For a moment the three of them could have been waxworks in Madame Tussaud’s famous museum.
Ursula rose. ‘I think you must be making a mistake,’ she said.
Drummond hardly glanced at her. ‘You would be?’
‘Ursula Grandison, a friend of Miss Fentiman’s.’
She received a piercing look. ‘Ah, according to Doctor Barton, my old colleague’s new assistant,’ he said, his upper lip curling in a pronounced sneer. ‘I cannot imagine you will have anything to say I need to hear.’
John Pitney took a step forward. ‘Miss Grandison was about to say that Miss Fentiman spent all yesterday afternoon with myself. We were discussing her sister’s plight,’ he added.
‘And you are?’
‘Lord John Pitney,’ said Rachel, moving to his side. ‘Younger son of the Duke of Walberton.’
Inspector Drummond blinked. He looked from the young man to the girl. ‘Is there anyone who can confirm Miss Fentiman’s movements, my lord?’ He spat the title out.
‘I think my word is good enough.’
Ursula would not have believed that the gentle-seeming John Pitney could sound so haughty. In the background, the uniformed constable shifted from one foot to the other.
Once again the door opened and Martha showed in another visitor. ‘Mr Jackman,’ she announced in a resigned tone.
Ursula felt profound relief.
‘The proverbial bad penny; I should have known you would show up.’
‘Indeed, Charlie,’ Thomas said smoothly. He nodded to Ursula and Rachel and held his hand out to John Pitney, who shook it. ‘Thomas Jackman, sir. Miss Fentiman commissioned me to investigate the death of Joshua Peters.’
‘And are causing a great deal of trouble to the official police,’ said Inspector Drummond.
‘Really?’ Thomas raised an eyebrow. ‘The impression is that very little investigating is being done by “the official police”.’
‘You need to watch yourself, Tommy, or you’ll be in my clink. Which is where Rachel Fentiman is going. Constable …’
‘Just a minute, Inspector,’ Thomas broke in. ‘Do I understand Miss Fentiman is under arrest?’
‘That is so. For the murder of one Albert Pond,’ Drummond said.
‘You have evidence of that?’ Thomas challenged him.
For a moment it looked as though the inspector was not going to say anything more. Thomas regarded him steadily.
After a minute’s silent battle between the two of them, Drummond checked the condition of his fingernails and said, ‘We have a witness.’
‘A witness? To murder?’ Thomas could not have sounded more surprised.
‘Fentiman was seen entering the deceased’s lodging. Around the time the doctor declared the poison would have been administered.’
‘This is a lie!’ Rachel shouted. ‘I don’t even know where Pond lives – lived.’
John Pitney caught hold of her hand. ‘Of course it’s a lie and we’ll prove it.’
‘You have a description that fits?’ Thomas asked Drummond.
The inspector nodded.
‘If you are arresting Miss Fentiman, may we assume that you will be releasing her sister from prison?’
‘Why should you assume that, Tommy?’ A negligent, almost throwaway comment.
‘You surely don’t think there are two poisoners in action here?’
‘When they are sisters, why not?’ Drummond sounded matter-of-fact.
‘How dare you suggest Mrs Peters and I would administer cyanide?’ Rachel was almost incandescent with rage. ‘To start with, we wouldn’t even know where it could be obtained.’
‘Never been involved with rat poison?’
‘No, inspector, I have not had to sully my hands with any such activity. Nor have either my sister or I had any reason to remove my brother-in-law or his valet from this life.’ She pulled her hand away from John’s, ignored his beseeching glance, and stood alone.
‘I would question that.’
For a moment Rachel was disconcerted. ‘What possible reason could there be?’
‘Freedom.’ Drummond threw the word at her almost insolently.
‘Freedom? From what?’ The girl was magnificently disdainful.
‘From the shackles of a marriage that no longer suited, a husband who had been thrown over for another man; and you from the demands of a blackmailer.’
Rachel had lost her rage; now she confronted the inspector with a coolness that, given her situation, Ursula found extraordinary.
‘My sister returned willingly to the father of the child she is carrying.’
‘A father who would have complete power over that child. Either your sister or you decided he needed to be removed. Since then the man Pond has been blackmailing you.’ Drummond sounded very certain.
‘Indeed?’ Rachel’s voice was contemptuous. ‘And what would he be blackmailing me about?’
‘The fact that you were an accessory to murder.’
‘That is ridiculous. I had nothing to do with my brother-in-law’s death. And Pond was not blackmailing me. ’
‘I disagree.’
Ursula glanced at Thomas and saw that for the briefest of moments he looked startled. Was he revising his opinion on Rachel’s possible guilt?
‘Constable, cuff her.’
The uniformed policeman advanced, holding out a pair of cufflinks.
‘You are making a great mistake,’ John Pitney said with simple authority. ‘I shall be contacting your Chief Constable regarding your treatment of Miss Fentiman; we are affianced.’ It was said quietly but proudly.
‘But …’ Rachel started, then was silenced by a look from him. For the first time since Ursula had met her, the girl seemed at a loss.
‘Take her away.’ Inspector Drummond waved an imperious hand.
‘Come with me, miss,’ the policeman said, fastening one half of the cufflinks to her right wrist and the other to his left one.
Rachel looked panic-stricken but drew herself up. ‘You will soon realise that you are making the second serious mistake of your career. Neither my sister nor I is a murderer.’
‘I advise you to go quietly.’ The inspector put on his bowler hat and turned to Rachel’s fiancé. ‘Don’t think you can scare me with talk of grand relations.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘Drummond can and Drummond does; that’s what I’m known for. No one catches more villains.’ With that he swept out, followed by the constable with Rachel.
The moment the door closed behind him, Martha rushed in. ‘What’s happened? Where’s that man taking her? Oh, not Miss Rachel as well!’ Her eyes were full of tears and her hands scrunched up the apron she was wearing. ‘What would Mr and Mrs Fentiman have said!’
Ursula put her arm round Martha’s shoulders and gently sat her down on the sofa. ‘I’m sure there’s been a dreadful mistake. But Mr Jackman is going to try and sort it out.’ She looked up at Thomas.
‘Can you help, sir?’ John Pitney asked.
‘I came here from Montagu Place. I’d hoped to be able to search for Mr Peters’ address book but the cook, who seems to be in charge at the moment, would not let me in. Mrs Trenchard’s orders. I was looking for Miss Fentiman to provide me with a letter of authority. As it is …’ he shrugged his shoulders helplessly.
‘We were about to go there with her,’ Ursula said. ‘Apparently there is a safe and we were to look for the key.’
‘We’ll go to Mrs Trenchard,’ said Martha with sudden resolution. I’ll tell her what’s happened and she’ll give you your authority.’ She spoke as though there could be no doubt. Ursula, having seen the elderly maid with Mrs Trenchard, could not doubt it either.
‘I will go and cable my father,’ said John Pitney. ‘He will know whom to contact to get Rachel released.’