Deep breath. Don’t respond in kind. Don’t give him reason to dismiss you.

“Sir, there’s been a murder. I was nearby when it happened, and I would like to take the case.”

He outlined the basic facts that he knew of what had happened to Mr. Montgomery, which, when laid end to end, made for a very short string.

“Shot, you say? How do you know he wasn’t wounded by some flying bit of metal or stone? This could be an unfortunate industrial accident.” Sir Michael steepled his fingers, bracing his elbows on the arms of his chair.

As if Daniel could not recognize a bullet hole.

He took a calming breath. “I arranged for the body to be sent to Rosebreen. When he’s completed his examination, I’ll confirm the cause of death. Until then, it might be best to let everyone assume the blast killed Mr. Montgomery.”

“Just so. No reason to have everyone jumping when there’s nothing to jump at. I don’t suppose you have suspects to attach to your hypothesis of murder?”

“There has been some unrest at the flour mill because of progressive improvements Mr. Montgomery was making. They had at least one threat. It’s possible that Luddite types were at work here, attempting to force Mr. Montgomery to leave things at the mill the way they have been for centuries. Perhaps Montgomery would not be persuaded. Perhaps they found a permanent way to stop him.”

“That’s a lot of supposition. Especially since you don’t know it was a murder just yet. Was anyone else wounded or killed?”

“Yes to both. And the mill will be inoperable for some time. If Montgomery was murdered, the explosion could have been set off to cover up the fact. The fireball and concussive blast knocked people over from a hundred yards away. Structural damage, fire, and broken glass and masonry for a city block. If the explosion was deliberate, the perpetrator must have assumed everything would be destroyed to such an extent that the death of Mr. Montgomery would be assumed to be due to the blast.”

Daniel fisted his hands behind his back. “I want to investigate both the murder and the explosion. The damage to property is considerable, and there are several deaths, not just Montgomery’s. The mill manager was found buried in the rubble. I don’t know if he will survive.”

“The mill is in Hammersmith, you say?”

“Yes.”

“That’s outside our jurisdiction.”

“You send detectives from Land’s End to John O’Groats when the need arises. Hammersmith’s magistrate and night watchmen are hardly equipped to investigate something of this nature.”

“If it is anarchists as you suspect, the Home Office should investigate.” Sir Michael picked up his quill and studied the hardened tip.