Fallen Hero (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 3)

They all ignored the persistent knocking on the front door.

“Why would he risk leaving the money in the house, especially when he knew cousin Frederick would do his level best to force Elspeth out of the house with undue haste?” Niall asked quietly.

“Surely he knew there would be a risk that Frederick would get his hands on the three thousand?”

“Maybe Frederick knows the money is here and that is why he is determined to get into the house? I mean, if he caught Elspeth on a bad day, a grief-stricken woman could be robbed blind and may never notice,” Jasper sighed.

“This whole situation stinks,” Aaron snapped. “I don’t understand it.”

“We will,” Niall assured him. “Working to solve mysteries and catch criminals is what we do. This Frederick fellow is nothing more than an arrogant buffoon. He is a petty crook compared to the manipulative gangs we usually deal with.”

“I bet he has come back with a solicitor in tow,” Oliver grinned.

Aaron smiled back at him, his eyes alight with malicious satisfaction. It was only when he was in the doorway that he noticed Elspeth hovering uncertainly in the entrance to the kitchen.

“Will you leave this to me?” he asked of her before he was bold enough to answer her front door.

Aaron lifted his brows at her. He wanted nothing more than to be able to hold her, if only for a few moments. Elspeth looked so forlorn and fearful that it made him incredibly angry that Frederick, and Rollo, would both consider it acceptable to circle around her like vultures. On a deeper level, he was incredibly worried that there were so many determined suitors pursuing her for her hand in marriage.

Over my dead body, Aaron thought with more determination than ever to see off the buffoon on the doorstep – but only once he had provided Aaron with the information he needed.

“Please do,” Elspeth murmured.

With a nod of thanks, Aaron yanked the front door open.

CHAPTER FIVE

“What do you want, Miniver?” Aaron demanded without preamble. He grabbed the fist Miniver was using to pound on the door and held it tightly for a second or two before he threw it roughly to one side.

“This is Mr Candlewen, my solicitor,” Frederick announced with an air of supreme satisfaction.

Aaron ran a condescending gaze over the small man, who gulped and took a wary step back.

“Card?” Aaron demanded and held an expectant hand out.

The smaller man looked so fearful that Aaron wondered if he might actually run away. Instead, after a moment of hesitation, he fumbled around in his pocket and eventually drew out a small, very crumpled piece of card which he dropped in Aaron’s hand before hurriedly stepping away again.

Aaron picked it up between his fingers and studied the state of it for a moment before he flattened it out and read the damaged writing.

“Well, Mr Candlewen, what do you want?”

Frederick opened his mouth to speak only for Aaron to hold a hand up.

“I was talking to your solicitor,” Aaron warned.

“Are we not to be invited in? It is rude to expect personal matters to be discussed on the doorstep.” Frederick took a step toward the door only to find Aaron had a tight hold on his cravat.

“Take a step inside this house and I will arrest you for trespassing,” Aaron breathed into the man’s face.

“Do you own the house?” Mr Candlewen asked.

“No, but he doesn’t either. I do, however, work for the War Office, and am here on a legal matter pertaining to the untimely death of the property owner, Mr Thomas Lincoln. Should your – client – here wish to force his way into the property, and my investigation, I shall be more than willing to arrest him for it, together with his attempt to break in here last night.”

Mr Candlewen looked at Frederick with wide eyes.

“You are not going to believe him, are you?” Frederick snapped. “Good God man, you are a solicitor.”

“I don’t work on criminal law,” Mr Candlewen gasped. “You need to speak to Mr Morley. You said this was a property issue.”