Read Online Laura Lee Guhrke by Not So Innocent - Free Book Online
Authors: Not So Innocent
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Sophie leaned forward and lowered her face into her hands. Dear God, what had she done?
“What?” Chief Inspector DeWitt paused in the act of belting his smoking jacket over his pajamas andstared at Mick as if unable to believe what he had just heard. “Somebody did what?”
“Shot at me,” Mick answered. “Around half past nine o’clock last night. Sorry to interrupt you at home, sir, but I thought I should tell you as soon as possible.”
“I knew when you arrived at my door at this hour on a Saturday morning, it had to be a matter of vital importance.” DeWitt ushered Mick into his study and closed the door behind them, “Could it have been some sort of accident?”
“No, sir. I saw the assailant just before the shot went off. He missed, but the gun was pointed at me.”
“He?”
“Or she. It was dark, and from the size of the person, it could be either a man or a woman. But it was no accident.”
DeWitt let out a low whistle and sat down at his desk. He gestured to the opposite chair for Mick to sit as well. “So you believe it was deliberate. For what reason?”
“I don’t know yet.” He gave his superior officer a smile. “I do have my very own spiritualist. Maybe she can help.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Mick’s smile widened at the dubious look DeWitt gave him. He handed his superintendent the case notes he’d written early this morning: a complete account of everything involving Miss Haversham, from her visit to the Yard yesterday afternoon to her departure from his flat last night. “This is what I know so far.”
DeWitt read Mick’s report without speaking. When he had finished, he set the notes aside and leaned back in his chair. “The girl probably did it. You agree?”
“I don’t know. What I can’t get at is the motive. The only motive I can see is someone from one of my past cases coming after me for revenge. Of course, we’ll have to thoroughly investigate her background.”
“Are you sure you don’t know her?” DeWitt paused and slanted Mick a speculative look. “You have always been one for a bit of skirt, Mick.”
Perhaps, but when he put his hands inside a woman’s skirt, it usually wasn’t to find a gun. Mick looked straight back at his superintendent. “I don’t know this one, sir.”
“There must be a connection somewhere.”
“If there is, we’ll find it. I’ve already sent Thacker out to learn more about her.” Mick pulled his watch from his waistcoat. “That was two hours ago. I told him to meet me here. He should be arriving soon.”
“What I don’t understand is, why all the stuff and nonsense about dreams and seeing the future?”
“You didn’t meet this woman,” Mick answered, his voice wry. “She’s. . .” His voice trailed off as he tried to find a way to sum up Sophie Haversham, “She’s a bit odd, to say the least.”
A knock on the study door interrupted their conversation, and a parlormaid opened the door. “Sorry, sir,” she said with a bob to DeWitt, “but there be a Sergeant Thacker to see you.”
“Send him in, Lizzie.”
The girl departed, and Thacker entered the room. He closed the door behind him, tipped his cap to thechief inspector, and said, “I’ve got some information on Miss Haversham.”
DeWitt motioned him forward, and Thacker moved to stand beside Mick’s chair. Opening the small notebook in his hand, he began to read his report. “Sophie Marie Haversham, age twenty-four. Spinster. Born in Stoke-On-Trent, a small village in Yorkshire. Father was an attorney there, and he died twenty-one years ago. She has one sister, Charlotte Tamplin, who’s married to an attorney and lives in Hampstead. The mother got married again about nine years ago, to the local vicar. She is the cousin of a viscount, by the way.” He glanced at Mick. “Odd coincidence, that. The viscount is Lord Fortescue. If you remember, it was his wife what reported that stolen necklace yesterday.”
“This could
“What?” Chief Inspector DeWitt paused in the act of belting his smoking jacket over his pajamas andstared at Mick as if unable to believe what he had just heard. “Somebody did what?”
“Shot at me,” Mick answered. “Around half past nine o’clock last night. Sorry to interrupt you at home, sir, but I thought I should tell you as soon as possible.”
“I knew when you arrived at my door at this hour on a Saturday morning, it had to be a matter of vital importance.” DeWitt ushered Mick into his study and closed the door behind them, “Could it have been some sort of accident?”
“No, sir. I saw the assailant just before the shot went off. He missed, but the gun was pointed at me.”
“He?”
“Or she. It was dark, and from the size of the person, it could be either a man or a woman. But it was no accident.”
DeWitt let out a low whistle and sat down at his desk. He gestured to the opposite chair for Mick to sit as well. “So you believe it was deliberate. For what reason?”
“I don’t know yet.” He gave his superior officer a smile. “I do have my very own spiritualist. Maybe she can help.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Mick’s smile widened at the dubious look DeWitt gave him. He handed his superintendent the case notes he’d written early this morning: a complete account of everything involving Miss Haversham, from her visit to the Yard yesterday afternoon to her departure from his flat last night. “This is what I know so far.”
DeWitt read Mick’s report without speaking. When he had finished, he set the notes aside and leaned back in his chair. “The girl probably did it. You agree?”
“I don’t know. What I can’t get at is the motive. The only motive I can see is someone from one of my past cases coming after me for revenge. Of course, we’ll have to thoroughly investigate her background.”
“Are you sure you don’t know her?” DeWitt paused and slanted Mick a speculative look. “You have always been one for a bit of skirt, Mick.”
Perhaps, but when he put his hands inside a woman’s skirt, it usually wasn’t to find a gun. Mick looked straight back at his superintendent. “I don’t know this one, sir.”
“There must be a connection somewhere.”
“If there is, we’ll find it. I’ve already sent Thacker out to learn more about her.” Mick pulled his watch from his waistcoat. “That was two hours ago. I told him to meet me here. He should be arriving soon.”
“What I don’t understand is, why all the stuff and nonsense about dreams and seeing the future?”
“You didn’t meet this woman,” Mick answered, his voice wry. “She’s. . .” His voice trailed off as he tried to find a way to sum up Sophie Haversham, “She’s a bit odd, to say the least.”
A knock on the study door interrupted their conversation, and a parlormaid opened the door. “Sorry, sir,” she said with a bob to DeWitt, “but there be a Sergeant Thacker to see you.”
“Send him in, Lizzie.”
The girl departed, and Thacker entered the room. He closed the door behind him, tipped his cap to thechief inspector, and said, “I’ve got some information on Miss Haversham.”
DeWitt motioned him forward, and Thacker moved to stand beside Mick’s chair. Opening the small notebook in his hand, he began to read his report. “Sophie Marie Haversham, age twenty-four. Spinster. Born in Stoke-On-Trent, a small village in Yorkshire. Father was an attorney there, and he died twenty-one years ago. She has one sister, Charlotte Tamplin, who’s married to an attorney and lives in Hampstead. The mother got married again about nine years ago, to the local vicar. She is the cousin of a viscount, by the way.” He glanced at Mick. “Odd coincidence, that. The viscount is Lord Fortescue. If you remember, it was his wife what reported that stolen necklace yesterday.”
“This could
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