From The Ashes (The Ministry of Curiosities #6)(38)

"Don't look at me," Seth said, hands in the air. "I happily put women on a pedestal. All the better to—"

"Shut your hole," Gus said with a roll of his eyes. "No one was talkin' about you, anyway."

I cleared my throat. "Go on, Lincoln. What else did he say?"

"He made a very clear case for not being the killer," he said. We all sat forward. "He claimed that if he was going to kill a non-human, as he calls supernaturals, he would have started with his wife."

I pressed my hand to my chest. "I suppose."

"I don't necessarily agree with that logic," Lincoln went on. "He used to care for his wife. He has been intimate with her before he learned of her true form. The memory of that affection could stop him from hurting her. He has no such connection to the other supernaturals.

"I tend to agree," Seth said with a nod. "The heart plays odd tricks. While I don't doubt that her true form disgusts him, it takes quite a monster to kill a woman you've been intimate with. Not that I'm speaking from experience, mind. I adore all my previous lovers. Except for one or two," he added with a glance at the door.

"So we are none the wiser," I said on a sigh. "He's still a suspect."

"As is Marchbank."

"Ah, yes. What did you learn about him?"

"In his anxiety, Gillingham tried to throw suspicion onto others. He told me that Marchbank has very good reason to hate people with supernatural powers. One of them killed his father."





Chapter 9





"He wasn't killed by a supernatural," Seth said with smug certainty, as if he'd caught Gillingham out in a lie. "Marchbank's father tossed himself off a bridge one night, in front of witnesses. The river police fished the body out of the Thames the next day. The key here is the word witnesses, plural."

"According to Gillingham, Marchbank was hypnotized into killing himself," Lincoln said.

"Hypnotized!" Gus snorted. "Gillingham's a tosspot if he thinks we'll believe that. Mesmerizers are all quacks."

"I've never met a true hypnotist, but there is an account of mind control in the ministry records. It's vague and the mesmerist died before Marchbank so it couldn't have been him."

Seth rubbed his chin, no longer so cocky. "Are you telling us that Marchbank's father was talked into ending it all?"

"Hypnotized," Gus said with a roll of his eyes. "Not talked. It ain't the same."

"I thought you said they were all quacks."

"They are."

"Do you think Gillingham was lying?" I asked Lincoln.

"I couldn't tell."

"No, I don't suppose you could. You're not very good at that sort of thing."

He arched his brows ever so slightly.

I'd gone this far, I saw no reason not to continue. "Empathy is not your strong suit. I believe Gillingham pointed that out to you earlier."

His brows rose even further. Gus and Seth studied the fireplace with intensity.

"Do stop looking so surprised, Lincoln. It's true and you know it. So, the question now is, how will we determine if Gillingham is speaking the truth?"

"I'll ask Marchbank," Lincoln said. "I need to know more about the hypnotist, whether he was involved in the death of Old Marchbank or not. He must be recorded in our files."

"I don't understand," I said. "If Gillingham knew about the hypnotist, and Marchbank too, presumably, why is the fellow not in our records already?"

"The hypnotist ordered Old Marchbank to erase his ministry file. The current Lord Marchbank only knew about him because he found references in his father's diary, but no name or description. Gillingham doesn't know how Marchbank the younger knew the hypnotist killed his father, however."

"Diabolical," Seth murmured.

Gus threw up his hands. "They ain't real. You're too gubbillil, Seth."

Seth pulled a face. "And you're an idiot if you think that's a word."

"Let's not dismiss the possibility that hypnotists exist," I said. "Real ones. But are we to believe the hypnotist had Marchbank kill himself all because he didn't want his name listed in our records?"

"There must be more to it," Lincoln said with a nod. "For now, the key question is, why wasn't I informed?"

"It's also important to know if this is enough for Lord Marchbank to be angry with all supernaturals. Enough to kill."

Doyle entered and collected the dishes. None of us spoke, not because we didn't want Doyle to hear our conversation, but because we were still digesting Gillingham's news. If he was right, then we had an entirely new and dangerous type of supernatural on our hands. One capable of doing great harm. If a past committee member had succumbed to a hypnotist's powers, even after knowing what he was capable of, then the general public could be in even greater danger.

"So what now?" Seth asked. "Are we taking the day off to celebrate Charlie's birthday?"

I laughed. "I'm sure you can find something better to do than spend the day here with me. What about the other names from the Brooks's ledger? Did you write them down, Lincoln?"