It was the gravy, Adelia decided, just as they had decided before. But she nodded.
Theodore said, “And was it you two alone at this dinner?”
“Yes.” Wiseman frowned. “You say that a crime has been committed. Either someone from outside has done it, and targeted me too – or you are suggesting that I am the culprit. You referred to our rivalry. Really, sir, this is too much.” He began to work himself up into a fury even though neither Theodore nor Adelia were saying anything. “You cannot come into a man’s home and accuse him of ... accuse him of...” He tailed off. He could not bring himself to say the word “murder.”
That might be significant, Adelia thought, marking it in her memory.
“I do apologise,” said Theodore smoothly. “As you say, you might have been an intended victim and if that is the case then you can rest assured that we shall do everything in our power to unmask the perpetrator before he strikes again. You may not be so lucky to escape with your life a second time.”
That certainly stopped Wiseman in his tracks. “Oh,” he said quietly, deflating.
Adelia pressed home the advantage that Theodore had opened up. She said, in a calming tone, “So you see why we are here and why we must ask the questions that we are asking. Now, in the course of our investigations, it has been mentioned that a third party might have been at the house prior to the meal. Can you tell us about that person, please?”
“I can’t tell you much,” Wiseman said. His manner was noticeably less abrasive now. “Yes, a man came to speak to Nettles but I didn’t see him. He was not invited in. I heard his voice, that’s all, but I didn’t catch what he was saying as I was inside and they were on the front steps. They did argue but I ignored it as any good gentleman should.”
“Did Nettles mention it at all?”
“No, and I was far too polite to raise the matter over dinner.”
“Indeed. Of course.” Adelia glanced at Theodore. These were tricky questions to frame correctly. Cautiously, she said, “Now, we have spoken of a natural rivalry in business between you two. What about any others who might have taken against either Nettles, or indeed against yourself?”
“It’s impossible to say,” Wiseman said. “Most people in the business are honest most of the time, that’s all I can offer you.”
“Was Mr Nettles mostly honest?”
“Mostly.”
“But not always?”
Wiseman hesitated. Reluctantly, he said, “Not always, no. I don’t care to look too closely into his dealings but no, he had a reputation in certain quarters for being very, very good at obtaining what you wanted if you had the money to spend, and questions would not be asked. Personally such practices are anathema to me and I will have no part in it. It’s said around town that I might have done better in business if I had been prepared to turn the occasional blind eye.” Wiseman nearly smiled, a rueful expression softening his face. He indicated the room they were sitting in. “However, though I be not rich in material possessions, I have a good life, and I am grateful for it.”
Such a sentiment immediately endeared him to Adelia and she realised she did not want to consider him as a potential murderer. She had to take care to keep hold of her impartiality. While she wrestled with her own feelings, Theodore asked another question.
“In my deliberations about the matter of honesty or dishonesty in this particular world, I have come to realise that a man cannot work alone...” he said, haltingly. “I mean to say, really, who else was involved with Nettles, not as a rival but as an ally?”
Wiseman’s eyebrows twitched in surprise but he nodded. “That is a good question. But to be honest, it’s not my world. Like I said before, I want to keep out of all that. If I got involved, that could be used against me to bring me down. I’ve no head for those sorts of dodgy dealings. Once you start down that road, you will be continually looking over your shoulder.” He shifted in his seat, clearly physically uncomfortable, and glanced to the door. He said, “But you’re right. He did not work alone. But the people who he used are the sorts of folk that you just wouldn’t notice nor suspect.”
“Servants?” Theodore asked.
“Oh – yes, those too. The lower sorts, well, we all know they’d do whatever you asked of them for a coin or two. Of course, if someone else comes along and offers them a greater sum of money, they can turn their loyalties inside out like a coat. I cannot give you any names; I simply don’t know any.” He fidgeted again. “I am so sorry but ...”
“I can see you are still suffering,” Adelia said, leaning forwards. “Thank you so much for your time. We ought not to detain you any longer.”
He rose to his feet gratefully. His pallor had become increasingly pale and grey. “I ought to point out that Nettles, well, he was a clever man. A very clever man. And he worked at a distance, you know. He had layers. Nothing will ever really be traced back to him. There are rumours and gossip but you’ll have to be beyond human to find any evidence to pin anything directly on him. If someone’s murdered him, which I am not entirely convinced of, it will be for one of his bad deals, but you’ll never find any proof of that deal. He was too clever for that.” He shook his head. “I think he must have been the target, not me. But if you find anything to the contrary, will you please let me know?”
They reassured him that they would. Some internal chaos gripped him, then, and he fled
