“They formed the company under her initials, making it less obvious. I bet she brought Clark into it.”
“Her lover,” began Genevieve, who had started to pace the room as well.
“Maybe. Maybe even with Andrew’s encouragement, to get someone out of their direct sphere into the scheme.”
There was that feeling again, that irrefutable connection between them. A strange, exhilarating symbiosis.
“So Sampson Affiliated Habitats is the real business, and they funnel the money made through Lexington Industries to hide its true origins.” Genevieve ticked the points off on her fingers as she paced. Suddenly she stopped. “But why hide it? There’s nothing illegal in having a building corporation.”
“I’m sure this one is engaging in all kinds of activities that, if not illegal, are on the margins of ethical. Tenement construction, Genevieve. They’re building and managing tenements. I’d bet my hat the buildings are substandard, with shoddy materials, and they’re surely charging a fortune in rent. They’ll all be making money hand over fist.”
“And all the investors are on a committee devoted to tenement reform,” Genevieve breathed, her eyes wide.
Daniel had stopped pacing too. They faced each other in the middle of the room. “Which is exactly what they don’t want. Reform. The profits are too high. That’s why Reginald was killed. We may never know for sure, but my guess is he figured out the committee’s true purpose was to block reform rather than aid it, and had to be silenced.”
Genevieve shook her head. “Just for money,” she observed sadly.
“Greed is one of the most powerful motivators there is. And don’t forget who else was involved: Tommy Meade. He would be the one to get builders on the cheap, know how to pay off inspectors, police officers …”
“Commissioner Simons,” Genevieve said. “He was on the committee.”
Daniel nodded. “And Deputy Mayor Manfort.”
“And the others? Ted, the Stuyvesants? Did they know?”
“I don’t know. The truth will out, though.” Daniel ran his hands through his hair. “I have a hard time believing they’d condone murder, but money is a powerful drug. Reginald was a threat. Kill him, take the box, make it look like Robin Hood.”
“This box,” Genevieve said, removing a heavily jeweled object from her pocket. Rubies winked in the dim light. “It was left in my desk drawer, I believe as a warning.”
Daniel shoved aside the spike of rage that erupted in his chest, both at the thought of Reginald’s death and at continued threats to Genevieve.
“A letter about Reginald was never sent to the paper,” Genevieve continued.
They both looked at Rupert. He’d been silent, watching them with a troubled expression.
“Exactly. The police refused to believe Mrs. Dolan that Reginald’s death had anything to do with Robin Hood, but as it was deemed he died of natural causes, the killer didn’t need to push the Robin Hood story.”
Genevieve sat again, moving the revolver she’d left on the seat to the floor and shoving the box back in her pocket. “But Elmira? Were the Bradleys approached, perhaps?”
“Esmie says she has no idea who killed her mother,” Rupert chimed in.
“My money’s on Tommy,” Daniel said. “He had that man you saw in the alley killed, Genevieve.”
He saw her visibly swallow. “Gerry Knox. I heard he complained about the conditions in his building.”
Daniel nodded. “And I’m sure, if we check, that building will have been constructed and managed by Sampson Affiliated Habitats. Gerry’s grumblings could have been passed off as those of a drunk, and Tommy still had him killed. Elmira did far worse; she embarrassed him in front of society. Conveniently, Robin Hood struck that same night.”
“Convenience?” Genevieve shook her head. “That seems too neat.”
“It does,” Daniel agreed. He leaned back against the credenza. Again, they both turned to Rupert, who if anything appeared distinctly alarmed.
“Someone else figured it out.” Genevieve cocked her head at Rupert, considering. “That you’re Robin Hood. They knew when you were going to steal from the Bradleys.”
Daniel nodded. “And used your theft to cover up their murder.”
“But who?” Rupert cried. “I never killed anyone.” A sudden, ashy look came over him. “Esmie?” he whispered.
“I don’t think so,” Genevieve replied slowly. “If she wanted to frame you for her mother’s murder, she wouldn’t have confronted you about being the thief.”
“Genevieve’s right,” Daniel agreed. “No, someone in league with Tommy. Esmie can’t be the only one to have figured it out.”
They were silent for a few breaths, thinking.
“It was Sarah,” Rupert finally said. Daniel looked at him sharply. His friend looked utterly miserable. “I said something about how gaudy Elmira’s ring was, and we laughed about it. She said what a pity it would be if Elmira lost it. The look on her face … I assumed she was joking, but if all you two are saying is true, then my guess is it was she.” He blew out a breath.
“If she figured out you were Robin Hood, Rupert, she would have been quite angry,” Genevieve observed. “After all, you stole from her too. You publicly exposed her affair with Ernest Clark. I’m sure she would have been perfectly happy for you to be blamed for Elmira’s murder, were you ever caught.”
“Another woman I’ve underestimated,” Rupert muttered.
Daniel kept his mouth shut at that observation, though he slid a look toward Genevieve, who had pursed her lips in a telling fashion. In the end she chose to let the observation lie, and instead asked, “So what is our next step?”
“Rupert is going to lay low,” Daniel said, with a stern look toward his friend, who nodded meekly. “And I am going to approach Mrs. Huffington. I’ll tell Sarah I want to invest, but I need to meet somewhere private, and I will only meet with the principals of the firm. Tommy, Andrew, Sarah … such a meeting would be noticed. It will be somewhere out of the way, and I daresay I know where.”
Genevieve stood and stretched. “That is a sound plan. I’ll tell the same to Ted, and arrange a meeting as well.”
Alarm
