She sighed but did as instructed, and she did in fact remember several people passing by, couples chatting, a few individuals, some people who paused to join their conversation and others who didn't bother to stop. It seemed she'd nearly let her tea go cold before ever sipping it, and had been considering a whole new cup that might have saved her, had she bothered.
She was still going when Thomas tugged them out into the hall and over to where the coroners and forensics guys were waiting. Alex chose to go with the coroner first, figuring that was more urgent, and then they doubled back to release the parlour and other evidence while the coroner examined the first body.
No one was surprised when the result for Wicket was poisoning, exact type awaiting confirmation from toxicology. That got them going back upstairs to release Camellia's body, and Alex did that evidence as well since the forensics guys would be doing this room next.
Eventually they made their way back down to Lapointe, who was now interviewing one of the actual suspects, the easily offended Lady Halliwell.
"People are always assuming things, I find," she was saying haughtily, "and saying things they don't mean."
"That's especially true with the peerage," agreed Alex, coming in to find Lapointe looking like she might kill for a cup of coffee but was in fact too smart to ask for one while interviewing potential poisoners. "Forensics and the coroner are all set up."
"Were you nice to them?" asked Lapointe.
"Armistead wasn't here, so of course he was," said Julian teasingly. "I got a text that our Guardians are on the way, do you need us for anything right now?"
Lapointe sighed and shook her head. "No, no, I've got all your notes. We'll get rid of everyone later and have coffee when it's safe."
Alex saw something flash across Halliwell's face, but it was gone so fast he was half sure he'd imagined it. "No getting poisoned," agreed Alex.
"Again," added Julian. "We'll go find Smithson and get our rooms packed up, perhaps. I'm sure there's somewhere we can all six meet and chat."
"Sounds like a plan," said Thomas.
Halliwell seemed to be seething in place, as furious at being ignored as she was at being summoned.
Ah, well. She wasn't Alex's problem at the moment, so he left to find Smithson and, hopefully, some unpoisoned coffee.
Chapter 27
Smithson didn't really need to help them pack, so he was sent to forage for another snack and some caffeine that was safe from tampering. It was a longish drive from the Temple of the Guardians all the way out to Chudleigh's, so they were entertaining James and Jacques with texts while they got everything put away, fed their cats, and generally made sure they weren't leaving half a set of cufflinks behind or anything.
The earring they'd found turned out to belong to one of Chudleigh's sisters, both of whom now lived with husbands of their own and had visited the house the previous week.
Smithson had some other gossip, mainly about who'd been out in whose rooms when they shouldn't have been.
"I swear, that Gallowglass has balls of brass, uh, pardon the phrasing," he was saying, pouring coffee from the tray he'd laid out on the already-remade bed. "She was in with McGuinness again and neither of them showed a shred of remorse."
"Well, that's good for McGuinness," said Alex. "He chose the right lass to tumble, I mean, as opposed to Camellia."
Smithson was surprised into a laugh, as was Julian. "That's fair and true, but you won't hear me saying it."
"You really can't make nobles do anything," said Julian. "Even if it's in their best interests, they often feel that they should be the exception, even more than normal people do."
"Even us," said Alex, going over to take a cup of well-doctored coffee from Smithson. "Case in point."
"Caffeine is life," agreed Julian, accepting his own cup. "And really, we already got almost-poisoned once, what's a little coffee between friends?"
Smithson snorted and shook his head. "I'll go get you two another pot in a few, once your lads are here."
"I have to tell them you called them that," said Julian, giggling. "Big, strong Guardians, you know, our lads."
"You do talk about them as though they're just friends up for a visit," said Smithson with a shrug.
"We do, because in a way they are, though they'll be on assignment until the murderess is caught." Alex took another big gulp of coffee and made a face like bliss.
Julian chuckled at the sight. "Don't worry, they'll think it's funny, too," said Julian. "They might also like some food after that long drive, though they won't have been doing much magic on the way without a Charge to Guard."
"What are we forgetting?" asked Julian, looking around the room.
