Read Online Bloody Relations by Don Gutteridge - Free Book Online

daresay.”
    Durham seemed amused despite the obvious stress he was suffering. “ Were a Tory is the word around here.”
    â€œAh. I suspect the reputation of my wife has preceded me.”
    â€œPlease, 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.”
    â€œThey 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.
    â€œSuch an interpretation did occur to me, Your Lordship. With all due respect.”
    â€œAnd 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.”
    â€œThen 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.”
    â€œI 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.”
    â€œThat was precisely my reaction.”
    â€œHas Lady Durham been told?”
    Durham sighed. “Governor Arthur has kindly driven out to break the news to her, accompanied by Dr. Withers.”
    â€œBut 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.”
    â€œI am not disputing the incontrovertible.”
    â€œI realize that, sir. But so many of the facts appear to have only one interpretation.”
    â€œYou 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.”
    â€œI 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.”
    â€œExactly. 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