Read Online The Egyptian Curse by Dan Andriacco, Kieran McMullen - Free Book Online Page B

weapon, could Scotland Yard prove it?”
    â€œI should think they could match the wounds to the weapon, but it would be difficult to say it was an exact match.”Hale scooted his chair over and put his arm around her in a brotherly way. “Buck up. If worse comes to worse, your father can produce the dagger and prove that it didn’t kill Alfie. I’m sure he’d do that to save you from the dock.”
    â€œBut he can’t.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause Father doesn’t have the dagger, Enoch.” She hesitated. “It’s... it’s... been stolen. Oh, this is all such a mess!”
    Hale unconsciously tightened his grip on Sarah. “The theft of the dagger - it just happened recently?”
    â€œYes.” Again she hesitated. “When Father looked for it after Rollins left, it wasn’t there.”
    That couldn’t be a coincidence - but it could be a cover-up, a story that Sedgewood told his daughter to hide the fact that he had gotten rid of the weapon used to kill her husband. Having been illegally taken out of Egypt, there would be no record of it being in his possession. If Sedgewood hadn’t shown it around, then the only people in England who could testify to the dagger’s existence were Sarah, who would lie to defend her father; her brother, Charles; and perhaps some servants who wouldn’t dare to accuse a peer - or would they? Hale still didn’t get the whole British class thing.
    All this was too much to spell out to Sarah. He simply said, “Maybe Rollins should suspect your father.”
    She moved away from Hale. “How could you! I thought you wanted to help.”
    â€œI do want to help... you. I know you didn’t kill Alfie. Your father I’m not so sure about.”
    â€œYou’re being terribly unfair just because you and Father never got along.”
    â€œI got along fine. He was the problem.”
    She ignored that. “Father always liked Alfie very much; you know that. Our marriage pleased him - more than it pleased me, if the truth be told. He had no reason in the world to kill Alfie.”
    â€œYour brother said the Earl was upset about Alfie’s relationship with the Woolfs and their Bloomsbury Group.”
    â€œUpset, yes. Homicidal, no.”
    But Hale saw something in her wide green eyes that made him wonder whether she believed what she was saying.
    â€œDid your father send you to talk to me?”
    â€œGood heavens, no! He’d be horrified and furious if he knew that I was asking your help!”
    â€œHow much help can I be when Rollins thinks that you and I were in it together?”
    â€œOh, Enoch!” Her eyes filled with tears. He held her close again.
    â€œI’m not completely out of it,” he said, hoping to encourage her. “I’ve been asking some questions. I have a few for you, too. Will you promise to answer me honestly, even if my questions are uncomfortable?”
    â€œOf course. I know that you are my friend and want only the best for me.”
    That hurt, though he tried not to show it. What man who wants to be a woman’s husband is happy to be called her friend? He steeled himself to be hurt much more.
    â€œThat argument you had with Alfie the night that he died - was it about another man?”
    She paused. “Yes and no. I guess I’d better start by saying that I realized before the ship had even docked that I’d been a fool to marry Alfie. It was all wrong, wrong, wrong.”
    â€œYou didn’t love him?”
    â€œOh, but I did! I loved him exactly like I love Charles, as a sister loves a brother. Marrying him was the biggest mistake of my life. But I knew it was a mistake I had to live with. Divorce was unthinkable. I couldn’t do that to Alfie. He was such a dear - and such a bore. I actually rather liked it that he hung around with people much more interesting than he was, those Bloomsbury