A Mortal Likeness

A Mortal Likeness is the 22nd published work by Laura Joh Rowland and the second entry in the Sarah Bain series. It was originally published on January 9, 2018 by Crooked Lane Books. The previous novel in the series was The Ripper's Shadow and the next is The Hangman's Secret.
== Synopsis ==
"A photographer in 1889 London, Miss Sarah Bain runs a private detective agency with her friends, Lord Hugh Staunton and former street urchin Mick O'Reilly. Their sole credential is that they solved the Jack the Ripper case, a secret they can never tell because they did it outside the boundaries of the law. Their new big case arises when a wealthy banker, Sir Gerald Mariner, posts a handsome reward for finding his missing infant. All of London joins in the search. But Sarah has an advantage--a photograph she took during a routine surveillance job, which unexpectedly reveals a clue about the kidnapping.
After Sir Gerald hires Sarah, Hugh, and Mick to find his son, they move into his opulent mansion, where they discover a photograph of baby Robin. It eerily resembles postmortem photographs taken of deceased children posed to look as if they're alive. Was the kidnapping real, or a cover-up for a murder? Is the perpetrator a stranger, or someone inside the troubled Mariner family? The case hits close to home for Sarah as it intertwines with her search for her father, who disappeared after he became the prime suspect in a murder twenty-three years ago. She finds herself on the wrong side of the law, which threatens her budding romance with Police Constable Barrett. But Sarah must uncover the truth about Robin's kidnapping, and her own family, before her past catches up to her in A Mortal Likeness, the gripping follow-up to award-winning author Laura Joh Rowland's The Ripper's Shadow."Laura Joh Rowland, Laura Joh Rowland. Retrieved January 13th, 2018.
== Acknowledgments ==
"Many thanks to Matthew Martz, Sarah Poppe, Jenny Chen, and the whole team at Crooked Lane Books for their enthusiastic efforts on behalf of my work. Also, to Pam Ahearn, my agent, for always being there."
== Plot ==
=== Chapter 1 ===
Sarah Bain and Hugh Staunton keep their eyes on a man named Noel Vaughn as they ride a train. The man's wife believes him to be having an affair. Sarah and Hugh have been running their own private investigative business and Vaughn's wife hired them to obtain certifiable evidence as to her husband's infidelity. 
To keep himself busy during the long train ride to wherever Vaughn is going, Hugh is reading that day's newspaper, on the front of which the headline proclaims that Robin Mariner is still missing. The boy was kidnapped over a week ago, a group of policemen from different jurisdictions- called the Special Kidnapping Squad- was formed just to help search for him.
Vaughn finally gets off at a station that feels oddly familiar to Sarah. Soon after Sarah and Hugh depart the train, camera equipment in hand, a police officer sidelines them from their mark. The police were tipped off as to the presence of a man and nervous looking woman with a baby, so they have been tasked with asking any pairs of man and woman they come across as to their whereabouts the previous day. Hugh uses his innate charm and reading skills to soften the uptight officer into letting them go after telling the truth that he and Sarah are not behind the kidnapping.
Sarah and Hugh exit the station via a passageway to find themselves inside the Crystal Palace. Sarah spots Vaughn next a large fountain. An attractive young woman sidles up next to him, the look on Vaughn's face making it clear that he is definitely in love with her. 
Camera in hand, Sarah attempts to capture the couple, but is jostled at the last minute. The rest of her attempts to take photographs of Vaughn and his lover do not fair much better. It is not until the couple hide inside a dinosaur model to partake in intercourse does Hugh manage to get a decent photograph of them. Even then, he trips on a root on his way back to Sarah, dropping the camera in the process and alerting Vaughn and his lover as to their presence. Sarah and Hugh make a hasty exit from the Crystal Palace and its grounds as Vaughn angrily shouts after them.
=== Chapter 2 ===
Sarah and Hugh return to their house in the afternoon. Mick O'Reilly greats them at the door when he should be at St. Vincent's orphanage. However, the teenage Mick considered the orphanage more appropriate for babies. Instead, he wants to live with them, an idea that Hugh immediately agrees with while Sarah is less certain; as a one-on-one conversation with Fitzmorris confirms, their household finances are tight, what with various suppliers demanding they be paid. Not helping matters is that Hugh has not adjusted to living on a limited budget.
After dinner, Sarah and Mick develop the photographs she and Hugh took at the Crystal Palace. During the process, Sarah lays some ground rules with Mick, mentions that she has not seen Abraham or Rachel Lipsky recently, and informs him that Catherine Price has gotten engaged. Once the photographs are fully developed later that night, Sarah, Hugh, and Mick study each one. Just like Sarah thought, there was too much motion or the negative plate was overexposed to sunlight. The picture of the lovers fornicating in the dinosaur model is also blurry, but it is enough evidence of Vaughn's adultery.
