Funny Meeting You Here
Chapter 11
Eliza woke up and found the birds singing outside her window. Considering the sparse quantity of trees located around the property it was a wonder they had any place to nest let alone chirp away thought Eliza miserably. It had been two days since William had walked out on her performance at Victoria's Haunt. As Eliza had thought he was through with her as he had not shown his face once to discuss anything. Nothing. He had not shown his face to discuss marriage, investigation, her life without him and how much she was glad that he was home and how much she needed him.
I'm not surprised I haven't seen hide nor hair of him. Almost married. I guess I will die an old maid who is also the only female private investigator in London. The first of her kind in London.
Eliza felt tears sting the back of her throat and behind her eyes. She rose from her bed and walked to her chest of drawers. She pulled open the tiny drawer of her dressing table and looked at her former engagement ring. The diamond in the midst of the golden rose petals shimmered in the scant white light peeking through the bedroom window. She would have to find a way to give it back to William or maybe she should just hand it over to Arabella.
She then thrust the drawer shut forcefully with determination. Talking to herself aloud she told herself: You still have your career and a case to resolve. I have spent two days moping. After all he probably spent the time with Arabella. She's still jealous of me. Though to be fair, she could not have been more accommodating and gracious at our dinner the other night.
Eliza returned to her bed and crawled under the covers not really wanting to proceed with her case. She had to ascertain that she still had her job at the Victoria's Haunt. If Bydinway noticed her absence then she would reveal what she knew and expose her client to a certain degree. If he had not noticed she was to blame for the ruckus the other night she would continue on as Scarlet Rose.
Ivy came into Eliza's room with a small breakfast tray for her.
"Ivy, thank you, but I'm not really hungry," Eliza said taking the tray from her.
"Nonsense! You haven't eaten a thing since the other night with the inspector…"
She stopped when she saw the tears fall from Eliza's big blue eyes. Ivy watched as Eliza put the tray down on the bed and then returned to sobbing silently.
"What did I do?" She sighed rhetorically with tears streaming down her face.
Ivy went straight to Eliza and took a seat beside her and just held her tight.
If Eliza was not having a good time neither was William. He sat at his desk with an ever- present tumbler of whiskey at his elbow trying to stay focused on the stacked files of cases that had just come to his attention in the last couple of days since resuming his position.
He was sad. He knew he should go to Eliza and have it out with her but he does not seem to have the heart, desire or strength to fight that fight. He knows he could never stop loving Eliza no matter how she embarrassed him or hurt him. He had fallen irrevocably a long time ago. First when they were in their teens and then rekindled when she was more often in his presence as she assumed her father's position.
That was the issue. He knew she had been working a case but in lying by omission to his face about how deeply undercover she was really bothered him. He continued to have arguments with himself when the Superintendent walked into his office without knocking.
"So, laddie, you'll be returning to NY in a few weeks.
"Yes, sir. I did tell you that upon my return. I have accepted a position with the NYPD as Chief Detective."
"Let's not mince words, detective. I don't want to lose you and I realize you want to get married…"
"That may no longer be the case right now," interrupted William.
"Whatever your marital status I want to offer you a Chief Inspector position in Scotland again. It seems the gentlemen who took the position has died in the line of duty. Plus, the Commissioner wants you."
"It seems surprising since he practically canned me for not accepting and telling him what a bad father he is."
"That's neither here nor there, laddie. You know what a pain in the ass he is to me. I am working hard to kiss his ass because I still have two young people at home not quite fledged. I thought you would like a more stable position if you thought were settling down."
William paused before he replied. Then said, "Can I have a day or so to think about it?"
"Yes, you can have a few days but you can't take forever. They need someone as soon as possible."
"Thank you, sir. I'll let you know soon."
The Super closed the door behind him as he left William's office.
William finished his tumbler with a swig and continued to sit there and brood. He now had this new offer and how it would affect he and Eliza should he accept.
Eliza had decided after crying on Ivy's shoulder for a time that she really needed to know if she still had the second job so she could finish the first. Eliza passed by the area where she had met Fitzroy the first day before William had returned. Oliver and she had spoken of him because they both missed him terribly. Looking ahead and walking slowly dressed in her casual outfit she met Fitzroy once again.
"Miss Scarlet," Oliver greeted her.
Eliza waved with a curious expression on her face, she asked, "Detective Fitzroy has there been another murder?"
"Well not here but other parts of town. No, I figured you might be coming this way. So, I wanted to ask you something."
"Has this to do with Inspector Wellington?"
"Yes, I just wanted you to know that I heard things regarding the inspector, and I think you should know."
"Heard? I am surprised that everyone hasn't blackened my character worse than it already is," Eliza said feeling sorry for herself. She really yearned to know how William was spending his time since their breakup.
