/ / WEDNESDAY - Morning / /
Phryne woke alone for the second day in a row and immediately bristled. She stayed where she was in the bed, silently fuming at the gall of him as Dot entered, opening the curtains with a pleasant smile.
"Good morning, Miss," she said, bending to pick up abandoned clothes from their place on the floor. "When did Mr Fisher arrive?"
"You didn't hear him?" Phryne asked, sitting up and reaching for her robe next to the bed. "He broke in last night and smashed the vase in the front hall."
Dot nodded absently, "Mr Butler was wondering how that happened."
"When did Jack leave?"
"The Inspector? I don't know Miss, I never saw him come down for breakfast."
Phryne frowned, put off by this further. "I'll have coffee with my breakfast in the dining room today thank you Dot. I need to talk to Orpheus."
/ / /
At Melbourne's City South police station, Jack Robinson sat in his office chewing absently on the cold toast he had made himself and sipping the weak police station tea. He stared down at the papers before him; copies of Collins' notes, the coroner's report, police photographs of the crime scene before he had arrived, and his own notes of information gathered from his conversations with Mr Atkins, Mrs Hammond, and Mr Fisher.
The facts as far as he could see them were that his victim, Mr Hammond, stayed home instead of seeing extended family, and invited Mr Fisher to his house on business. Together they travelled to his office between one and three o'clock on Sunday afternoon, without Mr Atkins' knowledge. Mr Hammond died between then and six o'clock that night from a gunshot wound, his own gun found in the room with him.
Jack sighed, eyes flicking back and forth across the sheets of paper spread before him.
Mr Fisher said the contract had been a drawn out ordeal, with lawyers involved until all parties were satisfied... and the crime scene had been searched, with only papers referring to the contract, deal and correspondence to Mr Fisher's company missing. And then of course there was the knowledge that Mr Fisher had attempted to run from the police by appealing to Phryne the previous night...
There was nothing for it, Jack decided suddenly, he had no other paths to follow, and the man admitted to being with their victim squarely in the middle of their time-of-death zone. The only thing left to do was bring in his suspect and interrogate him properly where he couldn't get away.
He stood, gathering his hat and coat before stepping out of his office.
Hugh stood behind the front desk, and looked up with a start.
"We're bringing him in, Collins."
"Mr Fisher, sir?"
Jack nodded, "Mr Fisher."
They walked together to the constabulary vehicle and climbed inside. Jack started the engine and within moments he was making the short journey from the station to number 221B The Esplanade, St Kilda. Hugh frowned from his passenger seat, having expected to go to Collins Street.
"Is Miss Fisher coming along, sir?" he asked.
"No."
The Inspector said nothing further, but stepped from the car and crossed the road, leaving Hugh to stumble quickly and follow him. They reached the front door together and Jack knocked.
"Ah, hello Inspector," Mr Butler greeted him happily, "Constable Collins. The ladies are just in the kitchen."
"Thank you Mr Butler, but it is not the ladies we are here to see," said Jack, his voice professional and hard.
Mr Butler heard the difference in it instinctively, and he tensed just momentarily. "How then can I help you Inspector Robinson?"
"I'm here for Mr Fisher. Or has he returned to his hotel?" Jack hoped he had.
"Right this way."
They were lead to the parlour, and Mr Butler disappeared, no doubt to tell his employer who had arrived, and for whom.
Orpheus Fisher walked into the room not five minutes later, Phryne half a step behind, and when the man sat, she stood next to him; a hand automatically coming to rest protectively on his shoulder.
Jack forced himself not to glower.
"Mr Fisher," he said, "I need to ask you to come down to the station with me to answer further questions concerning the murder of Mr Francis Hammond."
Orpheus stared at the policeman, face pale and lined with worry. He looked up at Phryne who was frowning, then back to Jack. "Are you arresting me?" he asked.
"Not yet, Mr Fisher," Jack replied. "Now please, stand up and allow Constable Collins to escort you to the car."
Wordlessly Orpheus stood and Hugh led him out of the house. The moment Jack heard the front door close Phryne rounded on him.
"Why on Earth are you taking him to the station, you can question him perfectly well here. I mean honestly Jack, this is hardly an adequate way to make up for your words last night."
Jack met her narrowed eyes with a stern look of his own, "I am here merely in a professional capacity, Phryne, I assure you. Please. Mr Fisher is my suspect and I intend to interrogate him."
He turned to leave, and Phryne stepped after him calling out after the detective.
"If you arrest that man Jack, I shall see to it he has the best solicitor Melbourne has to offer him!"
Jack ignored this and Phryne's front door closed heavily behind him.
The woman growled in frustration, throwing her hands in the air before turning around and moving to the telephone. She rang for her solicitor and friend, quickly explaining the situation, then made for her Hispano, muttering rude utterances under her breath as she went.
/ / /
She arrived at the station quickly and waltzed inside. Hugh caught sight of her and rushed around the desk to stop her from barging her way further into the station.
"Miss," he pleaded, "Inspector Robinson asked me to have you wait here."
"Well you can tell Inspector Robinson that I refuse," Phryne told him tartly. "Where is he? In his office?"
"No Miss, he's interrogating the, the suspect."
Phryne smiled suddenly and Hugh swallowed, resisting the temptation to step slowly back from her.
"Well then," she grinned, baring her teeth much like a greedy and hungry wolf. "Surely I can wait for the Inspector in his office, Hugh. Much better to have me tucked away safely, where I can't draw any attention to myself..."
She let the threat hang in the air and Hugh gulped.
"I..." he began. "All right, Miss. But don't touch anything."
"I wouldn't dream of it!" Phryne grinned, allowing Hugh to escort her to the office. She sat theatrically in the visitor chair, watching until Hugh gave her a nervous smile and polite nod and then retreated, the door swinging shut behind him.
