Читать книгу The Klondike Mysteries 4-Book Bundle - Vicki Delany - Страница 40

By seven o’clock, I was regretting my impulsive invitation to Constable Sterling to join us for dinner. I was exhausted. All week, I’d been living on worry—no sleep, and even less food than I’d consumed over the winter—and now that Angus was safely home, I wanted only to collapse like a rag doll.

McKnight arrived, thoroughly scrubbed, hair greased and combed flat, moustache stiffly groomed, promptly at 7:45 p.m. As promised I introduced him to Ellie. She performed like the professional she was: absolutely thrilled to make his acquaintance, she had heard so very much about the famous Inspector McNichol. He was too infatuated to correct her mistake over his name—probably didn’t even notice. I left them as she was promising to save him a special dance after the show.

I waited until the orchestra did their bit on the street, and the stage show got underway before slipping out.

“Fiona, my dearest. You look perfectly lovely this evening.” Graham Donohue fell into step beside me on the boardwalk. He hadn’t been around the Savoy much lately, and when he did drop in to hear if there had been any news about Angus, his demeanour towards me had changed. He was acting wary, skittish almost, like a halftrained dog afraid he’d misunderstood his master’s command and had made the wrong move. “I hear Angus is back from his misadventure. They’re saying Sterling’s going to be drummed out of the Mounties for it.” He seemed almost pleased at the scrap of news.

“Who’s saying, Graham?” I stopped and turned to face him, hands planted firmly on hips.

“Everyone.” He shrugged. “You know, people.”

“I don’t listen to idle gossip.”

“Since when? Admit it, Fiona. You live for idle gossip.” He laughed but stopped fast enough when he saw the look on my face. “Everyone is also saying that Angus is hale and hearty, although a bit sheepish.”

“In that respect, everyone is correct. What’s the matter with you, Graham? I thought you and Constable Sterling were friends.”

“Sure we are.”

“You don’t sound like a friend. You sound pleased to hear he might be coming into some misfortune.”

“Now why would you think that, Fiona, my darling? I’m simply repeating the news of the day. Like the good newspaperman I am.”

“In that case you’ll be glad to hear that I intend to ensure Constable Sterling is not reprimanded in any way over this incident. The whole thing was clearly Angus’s fault.”

Graham’s face fell. Too late, he tried to hide it by pasting on a smile.

We stepped aside to allow a pair of neatly dressed gentlemen to pass. They tipped their hats to me.

“We can’t stand here discussing this on the street.” I linked my arm through Graham’s, tossed him a flirtatious smile, and poked him lightly in the chest with my free hand. Time to drag Graham out of this strange mood that had descended upon him. “Constable Sterling is joining Angus and me for dinner. Come along. I’m sure Mrs. Mann has prepared more than enough to accommodate another hungry lad.”

“You’re having dinner with Sterling? And Angus?” He wretched free of my arm.

“Good heavens, Graham. What is the matter with you?”

“I’ve remembered an important appointment. Most critical. Pardon me, Fiona, another time perhaps. For dinner, I mean.” He almost ran, scarcely avoiding knocking the gentlemen off the boards.

I was quite fond of Graham. If I were looking to settle down with someone, which is indeed a substantial if, it had occurred to me that I could do a great deal worse than Graham Donohue. He was good-looking, not overbearingly large, intelligent, interested in everyone and everything. He had a good job and got on well, but not excessively well, with my son. And, most important of all, he simply adored me. Of course, most men do. But either they slobber all over me, like the customers at the bar, or want to rescue me from myself, like Sergeant Lancaster. Graham was happy to just be my friend.

I could think of only one reason he had turned against Richard Sterling, the policeman, and was behaving so very oddly.

Graham Donohue had killed Jack Ireland.