“Oh, I’m so sorry, ma’am. I was just takin’this – ”
“It’s all right, Muriel. But I hope youweren’t going off to the back shed with that waste basket?”
Muriel’s blush threatened to burst her plumpcheeks. “Oh. I did forget, ma’am. I’ll take it to the sewin’ room,as usual.”
Mavis waved her away with an indulgent smile,watched her close the door discreetly, then turned back to Cobb,still unconcerned. “Now is there something you wish from me or Mr.McDowell?” she said with a note of disappointment in her voice.
“Oh, it ain’t like that, ma’am. I ain’t comefer a reward or a favour.” He seized his helmet by the brim andsqueezed. “It’s a police matter.”
She smiled uncertainly, but said, “Then youhad better sit down and tell me about it. I am not one of thosewives who sits in her sewing-room embroidering pillows: Mowbray andI are partners in the enterprise of politics. I am privy to histhoughts and his efforts in the legislature. I managed his electioncampaign. If there is a ‘police matter,’ as you say, which concernsthe McDowells, then please give me the pertinent details – all ofthem.”
Cobb sat opposite her on the edge of a chairthat appeared to be designed to repel any would-be occupant. Heswallowed hard and said, “Well, ma’am, I been told, by anun-peckable source, that you an’ Reuben Epp arecousins.”
She didn’t blink, but she stayed very stillbefore saying, “We were cousins. Reuben was my mother’ssister’s son.” She gave him a bold stare and added, “Born out ofwedlock. Ran away from home at eleven.”
“I see,” Cobb said, though he wasn’t sure hedid. Her candour had caught him off-guard. “You’re tellin’ me,then, that you ain’t seen him since then?”
“I am. That is, until I moved here in Octoberto set up this house in anticipation of my husband’s arrival.”
“Ahh.”
“Is that a meaningful ‘ah’ or a puzzledone?”
“I been told – ”
“By your impeccable source.”
“ – that Reuben came here to get money offayou, which you gave him to keep him . . . ah, quiet.”
She actually smiled, to Cobb’sdisappointment. “Your attempt at being tactful is commendable,constable, though I doubt you’re ready for the diplomatic service.But there is no need, I assure you. This is politics, notdiplomacy.”
“Politics?”
“Of course. My long lost cousin was notexactly a reputable character in spite of the fact that he wasverger of St. James and a tiresome Christian. He was a knowndrunkard, frequented the dives and brothels of Irishtown, and wasadept at extorting a bit of spending money out of thehigh-and-mighty McDowells. I was happy to give him the occasionalguinea. He was my dead aunt’s child. I felt sorry for him. And Idamn well didn’t want him jeopardizing Mowbray’s career. Does thatshock you, constable?”
Cobb wasn’t shocked by anything the gentrydid, but he was intrigued by her use of the word “extortion.” Therewas definitely a motive for murder here, but the victim was morelikely to have been the extortionist himself, not a reclusiveYankee barrister. Still, he was on a live scent, and had nointention of letting it go cold. “We got reason to believe, ma’am,that Reuben Epp had someone help him kill Richard Dougherty. Reubencouldn’t read or write, could he?”
She paused before saying, “That’s true. Andyou’re wondering how that note with the obscenity scrawled on itgot into Reuben’s hands?”
“I am. We also found a lot of American moneystashed in his house – ”
“I never gave Reuben anything but Englishguineas or sovereigns. He would never take folding money. But Idon’t see what – ”
“We figure someone he knew helped him withthe writin’ an’ give him fifty dollars as a bribe to stab Mr.Dougherty to death.”
She started to rise, indignant and angry.“You go too far, sir. I did not know Mr. Dougherty from Adam, and Ihave no intention of listening to such absurd accusations!”
The door to the sitting-room was flung openand a slim, blond gentleman strode through the opening. His sharpblue gaze swept over Mavis and stopped dead on the incongruousfigure of Horatio Cobb – red-faced, wart a-wobble, helmet spinningon the tips of his fingers.
“And just what the hell are you accusing mywife of!” he screamed, as if Cobb were deaf as well as dumb.
“It’s all right, dear. Mr. Cobb was justabout to leave.” She looked over at Cobb imploringly. “Weren’tyou?”
“Well, ma’am, I did want to talk to Mr. McDow- ”
“I am Mr. McDowell, you impertinentfool! And I will not have a scruffy policeman barging into my homeunannounced and trying to intimidate my wife.” The near-albinopallor of his skin doubled the effect of his outrage, which wasalready considerable.
“But I come here on police business – ” Cobbstammered.
“If you wish to speak to me or my wife aboutpolice business, whatever that may be, you will in thefuture arrange for an appointment – at our convenience, notyours.”
“But – ”
“I want you to take your malodorous carcaseout that door this minute, or I shall send for the Governor’s guardand have you horse-whipped back to your hiding-hole!”
“Mowbray, please. There is nothinghere to be concerned about. I – ”
McDowell ignored his wife’s plea. He strodeto the door and yelled, “Hudson. Come in here!”
“Okay, okay, I’m leavin’,” Cobb muttered,itching to give his truncheon a workout on McDowell’s skull.
“Believe me, sirrah, you have notheard the last of this affair!” McDowell called after him as Cobbscuttled down the hallway, tripped on the rug at the back door andstumbled off the porch. He then drew himself up straight and strodewith defiant dignity to the gate, where he realized he had droppedhis helmet beside the porch steps. He slunk back to retrieve it,drawing a baleful stare from the aforementioned Hudson, a six-footbruiser of a fellow occupying most of the doorway.
So much for the direct approach, Cobb thoughtas he made his way reluctantly towards the police quarters – andthe chief constable.
***
Wilfrid Sturges was not in the least amused at Cobb’stale, even in its most favourable form.
“You see what you’ve done,” he said, glaringat Cobb across the desk in the cubicle he called an office. “Youuncovered an important lead in this case an’ then proceeded to killit dead.”
“Well, sir, it ain’t quite – ”
“It’s dead, Cobb. You blundered into the homeof the most revered Tory politician in the province an’ practicallyaccused his wife of conspiracy in the murder of Richard Dougherty.If I’d’ve been her husband, I’d’ve beaten you silly with yer owntruncheon!”
Cobb hung his head. The Sarge, as he calledthe chief, was a man whom he held in the highest regard. He washonest, fearless and fair. To have disappointed him was almost ashard to swallow as screwing up the case.
“But she gave him money,” he said quietly.“Epp was in that home many times.”
“I know that! An’ that’s why I’mangry. We needed to find out, without usin’ a balpeen hammer, whoelse in that house might’ve talked to Epp.”
“Well, that husband’s sure got a temper onhim,” Cobb offered. “I could still talk to him. Or maybe he’d agreeto talk to you.”
“Of course we can’t. That’s the point I beentryin’ to drive into yer thick skull. You’ve gone an’ give the gameaway. You’ve spooked him, given him fair warnin’ of what we’re upto. He now knows we’re lookin’ fer a direct connection withEpp an’ those Yankee dollars an’ that horrible note. Themissus’ll’ve told him everythin’. So, you think he’s gonna admit heever whispered a word to Epp or that he’s not gonna go out an’ burnevery piece of fancy paper he has – even if he’s not involved.You’ve gone an’ stymied us!”
“But – ”
“Buttin’s about all you did up there, like abilly-goat at a garden party!”