Mr. Treadway nodded. “It would have been much worse had we not known.” He stepped over to Rutledge’s desk and offered a hand. “We’ll be staying in town for a few days, if something comes to light about our actual son or who this imposter is.”
Rutledge shook his hand. “Thank you for being so understanding.”
The Treadways left the room and the air was a little more breathable.
“Well. This is quite the strange situation,” Inspector Rutledge said. “I have no idea where to even start.”
Byron took the journal back from Mira. “I believe we oughtto—”
“Ambrose,” Mary said, voice terse. “Haven’t you done enough?”
Byron’s entire form wound tight like a spring as he turned towards his sister. “If you did not want me meddling with police affairs, you should not have invited me to Bath to investigate your burglary. Now, the burglar has been found dead, but his identity is unknown. We know he was working with a partner but have no leads on how to find her, and the jewels you asked me to retrieve are still missing. So no, Mary, I don’t think I’ve even begun to ‘do enough.’ If you wish to return home, by all means leave us. But if you stay, please allow me to do my job.”
Mary shut her mouth with a snap.
Mrs. Sherard stood. “Thank you for your patience in this matter, Inspector. If you need us, you’ll know where to find us. Come along, Mary.”
Once the office door had shut behind them, Byron took a deep breath and turned back to the inspector. “If we are to find out who our John Doe is, we can only work with what he left us. We need to return to his room at Wynmar Park.”
***
For the fourth time in almost asmany days, Mira and Byron took the journey out to Wynmar, this time accompanied by Walker and Liza as well as the police.
In relation to the chaperone issue, Liza had said, “We shall chaperone you and you shall chaperone us. And besides, we shan’t have time to be improper.”
This time, the Risewells were much more surprised to see them, but readily agreed to their searching of Mr. Treadway’s room. Inspector Rutledge stayed on the lower floor to ask them if they knew anything about Mr. Treadway’s life before coming to Wynmar, while the younger investigators stormed thebattlements, so to speak.
“This is so exciting,” Liza said. “I’ve never been part of an investigation before. Not really.”
Mira pulled all the clothes out of the wardrobe and set them on the bed to go through them more thoroughly. Byron and Walker were on the other side of the room on their hands and knees, checking for loose floorboards.
Liza picked up a jacket and turned it about.
“What are we looking for?”
“Any distinguishing marks. A tailor might have stitched in his initials or something. Or there might be something in the pockets that I missed.”
Liza nodded and searched over all the stitching. “Did Byron teach you how to do this?”
Mira tugged on a loose thread in a coat. “No. I suppose this just seems to be one of the more logical places to start.”
Liza shook her head. “I wouldn’t have any idea of what to look for if you hadn’t told me.”
“It takes some practice,” Byron said, knocking on the wood.
They spent the afternoon occupied with searching every square inch of the room for anything to identify their John Doe and came up with nothing. Until Mira shook out a coat and a button came loose, falling between the slats of a floorboard.
“I’ll get it,” Liza said, crouching. “Is there a pen or something thin on the desk? It’s stuck.”
Mira pulled a pin from her updo, a few strands of hair falling over her shoulders as she handed it over. Liza used it to fish the button out.
“Hold on, there’s something else here...” Liza sat back on her heels, turning the item over in her hand. “It’s a pretty little thing. A cufflink, I think.” She handed it over to Mira, smiling.
Mira froze in place, her breath catching between her ribs. She looked up at Byron, who moved over to her side. “What isit?”
She placed it in his hand. “This isn’t what I think it is, is it?”
It was a little gold pin with an encircled triangle at the center. Three little circles were at each point of the triangle.
