After a moment’s thought Anna cleared her throat. “But you would trust the matter to us, I hope. With Jack and Oscar, I think we can certainly get to the bottom of this.”
“And if it is Sam Reason who has been arrested, I’ll ask Conrad to represent him. Them.”
“The Reasons might have a lawyer of their own,” Anna said.
“But they shouldn’t have to bear the cost.”
Anna sat down and pointed to the other chair. After a moment Sophie took it. She drew in a deep breath and let it go in a sigh.
“He was terribly rude to me,” Sophie said. “But he was also painfully honest.”
“Sam Reason’s grandson?”
She nodded. “I realize that there is only so much that can be done—who knows what evidence Comstock has. Or thinks he has. But I want to be sure that Sam Reason gets the very best representation. And Anna, this is important.”
Anna waited while Sophie tried to collect her thoughts.
“He is very proud. It’s important to me that he not feel condescended to or patronized.”
“I understand,” Anna said, though she did not, completely.
“So this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to leave a bank draft for expenses. A large bank draft. Use all of it, and if you need more, send me a telegram and I’ll arrange it.”
She got up suddenly, looking at the watch pinned to her bodice. “I need to get home to Cap before the inquest.”
“I think you could reasonably stay away from the Tombs,” Anna said. “Tomorrow at this time you’ll be boarding the Cosimo and there are more urgent things to be done.”
“Absolutely not. I owe Janine Campbell that much. I will see the inquest through to the end.”
Anna got to her feet and hugged her cousin. “And so will I.”
? ? ?
JACK LISTENED TO the whole story attentively, his expression giving away nothing of his thoughts. The more Anna saw of him in his professional guise, the more she realized how very much like a doctor he had to conduct himself. He gave nothing away, just as she would give no indication of her findings if she were to examine his mother or one of his sisters.
They were standing on the steps of the Tombs. All around them reporters were trying to get Anna’s attention, but Jack’s posture, his protective stance, kept them from coming closer. The crowd was very large today, no doubt because Archer Campbell was actually here—Anna had caught sight of his red head going into the building—and would give testimony.
Whatever delay had been keeping the entryway blocked suddenly cleared, and Jack propelled her into the lobby. The uniformed officers nodded to him and touched their hats to Anna. She recognized one of the men from their visit to the Brooklyn Bridge, and was glad not to be able to stop, because she knew that questions would be asked, and what she would have to answer. So she let herself be guided down hallways and up the stairs to the courtroom.
Jack leaned over to speak to her without being overheard. “I’ll find out what I can about the printer now. It may take a while, but I’ll be back here as soon as possible.”
He brushed a kiss across her ear and, turning away, disappeared into the crowd in the hall.
The inquest was already being called to order when Anna took her seat next to Sophie. She got out her lap desk and writing paper and pencil, and while the coroner went on about the purpose of the inquest, she wrote Sophie a note: Cap?
Sophie took the pencil and wrote: Looking forward to sailing tomorrow.
Anna could imagine that very well. Cap would be desperate to get away not so much for his own health, but for Sophie’s well-being.
Sophie wrote: The printer? Sam Reason?
Anna thought for a moment and took back the paper to write: Jack has gone to find out.
Sophie gave her a relieved smile and then Archer Campbell was taking the witness seat. He looked drawn, with shadows in the hollows of his cheeks and under his eyes so dark they might have been bruises. His expression was grim and even angry.
“Mr. Campbell,” the coroner began. “My deepest condolences on the sad loss of your wife. You’ve had no success in locating your sons, I take it.”
“None,” Campbell said.
“I am sorry to hear it.”
“If that’s the case, you’ll call an end to this charade and let me get back to the search.”
Hawthorn looked almost startled. Anna thought he was going to challenge Campbell’s less-than-veiled insult, but saw him think better of it.
“We’ll get right to it then. Tell us please about your wife and how you came to marry.”
With obvious displeasure, Campbell told the story in as few words as possible: In Bangor on post office business, he had been introduced to a young lady who worked in the dead-letter office. Her family background was not ideal, but she was healthy, a good Christian, and a hard worker. After two weeks’ courtship, when he had to return to New York, he had decided to marry her.
“She married with her family’s blessing?”
A ghost of sour smile moved across Campbell’s face. “Five unmarried daughters, they were glad to be shut of her.”