“Well done,” Sir Jeremy said. “I don’t really know where we go from here. We’re still fishing around in the dark as to how she died, aren’t we? Was it the father of the child? Was it to do with her drug habit? Someone had a very good reason for killing her and dumping her body at Kensington Palace.”

“And there’s still Countess Irmtraut,” I said.

Sir Jeremy shook his head. “She might well be capable of violence but I don’t think she’s capable of lying. She was most outraged and insistent and I can usually tell when someone isn’t telling the truth.”

“There is one more move we can make,” I said. “There is a wall safe in Bobo’s apartment. I discovered it.”

Sir Jeremy looked at Darcy, inquiring whetherhe knew that I had been breaking and entering. Darcy’s face remained impassive.

“My grandfather is a former London policeman,” I went on. “I asked him if he could find someone who could open a safe. He thought he knew an ex-convict who was an expert with safes, but the man wouldn’t do it.”

Sir Jeremy put down his whiskey glass, shaking his head. “Lady Georgiana, you never fail to surprise me,” he said. “You calmly talk about dead bodies and now finding an ex-convict to crack a safe. Most young ladies in your position would have swooned at the mention of such things.”

“I suppose I take after my Rannoch ancestors,” I said. “They were known to be fearless and reckless. And I’ve had my share of being involved in unpleasant matters.”

“We can turn this knowledge over to DCI Pelham,” Sir Jeremy said. “I’m sure he must have access to safecrackers and I don’t think he seems to be getting anywhere either. He was most annoyed when we told him he had to release O’Mara because he had been working undercover.”

Darcy shifted uneasily on his chair. “If you want the safe opened without telling Pelham, I could give it a try,” he said. “I’ve opened a couple of safes in my dubious career and I suspect that a wall safe in a woman’s flat wouldn’t be too complicated. But how do we get in without going past the hall porter?”

“I have a key. I obtained it from her former cleaning lady,” I said. “I think it works for the servants’ entrance.”

Sir Jeremy rolled his eyes. “I have not heard a word of this conversation,” he said, “but if you find anything of significance in that safe, I’d like to know about it.”

“Of course,” we said in unison, looked at each other and smiled.

Chapter 28

LATE ON NOVEMBER 8

A spot of safecracking.