The Sign of Death by Callie Hutton (i like reading .TXT) 📕

He bowed. “It would be my pleasure, and I will see you on the morrow.” Again he contemplated kissing her but decided that, until he had time to seriously consider the situation between him and Lady Amy and speak to her about it, it was best to keep his lips to himself.

CHAPTER 6

William appeared on Amy’s doorstep at precisely twelve o’clock on Monday, as planned. They’d hoped Mr. Tibbs would be preparing to leave for his noon dinner when they arrived at the offices he shared with Harding, leaving the office empty.

It amused William that Amy was so often late for appointments, church, and other outings but whenever they were doing something that involved snooping, she was always right on time.

He took her arm to escort her down the steps to his waiting carriage. “You look lovely, as always.”

Her outfit was very sedate and professional looking. Her dark-brown wool coat and matching hat were certainly not fancy or eye-catching. The perfect ensemble for stealing files. They settled into the carriage and began the ride to Harding’s office.

Amy turned to him with a smile. “I just helped Aunt Margaret pack and leave for a week-long visit to her friends, Mr. and Mrs. Devon Woods. Aunt Margaret and Mary Woods have been friends since boarding school.” She gripped the strap alongside her head as the carriage hit a bump in the road. “Mrs. Woods married later in life and is now rapidly producing offspring, almost as if she were attempting to catch up.”

His brows rose. “Why does that make you smile so devilishly?”

“Because Aunt Margaret will be spending a week with a house full of children, not her favorite humans.” She shook her head, her grin growing. “No, not her favorite at all.”

After a few minutes of silence, Amy said, “Do you suppose Mr. Tibbs locks the door when he leaves for his lunch?” Once again she grabbed the strap hanging by her head as the carriage hit yet another hole in the road. She rubbed her shoulder, which had struck the side of the carriage. “These roads need to be fixed.”

William nodded. “To answer your question, yes, I’m sure he does lock the door. But I remember Harding telling me when Tibbs first took the space with him that he was very particular about his schedule and even had his meals at the exact same time each day. According to Harding, Tibbs leaves for his midday meal at twelve thirty each day.”

“Ah, it is so convenient when one’s investigation involves a suspect with such punctuality.” Her smile turned to a frown. “Is he on our suspect list?”

His brows rose. “I didn’t realize we had a list.”

“As you so cleverly pointed out, Mr. Harding was not a drinker, so it was highly unlikely he slipped into the river while drunk. That means he was helped into the water. Hence, a murder. Hence, suspects are needed.”

“Your mystery-writer persona is showing,” William said.

She bowed her head. “Thank you.”

The ride didn’t take too long, since the building that housed Harding’s office was only a few streets from Amy’s townhouse. William checked his timepiece. Precisely 12:20.

They entered the building, and William pointed to the staircase. “Next floor up.”

They made their way up the stairs and down the corridor to the second-to-last door on the end. The top half of the door was glass. MR. JAMES HARDING, BUSINESS MANAGER was printed in black, with MR. ERNEST TIBBS, BARRISTER directly below it.

William opened the door and ushered Amy inside. There was an outer area with a desk, but no one occupied it. In all the time William had been doing business with Harding, there had never been anyone at that desk.

Mr. Tibbs stepped out of his office, obviously dressed to go outdoors. “Oh, may I help you?”

“Yes.” William moved toward him and held out his hand. “I am Lord Wethington. I believe we met once before.”

If Tibbs was surprised to see him, it didn’t show. “Yes, I remember. How may I help you, my lord?”

“I would like to retrieve my files from Mr. Harding’s office. I assume there is no problem with that?”

Tibbs looked a bit confused, then uneasy. “I guess that would be all right. I’ve been waiting for the police to visit and secure the office.”

“Why is that?” Did Tibbs know something that had slipped past William?

Tibbs shrugged. “I just assume they will do an investigation. From what I know of criminal law, an unexpected death is considered suspicious and a routine investigation will take place. I’m sure the first place they would look would be Mr. Harding’s office.”

“Yes. That is true.” Tibbs was a Queen’s Counsel, so he clearly knew the law well. He looked at his timepiece. “I guess I can wait while you get your files.”

That would not do. They needed time to do a search of other files. But any concern on Tibbs’s part could make him deny them access to the office. “If the authorities do visit, please feel free to tell them I took my records. We don’t wish to stop you from taking your meal.”

Tibbs looked relieved. “Thank you, my lord.” He grabbed his hat. “I will leave you to your work, then.” He got as far as the door and stopped. “If you will turn this latch when you leave, it will lock the office and I have a key to get in.”

Once the door closed, Amy and William headed to Harding’s office. Everything was quiet, almost as if the room sensed its occupant was permanently gone. Dust motes danced in the sunlight streaming from the window behind Harding’s desk.

“Have you ever visited here?” Amy asked in a soft voice.

“Yes. Most times, Harding came to my home, but on occasion it became necessary for me to visit him here.” William moved to stand behind the desk. “I will search his desk, and I suggest you start with the files.”

Like most offices, Harding had employed the pigeonhole organization method, using vertical folders to sort and