‘Think very carefully, Sir Philip,’ Riley said, ignoring the other man’s state of extreme agitation. He might not have killed Ezra himself, but he had been involved and had withheld information. That, as far as Riley was concerned, removed any entitlement to sympathy. ‘What did Verity do with the onyx figurine?’ Riley knew that if it couldn’t be found then it would be Sir Philip’s word against Verity’s.
‘She didn’t take it home with her,’ Salter said. ‘Well, if she did it isn’t on display. I noticed one on the mantelpiece in their home and a gap where the other should be.’
Sir Philip, his eyes now bloodshot, looked up at Riley. ‘She threw it down,’ he said, slowly. ‘I recall hearing it hit the ground and bounce away. It skittered off under the gap between the tavern and the cellar steps. She was angry, wanted to look for it, but it was dark and there was Ezra…’
‘Was he dead at that point?’ Riley asked.
‘Dead?’ Sir Philip looked at Riley as though he had spoken to him in Swahili. ‘I…well, I’m not sure. I just assumed…’
‘You might have been able to save him.’ Disgusted, Riley stood up. ‘Stay here. We will be back later,’ he said curtly.
‘Bloody hell!’ Salter said as a constable stepped into the room to keep Sir Philip company. ‘Well, at least we now know that it wasn’t Albert seen escaping out the back way.’
‘Oh, I rather think it was, Jack.’
‘But Gregg had locked the…Ah, I see what you mean. Gregg is devoted to Sir Philip, his half-brother. He disapproved of Ida’s behaviour and hated having Ezra in the house.’
‘Quite. He would have let Sir Philip out the front door and probably hailed the cab for him as well. I knew he was holding something back. Not sure if he knew where Sir Philip was going and with whom but the moment he heard of Ezra’s death, he suspected Sir Philip’s hand in it and did everything in his power to protect him.’
Salter nodded. ‘And Sir Philip returned the favour just now by making a point of saying that Gregg would have been enjoying his best brandy, so as not to implicate him.’
‘Send Carter, Soames and Peterson to look for that figurine,’ Riley said, striding towards his office. ‘If it can be found then Verity won’t be able to wriggle out of a murder charge.’
‘She didn’t expect Sir Philip to turn on her, did she, sir?’
‘No, Jack, she didn’t. Go with them and bring Paul Dawson in as well.’
‘Why?’ Salter asked, blinking.
‘Because I want to get his brother for the murder of Gordon Wendall as well as the theft of building materials. That way, his wife will be free of him once and for all.’
‘And you think Paul will turn on him now that he’s under lock and key and can no longer threaten him?’
Riley opened his office door and threw himself into his chair. ‘It’s worth a try.’
‘I’m on my way.’
Riley watched his sergeant go and took a moment to mull over their discoveries before taking himself off to see Superintendent Thompson and updating him on developments.
‘Well done, Rochester. You have got to the bottom of Ezra’s killing very quickly, even by your own high standards, and uncovered another murder we didn’t know anything about.’
‘Thank you, sir. Salter, as always, has been a vital help. Talking of whom—’
‘Ah, of course.’ He reached into a drawer and handed Riley an envelope. ‘It’s been approved, and is much deserved. I’ll let you tell him.’
‘Thank you, sir. I shall.’
Chapter Sixteen
Two hours later, Salter and Riley’s constables returned from Clapham, brandishing the murder weapon.
‘Well done, gentlemen!’ Riley said with satisfaction.
‘It was hard to find,’ Carter said, brushing dried mud from the sleeves of his coat. ‘It had rolled right under that gap. Just as well really, otherwise some chancer would have found it and flogged it on. Must be worth a bob or two.’
‘Did you find Paul Dawson?’
‘We did,’ Salter replied. ‘Barton’s taking care of him.’
‘Bring him in here, Jack. I don’t want him to feel like he’s being accused of anything.’
Salter raised a bushy brow. ‘Right you are, sir. Will do.’ He disappeared and returned a short time later with a subdued Paul Dawson in tow.
‘Thank you for coming in,’ Riley said, indicating the chair on the opposite side of his desk.
Dawson looked a little taken aback to be treated so politely, and the protest Riley had sensed him formulating died on his lips. He sat down and looked expectantly at Riley. ‘Why am I here?’ he asked.
Riley answered his question with one of his own. ‘How is Ruth?’
‘She’s recovering, but slowly.’
‘You know what your brother did to her?’
Paul scowled. ‘Oh aye, I know right enough and it disgusts me. I’ve never laid a finger on my wife, but I’ve had to sit back watching Ruth getting beaten black and blue for no reason other than that Sam’s a jealous sod. He blames her if any man looks at her twice. Given how pretty and how good-natured she is, it stands to reason that she’ll attract attention. It ain’t her fault, but Sam has dark moods.’ He folded his arms and shuddered. ‘And I was too cowardly to try and stop him.’
‘He was jealous of Ezra’s success?’ When Paul looked blank, Riley recalled that he would think of his brother as John.
Paul huffed out a long breath. ‘Any mention of his name sent him into a mood. John and I met up occasionally without Sam’s knowledge and agreed that
