Free Trifling Favors (Redcakes Book 7) by Heather Hiestand

doctor came to examine him, and waited until they took him to a morgue. He was murdered, Lord Judah, only a couple of hours ago.”
    “Why are you here and not the police?” Lord Judah asked. He leaned against his monumental desk, hip perched on one edge, swirling the brandy he’d poured for both of them when he’d welcomed Greggory into his private chamber.
    Greggory took a deep sip of his own brandy. The burn in his throat reminded him of his exhaustion, and he set his snifter down. It wouldn’t do to fall asleep. “I vaguely recalled that Lady Judah has an older brother, and I assume the police will go to him, or even to Earl Gerrick, as head of the Cross family.”
    Lord Judah stared into his brandy glass. “Right. You are likely right.”
    “Were you close?”
    “No,” he said, not looking up. “I knew the boy would come to a bad end, ever since I saw him during his brief imprisonment in Newgate. He had that death’s head grin.”
    Nonetheless, Greggory could hear the affection in the man’s voice. “When was that?”
    “Must be about three years ago. He’d turned jewel thief, you see. We think he procured for a highborn lady, who has a well-known love of jewels and plenty of money. He was up in Edinburgh when he was captured, but with the lady’s government connections, Manfred managed to see the charges dropped and himself released.”
    “I take it he didn’t become a sober-minded citizen after that.”
    Lord Judah glanced up, twisting his lips into a wry smile. “We couldn’t see him after that, not socially. My wife does love fashionable society. She’s at the theater right now, viewing the latest Oscar Wilde play with her cousin, Viscount Napsea, and others of the same ilk.”
    “She gave Manfred up, then?”
    “Not entirely. He came here sometimes, after dark. It’s been a couple of months, though. We won’t have much to tell the police. I have no idea who his associates were, where he lived.”
    “Not even that?”
    Lord Judah ran the knuckles of his thumb under his right eye. “Must have an eyelash . . .” he muttered.
    The tears he wouldn’t admit to shedding made the amber striations in his eyes glow. He swallowed hard. “Manfred was a charmer and a scoundrel, but he had his good parts. He tried to help my wife when their older brother was sunk deep into drink after his wife died. He even tried to take care of my sister when she ran away.”
    “I always wondered how she ended up in Edinburgh, but I never heard the story. I met her husband a couple of years ago, however, when he was down in Bristol.”
    “Yes, when Lady Fitzwalter’s son was kidnapped. What a mess. And now this shocking event. I suppose we’ll have to plan a funeral.” He cleared his throat. “Magdalene won’t be home for hours.”
    “At least it is fairly late. She shouldn’t be able to hear the news before she arrives home.”
    “That is a blessing.”
    Greggory couldn’t think of anything else to add on the subject of the murder. “There’s something I should tell you.”
    “What’s that?”
    “How well do you know your bakery manager, Ralph Popham, and his personal history?”
    Lord Judah picked up his glass again. “Good man. Widower, one daughter, who works for you presently.”
    Greggory captured his counterpart’s gaze. “Did you know his wife was an executed murderess?”
    Lord Judah’s eyes narrowed. “You must be joking.”
    “I’m afraid not. Miss Popham told me the entire story tonight. To make matters worse, your Simon Hellman seems to have some kind of obsession with her, and has blackmailed her for years.”
    “Blackmail?” Lord Judah slid from the desk to his feet.
    “Yes. He was lurking around the Kensington shop today, and Miss Popham is afraid he might have had something to do with the murder.”
    Lord Judah set his glass down. “Manfred never worked for Redcake’s. My wife has, of course. I don’t know when Manfred would have met Hellman, nor have I ever heard that