"You do that, and send anyone with a tale to tell to see us," said Alex. "We won't get them in trouble, but it's important."
"I know. A man's dead, don't get more important than that." Smithson slapped his thighs and stood. "If you don't need anything else?"
"We're good," said Alex. "Just make sure they're going to bring us someone else, so we don't sit here wondering."
Smithson grinned like he wanted to laugh at the idea, but was too polite. "I'll make sure someone brings you your next victim."
"Thanks," said Alex belatedly, just as the door was kicking shut.
They dove back on their remaining food, figuring they'd need the energy for interviewing a bunch of upset nobles.
Chapter 13
Julian finished his plate first for once, leaning into Alex tiredly despite the fact that the evening had really only just begun before the incident occurred. "I don't know how you do this all the time, it's exhausting."
Alex kissed his hair between bites. "Easy, I make Lapointe and the rest do these parts. I'd be back in the parlour listening, and maybe snooping in the ballroom to see if anyone sounded like viper venom still, or finding the empty bottle if not."
"Yeah, that's fair," said Julian. He poured the last of the pot of tea into their cups, then fixed them both as they liked best while Alex polished off the last of his snack.
"I don't like that we're having me do this part, I'm not any good at it," said Alex, frowning. "Someone might get away with it because of that."
"Sirs?" said a maid, poking her head in. "I've got Miss Renee Winterson for you, if you please."
"Thank you, yes," said Julian. "Um, and can we have another pot of tea, with a cup for the lady?"
"Oh, yes, sirs," said the maid. She led Renee over to the chair across from them before bobbing a curtsey and taking the teapot to refresh.
"Miss Winterson, you were to Wicket's left, I think?" asked Julian, consulting his notes.
"Yes, on the sofa," she said. "He's a flirt, but he's ever so entertaining, I decided to let myself enjoy it. The rumours assure me he never follows through and tries anything, so it's all pretty harmless."
"That's what his wife assured us, too," said Alex. "How do you take your tea?"
"Oh, just one sugar," she said with a smile. "You know, the servants here are really good about that, remembering."
Julian made another note about that, and started a little chart of where everyone had been in the room during the murder.
"Smart," said Alex, nodding to Julian's handiwork. "I'm not always good about remembering, but I figure I can keep track for the time it takes to brew the pot."
"He's actually pretty good at it, he just pretends," said Julian in a conspiratorial tone that made her laugh. "So, when did Smithson hand you your tea?"
"Oh, um, I think I was third or so? There were six of us that wanted it, I remember thinking it was a lot, but he brought it over three at a time, and then Wicket's brandy after," she said, biting the tip of one fingernail gently. "Miss Halliwell was first, I remember that, because it was her idea to get tea."
"Right, and then who after her?" asked Julian.
"Oh, um, maybe Miss Periwig? I was third, and she was beside me but standing," said Winterson, brow wrinkling. "Then he went back and brought tea for Miss Berkelshire, who was on Wicket's other side, Lady Knapweed, um, the blonde one, who was standing and looking a little bored, and Lord Herbert, who was nestled in a chair quite content to be overlooked by the ladies."
"And then after those two trays, the drink was separate?" asked Julian kindly, urging her along in her memory.
"Yes. He did bring it on a tray, but handed it off when Wicket reached for it, and, well, you know how that went." She giggled and then looked appalled at herself. "Anyway, I don't think it was Lord Herbert, he was nowhere near us, really, he just wanted tea."
"That's fine, you don't have to worry about the whodunit, as long as it wasn't you," said Alex, and then, "You didn't, did you?"
She looked shocked, and Julian sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, he's still a little feral."
"I did not," she said primly. "I'm not that sort of girl," she added, with a touch of that humour and intelligence she'd shown earlier.
"Who is that sort of girl?" said Alex, more rhetorically this time. "I have no idea why anyone would even want to kill Wicket. He didn't sleep with any of his many flirtations, which makes him the most harmless man here, honestly."
