Enter Second Murderer by Alanna Knight Read Free Book Online

been betrayed by the wife he loves."
    "Nor have I any intention of finding out. Marriage is not for ambitious young doctors with an eye to becoming Queen's Physician one day."
    "You might well do both, given time, and the right woman."
    "The right woman. Stepfather? I doubt if any such creature exists except between the covers of romantic novelettes—certainly not between wedded bedcovers, at any rate."
    When Faro smiled wryly, Vince continued, "I see you don't believe me, but I mean it, Stepfather. As for Hymes, can you credit any man being fool enough to be hanged because of his conscience—and all for a worthless whore? He could have taken ship from Leith and been a hundred miles away. Now, the clever murderer, who uses his head and not his heart, and plans the perfect crime, I'd have respect for such a man—respect and admiration, too."
    "There's no such thing as a clever murderer, lad. They always give themselves away in the end."
    "That I don't believe. The police can be absurdly simple—not all detectives are as clever or infallible as my respected stepfather."
    "I'm far from infallible. In every eye there is a blind spot."
    "But not in yours."
    "Oh yes, in mine too."
    "Perhaps you'll meet him some day, then, this murderer who is clever enough to find your blind spot."
    "If he exists, then I hope that neither of us ever have that misfortune."
    Vince smiled. "Come now, Stepfather, could you resist such a challenge? A man who pits his wits against all the odds, in a tricky game of life—to the death," he added dramatically, slashing the air with an imaginary sabre.
    Faro regarded him doubtfully. With all the reckless enthusiasm of youth, Vince regarded the whole idea as no end of a lark.
    "Splendid. You won't forget, by the way, that we have tickets for Othello on Wednesday. I've told Rob and Walter that it's your favourite play, and they agree with me that you need cheering up."
    Faro thanked him bleakly. Othello would hardly be a cheering experience. In the hands of bungling amateurs it would probably depress him unutterably, but Vince and his friends meant well.
    "Has it occurred to you. Stepfather, that there is a great deal of similarity between Othello and Hymes?"
    Faro gave him a sharp look. How odd that the same idea had occurred to him at that last melancholy interview.
    "Othello, you must admit," Vince continued, "was even more stupid than Hymes. Can you imagine any man gullible as the Moor rising to illustrious heights as Shakespeare tells us? A man who would murder his lovely young Desdemona on Iago's testimony? People don't behave like that in real life. Othello would have had a shocking row with her and then all would have been tearfully revealed."
    "Leaving no tragedy for Shakespeare to write and enthral countless generations."
    "Point to you, Stepfather." Vince laughed and, from the desk, produced paper and pen. "Now, back to the main business. Let us see. Are there any parallels between the murders of Mrs. Hymes and Lily Goldie that might offer us some clues, besides both being employed at the convent?"
    Faro considered for a moment. "They were both young and pretty. They were even somewhat similar in appearance."
    "Indeed, the same physical types."
    "What else do we know?"
    "From the post-mortem, that neither had been sexually assaulted," said Vince. "And Lily Goldie was not virgo intacta, but she had never borne a child."
    "We know that Sarah Hymes had run away from her husband. He suspected her of infidelity, which was not proven, except on hearsay."
    "A flirt who enjoyed teasing men and getting as much as she could from her admirers, at the same time giving as little as possible. What do we know about Goldie?"
    "From your description of her at Duddingston Loch and her behaviour with the unfortunate Tim Ferris, wouldn't you say there was a very strong likeness there?"
    "Exactly. If not ladies of easy virtue, then trembling on the very threshold. Goldie's background?"
    "Quite respectable. An