McCreadie waves off my concern. “He stitched himself up later. Again, not the point, which is that his blood cast a pattern on the wall. He began sketching it and comparing it with the wound and the angle of the blow. When a young lady evidenced great interest in what he was doing, he quite happily explained it to her, never once realizing that she was not interested at all in the blood pattern and was rather more interested in his—” He coughs. “In his ability to pay for her services.”
“Ah, she was a sex worker.”
“Awhat?”
“Lady of negotiable affections?”
He gives a short laugh. “I suppose so. Though I have the feeling she would have negotiated a very low price for those affections. They always do for Duncan. Yet the point is that he was oblivious. He is always oblivious to attention from the fair sex.”
“Because he prefers men?”
McCreadie’s eyes round, and he sputters incomprehensibly before saying, “No, he likes women. But the women he likes are not pretty shopgirls or fetching pie sellers or winsome housemaids, and they are certainly not ‘ladies of negotiable affections,’ as you put it. He will never notice your interest because he will not share it, and if you force him to notice it, he will find you alternate employment within the week. You have chosen your target poorly, Catriona.”
“Perhaps you mistake my interest, sir.”
He snorts. “So you’re actually interested in the science of dead bodies?”
“As you say, I come from a good family. While I have thus far concealedit, I do possess an education. And a brain, though you obviously do not think it.”
“Oh, I never doubted that, Catriona.”
“Yes, I see an opening here. Anemploymentopening. Dr. Gray is in need of an assistant, and as I am not squeamish, I see no reason why I should not angle for the position. Yes, that might require exaggerating my interest in the subject. Itis,however, vastly more interesting than scrubbing water closet pots.”
He eyes me, and I can tell I have made a valid argument. I only hope Catriona thinks so when she returns.
“All right,” McCreadie says slowly. “I will not interfere with your pursuit of the position. If your pursuit turnselsewhere,though…”
“It will not,” I say with a conviction that seems to settle his mind.
He leads me back around the corner to where Gray is scouring the area. Spotting us, Gray strides over, pies in hand.
“What the devil were you doing back there?” he asks.
He seems genuinely perplexed, failing to presume the natural reason a man might take a pretty maid around a shadowy corner. McCreadie is right, then. Gray does not see Catriona in that light. Which is a relief.
Gray hands me a pie and then explains my torture theory about the fingernails and the missing tooth. As promised, he doesn’t credit me, but neither does he take credit himself, crafting his words in a way that allows McCreadie to presume it was Gray’s idea but with an opening to correct that later. I can’t imagine Catriona will care who takes credit, but Gray is going out of his way to be fair-minded, and I appreciate that.
When McCreadie is called back into the station, Gray turns to me. “Now you may begin your truncated half day off, Catriona, which I will repay doubly.”
“Thank you, sir. Before I go, might I ask you an odd question?”
One brow rises with interest. “Of course.”
“Where was I found after my attack?”
“Where were you found…?”
“I wish to go there and see whether it jostles my memory. I have no recollection of the evening, and I would like to know what happened to me.” I glance toward the police precinct. “I presume there is an active investigation?”
He hesitates, and as he does, dark color creeps into his cheeks. Heglances toward the station and then plucks at his necktie, as if it’s suddenly too tight. “Er, yes. I mean, no, there is not an investigation. Had you perished in the attack, there certainly would have been, but you did not and…”
“I am only a housemaid.”
I expect him to deny it, but he says, “Partly that and partly because, in the area of town where you were found, such attacks happen thrice a night. Perhaps not as serious as yours, but assaults are common enough that the police do not involve themselves unless it results in murder.”
“Which I’m sure is a great deterrent to the area’s thieves, ruffians, and rapists.”
He colors more. “Er, yes, as to that, you were not…” Another tug at his collar. “As the attending physician, I felt obligated to check for signs of tampering with…”