Murder on Cold Street (Lady Sherlock #5) - Sherry Thomas Page 0,106

back to Mrs. Watson’s house, Charlotte read Mr. Longstead’s appointment book one more time, beginning on the first of January, commemorated with an instance of sledge driving with his niece in newly fallen snow.

By the time she arrived home, she had the distinct sensation that something was missing from Mr. Longstead’s records—and that she should have already realized what it was. Yet the realization refused to drop into her lap.

She blamed her sluggish brain on the fact that she still hadn’t had her luncheon—how could she expect to think properly, being underfed on a day when she was already underslept?—and repaired immediately to the dining room.

As she was tucking into an excellent roast beef sandwich, Miss Redmayne returned, bringing with her a large pile of letters that she had retrieved from the general post office: Sherlock Holmes had called for the public to write with information about the murders and the public had responded.

She joined Charlotte at the table—though not for the meal, as she had already eaten at the proper hour. They spoke of their respective findings and Charlotte learned that at least according to the register of admissions, Mr. Longstead hadn’t been anywhere near the Reading Room of the British Museum in recent weeks, despite what he had told his niece and his housekeeper—and written down in his appointment book.

“The clerk at the Reading Room was terribly helpful, and looked up instances of Mr. Longstead’s visits going several months back,” said Miss Redmayne with an approving nod. “We compiled a record of his attendance from August onward. I’ll set it here for you.”

She left the dining room shortly thereafter, as Lord Ingram had sent a cable and she had to prepare for the imminent arrival of Mr. Bloom, the expert who had inspected Mrs. Treadles’s factory in Reading and now wished to see the Cousins accounts.

Charlotte wiped her hands with a napkin and perused Mr. Longstead’s attendance record. Prior to the last week of November, the dates accorded with the instances noted down in Mr. Longstead’s appointment book. But after that, outings documented as visits to the Reading Room had turned out not to be visits to the Reading Room.

She picked up her sandwich again. The same problem existed with regard to forays to the chemist’s that had been logged in the appointment book. Only his trip to Dr. Ralston’s house was recorded correctly.

If she asked for verification from Mrs. Treadles, would she find that his documented visits to Cousins also hadn’t taken place? Or took place at entirely different times than what he wrote down?

Charlotte stopped eating. The roast beef sandwich had not only filled her stomach; it had revitalized her poor, tired brain. She knew now exactly what had been missing from Mr. Longstead’s appointment book.

He had never mentioned his call of condolence to Mrs. Cousins.

Seventeen

Mrs. Cousins shook Charlotte’s hand warmly. “Miss Holmes, please, have a seat. And please allow me to thank you for introducing Mrs. Watson to my sister-in-law. When I called on her yesterday evening, she was enormously relieved that at last someone gave her the courage to do what she should have done long ago.”

“That courage was Mrs. Treadles’s own,” answered Charlotte, sitting down.

“Very true, but sometimes we need a nudge—or even a strong kick—onto the right path.”

Charlotte inclined her head. “We are but doing what Mrs. Treadles engaged us to do.”

Although she would not deny, if pressed, that she’d been a little harsher on Mrs. Treadles than absolutely necessary, so that when the latter encountered Mrs. Watson, she would open up that much more readily.

“May I trouble you to answer a few more questions, Mrs. Cousins?” continued Charlotte. “I should have been more thorough at our prior meeting.”

Mrs. Cousins poured tea for Charlotte. “Oddly enough, after you left yesterday, I kept feeling that there was something I should have told you. My mother has been faring poorly of late. Between her health and my sister-in-law’s troubles, I haven’t been able to think, let alone think clearly. But I should dearly love to help if at all I could.”

She raised her head. The day before she had doggedly answered questions because Charlotte had been Mrs. Treadles’s emissary. Now her gaze held a gleam of hope and excitement.

Charlotte inquired after her mother’s health, then said, “Perhaps you can begin by telling me when Mr. Longstead called on you to offer his condolences.”

Mrs. Cousins gasped. “But that’s just it! I remember now. I was about to speak more on his call when a carriage