Thoughts of ignoring the summons flickered through his mind even as he discarded them. He would have to go, for it must have something to do with the patronage, or perhaps with his mother’s future.

“Swann.” Thomas Fyfe stopped by his desk. “Sir Michael is simmering away at the mess you’ve made of the interrogation room by his office. Papers and books and the whole thing smelling of charcoal. He wants it cleaned up before day’s end, and he wants a report from you on the progress of your investigation into the Montgomery murder. Also, Ed said to tell you he’s relieving Wilkinson at St. Bart’s for a few hours, but you’re going to have to work out some sort of timetable, because they can’t keep a guard on indefinitely. Does any of that make sense? I should have written it down. And I’m not a messenger service, so sort out your own communications, right?” He poked the air with the stem of his pipe, but he also winked to show he was in jest.

“Thank you. That makes excellent sense, and I appreciate your acting as the go-between.”

Returning to his desk, Daniel rubbed his palm on the back of his neck. A report to Sir Michael. Daniel had nothing to report, except that he’d ruled out every suspect thus far.

Mrs. Fairchild, who had been after Montgomery’s money but had been pawning her jewels at the time of the murder.

Mr. Carlyle, who had challenged Montgomery to a duel because he suspected his wife of betraying her marriage vows, had indeed shown up at the agreed-upon dueling ground the following day only to be denied satisfaction because the object of his wrath had already been murdered.

Mr. Finch, who had threatened to blow up the mill but in fact had not because he was plotting another bit of industrial sabotage at the time.

Even Montgomery’s soon-to-be son-in-law, Alonzo Darby, who had mysteriously absconded to the West Indies, had nothing sinister in his life to indicate he had been involved in the killing.

Daniel could only imagine how a report filled with such negative results would be received by Sir Michael. Not only would he take control of the investigation away and give it to another detective, as he had wanted to do in the first place, but now, since Daniel’s patronage had come to an end, he would toss Daniel out of Bow Street on his soon-to-be-unemployed trousers’ seat.

But before all that could happen, Daniel must get to the solicitors’ office and wind up whatever this meeting was about.

Cadogan’s cab stood at the curb, and before he climbed aboard, Daniel reached up to shake the man’s hand. “I don’t think I thanked you for saving my life. If you hadn’t been there and willing to risk your safety, I’d have drowned.”