In a way, her biggest regret would be Wrengate.If he truly was responsible for Evie’s death, she’d love to help Adrian take him down.The duke had forced her to kill.An act she would never forgive him for, no matter what.
Unfortunately, he’d have to wait his turn.With a killer leaving a trail of bodies behind, the innocent lives still threatened had to take priority.
Eager to reconvene with Adrian so she could learn what he had discovered during his visit to St.George’s, Samantha pushed herself off the table.Her vision blurred a little as she found her footing, the dizziness likely caused by the sudden movement she’d made.Closing her eyes, she set one hand against the table to steady herself, took a deep breath, and expelled it.
When she reopened her eyes, she saw that Doctor Wolf had also risen.He and his son both watched her with patient expressions.She crossed the floor and extended her hand to the doctor, who took it.“Thank you for your help and for your advice.”
He dipped his chin.“As mentioned, you should return here at once if your symptoms worsen.Otherwise, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks, at which point we should be able to make a more definite diagnosis.”
She nodded, already choosing to keep the doctor’s suspicions to herself for now.Telling Adrian and making him hope for something that wasn’t certain made no sense.He’d find out soon enough.After the various threats they presently faced had been dealt with.
A half turn allowed her to shake Mr.Wolf’s hand as well.She thanked him too, then prepared to cross to the door when a plaque on the wall caught her attention.Her gaze was immediately drawn to one particular name that stood out among the rest.Islington.
“These are the men you attended Oxford University with?”The bold heading at the top of the plaque indicated the names listed below belonged to those who’d graduated as Doctors of Medicine in 1793.When Doctor Wolf answered in the affirmative Samantha asked, “Are you still in touch?”
She scanned the rest of the names for Doctor Preordian’s but failed to find it.Melroy wasn’t there either, but Ashburry was, along with five others whom she’d never heard of.
“We meet on occasion.The Royal College of Physicians organizes a yearly event for its members.”
“What can you tell me about Islington?”One glance at Doctor Wolf showed his surprise over the question.His eyelids lowered just enough to tell her that he was taking her measure now, attempting to figure out why she’d singled out this particular man.Hoping to encourage a helpful response she said, “One of his patients has turned up dead and now he himself has gone missing.”
Doctor Wolf frowned.“How are you involved in this?”
“As you may be aware if you follow the news, my husband and I have connections.As such, we’re helping Bow Street investigate.”
“According to what I have read in the papers,” Mr.Wolf said before his father could comment, “your husband keeps being accused of criminal acts.As such, I believe it might be best for us to withhold information rather than share it.”
“People are dying, Mr.Wolf.”While Samantha understood the younger man’s trepidation, it also aggravated her.“The person killing them appears to be connected to the medical community.We’d like to find this individual and stop them before they strike again.”
“It’s been a while since I last saw Doctor Islington,” said Doctor Wolf.He drummed his fingers lightly against the top of his desk as though trying to steer his thoughts onto the right path.“A year at least.”
“Does that mean you otherwise socialize often as friends?”
“Colleagues mostly.”Once again, Doctor Wolf appeared to mull something over.“He was an excellent student, you know.Received top marks in all his subjects.I’ve always respected his opinion but our last two meetings ended in sound disagreements.As a result, I’ve not been in any hurry to meet with him again.”
Sensing there was valuable information to be had here, Samantha pressed.“What did this disagreement of yours entail?”
Doctor Wolf sent his son a quick look, then shrugged.“He favors the law that would sentence to death anyone playing a hand in ending a pre-gestation pregnancy.He’s extremely rigid on this point while I’m of the opinion that such cases cannot be lumped together as one and punished in the same way.Several factors, like the health of both mother and child, ought to be taken into consideration, though I’ll deny this stance should you happen to mention it elsewhere.”
“Of course.”Doctor Wolf had no interest in being tied to something the courts treated as murder.“Anything else the two of you disagree on?”
“Is this not enough?”Doctor Wolf snorted.“Islington should have the sense to view this prickly subject from more than one angle, but there’s no discussing it with him.Instead, he accused me of having dangerous opinions.”
“An understandable reason not to be in a hurry to see him again,” Samantha said.Though she didn’t believe Doctor Wolf was involved in Islington’s disappearance, she had to ask, “Did he by any chance threaten to share your views with others?”
“Yes, but he has the good sense not to.”
“How do you mean?”
Doctor Wolf raised his chin, his expression tightening while a somber look entered his eyes.“Let’s just say our acquaintance goes back far enough for me to know he has a few opinions that could land him in terrible trouble as well.”
“What sort of opinion?”
“I’m a man of my word, Mrs.Croft, and I gave him mine.You understand?”
She didn’t like it, but she appreciated the man’s sense of honor and chose not to press him further.If anything, Kendrick could make him talk under threat of penalty from the law.However, there was one more thing she hoped Doctor Wolf might help her with.“Do you have any idea where Islington might be hiding?”
“Not really, though I suppose he could have gone to his sister for help.”