After ushering Mick to bed, Sarah takes one more look at the pictures. The one of Vaughn and his paramour strolling outside the Crystal Palace shows a man making a viewfinder gesture with his hands. Sarah recognizes the gesture as one her father, Benjamin Bain, taught her when she was young. Once thought to have died decades ago, Sarah recently found out that Benjamin was never verified as dead and that the police have been looking for him. Logically, she knows the chance that her father and herself going to the same place on the same day is a huge coincidence, but part of her wants to believe that the man in the photo is indeed her missing father. Hugh gently coaxes Sarah into beginning her investigation into the truth behind Benjamin's disappearance.
While Hugh, Fitzmorris, and Mick are asleep, Sarah opens up Benjamin's police file for the first time. She is horrified to find documents related to the rape and murder of Ellen Casey, a teenage girl Sarah once knew. As she reads the documents, the information jives with Sarah's memory of the police interrogation at her own home, her father returning home beat up after being away for a night, and family friends distancing themselves from Sarah and her mother out of nowhere one day. Most distressing is learning that Benjamin he was the last one to have seen Ellen alive; he photographed Ellen the same day she disappeared. The file also mentions that the last time Benjamin himself was sighted was near the London docks in May 1866, leading the police to speculate that he left the country.
=== Chapter 3 ===
The next morning, an exhausted Sarah helps Fitzmorris make breakfast. She eats with Hugh and Mick, Mick preparing for school afterward. She tells Hugh about the police file's contents. Hugh offers to bring the pictures of Vaughn to Vaughn's wife and enroll Mick in school while Sarah goes back to the Crystal Palace. Sarah takes him up on the offer but when she arrives at the Crystal Palace, she receives a shock: Noel Vaughn and his mistress were both murdered sometime after Sarah and Hugh photographed the two of them. The Palace grounds are crawling with policemen from the Special Kidnapping Squad, who believe the victims might have something to do with Robin's kidnapping; a ransom note was sent to Robin's father, Sir Gerald Mariner, but the money that was left at the appointed place is gone.
One of the policemen is Inspector Reid, who was assigned the Squad's chief and restrains Sarah from leaving. Reid has not forgiven her and her friends for withholding information about the Ripper case, blaming them for his career downfall. The fact that Sarah has shown up in another high-profile investigation is too much of a coincidence for him to ignore. 
Just like the Ripper case, Sarah posses information regarding Vaughn and the mistress, but she cannot tell him what she knows. For one, Sarah and Hugh trailed Vaughn and his lady for weeks and did not find any evidence that they were hiding a child. For another, she cannot show him the photographs she took of the two, especially not the one with the man who might be her father. Lastly, she wants to keep the vengeful Reid away from her friends.
=== Chapter 4 ===
Knowing she cannot look for her father with all the police around, Sarah returns to her house. Waiting for her along the street is Police Constable Thomas Barrett. He was recently assigned to the Special Kidnapping Squad and has been courting Sarah since last autumn. When they enter Sarah's home, the couple realize they have the house to themselves. They quickly begin lovemaking, taking care not to do anything that could potentially get Sarah pregnant. Afterward, Barrett proposes to Sarah. While she is elated, she brings up several points against them getting married. She changes the subject to the recent murders and her run in with Reid, though she leaves out the photograph of her father and anything to do with her and Hugh's investigation. 
Barrett redirects the conversation back to the proposal; he does not need an answer right that minute, but he does need to get to work. After he leaves, Sarah opens up her father's police file again to look for any leads she might have missed. One of the documents has fresher writing on the back, listing a George Albert and his address.
=== Chapter 5 ===
Sarah is making dinner when Mick returns from school. As they eat, Sarah decides to keep the murders and everything related to her father to herself. Hugh does not return home until sometime during the early morning, forgoing breakfast due to a hangover. Sarah tells him about the murders and the ransom gone wrong. Hugh suggests they offer their detective services to Sir Gerald: if they find Robin, they will get the money they so desperately need.
Later that day, Sarah visits the address she found in the police file. The door is answered by Sally Albert, a young woman Sarah instinctively knows is her half-sister. Sally's mother, Mrs. Albert, is Benjamin's second wife. Mrs. Albert tells Sarah when she met her father and that he disappeared ten years ago. 
To make absolutely sure they are talking about the same man, Sarah shows them the photograph of her father next to the fountain. Sally and Mrs. Albert's reaction confirms that George Albert is actually Benjamin Bain. Upset by what they have discussed, Mrs. Albert ushers Sarah out the door, threatening to call the butler if she does not leave.
