This time the dart hit home. Strachanreddened, then moved his indignation up a notch. “That, sir, isnone of your business. What transpires between me and my vicars isprivate. Nor, I might add, had Dougherty any authority to break theconfidentiality between him and his client.”
“Agree. But he did, and I know that you werethreatened with a civil suit and possible scandal, and that, in amost unchristian-like manner, you retaliated as soon as youcould.”
Sturges had taken another step backwards,towards the door. But Strachan merely squeezed the rictus of a grinout through his teeth and lips, and said, “I’ll now give you theadvice I promised – both of you. This province is on the brink ofsuccess or failure. The recommendations of Lord Durham must bedebated in an atmosphere free from intrigue and machination, andfrom scandal-mongering. I will not, I repeat, not have youtwo or any of your minions interfering with the work of my priestsor making unfounded allegations regarding any actions you maysuppose involves them with Reuben Epp. There will be noguilt-by-association. And if I get wind of the slightestimpropriety on your part, I’ll have the investigation closed down -whatever the Governor thinks. In addition, I’ll see to it thatMister Edwards here never practises law in this province.Good day, gentlemen.”
The bishop-in-waiting wheeled and swepthimself out of the room.
Sturges led the way to the vestibule. “I’msure glad I brung you along,” he said to his chiefinvestigator.
ELEVEN
Cobb spent Tuesday afternoon in various taverns andpublic houses about the city, contacting and bribing his snitchesto be on the lookout for anyone who might have seen Reuben Epp onSunday afternoon. It certainly would not be hard for any of them tostart a conversation with their pub-crawling clientele: Epp’s nameand the horrors of his crime were on every lip. Cobb was sosuccessful in lining up half a dozen of his regular crew that hearrived home too late for supper and too inebriated to have eatenit even if Dora had been sympathetic enough to indulge him (shewasn’t). Meanwhile, Marc was needed at home, where Celia was inneed of comfort and Beth in need of support. In fact, he put her tobed and let Charlene tend to Celia. When the house at last grewquiet, Marc, as was his custom, sat down and wrote copious notes onthe case thus far. Beth almost always volunteered to listen as heread them aloud upon completion, and together they would mull overthe perplexing details. But Beth was very near her term andincreasingly fatigued. Marc found himself alone with his thoughtsand the feelings that threatened to overwhelm them.
Brodie had insisted on spending the dayfinalizing the funeral arrangements, going through his guardian’spapers, and dealing with the distraught servants at the cottage. Itwas taken for granted that Dick had been a wealthy man. He had beena successful barrister for more than twenty-five years, inpartnership with Dennis Langford, and, upon the latter’s death, hadtaken over the business and acted as trustee for the Langfordestate. According to the will that Brodie found, Dick’s ownconsiderable estate was to pass directly to his wards. Despite abusy and exhausting day, Brodie arrived at Briar Cottage in timefor the evening meal, prepared entirely by Charlene (with moralsupport from Jasper Hogg, her suitor and day-slave).
And it was during this meal that Celia, fullyawake and much recovered, dropped her bombshell.
“I’ve been too upset to tell you,” she said,“but two men came to the door on Sunday morning just beforeeleven.”
Marc was able – just – to keep his shock fromalarming Celia, but he felt Beth tense beside him, and saw Brodie’seyes widen.
“Do you know whether or not they werelawyers, from New York City?” Marc said slowly.
“How did you know?” Celia said, sensing whatshe most feared: that the appearance of these men and her failureto stay with her guardian were somehow connected to his death.
“These same gentlemen, Brenner and Tallman,I’ve been told, showed up at Archdeacon Strachan’s house later thesame day,” Marc said.
“Tallman and Brenner are law partners,”Brodie said. “I never met them, that I remember, but I know thatFather and Uncle had dealings with them.”
“Did you happen to overhear anything that wassaid when they visited your guardian?” Marc asked Celia, andinstantly regretted it.
Celia blushed, then fought back tears. “Uncleordered me to leave him alone for an hour with them, and I – I wassupposed to sneak off and meet Matthew at eleven, and so, like aselfish child, I just left Uncle alone there. I know I should have- ”
“You should have done exactly as your uncleasked you to,” Beth said, glancing at Marc. “And I’m sure youwould’ve told him about Matthew – when the time was right.”
Celia beamed a jittery smile at Beth.
“I’m sorry to press the matter,” Marc said,“but did Tallman and Brenner seem in any way . . .threatening?”
Celia, buoyed somewhat by Beth’s support,didn’t hesitate. “Not at all. They looked friendly enough to me,though I think they were a bit nervous.”
“That’s a common reaction when meetingUncle,” Brodie said.
“And your uncle, how did he react when he sawthem?”
“Surprised, I think, but Uncle doesn’t alwaysgive away his feelings,” Celia said. “That’s what worried me -after I’d left him alone there.”
“Well, luv,” Beth said, “he was fine when yougot back, wasn’t he?”
“Y- yes. Everything seemed normal. We playedchess in the afternoon, and on Monday morning I kissed him beforehe went out for his – ” Celia burst into tears and fled the room,Charlene right behind her.
Beth smiled grimly. “Them tears just have toflow,” she said by way of explanation. And she knew so from her ownbitter experience with sudden death.
Later, when Marc and Brodie were seated alonein the parlour, Brodie said, “Do you think it has anything to dowith Uncle’s murder?”
“It doesn’t seem likely,” Marc said. “Tallmanand Brenner visited Strachan after they left your cottage. AtStrachan’s they indicated that they had accepted an invitation totestify before the Benchers on behalf of your uncle.” Marc had nointention of telling Brodie the possible nature of their testimony:the stoic young man had enough on his plate.
“So it’s logical to assume that they werediscussing Uncle’s petition with him before they had to go beforethe Law Society?”
“That’s what I tend to think.” Though thepresence of American money hidden away in Epp’s shack and the factthat, according to Robert, the visiting lawyers had not been seenback at their hotel on Sunday until dinner at six – wereworrisome.
“But these men are barristers,” Brodie said,echoing another of Marc’s concerns. “They are supreme pokerplayers. They could make a living on the stage. If they did comehere to physically harm Uncle, they could have been taking pains tohave their movements appear to be ones expected of two mencome to town merely to help the Law Society do its duty.”
“Smiling villains, you mean. Like KingClaudius in Hamlet?”
“And they sure left town in an awfulhurry.”
“True. But, then, they did hear of Dick’sdeath that morning, and probably just didn’t want to be involved,”Marc pointed out, though such behaviour didn’t seem compatible withthe claim of friendship they had made at the Palace.
“Anyway, they’re halfway to New York by now,”Brodie sighed.
“Just to make sure, though,” Marc said,yawning, “I’ll ask Cobb to have his snitches try to trace theirmovements during Sunday afternoon.” What he couldn’t tell Brodie,who looked as if he didn’t need any more discouraging news, wasthat that afternoon provided the only window of opportunity forTallman and Brenner to have contacted Epp – if in fact they hadbeen intent on malice. But how they would have initially got holdof the illiterate Epp was not easily imagined. Unless, of course,they were acting in concert with someone in the city, someone whoalso wished Dick dead. Marc’s head began to spin. This case wasbecoming hydra-like. Each probe produced two new possibilities toconsider.