The next morning, Lady Bowler came out of her rooms and made her way into the study where Firmin, Andre, Antoinette and Erik were waiting for her. They all stood, and Lady Bowler made her way over to Erik who had been helped into a crisp white shirt by Thompkins, who then hung the arm from Erik's neck in a sling. Erik had a midnight blue coat on his good arm, the rest just hanging over his shoulder.

"M. DuL'Soir, you are forever in my debt! You were so brave to go after that madman who shot at you and Mlle. Carone in the garden!" she told him. Erik gave her a gentle smile,

"Thank you Lady Bowler. It was nothing." She turned to the partners,

"You sure you won't stay to let M. DuL'Soir recuperate?" Andre said,

"We must return to Paris I'm afraid. Not to worry, Erik is a strong man." She went to her desk as they sat down,

"Then let me write you your check. I hope you don't mind, but I shall add a little more to cover M. DuL'Soir's medical expenses."

"You are too kind, Madame!" said Firmin. Before the ink was dry and handed into Firmin's eager hands, Constable Bowers burst in with Thompkins on his coattails saying,

"Sorry Milady, but he insists on seeing you!"

"Constable Bowers! What is the meaning of this!" demanded Lady Bowler standing.

"Terribly sorry, but when word reached me the detectives were leaving, I had to rush over! Grady has been murdered!" said Bowers.

"What?" cried the partners at once standing.

"Last night, right in the holding cell!" said Bowers.

"Didn't the guard see who did it?" asked Erik.

"This is a small village Mousier. My men aren't trained to stand guard all night!" explained Bowers.

"That's a pitiful excuse!" said Andre.

"Who would shoot Grady in his cell?" asked Lady Bowler.

"Whoever wanted John Canter's money!" exclaimed Antoinette.

"Money? What money?" asked Bowers.

"John Canter's life savings. Grady knew of it and that's why he set the ring of fire around Mr. Canter when he died in the garden." explained Erik.

"Whoever killed Grady then must be after Canter's money and know where it is. Milady, I shall return in the hour with a search warrent to search the premises!" said Bowers making his way out.

"Constable really! You surely can't believe a simple gardener had a fortune!" laughed Lady Bowers.

"We shall see your Ladyship. We shall see!" said the Constable followed by the partners and Erik. Antoinette asked Lady Bowler,

"Can I get you some tea, Madame?" Lady Bowler shook her head and left the office saying,

"No, but I think I'll go hide in the library until Constable Bowers has finished invading my home!" She entered the hall, but instead of going right to the library, she turned left to do down the back stairs and out to the gardens. She took up a small garden spade and ran as fast as her skirts would allow to the petunia bushes. She kneeled over and dug in the hard earth, until the spade hit something with a metallic clunk. She swept the remaining dirt away with her hands and pulled out the square and rusty green box locked with a study chain. She smiled in victory, but her face fell in pale horror when she heard a husky, baritone accented with French say behind her,

"I'll take that Madame." She turned her head to look over her shoulder at Erik who was smiling gently as if out of pity. She gulped,

"You know then?"

"I've had my suspicions since the beginning, but I was confirmed three times this morning." he said.

"How? I thought I had been so careful." she said her brows in confusion. He stepped forward,

"First, you said ' that madman who shot at you and Mlle. Carone in the garden.' We told noone we were out in the gardens, and the only one who could have known we were alone together when the shot was fired would have had to been the caped shooter. Then you asked who would want to SHOOT Grady, when Constable Bowers had said nothing about how Grady had been killed. And finally, only the person who knew where Grady had found John Canter's hidden fortune could have dug it up."

"What are you going to do with me?" she asked.

"The right thing. Mousiers!" called Erik to which Andre, Firmin and Constable Bowers came out from the nearby brush. Bowers said with dissappointment evident,

"I'd never once thought it of you Ma'am. So how'd it happen?" Firmin explained,

"When Canter died of a failed heart last month, Grady saw him. He must have had his last wages in hand and a shovel. Being an expereinced theif, it didn't take Grady long to figure out Canter had buried his money. And habits are hard to break so he set fire around Canter so no one would find anything a miss. He began to dig around for the treasure. Sometimes leaving his shovel in the house."

