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The ht One should at least sound professional, if one was to be taken professionally
He made up a word on the spot and spoke it with forceful assurance: "I mean to say, sir, that I am a detective"
"as I said beforea whati" The ray-haired woe as hih another doorway "Lizbeth!" he said "Look at this and tell me who you think it is"
She put aside the wine-pitcher she&039;d come to refill and examined the portrait Matthe her also respond with a frown, and his heart ju She looked at hi brown eyes, and then at the ht This young man says he&039;s coal person Says his client is trying to identify the woman in the picture"
"E to Matthew "May I ask who your client is, and froi"
"I fear I have to plead confidentiality," Matthew replied, trying to keep his voice as light as possible "You know It&039;s a legal condition"
"Be that as it may, where is Mrs Swanscotti"
"One moment are you absolutely certain you can identify this wo E you Mrs Swanscott didn&039;t get out very much, but I met her in the Christ Church cerave, and Mrs Swanscott was putting flowers on the graves of her sons"
"Flowersi" He&039;d really raves but the word had stuck in his throat
"That&039;s right She was very kind She was telling me what sort of flowers attract butterflies It seems her eldest boy, the one who drowned, liked to catch them"
"ah," Matthew said, half-dazed "Her eldest boy"
"a terrible accident," the man spoke up "Eleven years old when he died, as I understand"
"How many sons did she havei"
"Just the two," Lizbeth said "The younger one died of fever when he wasoh"
"Not even six," the ht he was probably Lizbeth&039;s husband, and that they together owned the Seven Stars
"Toain the brown eyes searched Matthew&039;s face "Up in her house Then she just disappeared overnight Do you knohere she isi"
"I do," Matthew said, with both relief and caution
"Then why should you need the portrait identifiedi" Tom asked "If you knohere she is, Iup to the bar Which suited Matthew just fine, for the tavern-keeper had to go tend to his trade and that question could be avoided
But then again, maybe not "Where is Mrs Swanscotti" Lizbeth asked
"She is indeed ill," said Matthew "Unfortunately, her ability to communicate has been ih"
"You mean the deaths of her sonsi"
"Oh no," the woh, I&039;edy," Matthew repeated "and this had to do withi"
Tom had returned and had overheard this last part "Bad luck or cri was ever settled, one way or the other I mean, Mr Swanscott was held liable, and the courts took al He had business insurance, of course, but his reputation was destroyed It was a shaood and decent people He was always very pleasant to h I never met his wife But with five people dead and a score sick nearly to death, someone had to be held accountable"
"Five people deadi Howi"
"The bad wine," Tom said "It was contaminated No one kno, or hat It happened at the White Stag, over on arch Street Just past Fourth Of course it isn&039;t there now No tavern would ever rent that space again When did it happeni" He had directed this question to Lizbeth
"1697," his wife answered "High suave him pause Matthew reht a brokerage firm here in Philadelphia in 1698, except he&039;d made the purchase froer ancient history, as far as business goes
Matthew had to ask a question, though he already knew the answer "What was your relationship to Mr Swanscotti"
"He was the goods broker," caave him a shudder for his realization of the depth and darkness of the pool into which he peered "For all the taverns here The wine, theRobert Deverick had said in McCaggers&039; cold room now came back very sharply to Matthew: My father used to have a credo He said business is war and he fervently believed it
Plus the state his father&039;s credo at the Deverick house: a businessman should be a warrior, he said, and if soe you then
"Destruction has to be the only response," Matthew said, thinking aloud
"Pardoni" To Sorry" Matthew blinked and returned his attention to the ht I co the Swanscotts and the tragedyi"
"I&039; a pitcher from one of several small wine casks behind the bar "I&039;ll tell you ould be, though Gordon Shulton still has a farht," Lizbeth added "We bought some beans and corn from him last week"
"Twothe pitcher on the bar for the serving-girl to take to a table "Gordon can tell you the whole story He was the Swanscotts&039; longtime coachman and stable keeper Came with them froain "He&039;ll be glad to know she&039;s at least alive He was so broken-hearted when Mr Swanscott died"
"and how exactly did that happeni"
"No one knows for sure Whether it was an accident, or" She trailed off
"Or suicide," Toht Mr Swanscott was obviously burdened with his troubles and the fact that he was being sued out of existence and ence No one knohether he stepped in front of the carriage horses by accident, or on purpose There was speculation that he had insurance on his life with a London company Mrs Swanscott had already been ill, I heard, when it happened She was reclusive to begin with, but after thatno one saw her anyedy and a shaave the portrait of the Queen of Bedlam back to Matthew
"Thank you," Matthew said "For your time and your answers" This should be a joyful ht He had the naht Why then did he feel so sulliedi "Two ht the expression of anguish that had surfaced in Matthew&039;s eyes "What&039;s the o to Mr Shulton&039;s You won&039;t understand this, but I fear that after Mr Shulton has given er be able to tell the difference between aback into his valise and offered the puzzled couple a sad smile "Good day"