3-Book Victorian Crime Collection: Death at Dawn, Death of a Dancer, A Corpse in Shining Armour. Caro Peacock

not in that way. He couldn’t have made any difference.’

      ‘It puzzles me, I admit. But he must have known something, otherwise why should they have tried to kidnap you?’

      ‘It was a woman they wanted to know about. Daniel, do please think. There must have been a woman somewhere, those last days in Paris.’

      He shook his head.

      ‘I can’t remember him speaking to a woman at all, except the maids at the hotel. And …’

      He hesitated.

      ‘There’s still something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?’ I said.

      ‘No. Nothing that matters.’

      ‘How do you know? Anything might matter.’

      ‘Very well. There was a wine shop on the corner of the street near our hotel. I happened to be walking past and I’m nearly sure he was sitting with a woman.’

      ‘You didn’t go in and join him?’

      ‘No. There was no reason. Besides …’

      ‘Besides what?’

      ‘The wine shop was used quite a lot by the local dames de la nuit. Now, don’t rush to conclusions. As you know, your father would talk to anybody and …’

      His voice trailed away.

      ‘It might explain something,’ I said. ‘Supposing there’d been an English girl there, fallen on hard times. He might have promised to bring her home to her family.’

      ‘Yes, he might.’ Daniel sounded embarrassed and unhappy.

      ‘But there’s a lot it wouldn’t explain, isn’t there? Why should Kilkeel be so interested in some poor Englishwoman? Why should anybody kill my father over her?’