Page 30 of Disturbing the Dead
“In some homes, yes. That is a question to add to the list. Do the other houses in this row have them? And if not, why does Sir Alastair’s?”
“They needed a subbasement to get deep enough to build a tunnel. How long has Sir Alastair lived here?”
“It was his childhood home. I am not certain how long it was in the family before that.”
“The tunnels have been here long enough for some to cave in,” I say.
“Did they cave in? Or were they false starts? Attempts that went through unstable ground?”
“Good point,” I say. “And good questions, which may or may not have anything to do with our case. Though it does seem young Mr. Awad encountered our killer.”
“If he is not the killer himself.”
“I am considering that,” I say as I pause to peer into a shallow side-corridor. “We’ll need to verify his timeline. Just because he was knocked out doesn’t mean he wasn’t the killer. Or aiding and abetting the killer. At this point, the suspect list covers just about everyone.”
“Even me?”
“You already admitted to having a grudge against the deceased.”
“It was not a grudge,” Gray says. “He was simply one of several who refused to admit me after I dug up a body without permission.”
“Because you dug up a body? Or because you were bonking his sister?”
Behind me, Gray makes a strangled noise.
I glance back. “You weren’t bonking her?”
“I… I am not familiar with the word.”
“Oh, I’m sure you can figure it out.”
I resume walking as Gray clears his throat.
“Yes, I had a relationship with his sister,” he says. “I was young, and she was recently widowed, and it was…”
“Consensual and mutually beneficial. No judgment here. The point is that Sir Alastair seems to have judged plenty. What his widowed sister did with her days—and nights—was none of his business, but he made it his business and unfairly blamed you. While it’s probably not a motive for murder, I’ll still need to be sure you didn’t sneak off on Isla this afternoon and murder him.”
“I know you are joking, but I suddenly find myself frantically trying to recall whether Isla can confirm my whereabouts the entire time we were gone.”
I glance back again. “I am joking. As for Sir Alastair’s widowed sister, I’m very sorry if that was part of the reason you were refused your license.”
“It played a role, I suspect. I was young and less discreet than I should have been.”
“On that note, I should take advantage of this conversation to mention something even more awkward that I’ve been keeping from you.”
“Please tell me it is something that casts you in an equally embarrassing light.”
“An affair between consenting adults isn’t cause for embarrassment, Gray. And my confession is actually about that.”
“You’ve… had an affair? While here?”
“Seriously? When would I have the time? Like I’ve said before, that is not on my list of coveted Victorian experiences. The affair is yours. Was yours, I mean. Catriona had a letter in her room that she’d intercepted. It was for you.”
“A letter… for me?”
“From a Lady Inglis. I think Catriona stole it from the incoming mail, opened it, and thought it might come in handy, if she ever needed to hold something over your head. I’m sorry.”
“She found proof of an affair between a bachelor and a widow? I expected Catriona would have higher standards for extortion material.”
