Read Online Deadly Beloved by Alanna Knight - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alanna Knight
Tags: Historical fiction, Historical, Literature & Fiction, Crime, Genre Fiction, Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, Crime Fiction, Thrillers & Suspense
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gills, dabbing at his beard with a silk handkerchief. "Please be seated, gentlemen." He looked round the room, and said shakily, "I should like to sit down myself, if you don't mind."
Faro indicated the chair he had vacated.
"Thank you, Inspector.Ah, that's better. Now, perhaps we could all do with a dram. The cupboard over there, Faro, if you wouldn't mind doing the honours."
The cupboard smelt of mould and mice but the glasses and decanter were a welcome sight and the whisky measures were generously bestowed. The three men drank in silence, for no toast applicable to the occasion came to mind that would not have sounded flippant.
Watching him narrowly, Faro decided that Kellar was showing remarkable self-control and there was little doubt that he had purged his emotions with the physical act of vomiting.
Kellar nodded in the direction of the fur cloak. "Where was that found?"
After Superintendent McIntosh had related the details of the discovery, there was a lengthy pause before Kellar said: "I suppose I must have been the last person to see her, except for the passengers and the madman on the train who murdered her. Fancy choosing my poor silly Mabel as a victim.God knows why ..."
"Tell me, sir, did you see her on to the train?"
Kellar shook his head. "No, Inspector. I did not. As a matter of fact, it was snowing and I was already late for my midday lecture. I told her to get a porter, but she insisted that as she had so little luggage with her ..."
"Did anyone see you return to the house?" asked Faro.
Kellar gave him a mocking look. "What you mean is, have I an alibi?"
"Something of the sort, sir." Faro heard McIntosh's shocked intake of breath. "The maid or the housekeeper — were they in?"
"How the devil do I know whether the servants are in or out? It is one of my strict rules that they keep out of my way entirely, except when they are asked to serve food and so forth. My wife and I value our privacy, that is why we employ the absolute minimum of domestics."
"Surely the housekeeper — "
"Her most of all. She's only in my house on sufference — and on twice the salary she's worth — until Mabel gets back ..."
And Kellar stopped suddenly, his eyes widened, as if this was the first time the full horror of the situation had struck him. "My God," he whispered and slumped forward, resting his head in his hands. "My God — Mabel. She's never coming back — dear God. The poor stupid fool, she's dead, isn't she?"
The Superintendent and Faro exchanged glances and, with McIntosh murmuring platitudes, they withdrew and quietly closed the door behind them.
"Any theories?" asked the Superintendent.
Faro looked at the clock. "If I hurry, I should just be in time to catch the North Berwick train, with luck the same one that Mrs Kellar travelled on. Since the murder probably took place between Edinburgh and Longniddry, and she would travel in a closed first-class compartment, it's unlikely that the upholstery escaped the murderous onslaught. There must have been blood spattered everywhere."
"True. And as the evidence of the cloak suggests a struggle, a lot of it also went on to the murderer."
"We're presuming, of course, that he left the train at Longniddry so perhaps a porter there might have noticed his bloodstained hands or clothes."
At the door Faro hesitated. "Might as well check on Dr Kellar's alibi while I'm here."
"I was just going to suggest that, Faro," said the Superintendent sternly. "Find out, if he was late for his lecture that morning, and so forth. Discreet as possible, mind you. Better coming from you than from one of our lads. Think up some sort of excuse to see a timetable, make it sound feasible, will you? Leave you to it. No need to encourage any more gossip than necessary at this stage. There'll be more than enough when his students get wind of this. God help us all."
Faro watched the Superintendent walk to the other side of the hall with an intense feeling of irritation at having been
Faro indicated the chair he had vacated.
"Thank you, Inspector.Ah, that's better. Now, perhaps we could all do with a dram. The cupboard over there, Faro, if you wouldn't mind doing the honours."
The cupboard smelt of mould and mice but the glasses and decanter were a welcome sight and the whisky measures were generously bestowed. The three men drank in silence, for no toast applicable to the occasion came to mind that would not have sounded flippant.
Watching him narrowly, Faro decided that Kellar was showing remarkable self-control and there was little doubt that he had purged his emotions with the physical act of vomiting.
Kellar nodded in the direction of the fur cloak. "Where was that found?"
After Superintendent McIntosh had related the details of the discovery, there was a lengthy pause before Kellar said: "I suppose I must have been the last person to see her, except for the passengers and the madman on the train who murdered her. Fancy choosing my poor silly Mabel as a victim.God knows why ..."
"Tell me, sir, did you see her on to the train?"
Kellar shook his head. "No, Inspector. I did not. As a matter of fact, it was snowing and I was already late for my midday lecture. I told her to get a porter, but she insisted that as she had so little luggage with her ..."
"Did anyone see you return to the house?" asked Faro.
Kellar gave him a mocking look. "What you mean is, have I an alibi?"
"Something of the sort, sir." Faro heard McIntosh's shocked intake of breath. "The maid or the housekeeper — were they in?"
"How the devil do I know whether the servants are in or out? It is one of my strict rules that they keep out of my way entirely, except when they are asked to serve food and so forth. My wife and I value our privacy, that is why we employ the absolute minimum of domestics."
"Surely the housekeeper — "
"Her most of all. She's only in my house on sufference — and on twice the salary she's worth — until Mabel gets back ..."
And Kellar stopped suddenly, his eyes widened, as if this was the first time the full horror of the situation had struck him. "My God," he whispered and slumped forward, resting his head in his hands. "My God — Mabel. She's never coming back — dear God. The poor stupid fool, she's dead, isn't she?"
The Superintendent and Faro exchanged glances and, with McIntosh murmuring platitudes, they withdrew and quietly closed the door behind them.
"Any theories?" asked the Superintendent.
Faro looked at the clock. "If I hurry, I should just be in time to catch the North Berwick train, with luck the same one that Mrs Kellar travelled on. Since the murder probably took place between Edinburgh and Longniddry, and she would travel in a closed first-class compartment, it's unlikely that the upholstery escaped the murderous onslaught. There must have been blood spattered everywhere."
"True. And as the evidence of the cloak suggests a struggle, a lot of it also went on to the murderer."
"We're presuming, of course, that he left the train at Longniddry so perhaps a porter there might have noticed his bloodstained hands or clothes."
At the door Faro hesitated. "Might as well check on Dr Kellar's alibi while I'm here."
"I was just going to suggest that, Faro," said the Superintendent sternly. "Find out, if he was late for his lecture that morning, and so forth. Discreet as possible, mind you. Better coming from you than from one of our lads. Think up some sort of excuse to see a timetable, make it sound feasible, will you? Leave you to it. No need to encourage any more gossip than necessary at this stage. There'll be more than enough when his students get wind of this. God help us all."
Faro watched the Superintendent walk to the other side of the hall with an intense feeling of irritation at having been
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