The oldest of the three scratched his stubbly whiskers. He had gnarled hands with enormous knuckles that spoke of a lifetime of hard labor. “You’d have to ask someone who was on the main floor. Mr. Coombe would know.”

Mr. Coombe was insensible in a hospital bed at St. Bart’s and could very well never regain consciousness.

Daniel asked several more questions, but he felt he’d gotten all he could from the workers. As he turned away, George put his beefy hand on Daniel’s arm.

“What?”

“Earlier in the day, I nipped into the warehouse to … well, I like a drink about halfway through the shift. Sort of picks me up, you know?” He had the large nose and cracked blood vessels of the drink addict. “Not a lot, just a sip. And I was looking for an out-of-the-way place.”

“What did you see?”

“It in’t what I saw, but what I heard. There was a row going on in the guv’nor’s office. A real donnybrook.”

“Who was it? And what was the argument about?”

“I recognized Mr. Montgomery’s voice. His is even louder than mine. But I didn’t recognize the other fellow’s.”

“And the fight?”

“I was trying not to get caught, you see, so I was hurrying to find a corner out of sight, and I went past the office quick-like.”

“I understand.” Daniel wished the man would hurry the story. He was supposed to meet with the engineer and examine the crime scene again. The man would be here any moment.

“The other man, whoever he was, said, ‘We’ll decide this on the village green. I demand satisfaction.’”

“He was challenging Montgomery to a duel?”

“That’s what it sounded like to me. Only well-heeled gents mess about with duels. Working men would have settled it right there in the office, fist to fist.” He raised his own fist, the size and shape of a mace, and his companions nodded.

“And when was this?”

He shrugged. “Morning, but not early. The mill was in full voice, so you can’t hear the church bells to tell the time. It was before the noon meal.”

“I see.” Daniel jotted down George’s words. The man in question might have been Mr. Carlyle if the gossip at Agatha’s was to be believed. He would have to pay Carlyle a visit.

“Did you see the man leave?”

“No. Mr. Coombe came into the warehouse, and I ducked out and went around to the mill doors. Got back to work so no one would miss me.”

“And you saw nothing more suspicious?”

“No. ’Twas a normal day. Do you think whoever it was in the office didn’t wait for the duel and just killed Mr. Montgomery? Just shot him right there?”