"What is it?" Eliza asked attempting to act nonchalant with Fitzroy's concern. She was close to running home and crawling into her bed again never to rise.
"Eliza, I heard that the other night, when all the hullabaloo happened, he had been seen coming out of Arabella's house after midnight."
"I told you I knew where he was going. It seems he'd rather a sure thing in the marriage department."
"The other thing Detective Fitzroy?" Eliza asked impatiently.
"The other is that the Super offered the inspector the Chief Inspector job in Scotland again. He says my father wished him to take it because the original man died in the line of duty leaving a vacancy."
Eliza frowned. "I guess that's it. I suppose he's going to Scotland for real now."
"I don't know anything about it."
"If you haven't gathered it looks like the Inspector and I will be going our separate ways," Eliza said solemnly as she bowed her head and looked at her empty finger. She tried not to break into tears. She would never marry now. She could not see making a life with any other man but William. He was always the one. He understood her and knew her and accepted the fact that she wanted a career for herself besides being a wife and, perhaps, in time - a mother.
"I'm sure the Inspector had a good explanation for coming out of Arabella's?" Oliver offered.
Eliza raised her head, took a deep breath and said, "Thank you, detective, for your information. I really should go now. I still have an obligation to my client."
She put a hand on Oliver's and then hastily walked away.
William had knocked on the door of the third case this morning alone. This case involved a death of a wife. William felt a kindred spirit with the husband, if the husband loved his wife, as much as William loved Eliza. The husband was the one who had reported the death.
Eliza ventured into Victoria's Haunt and found not much happening which was unusual it being Friday. There were no deliveries being made which was unusual since there seemed to be deliveries of food and liquor each morning replenishing the stock drank and eaten the previous evening. No performers running to and fro retrieving their pays and then quickly leaving to who knows where.
Eliza spotted Ruby in street clothes standing outside looking up at the dilapidated sign above.
"Oh Scarlet! Did you 'ear?"
Eliza shook her head silently.
"Bydinway's wife 'as been murdered! In cold blood!Right in front of their 'ome on Summit Street! What do you think 'bout it?"
Eliza was shocked. Surely that must have been the murder that Fitzroy had been assigned to investigate. Clarissa! Her client!
"Ruby, I know this is going to sound silly but did anything happen the other night after I left abruptly?"
"No, but that's not surprising. 'e was pissed that the bachelor party broke up afta all you were just doin' your act. I was watchin' backstage and I think Inspector must have lost his mind calling you Eliza thinking you were someone else."
"Ruby, you said the boss lives on Summit Street? Would his wife's name happen to be Clarissa?"
"I bla' 'tis."
"Thank you, Ruby." Eliza said and sped off in the opposite direction.
Ruby realized that Scarlet Rose no longer talked the same way she did previously.
William could not believe who answered the door. Either the Gods were wreaking havoc with his life or it was simply a coincidence. The owner of Victoria's Haunt opened the door looking a bit differently than he had the other night.
"I'm Inspector Detective Wellington and this is Detective Fitzroy, Mr. Bydinway we have come here to ask you a few questions regarding the death of your wife."
"I just come home early this morning to find her lying here in the foyer. My beautiful Clarissa shot down in her own house." Mr. Bydinway started sobbing.
William said, "I am sorry for your loss, but is there somewhere we can talk? I need to ask you some questions."
To Fitzroy William said over his shoulder, "The coroner should be here soon. Stay here and meet them while the take the pictures and prepare the body for transport. Stay with the body."
"Yes, sir."
William followed the sobbing husband into a backroom. William making observations along the way. In this instance, he wished for Eliza's keen eye who would notice something odd or out of place based on her knowledge of the person or situation. At the thought of his love, William noted he needed to speak with her urgently. He really wished he could drop this case and forget about it.
As William was interrogating Bydinway, Fitzroy waited for the coroner and was surprised to see Eliza running up to him out of breath.
"Detective Fitzroy," she breathlessly acknowledged.
She looked down at her feet at the female body lying there. "Who is that?" She asked.
"Apparently, Mr. Bydinway's wife," Detective Fitzroy acknowledged. "I'm waiting for the coroner."
"That's not Clarissa Stout Bydinway, Detective. That's her sister Octavia Stout whom I was employed by Clarissa to find. Something is extremely strange here. Is Inspector Wellington here?"
Oliver who was not surprised that Eliza had appeared stated that William was questioning Mr. Bydinway in the back living room. Eliza excused herself swiftly, telling Oliver not to move or to let the coroner take the body away until she had returned with both men.
