Page 81 of Murder in Blackfriars

I hurried through preparations, gave instructions to Tess for the day’s meals, changed my frock, and departed.

I found Cynthia at Mr. Thanos’s flat in Regent Street, and also Miss Townsend.

I was always delighted to see Miss Townsend, whom I much admired.

She was a lovely young woman, with very dark hair tucked into a modest bun, and lively brown eyes. An artist by trade, she often had scarlet, blue, or green stains on her fingertips, where she’d attempted and failed to scrub off all the paint before she left her studio.

I often envied the way Miss Townsend lived life on her own terms, with her own house, though of course, the very wealthy could do as they liked.

Before I took the seat Mr. Thanos gestured me to, I removed a wrapped lemon cake from my basket. I’d meant for Cynthia to pass it on to Miss Townsend, but as she was here, I could present it to her directly.

“How kind of you, Mrs. Holloway,” Miss Townsend said in true delight. “Let us round up some plates, and we’ll have it right away.”

Mr. Thanos hastened from the room, I assumed to find his landlady and fetch said plates.

“Please sit down, Mrs. Holloway.” Miss Townsend directed me once more to the chair and took over unwrapping the cake. “You have done enough already, and we have much to tell you.”

My heart beat faster as I hung my coat on a rack inside Mr. Thanos’s door and sank into the comfortable chair. The weather had turned cold, and the glow in the small iron stove was welcome.

“You have found Daniel’s family,” I said, though I knew this was a remote possibility.

Miss Townsend and Cynthia both laughed. “Not quite,” Miss Townsend said. “But we’ve turned up some interesting details.”

“We wanted you to have a look before raising McAdam’s hopes,” Cynthia put in.

“A good thought,” I agreed.

Daniel today was continuing the investigation into Mr. Banks’s death, he’d told me before he’d gone last night. He planned to find Mr. Ramsay and see what he’d say as well as take Mr. Grimes once more over what he’d observed. Now that the smugglers were gone from the docks, Daniel would scour the area between the warehouses as thoroughly as he could.

Mr. Thanos returned before long with his landlady, who pushed a trolley in with tea and plates and a knife laid out for serving the cake. She highly approved of Miss Townsend.

I pressed a piece of cake on the landlady, which she graciously accepted and then left us to it. Cynthia insisted on serving, so I sat back while she poured out and cut rather lopsided slices of cake for us.

“My father—or rather his clerks—did look through the records you requested, Mrs. Holloway,” Miss Townsend began when we were all settled. “There were an unfortunate numberof reports of missing children in those two years, though happily many were found. Some had run away, some turned up with other family members, but some, sadly, were never heard from again.”

When Miss Townsend paused to take a bite of cake, Cynthia continued. “Judes and I and Thanos compared all the lists—what he and I found at Somerset House, Judith’s information from the Home Office, and the list of names you gave us. None from yours turned up on the others, Mrs. H., but four of the ones Thanos and I found matched four names on Judith’s list.”

Miss Townsend nodded as my hopes rose. “The parents in question are all deceased now, sad to say. But three of those families had a boy go missing in the months to a year before they died, and one went missing afterward, reported by the dead father’s brother, who apparently was supposed to have been looking after the lad.”

“Goodness, you narrowed things down more than I thought you could,” I said in amazement. “I don’t suppose you know if any of these families went to the seaside at any time?”

The corners of Miss Townsend’s eyes crinkled. “The records reported nothing so specific. Though we could ask the remaining relatives of those families when we interview them.”

“Did you plan to interview them?” I asked, surprised. “There is no need. Daniel and I can hunt them up.”

“But we want to see it through, you see,” Mr. Thanos broke in. “We’re as interested as you are.”

“Possibly, but Daniel might object to you investigating his past without him.”

Cynthia licked crumbs from her fingers. “Which is what we have been doing. Think of it this way—better we discover whether or not these people had anything to do with McAdamand spare him having to face disappointment after disappointment. We can narrow it down even more—or eliminate the possibilities altogether—before presenting him the solution, fait accompli.”

“You have a point,” I said slowly.

“Besides, you are ever so busy these days,” Mr. Thanos said. “What with your market stall in addition to your regular cooking. We will rush around and be your eyes and ears. And feet, I suppose, as it were.” He chuckled at himself.

“You are kind,” I said in true gratitude. “I, indeed, have much to do at the moment.” I rose. “In fact, I will leave you to it, and also to enjoy the cake. But, please, send word as you proceed. I am very interested in how you get on.”

“You’re as curious as we are, you mean.” Cynthia rose with me. “Never fear, Mrs. H. I will give you a full report every morning.”