Lion in the Valley - Elizabeth Peters [82]
Emerson was the first to break the silence. “It seems that whether I will or not, I have become involved in the little matter of Kalenischeff’s murder. Let me say at the outset that I cannot help but believe there is some connection between that event and the domestic matters Mr. Fraser has outlined. It is too much of a coincidence that a third party should have decided to do away with the villain—much as he deserved it—at the precise time when Miss Debenham had hired him to help find her missing kinsman.”
“Coincidences do occur, Emerson,” I said. “I know you would rather eliminate from consideration that individual whose name I refrain from mentioning—”
“Oh, the devil,” Emerson growled. “You cannot mention his name, Amelia, for you don’t know what it is. Call him whatever you like, so long as it is pejorative.”
“Whatever we call him, it would be folly to deny that he is involved. He has favored us with communications on no less than four occasions. First, the attempted abduction of Ramses; second, the return of the stolen communion vessels; third, the presentation of the flowers and the ring; and last, today’s attack. Only a mind hopelessly and irrevocably prejudiced”—I carefully refrained from looking at Emerson, but I heard him snarl—“would deny that all four events bear the signature of Sethos.”
“I beg your pardon, Mama,” Ramses said. “I concur with your conclusions regarding the last three incidents, but in the first case—”
“Who else would want to abduct you, Ramses?”
“A great number of people, I should think,” said Emerson. “Ordinarily I would agree with your premise, Peabody—that there cannot be many individuals in Egypt who yearn to make off with Ramses—but as I have learned to my sorrow, we seem to attract criminals as a dog attracts fleas. I should feel hurt if we had fewer than five or six murderers after us.”
“He is speaking ironically,” I explained to Donald, whose bewildered expression betokened his failure to comprehend. “However, there is some truth in his statement. We do attract criminals, for the simple reason that we threaten to destroy them and their vile activities.”
“Yes, but curse it, we aren’t threatening anyone now,” Emerson cried. “At least . . . Ramses! Look Papa straight in the eye and answer truthfully. Are you threatening any criminals at this time?”
“To the best of my knowledge, Papa—”
“Just answer yes or no, my son.”
“No, Papa.”
“Have you unearthed any buried treasures or antiquities you neglected to mention to your mama and me?”
“No, Papa. If you would allow me—”
“No, Ramses, I will not allow you to elaborate. For once in my life I intend to direct the course of a family discussion and decide upon a sensible course of action.
“To return, then, to the subject of the murder. I find it difficult to believe that the police really consider Miss Debenham a serious suspect. If she were to surrender herself—”
Donald started up from his chair. “Never!” he exclaimed. “Even if she were to be cleared of the crime, the shame—the notoriety—”
“Be still a moment,” I said. “Emerson, I think you underestimate the strength of the case against her. Let me play devil’s advocate and state the facts as they will appear to the police. Item: Miss Debenham and Kalenischeff were intimately acquainted—lovers, to put it bluntly. (Donald, I insist that you be quiet.) They quarreled on the night of the murder. He was found dead in her bed, and she was with him in the room when the dastardly deed was done. Alone with him, mark you, and in her nightclothes. Her story of a midnight intruder who rendered her helpless by means of a drug will be dismissed as a not very clever invention. You may be sure no one else saw a sign of the fellow.”
“Kalenischeff’s shady reputation—his criminal connections—” Emerson began.
“His criminal connections are no more than suspicions in so far as the police are