=== Chapter 6 ===
As Fitzmorris prepares dinner, Sarah tells Hugh about Mrs. Albert and Sally. Hugh points out that at least they know for sure now that the man in the photograph is indeed Sarah's father. As for Hugh's own father, Hugh managed to call in a favor.
The next day, Sarah and Hugh meet Hugh's father, Lord Staunton, at Mariner Bank. Lord Staunton joins them in Sir Gerald's office. As the introductions are being made, Sarah finds herself inexplicably attracted to Gerald, which confuses her. Sir Gerald dismisses Hugh's father, then gets down to business: he knows about Hugh's orientation and does not hold it against him. When Sarah shows him the photograph, Gerald recognizes Noel Vaughn and his lady as the murdered couple. He makes the logical assumption that the man might be the kidnapper, making Sarah glad that she and Hugh agreed not to tell Gerald that the man is Sarah's father. 
Gerald hands over the photograph, tells them he is hiring them to investigate the kidnapping, then has each of them sign a confidentiality agreement. Though Sarah and Hugh do not want to keep this job a secret from their loved ones, the financial stress that looms over them ultimately makes them sign. Once they have signed, Gerald tells them his theory that the kidnapping was done by someone within the house. The kidnapping is considered an outside job by the public thanks to a ladder found resting against Robin's bedroom window, but Gerald thinks that it was planted there as a misdirection. All the servants have been cleared of any wrongdoing, leaving only his family. As such, he will have them both move into his home so they can keep a close eye on his family's movements.
=== Chapter 7 ===
Back at their house, Sarah and Hugh discuss how to proceed. Neither of them want to keep Mick or Fitzmorris in the dark, but Hugh believes it to be bad form to break an agreement they have just signed. Unfortunately, Sarah is not given enough time to come up with a believable cover story for Barrett is already inside their home. 
The murders at the Crystal Palace have been assigned to Barrett. He has identified the man as Noel Vaughn and the woman as Ethel Norris. Sarah is stressed by the idea that Barrett might learn about her lies regarding Vaughn, and her fake story about visiting an ill friend makes him suspicious. Still, he does not call her out on it.
=== Chapter 8 ===
Sarah and Hugh travel to the Mariner household by carriage, passing by a crowd of reporters as they enter the gate. Sir Gerald's chief aid, John Pierce, greets them inside the opulent mansion. He shows them to their rooms before taking them to the crime scene per their request. Taking her camera with her, Sarah and Hugh follow Pierce outside. Sarah photographs the side of the house where Robin's room is before they inspect the ladder. They note that anyone could have had access to it. 
Setting the ladder under Robin's room window, both Hugh and Sarah climb up the ladder and into the room. Pierce has vanished from outside and so has Sarah's camera. Sarah and Hugh acknowledge the impossibility of an intruder climbing in the dead of night then having to climb back down with a baby in their arms. 
Pierce appears with Sarah's camera in tow. While Sarah photographs various item in Robin's room, Hugh interviews Pierce. They learn he was the one who placed the ransom money in the dinosaur park. The end of the interview has Pierce threatening them harm if they are simply here to swindle Sir Gerald.
After Pierce leaves them, Sarah and Hugh walk towards the outdoors to check for any overlooked clues. On their way down some stairs, a photograph catches her eye. It is the same one that the newspapers used as a base, but seeing the actual picture instead of a simplistic rendering lets Sarah pick up on some subtle details. She has photographed children before and can tell that the twenty month old Robin actually looks six months younger than he should. Combined with the way his mother is holding up his head and both of their expressions- his mother's strained and Robin's own blank-, Sarah theorizes that the picture is a postmortem photograph: Robin was dead when the picture was taken, and has been for at least six months. 
=== Chapter 9 ===
After getting dressed for dinner, Sarah and Hugh walk to the drawing room where Sir Gerald, his oldest son Tristan, his daughter Olivia, and his sister-in-law, Tabitha Jenkins, await. The conversation in the drawing room and later at dinner reveals several things about the family: Gerald and Tristan have a strained relationship thanks to Tristan's decision to become a priest, Olivia gets jealous of any woman who gets close to her father, and Tabitha is often overlooked. 
=== Chapter 10 ===
The next morning, Sarah and Hugh go down to the dining room. Since both Tristan and Olivia have already left for the day, Sarah and Hugh decide to talk to Lady Alexandra after breakfast. As they are eating, they hear Mick being dragged away by a couple guards. Sarah and Hugh rush out onto the dining room's veranda just as Sir Gerald appears on the balcony. After having the situation explained to him and learning that Mick is their assistant, Sir Gerald hires Mick on the spot so he can help with the investigation. 
