“That’s what I told her,” Ivan said as Judith moved to join him, giving his arm a soothing rub.
“It sounds to me, Ivan,” Judith began, “as if you were very gallant in your defense of Eunice, something I would have adored seeing. Just as I would have adored witnessing a cowboy showdown in the middle of Main Street.”
“Cowboy showdowns are a dime a dozen in town,” Aunt Hazel said. “I’m sure there’ll be another one the next time a trip to town is planned, so no need to fret you missed a treat.” She smiled. “On the bright side, though, if you’d have gone into town today, then you, Ann, and Georgette wouldn’t have been able to oh so subtly question me about the family as I was sitting for my portrait.”
Judith shot a glance to Ann, who grimaced, before she returned her attention to Aunt Hazel. “We weren’t deliberately questioning you. We were merely curious about your life in Montana.”
Aunt Hazel rolled her eyes. “Please, dear, give me a bit more credit. As I mentioned at one point today, I’m very adept with eavesdropping. James was never forthcoming with family information, so I became very proficient over the years with lurking around corners and pressing my ear up against doors. Because of that, I’m what I like to think of as the family secret keeper.”
“You didn’t share many of those secrets today,” Judith muttered.
“That’s because you didn’t ask the right questions.” Aunt Hazel switched her attention to Eunice. “Before I forget, darling, allow me to congratulate you on being a partner with a lady detective agency. The very idea of ladies solving mysteries fascinates me. You’re simply going to have to tell me all about how your Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency came to be.”
“You know about the agency?” Eunice asked, ignoring the look of outrage Hester was sending her and the fact that Doris and Alice’s mouths were gaping open.
“Of course.” Aunt Hazel smiled a far-too-innocent smile. “I was in the barn while you were getting the horses ready for the trip to town.”
“I didn’t see you in the barn.”
Aunt Hazel gave an airy wave of her hand. “I was hiding outin the loft, hoping to learn something interesting, and lo and behold, I heard you talking about the agency.” She tilted her head. “I am curious, though, if you run an inquiry agency, why it took you so long to decide to investigate James’s death. Might it have had something to do with the fact someone could very well want you dead as well, or at the very least, locked behind bars, framed for his murder?”
“This investigation is turning into a complete fiasco,” Cooper muttered as he joined Eunice.
“I’m not going to argue about that, but sinceeverythingis out in the open now, and we’ve already called for a family meeting, we might as well take the remainder of the afternoon to try and sort matters out.”
“Is it actually going to be a sorting out, or will it be more along the lines of a family interrogation?” Aunt Hazel asked.
“Interrogation,” Cooper said without hesitation.
“How lovely” was all Aunt Hazel said to that before she waltzed toward the door, saying over her shoulder that she was off to fetch Raymond and Clarice and ring for coffee.
As murmurs sounded around the room, Hester muttering the loudest and saying something to the effect that it was scandalous that anyone in the family needed to be subjected to an interrogation, Lloyd moseyed over to join Eunice and Arthur, pulling up a chair and taking a seat before he leaned closer to her. “Interesting family you have, dear, but I must say, Hazel is a delightful woman, and I don’t believe she had anything to do with murdering her brother. From what she disclosed today, she was rather fond of James, even if he did keep her under his thumb.” He lowered his voice. “Raymond, on the other hand, didn’t care for his brother at all, and Hazel mentioned in passing that he always resented James because his brother didn’t believe he possessed the intellect needed to be an asset to the family business.”
“I think it’s fair to say that James did not possess a sensitive side,” Arthur said, which left Eunice smiling as Aunt Hazel reentered the room, Uncle Raymond and Clarice trailing behind her.
Given that Uncle Raymond’s face was remarkably drawn, it was clear that while he’d been keeping to his suite of rooms, he’d certainly not been resting.
Howard stepped forward and got his parents settled on a settee, then settled himself in a chair next to Hester, while Alice and Doris went to sit beside Mrs. Wagner, who’d apparently decided to join the interrogation without even being asked. Vincent had taken to looking at his pocket watch, his expression annoyed, quite as if he didn’t want to waste his time dealing with Mason family matters since he wasn’t a Mason.
Cooper strode to the middle of the room, which had silence descending over the library. “Since everyone is now here, I believe we’ll start where we ended last night before the mad stampede for the door, which was ... ?”
Doris raised her hand. “I believe Eunice explained how she knew her grandfather, my great-uncle James, had been murdered, and also how someone tried to set her up to take the fall, and then everyone voiced their innocence and the evening ended.”
“What an interesting recap of the evening,” Cooper said. “But yes, that’s somewhat accurate, so I’m going to start with this—I’d like to hear thoughts on who all of you think would be the most likely to have killed James, as well as who would have then tried to frame Eunice for the crime.”
“And let the games begin,” Georgette murmured as everyone began glancing around the room, almost to see if someone would have the audacity to name a possible suspect.
To Eunice’s surprise, Uncle Raymond suddenly stood up, his face ashen, but she quickly realized he hadn’t stood up to announce a suspect. Mr. Crawford, the butler, had entered the library, along with a distinguished-looking gentleman.
“Begging your pardon,” Mr. Crawford began, “but Mr. D. H. Loring is here to speak with Mr. Raymond Mason. He told me he’s expected.”
“I forgot all about Mr. Loring,” Raymond said, taking a stepforward. “In the hopes of sparing him our family drama, I’ll just go and—”
Whatever else Uncle Raymond had been about to say came to an abrupt end when Georgette shot out of her chair and began stalking across the room, not stopping until she was five feet away from the man Mr. Crawford was standing beside.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
Mr. Loring stiffened right before his eyes narrowed on Georgette. “I could ask the same of you. When Raymond Mason let it be known he was interested in selling Mason Mines, I inquired about you and was told you’d died. You don’t look dead to me.”
