Wait Until Midnight

TWENTY-SIX

They walked into the park together. When they reached the first suitable tree, however, Adam signaled Caroline to continue on across the grass alone. He took up a position under the low-hanging boughs and waited.

From his vantage point he could see what the man be-hind them saw: a woman dressed in a rust-colored gown disappearing eerily into the heavy fog. It was impossible to tell that she was alone, and the follower would have no particular reason to think that the lady's escort had abandoned her in the park.

That was, at any rate, the line of reason that Adam hoped the man would follow.

He was not disappointed. A few minutes after Caroline walked through the park, Adam heard stealthy footsteps on the pavement. The sounds ceased abruptly when the man moved onto the grass.

A moment later, a figure in a gray coat and a low-crowned hat hurried past the spot where Adam stood, waiting.

Adam took two strides, caught his quarry by the collar of his coat and yanked hard, tugging him off balance. The man squeaked in shock and fear and landed hard on his rear.

Adam looked down and saw a familiar face. "Mr. Otford. What a surprise it is to meet up with you here."

Gilbert Otford sputtered, red-faced with outrage. "How dare you assault me in this rude fashion?"

"Do you know, Otford, I'm inclined to show you just how ill-mannered I can be"

Caroline appeared out of the fog, holding her skirts in both hands so that she could run in what Adam suspected was an unladylike manner.

"Mr. Otford," she exclaimed, halting in front of him. "You were following us, weren't you? Whatever did you think you were about?"

"I have every right to walk down a public thoroughfare." Otford climbed awkwardly to his feet, brushing ineffectually at the mud and grass on his coat. "Look what you've done to my clothes, Hardesty. You may be able to afford an unlimited number of coats, but I assure you the rest of us are not so fortunate"

Adam took a step forward. Alarmed, Otford retreated, coming up hard against the tree trunk.

"Don't touch me," Otford yelped. "I shall summon a constable if you so much as lay a finger on me."

"What did you hope to learn by following us?" Adam asked, genuinely curious.

"I told you, I merely happened to be on the same street " Otford cast a beseeching look at Caroline. "You and I are colleagues of a sort, Mrs. Fordyce. Surely you do not doubt my professional intentions."

Caroline sighed. "I believe him, Mr. Hardesty. I really do not think that Mr. Otford had any intention of perpetrating mischief."

"Well, I am not convinced of that." Adam took another step, deliberately closing the distance. "Furthermore, I have no patience for your lies, Otford. I thought I told you to stay out of my way."

Otford swallowed several times but he managed to pull away from the support of the tree and stand upright. Adam could see that Caroline's presence and air of concern had renewed his confidence. The correspondent had concluded that Adam would not do him any grave damage while a lady stood by watching.

"1 am a professional, sir," Otford snapped. "A correspondent has a solemn duty to the public. You and Mrs. Fordyce are involved in a matter of murder. I have an obligation to my readers to ferret out the truth and convey it to them"

You work for a newspaper that specializes in sensations of all types," Adam said. "The truth is the least of your concerns."

"I resent the implications of that statement, sir. You have no right to abuse me in this manner. I insist on an apology."

"Really…, " Adam sneered.

Otford took a quick step back, eyes widening. "Now see here, sir.^"

"I can see that you are going to continue to plague me, Otford. You leave me little choice."

Otford panicked. He lurched forward, intent on escape.

Adam caught him by his coattails, hauled him back and shoved him hard against the tree.

"Adam," Caroline said softly. "Please don't hurt him. I do not deny that he is very irritating, but he is a correspondent and he is right when he claims that he has a job to do."

"There, you see?" Otford said quickly. "I am a professional going about my business."

"You call your line a business?" Adam asked. "Very well, I will strike a bargain with you. Answer my questions and I will let you continue on your way in one piece."

"What questions?" Otford asked, wary.

"How did you obtain your descriptions of the scenes of the Toller and Delmont murders?"

"I have an excellent source for that sort of information," Otford said, looking smug. "One with whom I have worked on several occasions. I trust him completely."

Adam tightened his grip on Otford's lapels. "And what is the name of this trustworthy source?"

Otford hesitated. "A correspondent never reveals his sources."

Adam looked at him, saying nothing.

Otford coughed. "His name is Inspector J. J. Jackson. Not that it is any of your affair."

"You say you trust him?"

Otford attempted a shrug. "I have always found him to be extremely reliable."

"And you put every interesting detail of Delmont's murder into that story that you wrote for the Flying Intelligencer?"

"Of course." Otford made a face. "I will confess that I had to liven it up a bit for the sake of creating interest—skirts pushed up above the dead woman's knees in a lewd manner, supernatural forces at work and so forth—but t here is nothing unusual about that. Done all the time in my business.^"

"Yes, I gathered as much."

Otford gave him a sly look. "If it's details you want, perhaps you will get them from Julian Elsworth tomorrow afternoon"

Caroline's expression sharpened. "What do you mean?"

"Saw a notice posted at Wintersett House today. Elsworth is going to give a special consulting demonstration of his psychical powers to Inspector J. J. Jackson and members of the Society for Psychical Investigations"

"How is Jackson involved?" Adam asked.

"Elsworth claims that he may be able to use his gifts to assist in the investigation of Delmont's and Toller's murder" Otford snorted. "Should be amusing, don't you think? Imagine the police turning to a person who claims to possess psychical powers to help solve a crime"

Adam released him. "Off with you, Otford. Do not let me find you following me again. I will not be so good-natured about it the next time."

Otford straightened his tie, adjusted his hat and stalked away into the fog.

Caroline looked at Adam. "It seems certain now that the bloodied wedding veil and the mourning brooch were not left out of the press accounts by accident. And you have convinced me that they were unlikely to have been stolen by a common thief."

Adam watched Otford vanish into the mist. "There is only one explanation for this. Someone found Delmont's body after I did and removed the veil and brooch. The question is why?"

"Can I assume that we will be attending Julian Elsworth's consulting demonstration of psychical powers tomorrow afternoon at Wintersett House?"

"I would not dream of missing it. You have told me that

I must keep an open and inquiring mind when it comes to this psychical nonsense."