“Thank the Lord you’ve come,” Sturges greeted him.
He and Cobb appeared to have been up all night.
“What on earth’s happened?”
For the next fifteen minutes Cobb, with occasional grunts or sighs of agreement from his chief, poured out the sad narrative of the night’s events. As he had just finished dictating the details to Gussie French, who would affix them to documents for the magistrate upstairs, Cobb had little difficulty in recounting the brutal murder of Sarah McConkey, despite several unintentional yawns. He especially emphasized the indisputable fact that there were three witnesses, including himself, who saw the blackguard covered in the girl’s blood and with a gory knife in his hand. The suspect, though disoriented and evidently not recovered from the drunken stupor in which he had committed the insane act, had not formally denied his guilt, though he was going to be interrogated this morning at Government House, where he was temporarily incarcerated. Cobb also mentioned that no one other than the four women could have entered that part of the brothel during the probable time of the murder. He then summarized the doctor’s preliminary findings.
“That’s quite a story,” Marc said at last. “But what has it got to do with Lord Durham or me?”
Cobb and Sarge had decided not to reveal the identity of the accused until after Marc had had time to absorb the details of the crime, and Wilkie, of course, had no idea what was going on.
“You tell him,” Sarge sighed heavily. He motioned Gussie into the adjoining room and closed the door on him. “We’re keepin’ the fella’s name between us-fer the time bein’.”
“The guy we’re certain done it is Handford Ellice,” Cobb said, sotto voce.
“Sweet Jesus.” Marc was incredulous.
“There’s a cab out back,” Sarge said. “It’ll take you straight up to Government House.”
“I’ll go, of course,” Marc said. “But I still don’t see how I can be of much help. I’ve never met Handford Ellice and I’ve had barely a single conversation with His Lordship.”
Sarge cleared his throat. “When I broke the news to ’im an hour ago, he was flabbergasted. He claimed it were impossible that his nephew could do such an ’orrible thing.”
“Quite a natural reaction, I’d say.”
Cobb looked sorrowfully at Marc. “The poor fool thinks his nephew’s innocent. He won’t accept the facts we give him.”
“And?”
“He asked me, point-blank,” Sarge said warily, “if there was anybody in town who knew how to conduct a proper investigation.”
It was Marc’s turn to sigh. “And you suggested me.”
“No,” Cobb said. “I did.”
While Cobb went home to catch a few hours’ sleep, Marc was whisked up to Government House at the corner of King and Simcoe. He had spent a number of months here after his arrival three years ago as a newly commissioned officer in the 23rd, commanding the lieutenant-governor’s guard. He knew the grounds and the sprawling residence well. But it had been some time since he had been asked here on official business. The corporal at the door ushered him into Lieutenant-Governor Arthur’s office, where, to his surprise, he was suddenly alone and face-to-face with Lord Durham.
“Thank you for coming at such short notice,” Durham said. Only the shadows under his eyes betrayed that he might have felt fatigued and perhaps even alarmed. The intelligent dark eyes and handsome, confident face met Marc’s gaze unflinchingly across the expansive desk. “Please, sit down. My own feet are a little weary after last evening’s pleasant exercise.”
“Thank you, sir. I came as soon as I heard, and it goes without saying that I will do all I can to be of service.”
Durham folded himself into a padded chair. Then, as Marc did likewise, Lord Melbourne’s envoy to the Canadas stared at some papers on the desk for a full minute. Marc waited patiently.
“Let me begin, Mr. Edwards, by saying that since your name was mentioned by the constable this morning, I have made discreet inquiries about you and your-exploits, shall we call them-here in the colonies.”
Marc felt himself colouring. “And you’ve learned that I have been a lifelong Tory, I daresay.”
Durham seemed amused despite the obvious stress he was suffering. “Were a Tory is the word around here.”
“Ah. I suspect the reputation of my wife has preceded me.”
“Please, believe me, sir, when I say that I care little what politics you subscribe to. Your record of service as an officer and your conduct of several murder investigations are exemplary. I am confident, then, that should you agree to assist me in this sordid affair, you will serve without fear or favour.”
Marc nodded in mute acceptance of the compliment. “How do you think I may be of assistance? I believe the police have briefed you thoroughly on the events in Irishtown and your nephew’s unfortunate involvement.”
“They have done so, and I’d like you to assure them that I have no doubts about their integrity or their efforts. However, since I believe my wife’s nephew to be incapable of such a crime, I feel I must have a more thorough and perhaps dispassionate investigation by someone more. . experienced.”
Marc did not respond right away. He was searching Durham’s face for some hint of ambiguity in his last statement.
Durham gave Marc a wan smile. “You think I meant that you were somehow to find a route around the truth?” he inquired.
“Such an interpretation did occur to me, Your Lordship. With all due respect.”
“And I am pleased that you are so frank. We’ll need to be ruthlessly honest with each other if we are to get to the bottom of the matter.” He leaned across the desk as he must have done countless times in the cabinet room when he wished to hammer home a point to his less talented colleagues. “I want the truth, Mr. Edwards. And when you find it, I will be the first person to endorse it and make it public.”
“Then I will be pleased to help you, sir.”
Durham leaned back and took a deep breath. “Good. Now we can get down to business. I expect that you too have been fully briefed by the chief constable.”
“I have. Though I must admit that at first I was as shocked and baffled as you must have been when you arrived here this morning and found your nephew under house arrest. It can’t be more than ten or eleven hours since Beth and I watched Mr. Ellice enjoy himself at Spadina. That he could have got all the way from there to a brothel in Irishtown and committed a murder in so short a time seems incredible.”
“That was precisely my reaction.”
“Has Lady Durham been told?”
Durham sighed. “Governor Arthur has kindly driven out to break the news to her, accompanied by Dr. Withers.”
“But from Cobb’s report-and I can personally vouch for his honesty and impartiality-it is clear that somehow your nephew did reach the brothel around one o’clock. He was found there and brought directly here. And was examined there and again here by Dr. Withers.”
“I am not disputing the incontrovertible.”
“I realize that, sir. But so many of the facts appear to have only one interpretation.”
“You sound like the Duke of Wellington annunciating absolute truth.”
Marc risked a smile and got one back. “It was Cobb who found the knife in Mr. Ellice’s hand and him lying bloodied and asleep beside the corpse.”
“I know, and the house apparently impregnable to intruders with murder on their mind. But how many a man has thought his own home to be burglar-proof and paid the price?”
Marc thought for a moment before saying, “It is conceivable that any one of the other four women could have committed the murder or unbarred the door to allow an accomplice entry.”
“Exactly. There must be an alternative explanation. I need to know that these women have been properly questioned and assessed. If you can find no plausible motive as to why one of them should kill one of their own and are convinced of their veracity, then I will accept your word on it.”