Eliza went back to where Oliver pointed observing pictures on the wall and stopping to look at a wedding photograph and observed that Mr. Bydinway's wife was not the same woman lying dead in the foyer of the house.
At her entrance into the doorway of the living room, both William and Bydinway exclaimed at her appearance.
"Eliza!" William exclaimed in an unsurprised disgusted tone.
"Scarlet Rose!" Bydinway said jumping to his feet.
"Who is Eliza?" Bydinway asked looking at both of them.
William sat down and gestured for Eliza to introduce herself.
"Mr. Bydinway," she addressed him in her more cultured accent.
"I'm not really a lounge singer named Scarlet Rose. My real name is Eliza Scarlet and I am a private investigator. I am here to reveal why I am involved here."
"Wha?" came the astonished reply from Mr. Bydinway. "Oh, I sees it. You (pointing to William) and you (pointing to Eliza) are investigating me for what reason? I done nothin' wrong!"
"Let's just say I believe you have done a great deal wrong beginning with this." Eliza placed the heavy 100% silver Prince Albert coin on the table.
"This apparently from what I overheard you and your brother-in-law speaking of is a very valuable coin worth over £3000 when I had it assayed at the London office a few days ago. I have the certificate of authenticity in my bag. Need I pull it out?"
Billy Bydinway said, "That rightly belonged to my wife and her sister and brother were taking it from her. Clarissa wanted us to have it because her parents had left it for us. "Ow'd you get it?"
"Before we get to that there is something else you need to confess to," Eliza said turning to William.
"Inspector Wellington I think you should know that the woman who is lying dead in the foyer is not Mr. Bydinway's wife."
William who had remained sitting listening to Eliza with fascination suddenly rose.
"Well, who is it?"
Eliza placed the wedding photograph of Billy and Clarissa Bydinway on the table.
"It's not the woman in this photograph. The woman lying dead out there is Octavia Stout Larson, Billy Bydinway's sister-in-law, Clarissa's sister."
"How do you know this?" William asked with fascination.
"Because Clarissa was the one who paid me to find her sister. Now I do not know what has happened to because the last time I saw her she was berating her sister who was tied to a cot in the tunnel alcove located behind my dressing room at the club."
"Did you murder your sister-in-law, sir?" William asked point blank knowing Bydinway would lie or confess what he knew regarding her death.
"No, I couldn't hurt anyone like that. I was on my way home this morning from the club like I said. Ruby can vouch for me. She knew I was there."
"That may be true, William, because I met Ruby at the lounge when I went to see if Bydinway knew my real identity. She's the one who told me about his wife," Eliza said pointing to Billy.
"Is there anything else you liked to tell us about Octavia and this valuable heirloom?" Eliza inquired.
Billy Bydinway sat down defeated. Now he knew that he would probably go to jail for the part he did play, but he was not going alone.
"Octavia and Clarissa had two brothers: Sam and Harry Stout. Harry is their older brother and he and the other three have different mothers."
"Sam Stout is the one who died recently and found in the alley near the lounge, correct?"
"Yes, how did you know?"
Turning toward William she said, "I encountered Detective Fitzroy when I was walking to the Haunt applying for the singer job. Sam had no identification on his person but lying next to him was a name bracelet. The name bracelet was engraved with the name "Octavia".
"Yes, it was Harry Stout, the eldest that said his own body would do 'im in. Just needed a little fuss and he would die instantly."
"I agree. It had been very hard to find anyway for the coroner to actually find how he died until I read the mortuary report."
William was fascinated. He was always amazed at how Eliza could take one small clue and with determination, research, and sometimes a lot of manipulation was able to solve the most complicated cases. He sat there now rapt with attention.
"Just to be clear, Eliza. This mortuary report. Was this maybe one that you had given to Detective Fitzroy and he had to return it to Mr. Potts?"
"Yes." Eliza said smiling smugly at William.
William wanted to smile back at her but remained his grumpy self and said, "We shall discuss that later. Go on." William changed position in his chair.
"The coroner called it "Death by Misadventure". However, he missed one little point about the metal on Octavia's gold bracelet. It had been dipped in a clear poison which when on skin contact could cause anaphylactic shock so severe that no antidote or medicine could reverse it in time for survival."
"Is that 'ow he did it? All I know was that 'Arry was having Sam killed."
"Where can find this Harry Stout, Mr. Bydinway?" William asked. "I need to arrest him for the murder of his brother and probably his sister, but we will know more about that when we get the coroner's report."
"Inspector Wellington…" Fitzroy called from the foyer.
"Coming, " William called.
Addressing Eliza he said, "Don't let him out of your site."
"Mmhmm." Eliza nodded her head and took a seat.
William left the room leaving Bydinway and Eliza alone.