Henry was enjoying this. “The solicitor you used to amend the wills of Walter Howard, Thomas Ambrose, and Dorothy Symes. How many others did you kill?”
Miss Thorne gasped in outrage, though he knew it was feigned. Her breath came in quick gasps, her hand trembling as she lifted it to press to her chest. “Whatever are you going on about, Inspector? This is harassment, and you will rue the day you accused me of such evil things.”
“Practicing medicine without a degree is also illegal,MissThorne.”
Several people passing by paused to see what was happening. Henry wished they’d continue on their way.
“It’sDr. Thorne,” she insisted, her gaze darting about before she turned to a tall man in a black woolen suit standing near the stack of trunks, watching them warily. “Edward, this man is bothering me. I want him gone.”
The same man who’d answered the door of her home hesitated, then started forward.
“Hold.” Henry held out a hand toward the man and looked back at the woman even as his pulse thundered. “Cordelia Thorne, you are under arrest for the murder of Walter Howard, Thomas Ambrose, and Dorothy Symes.”
She glared at Henry with a startling amount of hatred gleaming in her eyes. “Edward?”
Henry glanced at the man and lifted a brow. “Stay where you are, sir, unless you wish to be arrested for obstruction of justice.”
Edward looked between them, clearly uncertain how to proceed.
Miss Thorne didn’t wait to see what the man decided but turned and strode away as fast as her skirts allowed—but Henry easily caught her arm and held tight. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Release her.” Edward approached, hands fisted at his sides. Apparently touching her was too much of a threat.
A small crowd gathered, their attention caught by the drama unfolding. This was all going wrong—where were his men in response to his whistle? Had they even heard it? His ribs wouldn’t withstand a fight, not with the pair of them, and his headache was returning and with it, the nausea—
“Step back!”
Henry drew a relieved breath at the sound of Fletcher’s order, followed by the sharp shrill of his police whistle.
The sergeant pulled handcuffs from his belt and offered them to Henry. “I assume you’ll be needing these?”
“I will, indeed.” He took them and soon had a still-protesting Miss Thorne in cuffs as Fletcher grabbed her companion’s arm.
“This is the end of your career, Inspector,” she ground out.
“I’ve heard that before, yet here we are,” he replied as Constables Dannon and Stephens arrived. He tipped his head toward Edward as relief swept through him. “Bring him along to see what he can tell us.”
Within the hour, they had returned to Scotland Yard with their suspects in tow. It took some convincing, but the sight of the solicitor being led away in handcuffs finally persuaded Miss Thorne to enlighten them on a few things.
Mr. Barnes’ clerk happened to be her cousin and had alerted her that the police were closing in. Yet despite this admission she continued to protest her arrest, stating the names of some of the more fashionable people she’d helped, including members of the nobility.
“The money went toward research,” Miss Thorne insisted. “Research!”
“But most of it went to you,” Henry countered. “Perhaps you should’ve given Mr. Collins a larger cut to buy his loyalty.”
She shook her head, a smug look on her face. “You think I gave him money? He wanted to attend medical school and believed me when I promised to pay for it. Rather naïve of him.”
Her confidence didn’t waver until he mentioned the three victims’ names again.
“Those particular guests had very little time left. They were already dying.” She leaned forward, steadily holding Henry’s gaze, as if willing him to understand. “In truth, we saved them pain and suffering. It was a kindness.”
Henry’s stomach twisted with her words. “You cannot justify what you did.” He stood, deciding they knew enough for now. Perhaps time alone in a holding cell would help her see the error of her ways.
Director Reynolds clapped his shoulder as Henry watched her being taken away, and he just managed not to wince at the jarring pain. “Well done, Field. Another case solved.”
Henry nodded. “I only wish we’d discovered the scheme before people died.”
“True. But you likely saved some, and that matters.” Reynolds held his gaze as if wanting to make certain Henry believed it.
