‘James might hope to console Lady Randall himself now, I suppose, and regain favour. But that won’t help Gregg to protect his master’s interests, so I don’t see how they can have been in it together.’
‘Nor I, as things stand, but hopefully the situation will become clearer. Right.’ Riley drank the last of his ale. ‘If you are finished, Sergeant.’
‘Ain’t you gonna eat that pie, sir?’ Salter eyed the remains of Riley’s lunch. ‘Seems a shame to waste it.’
Riley shook his head and pushed his plate across to Salter. The pie disappeared in record time and the two detectives left the tavern.
They arrived back at Scotland Yard less than an hour before their three constables returned from Clapham. Riley invited them into his office to make their reports.
‘Mrs Dawson is beside herself, sir,’ Carter said, ‘as are most of the females in Clapham that we came across. Most of ’em seemed to know Dawson, and not a single one of them had a bad word to say for him.’
‘My daughter included, I dare say,’ Salter muttered.
‘Dawson has two brothers, Sam and Paul, who work on them new houses what are being built,’ Soames told them. ‘They were sent for, and they came home to be with their mother.’
‘I know them both,’ Salter said. ‘Very different propositions to John—or should we call him Ezra to avoid confusion? The brothers are both married. Sam’s had a few brushes with the law and is known for his short temper, but I don’t know anything too bad about Paul.’
‘The wives rallied round the mother and seemed totally shocked,’ Peterson added.
‘Is there a father?’ Riley asked.
‘No, sir.’ It was Salter who answered him. ‘He died in an accident of some sort on the docks more than ten years back. Ezra’s brothers went into the building trade, but Ezra had loftier ideas. He became a bit of a tearaway, but he was his mother’s favourite and could do no wrong in her eyes.’
‘Right. What about that tavern?’ Riley asked. ‘Was Ezra seen in there last night? If so, with whom, and was there an altercation of any sort?’
‘He was in there large as life as always, so the landlord, one Jed Bishop, told me,’ Carter said. ‘Bishop was anxious to appear helpful, what with the body being found at the side of his premises.’
‘Helpful but evasive,’ Soames added. ‘Said they were busy and he didn’t see who Ezra was drinking with. Didn’t believe a word of it meself. Landlords always see everything.’
‘One interesting thing he did mention is that a woman came in looking for Ezra. He took her aside and they were talking in an animated manner,’ Carter said. ‘Waving their arms about like they might be having a disagreement. Well she seemed angry, but he stayed calm. Bishop swears he hadn’t seen her before and had no idea who she was. Interestingly though, he also said that Ezra started staggering about a bit, which surprised him because he hadn’t had that much to drink. The woman helped him outside to get some air and someone else reckoned he was foaming at the mouth.’
‘Odd,’ Salter said, scratching his ear with the end of his pencil.
‘Any mention of a sporting club being opened by Ezra?’ Riley asked, reiterating what Ida had told them about his plans. ‘We need to ask Lady Randall if she recalls where precisely the premises for the club are situated,’ he added to Salter. ‘I should have thought of that earlier.’
Riley’s detective constables looked blankly at one another.
‘Nothing about no club,’ Carter said for them all. ‘But we did speak to one regular who also said he seemed to be staggering about like, clutching his belly and slurring his words, which was unusual. Ezra was known to be able to hold his drink.’
Riley stored that information away and then told them what progress they had made at the Randall residence.
‘Blimey,’ Carter said, looking bemused. ‘Nice work if you can get it.’
‘But not worth dying for,’ Soames added, receiving nods of agreement.
‘I assume Doctor Maynard has the body,’ Riley said. ‘Any news yet on the cause of death?’
‘I’ll chase it up,’ Salter said, scribbling a reminder.
‘Write up your notes, gentlemen,’ Riley said, stretching his arms above his head, ‘and we will convene here again tomorrow morning for a progress report. But for now, time’s getting on and Salter and I must return to Portman Square shortly and interview the rest of the family.’
‘Blimey, sir,’ Soames said. ‘I don’t envy you having to speak to Sir Philip about the death of his wife’s fancy man.’
‘Such are the demands of our profession, Soames,’ Salter said, sighing.
‘You two,’ Riley added, pointing to Soames and Carter, ‘need to visit a young lady called Molly Briggs in Kentish Town. She works as a chambermaid in the Corner House Hotel and was supposedly at the playhouse with James Fuller, one of Lady Randall’s footmen, last night. Pin her down on what time James picked her up, where they went, what play they saw and what time James walked her home again. James was Lady Randall’s favourite before Ezra came along, so he could have held a grudge against Ezra.’
The constables acknowledged their orders and had barely left Riley’s room before Salter returned with Doctor Maynard in tow.
‘Lord Riley,’ Maynard said affably, offering Riley his hand. ‘I thought I’d come and relate my findings regarding the unfortunate Dawson in person.’
‘Good of you to attend to the matter so quickly,’ Riley replied, shaking his proffered hand and ushering him to a chair.
‘Murder is an urgent business. And this one was a mite unusual.’ The doctor settled himself more
