“Ah.” The whole of Aster’s opinion of the former professor was expressed in that single derisive syllable.
“And he mentioned that my father had been approached by Dr. Calderbrook at Kew. To join the same lab that Dr. Calderbrook now runs in Harpenden.”
“And?”
Silence fell between them. He no doubt felt it was as weak an explanation as she knew it was. Curse Nick for making her wait for his ministry’s support until after the Path Lab’s matters were settled! She doubted Aster would appreciate her need to understand her father. Aster had told her that her father’s research was not up for discussion when he promoted her in the spring. She doubted that had changed. She would be sacked and likely hoping to keep her position at the Path Lab after all.
An all-too-familiar feeling of helplessness settled over her shoulders. Eyes on the spotless desk rather than on Aster, she said, “I just wanted to know. I wanted to know what my father had been working on. After what Berking said to me—”
“Berking was, and no doubt continues to be, an imbecile. I thought you, of all people, had perceived that.”
Startled at the amusement in his tone, Saffron looked up. Aster’s face told her nothing. “I assure you, I am well aware, sir.”
Aster scoffed lightly. “Have you spoken to Dr. Calderbrook regarding your father’s work?”
“No,” she admitted. “The lab has experienced two sudden losses of scientists, so we’ve been scrambling to make up for it. I haven’t had the opportunity.”
The truth was she had had time. Dr. Calderbrook attended their afternoon tea breaks, and she’d spoken with him on a few occasions. He’d even mentioned her father during one, but she hadn’t tried to ask him why he’d wanted him to join the lab. She wanted her fatherto be simply a brilliant scientist. As much as she wanted to know the truth, she worried what it would be. She longed to put the matter to rest, but she was a coward in the end.
“As it happens,” Aster said, steepling his fingers, “I received a visit from a member of the Agricultural Ministry just this morning. He intimated that your presence in the laboratory related to an issue with which he required your assistance. I believe his name was Hale.”
Saffron nodded dumbly. Why hadn’t Aster mentioned this first? He clearly enjoyed watching her squirm.
“A relation to your flatmate or a coincidence?” The barest hint of musing in his voice disappeared as he shook his head. “I understand the … assignment is considered confidential. I am forced to comply with their wishes, lest the future of collaborations with that institution be put at risk. Next time you wish to venture into government dealings, Miss Everleigh, I require to be made aware of it. Had I not been informed of your cooperation, you would be walking out of the premises with only your temporary position at Dr. Calderbrook’s laboratory to support you.” His voice went colder. “And the next time you attempt to deny interest in work carried out while under contract from the government, I will be sure to remind you that you risked your career here at the university in order to assist that same government. I daresay I need not mention the hypocrisy of your decisions.”
Saffron left the office a few minutes later, head reeling. Aster had given her leave to finish at the lab, but it was a hollow victory. She did feel like a hypocrite. She’d been so eager to solve the mystery that she’d convinced Nick to let her help, despite the fact she’d knowingly damaged her career by refusing to add her name to the government-funded study she’d worked so hard to complete.
But associating her name with the government and information about dangerous plants was different than volunteering to work in an agricultural laboratory in order to solve a murder.
Saffron stopped walking, barely aware that she’d made her way halfway down the hall and now stood in the center of it, interrupting the sparse traffic of the upper level of the North Wing.
Wells had died from a fungal infection. Alexander had mentioned thatMucor indicuslived in soil, and she’d accepted that the infectionwas a coincidence. But what if it wasn’t? What if Wells had died from contracting the infection from a specimen the mycologists had strengthened, just as she’d feared her father would have been doing?
A sick feeling overtook her. Such work would have been easy for her to miss. She’d never seen documentation of the specimens Sutcliffe and Mary worked on; she’d asked aboutMucor indicusand accepted it when they said they didn’t work with it. They could have very easily lied, and Saffron would never be any the wiser. She needed to get into the mycology lab and examine all the notesandthe specimens to find out the truth herself.
Her plans were immediately arrested the moment she walked down the stairs to the second floor of the North Wing.
“Have you just been standing here, lying in wait for me?” Saffron asked Nick.
He shrugged cheerfully.
She shot him an unamused glare. “Step into my office, if you will. I’d like a word.”
The air in her office was nearly as cold as it was outside. She’d moved her plants into Alexander’s office in anticipation of her absence, and she missed their presence in the window.
“Why did you not tell me that you planned to tell Aster what I’d been doing at the Path Lab?” she asked, not bothering to offer him a seat or take one herself. She wanted an explanation, then she needed to get to Harpenden. She was already going to be considerably late. “You said you weren’t going to tell him until matters were concluded.”
“Matters are concluded where you are concerned,” Nick said smoothly. He quickly slipped his gloves off and offered his hand to her. “The Agricultural Ministry thanks you for your assistance.”
Saffron ignored the hand. “The case isn’t solved. We don’t know how Alfie Tennison fits in with Wells, nor do we know for certain how Wells or Petrov died.”
“It was the fungus you and Alexander identified,” he replied. “That was the bit I needed help with, and you delivered. Again, thank you.”
“We don’t know—”
“We know all we need to.”
Saffron studied him; there were shadows under his eyes that his pleasant expression could not hide. “Is this because of Elizabeth?”
