"Standing before your door?"
Mrs. Chadwick nodded. "With his hand on the latch."
Just going in. Considering the time it had taken him to traverse half the house, the thief-if that's who it had been-would have had ample time to disappear. Vane frowned. "You said something about a cloak."
Mrs. Chadwick nodded. "A long cloak."
Or the skirts of a woman's dress. Vane looked back down the corridor. Even with the additional light thrown by the candelabrum, it would be hard to be sure if a figure was male or female. And a thief could be either.
"Just think! We could be murdered in our beds!"
All heads, and it was indeed all-Minnie's household had assembled in its entirety-sw
ung Angela's way.
Eyes huge, she stared back. "It must be some madman!"
"Why?"
Vane had opened his mouth to voice the question; Patience beat him to it. "Why on earth would someone come all the way out here," she continued, "struggle into this particular house, go to your mother's door-and then vanish as soon as she screamed? If it was a madman intent on murder, he had plenty of time to do the deed."
Both Mrs. Chadwick and Angela stared at her, stunned by her ruthless common sense.
Vane forced his lips straight. "There's no need for melodrama-whoever it was is long gone." But possibly not far away.
The same thought had occurred to Whitticombe. "Is everybody here?" He looked about, as did the others, corn-firming that indeed, everyone was present, even Masters, who stood at the back of the crowd. "Well, then," Whitticombe said, scanning the faces, "where was everyone? Gerrard?"
Vane was quite sure it wasn't chance that had brought that name first to Whitticombe's lips.
Gerrard was standing behind Patience. "I was in the billiard room."
"Alone?" Whitticombe's insinuation was transparent.
Gerrard's jaw set. "Yes, alone."
The General grunted. "Why on earth would someone spend time in the billiard room alone?"
Color crept into Gerrard's cheeks. He flicked a glance at Vane. "I was just knocking a few balls around."
That swift glance was enough for Vane; Gerrard had been practicing shots, waiting for him to come down. The billiard room was precisely the sort of place a gentleman such as he might be expected to choose to spend an hour or so before retiring. Indeed, if events had not taken the course they had, he would have gone there himself.
Vane didn't like the accusing stares that were being aimed at Gerrard. Neither did Patience, Minnie, or Timms. He spoke before they could. "That's you accounted for. Where was everyone else?"
He made each one state their last location. Bar himself and Minnie, Angela, Mrs. Chadwick, Patience, and Timms, not one had been in sight of anyone else. Whitticombe had returned to the library; Edgar had gone in to retrieve a tome, then retreated to the back parlor. Edmond, oblivious to all once his muse had taken hold, as apparently it had, had remained in the drawing room. The General, irritated by Edmond's spontaneous spoutings, had slipped back to the dining room. From his deepened color, Vane suspected the brandy decanter had been his goal. Henry Chadwick had retired to his room.
When Vane asked for her whereabouts, Alice Colby glared at him. "I was in my room, one floor below this."
Vane merely nodded. "Very well. I suggest that now the thief is long gone, we should all retire."
In the face of that dampeningly dull suggestion, most of the party, muttering and grumbling, did so. Gerrard hung back, but when Patience noticed and gave him a push, he shot an apologetic glance at Vane and went. Predictably, Patience, Minnie, and Timms stood their ground.
Vane eyed their set faces, then sighed and waved them back. "In Minnie's room." He took Minnie's arm, concerned when he felt how heavily she leaned on him. He was tempted to carry her, but knew her pride of old. So he matched his pace to hers. By the time they reached her rooms, Timms had the fire blazing and Patience had plumped the cushions in Minnie's chair. Vane helped her to it and she sank down with a weary sigh.
"It wasn't Gerrard."
The trenchant statement came from Timms. "I can't abide how they all cast suspicion his way. They're making him a scapegoat."
Minnie nodded. Patience simply met Vane's eyes. She stood by Minnie's chair, head up, hands clasped too tightly before her, daring him to accuse her brother.