Quicksilver - Amanda Quick [95]
She whisked back into the kitchen. He knew at once that she was aware of everything that had happened during the night. He looked at Virginia.
“It is impossible to keep secrets from a housekeeper,” she said. She went back to reading her paper.
Owen glanced at Charlotte, who made a show of turning a page of the morning paper that she was perusing.
He turned his attention to Nick.
“You all spent the night here?” he said without inflection.
“Yes,” Nick said.
“Must have been somewhat crowded.”
“We made do,” Nick said easily. “Wanted to make sure you didn’t do something melodramatic if you woke up and concluded that the mirror had permanently fried your para-senses. Try some of the salmon. It’s excellent.”
Owen picked up one of the large silver serving spoons. “When have you ever known me to be melodramatic?”
“First time for everything,” Nick said. He took a bite of toast.
It dawned on Owen that Virginia and Charlotte were listening intently without appearing to do so. He concluded it would be best to move on to another topic, one more suited to casual breakfast-table conversation.
“What did you do with the body?” he asked.
Virginia choked on her tea and started to cough. Charlotte glowered at Owen.
He carried his plate back to the table, sat down and looked at both women. “Something I said?”
Virginia recovered and gave him a severe look. “We are eating breakfast, Mr. Sweetwater. Kindly save all talk of dead bodies until later.”
He noticed that Nick, Matt and Tony were doing their best to conceal their twitching lips.
“Breakfast-table conversation in non-Sweetwater households generally takes a slightly different tone than it does at home,” Tony said.
“Is that so?” Owen sat down at the table. “In that case, pass me the toast tray.”
They gathered in the parlor after breakfast. Mrs. Crofton joined them. Owen did not ask her to leave. She knew too much already, he thought. She might as well hear the rest of it. After all, she was part of Virginia’s household.
“We dumped the footpad’s body in one of the old crypts,” Nick said. “It will probably be ages, perhaps years, before it is discovered, if, indeed, it is ever found. But even if by some fluke someone stumbled over it today, there is nothing on it that will connect him to any of us. Everything about him, from his clothes to his rings and the kind of knife he carried, indicates he was a professional criminal.”
“One of many who are now on the streets, looking for work, since Luttrell’s criminal empire fell apart,” Matt said.
“Don’t worry, Uncle Owen, we took care of every detail,” Tony added.
“I do not doubt that,” Owen said. “What I find troubling about this situation is the Quicksilver Mirror.”
They all looked at the black velvet sack on the coffee table.
“The artifact is an alchemical object, but it is, nonetheless, a mirror,” Virginia said. “We have all agreed that it is too much to believe it turned up in the footpad’s hands by pure coincidence.”
“He told me that it had been given to him by his client, a Mr. Newton,” Owen said.
“Who evidently has concluded that you are standing in the way of his plans,” Charlotte observed.
“Which include Virginia,” Owen said.
“It also means that Mr. Newton, whoever he is, knows or suspects that you are a good deal more than simply a researcher of the paranormal who specializes in exposing fraudulent mediums,” Virginia said. “Otherwise he would not have given a hired killer from the streets such a valuable artifact to use against you.”
Owen looked at Nick. “After breakfast you will see what you can find out about the hunter who attacked me last night. With his talent he will no doubt have had a reputation on the streets.”
“Right.”
Owen turned to Charlotte. “Any luck finding the missing paid companion?”
Charlotte frowned. “No, and it is rather odd. There are not that many agencies that supply paid companions to wealthy households. I made inquiries yesterday at