"But he wasn't just after money. He had his eye on Lady Bowler and thought he to have a chance with her considering she was on the outs with Lord Bowler." said Andre.

"He was in love with me for two years. But I had no interest in him." she said.

"You didn't until he told you of John Canter's fortune. Being in debt and having a lifestyle, you couldn't help but listen. You didn't believe him at first, but when Mrs. Thomas came about asking about it, you knew he was telling the truth. And that Grady had no idea how much there must have been hidden away. So you seduced him. I remember a few of the servants in their testimonies complaining about noises from Grady's room the night your husband was murdered. He was making love to you that night wasn't he?" asked Firmin.

"Yes." she said without emotion. Erik continued,

"You had hoped Grady would tell you where the money was hidden. But your husband wouldn't let the matter lie. He even convinced Bowers to give him photographs to send to us. He suspected Grady, so he wrote to his barrister friend. The day the post came, he was happy and convinced he had solved the mystery. This made you ill, for you knew if Grady was fired or imprisoned, your chance of the fortune would fly out the window. So, after Grady fell asleep, and the house was quiet, you crept downstairs, took Grady's shovel, and bashed your husband's head in, knowing he would be up and smoking. But Grady had missed you and followed you downstairs. He saw the body and immediately took the shovel and dumped it in the woods, only to be seen by Mrs. Kelsey. You both returned to bed. Then in the morning, you began your role as the grieving widow. Grady lied about his whereabouts, knowing that being your lover would make him an immediate suspect. After we came and started asking around, Grady became defensive. He followed me and Mlle. Carone in the village, and promted a horse to run us down. But when he returned, he was arrested. This wasn't good for your plans at all. For he had yet to tell you of John Canter's money. And then you learned we had plans to speak with him. So after announcing the unmasking at the ball, knowing people would recall seeing you, you slipped out, knowing no one would miss another lady in a black gown and domino mask. Donning a cape, you took a horse, but was surprised by Mlle. Carone and I in the gardens nearby. You shot at us, and then again at me when I gave chase. You managed to give the search party the slip and proceded to the jailhouse. You found Grady practically unguarded. I imagine you finally got your imformation needed out of him, and then shot him. You returned knowing the house would be more concerned about the injured guest than the missing hostess. Did I leave anything out, your Ladyship?" Lady Bowers looked up at him and said,

"Yes. I just want to say Charles was a good man who I cared for deeply once. I regret killing him. Mr. Grady I shall not miss." Constable Bowers came forward and helped her to stand, taking the locked box from her and saying,

"Come Milady. You're under arrest in the name of the Crown." Before she walked off, she turned to Erik and said,

"Mousier, I saw the way you held Mlle. Carone in your arms last night. Charles held me like that once. Then he let go. Never let her go, Mousier."

"Merci Madame." Erik nodded in understanding. Firmin patted Erik's good shoulder before he and Andre followed the Constable into the house. Erik sighed and closed his eyes feeling the sun's warmth. For the first time in his life, justice had truly been done.

A few day's later, the group found themselves in London. It was Andre's suggestion they celebrate by taking a tour of the old city as they deposited all the money they recieved in their bank. They deposited one check from Lady Bowler (it was still good, in spite of her criminal record now) two more from Scotland Yard for helping solve the two murders, and a third from Mrs. Thomas, who was now 90,000 pounds richer. As they walked down the cobblestone streets on their way to supper, Andre said as he and Firmin walked ahead of Erik and Antoinette,

"A quite profitable adventure!"

"Nothing like that ever happened to us in the junk business!" said Firmin dryly as he twirled his cane around in his fingers.

"Scrap metal!" corrected Andre. Antoinette asked Erik,

"What are you thinking Mousier?" He thought back to the events of five years ago. His lonliness. His lurking in the catacombs. His threats to the managers. His 'accidents' on the cast and crew. His obsession with Christine. His rage with the Vicompt. His murders. It had been his darkest hour. Now he was walking in the sunshine on the arm of a beautiful woman who cared for him, behind those same managers arguing about what business they had made a previous fortune in. He smiled,

"Just happy to be out of the shadows, Mam'selle."

The End