'Have you had it long?'
The stall-keeper, suspecting this well-dressed customer was a gentleman and a prospective buyer, eyed him keenly as he examined the garment. And when Faro repeated the question: 'A wee while, ye ken. Too guid for the folk round here. They're only wantin' rags.'
'Where did you come by such a handsome garment, may I ask?'
The stall-keeper didn't like the question. He avoided Faro's eyes, murmured cautiously, 'Came from somewhere, big house over Glasgow way.' Then afraid that he might be losing his best sale of the day, he added anxiously: 'Your lady wife would look grand in it, so she would -'
A piercing whistle interrupted him. He froze and stared at Faro, who knew the signal had been given. The booth-holders had recognised the presence of a detective in their midst. That spelt trouble and his identity had been speedily declared.
‘I’ll take it,' said Faro, and thrusting the money into the man's hand, he grabbed the cloak even as the stall-holder attempted to snatch it back again.
'You're right,' he said. 'My wife will be delighted.' As he walked away with it over his arm, he wondered how Miss Fortescue would react to seeing what he was certain had been the cloak her mistress was wearing on the night she disappeared.
Chapter 16
Faro abandoned his first inclination to go straight out to Aberlethie. For one thing, he felt self-conscious about travelling on the North Berwick train with a woman's cloak over his arm. Doubtless there would be some suitable receptacle in Mrs Brook's capacious cupboard.
And thoughts of Mrs Brook reminded him of a more urgent reason for a return to Sheridan Place. In his hurry to leave that morning he had omitted to clear up the broken glass from outside the window.
There was a glazier in the Pleasance and he hoped that the repair could be carried out before the housekeeper returned.
The glazier was reassuring, but when Faro opened his front door he discovered that the conscientious Mrs Brook had been unable to stay away. He found her with Vince outside the kitchen door, staring in consternation at the damaged window.
'I was just saying to Dr Vince here that this sort of thing never happened before when I was in the house,' said Mrs Brook in outraged tones. 'Looks like someone trying to break in, sir -'
'I know about it, Mrs Brook,' Faro interrupted. 'No harm done. It was an accident.'
She regarded him curiously. 'Oh, was it, sir?' she asked, obviously expecting some explanation - but that he wasn't prepared to supply. 'I was just about to clear it up when Dr Vince said you had better see it first.'
'You may clear it up now, Mrs Brook, if you please. The glazier will come later today.'
'Very well, sir. We wouldn't want to attract burglars, would we now?'
Faro smiled. 'I should think the size of the window panes would deter any but a very tiny criminal. You might have more success with your admirable floor polish,' he added pointedly.
Mrs Brook didn't find that amusing. 'First thing I did was get Dr Vince to go through the house with me, make sure all was in order.'
'And was it?'
She exchanged a look with Vince. 'Oh yes, sir.'
Vince had remained silent throughout this conversation. He followed Faro upstairs. Pausing, he looked at the violet cloak on the hallstand.
'That's new, Stepfather,' he said lightly. 'Hardly your colour, is it?' he added.
'I have quite a lot to tell you,' said Faro.
'I thought you might have,' said Vince, and his mocking tone as he led the way into his consulting rooms made Faro distinctly uneasy.
Faro quickly outlined the events of the previous day, the finding of the body at St Anthony's Chapel, and his subsequent interview with the Hogan family, ending with the death of the lad Sandy.
Vince listened carefully. 'So you think this man they claimed to be the Hogan parent could be the missing coachman?'
'The timing of his disappearance certainly fits. He could have been hired on that particular occasion. And provided that the pounds Scots offered were tempting enough, he would refrain from asking too many questions.'
'In his case, that was a pity, since once his job was completed, he was then disposed of.'
'True. And I suspect that all they had in common was the colour of their hair,' said Faro. 'But I expect they were paid handsomely to tell the story about him being their drunken old father, drowned in a horse trough.'
'But why keep the body? Why didn't they dump both of them?'
'Don't you see, lad? One murder could be passed off as a heart attack, but it would have been exceedingly difficult with a drowned man to make it look as if both had died of natural causes after taking shelter in the West Bow. Even the Wizard's House couldn't be guaranteed to rise to those dizzy heights of imagination.'
Vince thought for a moment. 'So someone concealed him -for a price - until the woman's body had been neatly disposed of and there would be no connection between the two deaths.'
'Exactly - But how and, more important, where?' When Vince didn't reply, he added: 'The answer to both queries is - for a handsome price to make the risk worth while. And if we can find out who paid the Hogans, we will be well on the way to solving both murders.'
'So you think Sandy knew something?'
'I do, indeed. It was a very unfortunate coincidence that his guilty conscience regarding petty thefts made him run away from Batey -'
Vince shivered. 'I'd have done the same, even without a bad conscience, if that face had been pursuing me -'
Faro sighed, 'I'm afraid this is one mystery I'm never going to solve, Vince. There are too many threads, weaving in and out and leading nowhere. And the worst isn't over yet, I'm convinced of that. If my suspicions are correct, the Queen will have to
