Murder at the Mayfair Hotel (Cleopatra Fox Mysteries #1)- C.J. Archer Page 0,37

as it is in all the rooms.”

I bristled. “I checked the wrong side first.” I waited but he did not leave. “I’ll turn it off when I’m finished.”

“I’ll wait.”

“I could be a while. I like to browse.”

“As I said, I’ll wait.” If his tone got any cooler, I’d need a coat.

“Afraid I’ll steal a teacup on my way out?” I spun around and marched off towards the library.

The room wasn’t large, but it was packed with books and periodicals of all kinds, even sensational novels. I skipped past those and scanned the non-fiction section. Very aware of the imposing figure of Mr. Armitage watching me from the sitting room, I read the spines without really taking them in, and had to read them a second time. Finally settling on two titles, I clutched them to my chest and rejoined him.

He stood with crossed arms, leaning against the doorframe. The casual pose was at odds with his usual straight-backed formality. The alert gaze was not.

“Found what you wanted?” he asked.

“Unfortunately you foiled my plan to steal the teacups, and I had to settle for books instead.” I strolled past him and did not look back.

The news of Danny’s release reached me mid-morning via Harmony. She was thrilled to report that he was back at work already.

“He’s quite the sensation among the staff,” she said as she tidied up my already tidy room. “He has some interesting tales to tell about his arrest and time in the holding cell, but he does like to embellish things, so I wouldn’t trust a word he says.”

“Did he say why the police released him?” I asked.

“Two reasons, apparently. The poison wasn’t in the pot or cup of chocolate, and the time of death was estimated by the pathologist as occurring between three and six in the morning. Danny was with someone at that time.”

I turned to face her. “He has a lover?” I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. I might have led a sheltered life, but I wasn’t so naïve to assume that people didn’t have lovers. Perhaps it was because I suspected Harmony held a tendre for him, and that was why she’d advocated for his release so vehemently.

She didn’t look upset to learn about his lover, however. She hummed a tune as she dusted a dust-free table.

“Why didn’t he mention the lover to the detective at the time of his arrest?” I asked.

“He was probably protecting him.”

“Him?” I blurted out. “Oh. I see.” I turned back to the correspondence I’d been reading on my desk, my face hot.

“Only his closest friends know. Promise not to tell a soul,” she said urgently. “Not even your family. You know what happened to Oscar Wilde, don’t you?”

The homosexual playwright had been imprisoned for gross indecency a few years ago. The law was not on the side of men like him. “Why didn’t the detective inspector arrest Danny for that once he revealed his alibi?”

She shrugged. “He must be a good man, like his brother, Mr. Hobart.”

“Mr. Hobart knows about Danny?”

“Mr. Hobart knows everything about everyone in the hotel.”

“Have the police returned this morning?” I asked.

“The detective inspector came and spoke with Sir Ronald, Mr. Hobart and Mr. Armitage first thing, then left again.”

It was a relief that Danny was no longer a suspect; however, the sense of urgency to find the killer still ate at me. My uncle must be beside himself with worry. Having someone arrested had eased the minds of the guests, both those already here and those yet to check in. But once word got out that Danny had been released, fear would lead to cancellations. All it would take would be for the newspapers to report it, and the hotel’s reputation would be in tatters.

Harmony joined me at the desk, her duster flicking back and forth over the lampshade. “Will you continue with the investigation now?”

“I feel as though I’ve come too far to stop.”

“True. And there’s always the danger that they’ll arrest another innocent staff member.”

“What makes you think they’re all innocent? Perhaps one of them is the murderer.”

She winced. “I don’t want to consider that possibility. I don’t even want Mrs. Kettering to be guilty of such a terrible crime. She’s a dragon and a bully, but she has a moral compass as straight as an arrow. If she did it, it means my judgement of character is far off course.”

I touched her hand. “You’ve proved to be an excellent judge of character so far. You were certainly right