The Thames River Murders

“You would have soon learned otherwise,” I said sternly.

“I did. I missed her so much.” Be

“So you went to court to have her declared dead?” He was not wi

“I asked her neighbors, those who would speak to me. Her father did not allow her mother and sister to come down and listen to me—they might have told me the truth. But the Hebrews, they band together, and I was an outsider, the Englishman who’d stolen one of their own. The entire street more or less shoved me out and slammed the door, so to speak.”

“Her father told you the truth. She hadn’t come home.”

“I concluded that after a time,” Be

He sighed. “When I met my Seraphina, we came to love each other deeply, and it broke my heart that I could not marry her. Hartman had metaphorically buried Judith—it hurt me to imagine what life she had—and so I hired a solicitor to help me declare Judith dead so that I could marry Seraphina. I wish you could have met her, Captain. You’d understand. A finer woman did not walk the world.”

“You were living with her,” I pointed out. “For a few years, I understand. Why the sudden need to have the ba

Be

Tears trickled from his eyes, and he sniffled into the handkerchief.

“Mr. Be

At my tone, Be

“I do not understand you. You loved Judith, and yet you quickly married another. And since have married a third woman.”

Be

“So why this outpouring of grief for Judith?” I asked him severely. “You had finished with her years ago. Fifteen years, to be precise.”

The handkerchief came up again. “Because all this time, I thought she was still alive. I had a notion that perhaps someday, we would meet once more. Spend our dotage together. Foolish, perhaps, but she was still in my heart.”

“What of your current wife? Your dear Maggie?”

Be

Grenville and I exchanged a glance. He expressed in one flick of his brows that he had no idea what to make of the man.

Be

And yet, I understood why Woolwich did not like him. There was something wrong with the way Be

I felt as though I watched a play. The description of Be

I thought of Margaret Woolwich, good-natured but, as her father had claimed, not very intelligent. She’d have seen Be

Donata, Grenville, and I were too worldly, had known too many, to take Be

Donata, in particular, regarded him with blatant cynicism. “You see, Mr. Be

Be

“I?” Again the drama, his hand pressed to his heart, his eyes wide with horror. “Dear lady, Judith was to me as the most precious jewel in all the world. I would never hurt her. Not one hair on her head.”

“Her hair was not in jeopardy,” Donata said in her acerbic way. “Her head was bashed in, rather, and she was pushed into the river.”

The slight widening of his eyes in shock was not feigned, I thought. “Please. How horrible. I ca

Donata was remorseless. “It was a bit worse for Judith.”

“Please.” The handkerchief went to Be

I broke in. “If not you—can you think of anyone who would want to hurt Judith?”

Be

“Apparently not everyone,” I said dryly. “If her death distresses you so, please help us find her killer.”

“Oh. Ah, I see what you mean.” Be

“Yet, she angered her family and her friends by becoming a converso and marrying you.”

“That is true.” Be

I gave him a neutral nod, not wanting to convey my own opinion of her. Devorah was indeed bitter.

“Her father and mother were quite angry as well,” Be

I hid my start. Neither Hartman nor Devorah had mentioned another suitor. “His name?” I asked.

“Let me think. I scarce remember. He was a Hebrew, of course, with one of their outlandish names. No, I have it—Stein. Yes. Itzak was his given name. I remember, because I told Judith I thought it a damned odd way to say Isaac.”

Be

“Anyone else?” I asked.

Be

I would get her father to speak to me somehow. “If you happen to remember any more,” I said, “you will send word, won’t you?”

“Of course. Of course.” Be

Sincerity oozed from him. Grenville, who’d silently let Donata and me get on with interrogating him, finally spoke. “We shall do our best. Perhaps you should go home, Mr. Be

“Yes, indeed,” Be

During this speech, Grenville had moved for the bell, and Matthias opened the door after he’d let enough time lapse. No need to confirm that he’d indeed been listening.