“He’s an actor!” Liza said. “I haven’t seen any playbills for anything past 1885, so I think he was rather hard up. We think his name is Maurice Suchet, because that’s the only name consistent on each list of players.”
“But if he’s an actor, why is he working with Circe?” Mira asked.
“Liza already answered that question,” Byron said. “If he is a failed actor, the opportunity to be paid for impersonating a naval officer would have had some appeal. And if it is all an act, perhaps Mary is safer than we realized.”
“Mary?” Liza asked.
“She’s been abducted,” Mira said. “We received a ransom note asking for the documents to be delivered in exchange for her release.”
Liza’s mouth fell open. “Abducted?”
“Is that why you’re here?” Maureen asked. “Did you decipher the music?”
Byron lifted the folder. “If we’re correct, the documents are in the musical box.”
The group adjourned to the music room. The air wascharged with excitement and anxiety as they huddled around the credenza. Byron gently took hold of the blue horse and twisted the head off.
Maureen gasped. “You’ve broken it!”
“It will reattach,” Byron said. “And now we simply need a key.”
Sure enough, there was a keyhole embedded in the neck of the horse.
“Oh, it’s right here.” Maureen opened the drawer of the credenza and pulled out the wind-up key. They all held their breath as it slotted perfectly into the lock.
Click.
A hidden compartment popped open from the base. Byron did the honors of swinging the door open, revealing a small stack of papers within. He gingerly removed the documents.
“Those have been hiding there all this time?” Maureen said.
Byron nodded. “And now it’s time to find out what all the fuss is about.”
They all took seats around the room as Byron skimmed over the documents. Mira tapped her foot, nervous energy flooding through her.
“It’s not about the Treaty of San Stefano,” he said after several minutes of reading. “It’s about the one that came after—the Treaty of Berlin. These documents list the changes made at the conference and describe how they would lead to widespread war in Europe.”
Mira swallowed. “What sort of changes?”
“Placing Bosnia under Austria-Hungarian occupation, Russia regaining access to the Black Sea region, dividing Bulgaria into three parts, and placing Macedonia back under Ottoman rule. It details how these changes are likely to result in uprisings and strife and if any revolutionaries attack their occupiers it would certainly spark war. This last page has a listof alliances between countries and who would be most likely to be brought into a conflict. And most damaging of all, it lists Circe by name as the force behind these changes.”
“No wonder they wanted the documents,” Liza said.
“What would happen if the government is made aware of this?” Walker asked.
“I’m not certain, but it would be a blow to Circe and that’s enough.” He folded up the documents and tucked them into his coat, turning to Mira. “If Hoddle really is an actor, I think the best course of action is the direct one. We go to Sibyl’s house and ask to speak with him.”
“And what if he turns violent?” Mira asked.
“We’ll just have to think one step ahead of him. Liza, Maureen, would you be so kind as to inform Inspector Rutledge of the situation? If you need to send a telegram in my name, so be it, but we’ll want men watching the docks and the train station in case he escapes.”
Maureen frowned. “Don’t you want the police to come with you?”
“We’ll be able to handle Hoddle well enough on our own, and I don’t want to risk him doing something foolish, like harming Mary, if he gets wind of his impending arrest. Walker, are you up to coming with us?”
“I’d be more than happy to.”
Byron’s mouth ticked up at the side. “I think it’s time we allow Maurice Suchet one last performance as Admiral Hoddle.”
