“He admits to all that, but refuses to admit to a charge of murder. Until Master Sean put him under a quieting spell, he was talking his head off — admitting everything, as long as it would not put his neck in a noose.”
“Pah! Naturally he would attempt to save his miserable skin. Very well. What happened? I have your reports and Lord Darcy’s reports. From the facts, the conclusions are obvious. What do you say?” He looked straight into Bontriomphe’s eyes.
Lord Bontriomphe shrugged. “I’m not the genius around here. I’ll tell you what Chief Hennely thinks. I’ll give you his theory for what it’s worth. But mind you, I don’t consider that it is accurate in every detail. But Chief Master-at-Arms Hennely has discussed this with Commander Lord Ashley and with Captain Smollett, so I give you their theory for what it’s worth.”
The Marquis glanced at Lord Darcy, then looked back at Lord Bontriomphe. “Very well. Proceed.”
“All right. To begin with, we needn’t worry about the murder in Cherbourg. It was committed by a Polish agent detailed for the purpose, simply because they discovered that Barbour was a double agent — and our chances of finding the killer are small.
“The killer of Master Sir James is another matter. Here, we know who the killer is, and we know the tool he used.
“We know that the Damoselle Tia was being blackmailed, that Master Ewen threatened to have her uncle tortured and killed if she did not obey orders. Defying those orders, she went to Sir James Zwinge, and told him everything — including everything she knew about Master Ewen. Naturally, MacAlister had to dispose of Sir James, even though that would mean that a new head of the European Intelligence network would be appointed, and that the Poles would have to repeat all the work of discovering the identity of his successor as soon as the Navy appointed one.”
He looked over at Lord Darcy. “As to how it was done, the important clue was that half-moon bloodstain that you pointed out to me.” He looked back at the Marquis. “You see that, don’t you? It was a heel print. And there was only one pair of shoes in the hotel that could have made such a print — the high-heeled shoes of Tia Einzig.
“Look at the evidence. We know, from Master Sean O Lochlainn’s report, that Master Sir James was stabbed — not at 9:30 when he screamed — but at approximately nine o’clock, half an hour before. The wound was not immediately fatal.”
He glanced back at Lord Darcy. “Sir James lay there, unconscious, for half an hour — and then, when he heard Master Sean’s knock, he came out of his coma long enough to shout to Master Sean for help. He lifted himself up, but this last effort finished him. He dropped and died. Do you agree?”
“Most certainly,” said Lord Darcy. “It could not have happened in any other way. He was stabbed at nine — or thereabouts — but did not die until half past.
“The chirurgical evidence of the blood, and the thaumaturgical evidence of the time of psychic shock demonstrate that clearly.
“But you have yet to explain how he was stabbed inside a locked room at nine o’clock — or at any other time. The evidence shows that there was no one else in that room when he was stabbed. What is your explanation for that?”
“I hate to say it,” said Lord Bontriomphe, “but it appears to me that Master Sean’s testimony is faulty. With another master sorcerer at work here, the evidence could have been fudged. Here’s what happened: Master Ewen, knowing that he had to get rid of the Damoselle Tia, decided to use her to get rid of Master Sir James at the same time. He put her under a spell. She talked her way into Master Sir James’ room, used his own knife on him when he least suspected it, and walked out, leaving that half-moon heel print near the door.”
Lord Bontriomphe leaned back in his chair. “As a matter of cold fact, if it were not for that heel print, I would say that Master Ewen put Master Sir James under a spell which forced him to stab himself with that contact cutter.
“Naturally, he would fumble the job. Even under the most powerful magic spell it is difficult to force anyone to commit suicide.”
He glanced at Lord Darcy. “As you yourself noticed with the Damoselle Tia, my lord; although she was induced to jump off the bridge, she nevertheless fought to keep herself afloat after she struck the water.”
“Yes, she did,” Lord Darcy agreed. “Go on.”
“As I said,” Lord Bontriomphe continued, “if it weren’t for that heel print, I would say that Sir James was forced to suicide by Black Magic.” He shrugged. “That still may be possible, but I’d like to account for that heel print. So, I say that the Damoselle Tia stabbed him and walked out, and that Master Ewen used sorcery to relock the door from the room above. I don’t say that she is technically guilty of murder, but certainly she was a tool in Master Ewen’s hands.”
The Marquis of London snorted loudly and opened his mouth to say something, but Lord Darcy held up a warning hand. “Please, my lord cousin,” he said mildly. “I think it incumbent upon us to listen to the rest of Lord Bontriomphe’s theories. Pray continue, my lord,” he said, addressing the London investigator.
Lord Bontriomphe looked at him bitterly. “All right; so you two geniuses have worked everything out. I am just a legman; I’ve never claimed to be anything else. But — if you don’t like those theories, here’s another.”
He took a deep breath and went on. “We arrested Master Sean in the first place on the rather flimsy evidence that he and Sir James had both worked out a way to manipulate a knife by thaumaturgical means. Now suppose that was done? Suppose that is the way Sir James was killed? Who could have done it?” He spread a hand.
“I won’t say Sir James did — although he could have. But, to assume that he took such a roundabout way of committing suicide would be, in the words of my lord the Marquis, fatuous. To think that it happened by accident would be even more fatuous.
“Or my lord may think of another adjective; I won’t quibble.
“We know that Master Sean did not do it, because it would have taken at least three quarters of an hour to prepare the spell, and, according to Grand Master Sir Lyon, there could not be more than one wall, or other material barrier, between the sorcerer and his victim — and certainly Master Sean could not have stood out in that hall, going through an intricate spell like that for half an hour or more, without being noticed. Besides, he wasn’t even in that hall at that time.” He waved a hand. “Forget Master Sean.”
“Good of you,” murmured Lord Darcy.
“Who is left? Nobody that we know of. But couldn’t Master Ewen have figured out the process? After all, if two Master magicians can figure it out separately, why not a third? Or maybe he stole it; I don’t know. But isn’t it possible that Master Ewen forced the weapon into Master Sir James’ chest?”
Lord Darcy started to say something, but this time it was the Marquis of London who interrupted.
“Great God!” he rumbled. “And it was I who trained this man!” He swiveled his massive head and looked at Lord Bontriomphe. “And pray, would you explain what happened to the weapon? Where did it disappear to?”
Lord Bontriomphe blinked, said nothing, and turned his eyes to Lord Darcy.
“Surely you see,” said Lord Darcy calmly, “that the contact cutter which lay beside Sir James’ body — and which, by the by, was the only edged weapon in the room — could not possibly have been the murder weapon. You did read the autopsy report, did you not?”