The clearing of a throat behind me had me spinning around and my face heating. Police Commissioner Munro stood there with Willie. He regarded me through narrowed eyes.
"Commissioner!" I said. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
Willie looked like she would argue with me about it being a pleasure but thankfully kept her mouth shut. She occupied a position by the mantel, as Matt often did when he was in the sitting room, and regarded the commissioner with cool indifference.
"I must discuss a matter with Mr. Glass," he said.
"You remember Mr. Glass's aunt, Miss Glass," I said.
"Of course." The commissioner bowed with great formality. He was a stickler for the proper order of things and for order in all things around him. His office was the neatest I'd ever seen, and his uniform never had a thread out of place or a dull button. Even his curled mustache was always trimmed and his white hair oiled into place.
That's why it had always seemed so odd that he would do something quite out of the ordinary for a policeman of high standing and have a child with his mistress. His son had died at the hands of an apprentice mapmaker out of jealousy, but I had not seen the commissioner show emotion over the loss. Indeed, it was hard for me to reconcile this man with the sweet natured mother of his son, Miss Gibbons. They just didn't seem suited. Perhaps they were no longer together and their relationship had ended years ago.
"Is Mr. Glass here?" The commissioner addressed Miss Glass.
"I told you," Willie said. "He's indisposed."
"When will he be available?"
"Soon," I said. "Is there something I can help you with? Is it regarding our investigation?"
"That's what you call it? An investigation?" He grunted. "I've had complaints about the two of you, Miss Steele. You must cease your questioning. It's simply not right to pester members of our community whose reputations are beyond reproach."
"Are you referring to the nuns?" I asked.
His mustache wiggled with the pursing of his lips. "Father Antonio says your harassment of the good sisters is interfering with their peace and prayer."
"Good lord," Miss Glass muttered. "If they have done something wrong, they ought to be held accountable."
"What have they done wrong?"
I tried to signal to Miss Glass to keep quiet, but she paid me no attention. "Cavorted with the priest, for one thing."
His bushy brows inched ever so slightly up his forehead. "Is that a crime?"
"No, but it is immoral. Honestly, they consider themselves higher than the rest of us, yet they're no better." She placed a hand to her chest. "Now, I don't mind what they get up to. But I can't abide them looking down their noses at those who try to be good and fail on occasion when they themselves are not perfect. Can't abide it at all."
"I see your point, Miss Glass."
I'm sure he did. He wasn't exactly a moral member of society, and no doubt he'd felt guilty for his indiscretions, particularly in church, even if it wasn't known that he'd had a child by his mistress.
"Won't you sit down, Commissioner?" I asked.
"I haven't the time. Please inform Mr. Glass that I was here and asked him not to bother Inspector Brockwell again with matters that do not involve the police. And tell him that I'm watching him. I'm not satisfied that he has the public's best interests at heart on this matter. Not satisfied at all. If I find out it has something to do with the madness for magic that's sweeping the city, he can expect to hear from me and perhaps endure another stint in the lockup."
"The lockup!" I cried.
Willie pushed off from the mantel. "What the blazes for?"
Miss Glass clutched the lace collar at her throat. "Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear."
I marched past the commissioner, hoping he would follow me out. Fortunately he did. "Please do not upset Miss Glass like that," I hissed. "She has a delicate constitution."
"My apologies." He did not look apologetic. He looked somewhat triumphant at ruffling our feathers. "But consider yourselves warned. No more upsetting the church, no more wasting my men's time, and no more magic nonsense. I won't have you and Mr. Glass inflaming the situation." He leaned closer. "Magic must be kept quiet. It's dangerous for the public to know about it. You ought to understand why, Miss Steele."
My anger suddenly faded. His visit was fueled by worry about magic becoming public knowledge—worry for Miss Gibbons and her father. It was too late for his son, but he could protect the rest of his mistress's family. Or he could try.
"I do understand," I said gently. "Thank you for stopping by."
I walked him down the stairs and watched him leave. The mail had arrived and Bristow handed me a letter to pass to Willie. The handwriting was distinctly feminine. I returned to the sitting room where Willie sat alone in a chair by the window.
"Where's Miss Glass?" I asked.
"Went to her room."
"This arrived for you."
She snatched the envelope and tore it open. She quickly scanned the contents and folded the letter up again. She slumped into the chair.
"Is it bad news?" I asked.
"No," she said with a sullen pout.
"It must be. You look upset."
"I ain't upset. I'm…disappointed." She waved the letter. "My friend won't see me no more."
I almost asked her if she meant to say her lover, not friend, but held my tongue. This was the most I'd learned from her, and I didn't want to frighten her back into her shell. "Tell me about her."
She gave me a sharp look but did not correct my usage of "her." So I was right. Willie had been seeing a woman, not a man. As to what their relationship entailed, I could only guess. I'd heard about women being in a romantic relationship but had never actually known any.
"She's a nurse at the hospital," she said. "That's how we met, when I was there looking for answers into Dr. Hale's death. We liked each other straight away. There was a connection between us and she was—is—special. But when I tried to…advance our friendship to something more, she wouldn't do it. She acted all shocked and said she couldn't." She held up the letter. "She can't take that step. That's what she says in here. She's too afraid to see me anymore. Seeing me makes her want to let her true nature free, and that scares her. She thinks it ain't right."
"It is a large step to take, Willie, particularly if she hasn't experienced a relationship with a woman before." I squeezed her shoulder. "So Duke really never had a chance with you, did he? Does he know?"
"Aye, he knows. Don't worry about Duke. We tried to be together years ago and it didn't work. He won't try again. We're better as friends."
"You were together? Even though you're not…interested in men?"
"I was interested then. Still am, for the right man."