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

“We need to take more walks, my love. You are getting quite chubby.”

“She’s probably breeding.” Aunt Margaret walked into the breakfast room and pulled out the chair across from Amy.

“Breeding?”

“Yes. Increasing, pregnant, expecting, gravid, with child—or rather, with puppy.” She shook out her napkin and placed it on her lap. “You are going to be a grandmother.”

Amy looked wide-eyed back and forth between Aunt Margaret and Persephone. “How did that happen?”

Aunt Margaret took a sip of her tea. “I know you are an unmarried, gently bred woman, Amy, but I am quite sure you have some knowledge of the workings of reproduction.”

“Of course I do.” She raised her chin. “However, Persephone is never out of the house.”

“Given how strange she’s been acting lately and her ‘chubbiness,’ I would say she did manage to escape her confines at some point.”

“Persephone, you have been a naughty girl.” Amy shook her head. “I have no idea how to deal with a dog giving birth.”

“My dear, dogs have been giving birth since the beginning of time with no help from humans. When the time comes, she’ll let you know.”

Amy continued to look at Persephone. “I think I shall go to the bookstore and see if I can find any books on dogs’ breeding.”

“How goes your investigation into James’s murder?”

“Not well, I’m afraid. We have a few suspects, but no one who really stands out. What is troubling is that just about everyone we’ve spoken to has indicated that, given the opportunity, they would have done away with the man. He certainly made a lot of enemies in his life.”

“Strange. James had been doing business here in Bath for years. I wonder what made him turn to crime only recently?”

“William shared some confidential information with me that explained what happened. All I can tell you is he made some bad decisions and choices starting not too long after William hired him.

“This morning I am taking a trip into town to see a woman whom we’ve questioned once before. Mrs. Edith Burrows owns a hat shop, and she was also being blackmailed by Mr. Harding. She was not anxious to speak with us when William and I visited her before.”

“Why do you think she will speak to you now?”

“I’m not sure she will, but she does have some lovely hats, and one in particular I might purchase. I’m hoping to work in a few questions while I shop.” Amy took one more look at Persephone, shook her head, and left the room to the dog’s wails.

When Amy arrived at the store, two women sat in front of small mirrors at a long table, trying on hats. Mrs. Burrows’s lips tightened when she saw Amy, but then she offered a slight smile. “Lady Amy, how pleasant to see you again.”

“And you as well, Mrs. Burrows.” She walked up to the table that the store owner stood behind. “I would like to try on a few hats.”

Mrs. Burrows relaxed her stiff stance and offered an even brighter smile. “That’s wonderful. Please have a seat and tell me the hat for which you have a fancy.”

Amy chatted easily with the other customers while she tried on a number of lovely hats. Once the store emptied out, she said, “I think I would like to purchase these.” She pointed to the two lovely confections sitting on the table in front of her.

“Splendid choices, my lady. They both looked exquisite on you.”

As Mrs. Burrows commenced wrapping up the hats, Amy said, “It must be nice to no longer have to pay Mr. Harding.” She quickly smiled at the woman in sympathy, hoping she wouldn’t throw her two hats at her.

Mrs. Burrows looked up at Amy, and her eyes filled with tears. “I’m afraid not.” She began to wring her hands, and her lip quivered. “I received a letter from someone just two days ago who said he had Mr. Harding’s records and he was going to continue to collect the blackmail money.”

Amy leaned forward and took the woman’s hand. “How terrible. Do you have any idea who this person is?”

Mrs. Burrows shook her head. “No. Mr. Harding never had anyone else with him each time I met with him. What is so distressing is what I’m being blackmailed for is something I had no control over. I’m just glad I was able to escape without having it held over my head.”

“Mrs. Burrows, I would like you to know that we ask these questions of you not out of some sort of morbid curiosity or because we want to do you some harm, but as my friend Lord Wethington mentioned during our last visit, he is the one the police are convinced was Mr. Harding’s killer.”

Mrs. Burrows drew in a deep breath. “How terrible for him.” She shook her head. “I can tell just by looking at his lordship that he would never do something like that.”

Although Amy enjoyed the woman’s confidence in William’s innocence, her statement was borne more out of emotion than fact, since she knew nothing about William.

“I appreciate your faith in Lord Wethington. However, the police don’t seem to agree.”

Mrs. Burrows handed the two hats to Amy along with a slip of paper stating the total price for the merchandise. Usually Amy had bills sent to her house for payment, but since she had not set up an account with this store, she fumbled in her reticule to come up with the needed money.

Almost as if reading her mind, Mrs. Burrows said, “I will be happy to open an account for you and send a bill.”

“I would like to set up an account, actually—I really do love your work. But I have the money with me today to pay.” Amy placed the coins on the table.

She rose to leave, happy, both with her hats and with the friendship she’d made with the woman. “Have a pleasant day, Mrs. Burrows, and I will be back to buy more hats and hopefully let you know Lord Wethington and I