He would really have preferred to leave his mother out of it, but she appeared unlikely to sail out the door for her appointment, so they both entered the drawing room.
The two detectives stood in the middle of the room. When William entered, Detective Carson moved up to him. “Lord William Wethington, please place your hands behind your back.”
“What?”
“You are under arrest for the murder of Mr. James Harding and Mrs. Millie Johnson.”
“Mrs. Johnson! I just saw her last night.”
“Yes. We know that. She was found behind the Kings Garden with a bullet in her. We had a tip that you met with her last night after she finished her shift.”
“That’s absurd. I did not meet her after her shift. Who provided this tip?”
“It was anonymous.”
Just then, with a soft sigh, his mother slumped to the floor. Somehow he didn’t think this swoon was fake.
“Detectives, I cannot leave until I see to my mother.” William walked to where she lay on the ground, picked her up, and placed her on a settee. “Get me a maid, please,” he said to Stevens. “Then send someone to Lady Amy’s house with a message that I need her here as quickly as possible.”
A maid entered, and William immediately began to shout instructions at her to tend to his mother.
“I beg you, please, Detectives, to allow me time to see that Lady Amy has arrived.”
The two detectives looked at each other and shrugged. “We will give you a half hour, no more.”
They both sat in chairs near the door, obviously making sure William could not leave the house.
“Stevens, fetch me some paper and pen. I must write a note to Mr. Nelson-Graves.”
William had learned enough from watching the barrister in operation last week as well as last year when he represented Amy to know that he needed to keep quiet and allow Mr. Nelson-Graves to do all the talking.
His mother was finally sitting up and clutching at her maid’s arms. “Detectives, you cannot arrest my son. He is a member of the nobility.”
“I’m sorry to dispute you, Lady Wethington, but these are serious charges, and yes, we can arrest him.”
William’s head was still spinning with the news about Mrs. Johnson. Obviously there had been someone in the pub the night before who had heard her tell them to meet her at the square.
That same someone had killed her to keep her from telling him and Amy something important.
At last, close to a half hour later, Amy hurried through the door to the drawing room. “Whatever is going on?”
William walked up to her and took her hands in his. “You must stay here with my mother; she is extremely distraught.”
“Why? What’s happened?”
“I am being arrested for murder.”
CHAPTER 25
“I reiterate one more time, Detectives. I had nothing to do with Mr. Harding’s death, nor Mrs. Johnson’s.” William ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated and angered.
He’d sent word to Mr. Nelson-Graves before being taken to the police station, but so far the man had not arrived. William had been in the interrogation room for only about an hour, but it seemed like all day.
“Let’s go back again and tell me why you and Lady Amy were at the King’s Garden pub last night, Tuesday, the third of March.”
“I’ve answered that question several times already, and at this point I will answer no further questions until my barrister arrives.”
Detective Carson looked over at Detective Marsh. “Sounds guilty to me.”