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actually told him he had records of their dealings, for his own protection.” He did not mention the letter.
    “Then whoever killed Weems took them,” Innes said, pushing his lips together grimly. “Looks bad for your nob, sir—I’m afraid.”
    “But if he took them, why did he call us?” Pitt reasoned. “That doesn’t make sense.”
    “Mebbe ’E wasn’t sure ’E ’ad ’em all,” Innes suggested.
    “So he called us and confessed the connection anyway?” Pitt shook his head. “He’s not a fool. He’d have ridden it outand called us only if something did come up. No, he expected us to find his name here.”
    “Mebbe he tried ter find it an’ couldn’t.” Innes was playing devil’s advocate.
    “Does the place look to you as if it has been searched?” Pitt asked.
    “No,” Innes conceded. “Or, if anyone took anything, they knew where ter find it. It was all as neat as yer like.”
    “So either there was nothing here, or the murderer knew where it was, and took it with him.”
    “Can’t think of anything else.” Innes frowned. “But it’s curious, I’ll give yer that—very curious.”
    “We’ve a long way to go yet.” Pitt straightened up and looked towards the door. “We’d better get on with finding some of Weems’s customers.”
    “Yes sir,” Innes agreed obediently. “Poor devils.”

2
    C
HARLOTTE P ITT
was frantically busy. Her sister Emily, remarried less than a year after her widowhood, was now expecting a child, which was a source of great happiness both to her and to her husband, Jack. But since Jack had very recently committed himself to seeking nomination as a candidate for Parliament, her rather erratic health was something of an embarrassment. Her first pregnancy with Edward several years before had been relatively easy, but this time she was suffering moments of dizziness and nausea, and found herself unable to stand for the long hours necessary for greeting and receiving at all the sorts of functions it was required both to attend and to host, if Jack were to succeed.
    Therefore Charlotte had accepted Emily’s offer of a little financial assistance to go toward employing extra domestic help in her own home, several quite marvelous new gowns, and the loan of three or four pieces of Emily’s jewelry, her first husband having been both titled and extremely wealthy. All of which was held by Emily to be a fair exchange for Charlotte’s time, thought and endeavor to act as hostess for her, or with her, when the occasion required.
    Tonight was just such an occasion. Emily was lying in her room, feeling distinctly poorly, and this was the night of the ball she had arranged in order to meet several of the most important people in Jack’s campaign for selection. The seat for which he was hoping was a safe Liberal stronghold, andif he could obtain a nomination for the candidacy, when election time came he was sure to win, so the competition was strong. The Conservatives had not held that seat in decades.
    This function was of great importance, therefore Emily had dispatched a footman with a letter only this afternoon, and now Charlotte was pacing the floor in the hall, her heart in her mouth with nervousness, going over arrangements for the umpteenth time. She looked yet again at the banks of flowers at the top of the stairway, in the reception rooms, in the withdrawing room and on the dining room table. The table had been a source of immense anxiety, even though it was Emily’s plan and the cook’s and the kitchen staff’s execution, yet Charlotte still felt it was her final responsibility.
    All manner of fruit was arranged in with the mound of flowers so that the center of the table was covered from end to end with its gorgeous display. Around the rest of the surface were piled all the requisite delicacies: crackers, cakes and bonbons; fruit-flavored soufflés, dazzling creams, bright jellies and foaming trifles in glass dishes; oyster patties, lobster salads, veal