‘No, I don’t.’
‘I don’t believe you, Mrs Peel. All sorts of rumours are going to fly about now just because you’ve come asking questions about a man who’s not been seen for ten years.’
‘There’s no need for any rumours to fly around, Mr Connolly. I was just interested to find out if anybody knew what had happened to Alexander Miller. I’ve spoken to lots of people, not just your sister-in-law.’
‘Why are you bothering? He was a murderer.’
‘I knew nothing about him when I first started investigating. And although I can understand why you call him a murderer, the coroner found it was an accident.’
‘Forget what the coroner says, we all know it was murder. But most of all, we want to remember Arthur as he was. A brother and a husband. A father and a son. We don’t need someone like you knocking on doors and bringing up things from the past. You’ve got no idea how hard it’s been for Mary to get over this. All of this is none of your business. So keep your nose out of it.’
‘I beg your pardon?’ came Philip’s voice from behind Augusta. She startled.
‘Philip?’ He joined her at her side.
‘Did I hear you being rude to Mrs Peel just now?’ he asked Mr Connolly.
‘It’s alright, Philip,’ said Augusta. ‘Tom Connolly was Arthur’s brother. He’s got every right to be upset about his death in the accident with Alexander Miller.’
‘Yes, he has,’ said Philip. ‘But he doesn’t have the right to be rude to a lady.’
‘I wasn’t being rude,’ said Tom Connolly. ‘I was giving her some advice.’
‘And what advice is that?’
‘To keep her nose out of our business.’
‘Mrs Peel is a private investigator,’ said Philip. ‘She’s conducting an investigation at the moment, and she needs to speak to a lot of people.’
‘She upset my sister-in-law, Mary.’
‘I apologise for doing that,’ said Augusta. ‘I didn’t intend to upset your sister-in-law.’
‘I don’t think there’s any need to apologise, Augusta,’ said Philip. He addressed Mr Connolly. ‘I know Mrs Peel well. She would have been perfectly polite and considerate about Mrs Connolly’s feelings.’
Tom sneered. ‘Are you a copper, by any chance?’
‘Why do you ask that?’
‘I can always tell a copper when I see one.’
‘Which suggests to me you must have encountered quite a few in your time, Mr Connolly.’
‘You are, aren’t you? You’re not denying it.’
‘I’m a private detective, Mr Connolly. Until recently, I worked at Scotland Yard.’
‘I knew it! You’re both working for the police and you’re going to blame my family for this. It always happens.’
‘I don’t think anybody suspected your family was behind it,’ said Philip. ‘Until now. I think you may be protesting a little too much, Mr Connolly. Perhaps that’s because you know more than you’re letting on?’
‘I knew it!’ Mr Connolly jabbed his finger at him. ‘You’re all the same. You’ve not heard the last of this.’
He turned and strolled away.
‘I think he’s been watching the shop for a while,’ said Augusta. ‘I saw him loitering outside the other day.’
‘Where does he live?’
‘Finchley.’
‘Quite a distance to travel just to watch your shop, Augusta. I’ll have a word with an inspector from S Division up there and see if someone will have a word with him. By the sound of it, they could already be familiar with the Connolly family.’
‘Thank you for stepping in, Philip.’
‘It seems you’re being pestered by some odd characters, Augusta. First Robert Stanton, then Tom Connolly. And we can’t forget Walter Ferguson, either. I’m going to visit the London Weekly Chronicle offices later and try again to have a word with the editor, Mr Baker.’
‘Thank you, Philip. I suppose these people feel threatened. That’s why they try to intimidate me.’
‘And if they had nothing to hide, they wouldn’t bother.’
They made their way back to Augusta’s shop.
‘I received a telephone call this morning from Mr Ramsden,’ said Philip. ‘His wife told him about the incident in Lyons Corner House.’
‘I hope he was grateful to you. You apprehended a thief.’
‘He thinks I was careless.’
