Nick took Frances’s hand, and they hurried to the parlor. Abe was already there with Edgar Lowell. The attorney arched a brow, his gaze on their clasped hands. His lips thinned, and he glanced away. Nick almost felt sorry for the man if he’d developed feelings for Frances. They’d never have worked.
Luke entered the room, followed by Maude and Charles and then Doris and Marshall. Because she was still the schoolteacher, Nick wondered if she’d made arrangements for a substitute. Maybe Edith since she was good with kids.
“I received a couple of letters today,” Luke said once everyone was settled. He held up two envelopes but put one that appeared unopened in his pocket and then removed papers from the other one. “This is from the private investigator Abe recommended. He’s been doing some investigations of where the servants went from the Lancaster house. He’s got connections with servants who share things they hear for a fee. He’s been looking for rumors about possible foul play.” Luke’s gaze shifted to each of his sisters, settling on Frances.
“Therearerumors, aren’t there?” she asked.
“I’m sorry,” Luke said. “There are.”
Frances’s hand in Nick’s convulsed, but her expression stayed calm. If only for that, he’d do everything in his power to help bring her uncle to justice.
“With the information here,” Luke continued, “Abe suggests we have Edgar file a petition for the billing records of the stores.”
“Are you saying Frances’s suspicions about poisoning could be right?” Maude asked, her complexion pale.
“Your old housekeeper met with a suspicious accident not long after you ladies fled Indianapolis.Rightafter,” Abe said with a meaningful glance at Charles. “Her brother said she’d just come into some unexpected money too. The obvious place to search would be the household records, but I’m thinking your uncle would have already destroyed those.”
“And that’s why you want the billing records.” Charles nodded.
“What if she paid for the poison with cash?” Marshall asked, his arm around Doris, who looked about to cry.
“That would be more suspicious,” Nick said. “If the housekeeper usually put everything on the household accounts but then suddenly paid for poison with cash, it’d make it memorable.”
“But why pay her the money and then kill her?” Maude shuddered.
“I’ll bet she was trying to blackmail him for more money,” Frances said. “Does your private investigator say anything about how Mrs. Channing died?”
“It was a dog attack,” Luke said, his voice somber.
Frances’s hand shifted in Nick’s. Last month, Luke had suffered several cattle losses from what had appeared to be wolf attacks—until Mr. McDaniel had shot a trained attack dog which Edgar had identified as belonging to some Italian friends of William Lancaster.
“Don’t you have enough now to draw the police’s attention to our uncle?” Frances asked, a bitter edge to her voice.
“The policeareinterested, but they need more than suspicions to act,” Charles said. “Your uncle has a lot of influence with people in high places, so the police will want to have an ironclad case before they move.”
“My friend also indicated they’d like to be able to pin something on these Italians.” Abe made a disgusted grunt. “Things always get more complicated when you involve multiple jurisdictions. To the New York lawmen trying to catch the Italians, what your uncle’s done probably seems pretty tame.”
“Murder is tame?” Frances hissed glaring at the sheriff.
“Obviously not tame to you, but I’ve been paying more attention to the news from New York.” Abe’s expression turned grim. “It sounds to me like your uncle’s gotten himself involved with some very bad men. There are stories of secret societies and oaths of allegiance. They don’t blink an eye at murder.”
“I wonder if that’s what gave your uncle the idea,” Nick said.
“It doesn’t matter where he got the idea,” Frances said.
“I ain’t disagreeing with you.” Nick tightened his hold on her hand. “William Lancaster’s going to pay for what he’s done, one way or the other.”
“I think it’s time for us to force the issue,” Frances said. “Now all three of us are married, we should go to Indianapolis and claim our inheritance.”
11
Frances leaned back, as everyone started talking at once.
“You sure know how to throw oil on a fire, don’t you?” Nick said with a chuckle.
“They can’t leave me out anymore. I won’t let them.” She looked at him and covered their clasped hands with her free one. “Thank you so much for doing this for me. I’ll do my best to make it worth your while.”
“You already have. I’ve told you more than once I’d do anything for you.”
