would she risk everything to be involved in murdering Milton and stealing his idea—assuming that’s why he’s dead.”
“Because greed begets greed?” suggested the earl. “Think about it. If someone has come up with an innovation that allows bridges to span wider distances, it opens up a whole new realm of opportunities in the world of transportation. Suddenly, all sorts of new routes are possible, changing the time it takes to travel—which in turn would have great economic implications.”
He looked around. “I, for one, can’t begin to put a price on what that patent would be worth.”
“And we know that Mrs. Guppy has good reason to understand the value of a patent,” said Charlotte.
“Yes,” said the earl. “In addition to the other information Hamden passed on, he told me that Mrs. Guppy actually received a patent for an innovation she created for bridge design.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Cordelia clutched at Sheffield’s coat.
“Speculation does none of us any good,” muttered Sheffield. “I take it you’ll seek to have a meeting with the lady.”