His footsteps headed back to the front desk and Phryne immediately stood. Moving to the other side of the desk she looked down at the papers covering its surface. How thoughtful, she grinned to herself, reading through the statements and reports. When she was done she sat, frowning to herself.
It was no wonder, she thought, that Jack intended to arrest her brother.
The door opened then, and Jack stepped in. He saw her, sitting behind his desk, all his evidence still laid out, and he swore silently to himself for his carelessness.
"Miss Fisher," he began in a commanding voice, but before he could continue she looked up and interrupted him.
"Did you arrest him?"
Jack frowned slightly. "I did," He told her honestly. Orpheus Fisher had no explanation for the missing paperwork, no alibi, and was the last person to have seen the victim. He was planning to call Mr Atkins for a further statement about the affairs of their business deal, and the lawyers Mr Fisher had mentioned.
Phryne nodded stiffly and stood. "I want to see him."
Jack met her gaze, watching her as she stared back at him, almost daring him to refuse her.
"Who is he, Phryne?" he asked after a long moment, "Please."
She blinked. "He's my brother, Jack."
He stared at her, his brow creasing into a slight frown. She had never mentioned a brother before. No Orpheus –or 'Jack' for that matter- had ever featured in the anecdotes of her childhood, or been mentioned in relation to her family back in England. Not even during the investigation into her sister's disappearance had he heard of Phryne having a brother. Why had she not simply told him when he had first brought up the man?
"Collins!" Jack called suddenly, turning away to call out of his office door, "take Miss Fisher down to see Mr Fisher."
Phryne walked around Jack's desk and passed him without another word. She followed Hugh to the holding cells, and with a quiet request he left her alone with her brother.
"Phryne!" the man exclaimed. "You said I would be safe with you. That he wouldn't-"
"Arrest you for breaking into my house," Phryne finished. "I can hardly stop the man for arresting you for a murder when all the evidence has its nose pointed directly to you."
"I didn't kill Francis. I had no reason to kill him Phryne, he was a good man!"
"Why don't you tell me everything, from the beginning?" Phryne prompted.
Heaving a large sigh, Orpheus sank onto the small bench and nodded. He began to speak, telling her how William Atkins had found fault with all of the contracts Orpheus had written up, how William Atkins had accused him of trying to skint them, how William Atkins had brought in a lawyer, how it was only when Orpheus met with Francis on Sunday that he understood Atkins was worried Hammond would follow Orpheus to Sydney to join business with him there.
But Francis had no intention of leaving Melbourne, his family were settled, and with this deal his business would have the stability to continue to provide for his wife and children.
"What about all the paperwork, the contracts? They're missing."
"And I have no idea where they are, Phryne. Or who would have taken them. Francis had most of them filed away in his briefcase, and we moved from his house to his office for the rest. He wanted me to read them without Atkins glaring down at me."
"What happened afterward, when did you leave?"
"Nothing happened. I read the papers, we shook hands, I bade him good day and then I left. It was after three. Quarter past the hour, half past the hour; I don't know exactly."
Phryne nodded. That left just under three hours of opportunity for the murder to have occurred, according to the coroner's report on Jack's desk.
"Where did you go from there?"
"I had... errands," Orpheus muttered vaguely. "I was caught up until half six, then I went back to my hotel, had supper and took myself to bed."
"Errands?" Phryne asked, "Doing what?"
"I'd rather not say." He hesitated, "Please Phryne, it's... delicate. But I swear to you, Francis was alive when I left him."
"But did anyone see you? Can anyone say for certain you were not still in that office?"
"I- yes. Yes I met with someone."
"Then you need to tell me. Or tell Jack. He will find them, and you will be released."
Orpheus laughed then, suddenly and falsely and when he looked to Phryne it was with an air of some pity, "As if he's going to believe a word I have to say. It's like you said, Phryne. All the evidence says it's me, why would a cop bother to go to the trouble of setting me free when I make such a neatly tied end to his case?"
"Jack is a good man."
"I'm sure he is. But a copper is a copper, and you can't trust them to do anything but find a quick fix to their problems. I heard your argument last night. He tried to ask me about our relationship today, but I told him it was none of his business what you and I got up to. Then he arrested me. Why would he throw away his chance to get rid of me now?"
Phryne gaped at him.
"Oh you imbecile," she exclaimed angrily, letting her exasperation boil over. "Can't you see you've been set up? And you're just letting it happen to you. I thought you were scared to be wrongly accused; I thought you wanted to protect your family? Tell Jack your alibi, or else stay here, go to trial and hang."
And with that she turned on her heel and walked away.
Up the stairs she made a quick path to the front door, hoping to return home and luxuriate in a deep bath and a cocktail or two.
"Miss!" Phryne looked over her shoulder, her hand already grasping the door open.
Hugh looked at her from across the room. "Inspector Robinson wanted to see you again before you left, Miss."
She nodded sharply and let go of the door, allowing it to swing shut with a short slam. Jack sat in his office, and he didn't look up as she entered, taking the seat opposite his.
"I will be working late," he told her, scribbling onto a piece of paper. "I thought I'd let you know I won't be able to drop by tonight."
"Of course," Phryne nodded, and she waited for him to continue.
But Jack didn't say anything further; he didn't offer her any acknowledgment at all.
Still fuming from it all; the fight, her ridiculous brother, Jack's distance even now he knew everything... Phryne stood with a glare and said simply
"Orpheus has an alibi. He won't tell me what he was doing, but he was with someone. I suggest you talk to him about it."
At these words Jack finally tore his eyes from his desk to look at her. But he simply offered her a short nod and said, "Thank you, Miss Fisher. You may go."