Later on, Mick goes to the kitchen to ingratiate himself with the servants while Sarah and Hugh go to the mansion's private library. Inside the library are Lady Alexandra, Tabitha, and a few other people that Lady Alexandra knows. One of them, Raphael DeQuincey, is a spirit medium that Lady Alexandra has asked to perform a séance. Joining Raphael and Alexandra is Tabitha, a theater director named Sir Ogden Wilberforce, and an opera singer named Judith Langmuir. Sarah and Hugh join the circle, if only so they can possibly pick up on any information from the proceedings.
Once the séance is underway, Raphael converses with a ghostly guide in order to find where Robin is. According to the ghost, Robin is still alive and somewhere where there is water, most likely a river. The séance is interrupted when a scuffle breaks out between Raphael and some unknown assailant. When Sarah opens the nearest curtain, Mick is sitting on Raphael's back, a lookalike of Raphael sitting at the table. The lookalike bolts out of the library.
Though it is clear that the séance was faked, Raphael insists that he is a bona fide medium; the theatrics were included because it is what is expected of a séance. Despite having been revealed to be a swindler if not an out-and-out fraud, Lady Alexandra wants the police to search all the boats and rivers in England. 
=== Chapter 11 ===
Needing a place where they cannot be overheard, Sarah, Hugh, and Mick walk underneath a pergola. They exchange theories about whether or not if Robin really was killed and, if so, who killed him and why. Mick believes Lady Alexandra did it. He spends the rest of the day with the servants to gather evidence while Sarah and Hugh interview any possible witnesses in town. They only cover ground the police have already trodden, so they return to the Mariner estate that evening empty handed.
After dinner, Sarah and Hugh notice an excited Tabitha sneaking down the grand staircase. They quietly follow her to a grand ballroom where she meets with Raphael. The two are apparently lovers, though it seems like Raphael is not as fond of Tabitha as she is with him. Tabitha airs her grievances with her sister; Alexandra treats her like a slave and is keeping her from getting married and having her own children by forcing Tabitha to live within the estate. Raphael has said that he wants to marry Tabitha, but easily distracts her from that promise through foreplay. Their rendezvou that night is cut short though, since Tabitha needs to return to Alexandra; who knows what would happen if her sister went looking for Tabitha and found her in Raphael's arms.
As the two lovers split up, Hugh follows after Raphael while Sarah mulls over the possibility that Robin's kidnapping and the murders were a collaborative affair. Her thoughts continue along that direction as she walks to her room. At the top of the grand staircase, Sarah catches sight of a bundled up man outside of the estate. She manages to identify him as Tristan, which gets her flying down the staircase and out of the mansion so she can trail after him. He walks to Hampstead Heath, a place infamous for people who drown themselves in its pools. Sarah thinks he may do the same, but is relieved when all he does is kneel on the dock of one pool and pray. 
=== Chapter 12 ===
During breakfast the next morning, Sarah and Hugh exchange information about last night's happenings after they split. Raphael went straight to his room, and Sarah mentions Tristan's trip to the Heath. They catch Tristan and Olivia before they leave to go riding. Olivia invites them both. Hugh accepts and, though Sarah has had no experience riding horses or shooting game, she agrees to go as well. 
On their ride to the woods, Olivia and Sarah exchange barbs regarding Sarah's supposed closeness to Sir Gerald. Olivia also provides an alibi for herself and Tristan for the night that Robin was kidnapped. As for Tristan, Hugh is trying to elicit a motive from the priest; inheritance might be one seeing how Sir Gerald rewrote his will to make Robin the heir. 
Olivia interrupts that line of questioning by shooting a goose then inviting Sarah to race her into the woods. Sarah's horse chooses for her, bolting after Olivia. Within the woods, Olivia reappears suddenly, making Sarah's horse balk and Sarah herself fall off the saddle, her left foot getting twisted in the stirrup on the way down. The animosity between the two of them grows stronger, though Olivia does help Sarah back onto her horse.
They just start riding out of the woods when a gunshot echoes through the trees. They gallop to a grove of trees where they spot Tristan standing next to an injured Hugh, a gun laying on the ground next to him. They both claim it was accident, but Sarah believes it was on purpose.
=== Chapter 13 ===
Pierce meets the riding party when they return to the stable. He insists that Tabitha tends to Hugh and Sarah, taking them to a room furnished to be a pseudo-infirmary. After Tabitha dresses up Hugh's wound and is sent to bed, Sarah gets her ankle seen to. As Tabitha wraps up Sarah's foot, Sarah reveals that she knows about Tabitha's secret affair with Raphael. Sarah learns that Lady Alexandra has forced Tabitha out of a relationship before and she is afraid that her sister will do it again. Raphael says he wants to marry, even managing to get three hundred pounds before it apparently got stolen. The fact that Tabitha believes three hundred pounds enough to free her from Lady Alexandra indicates that she and Raphael could not have been the kidnappers; if they had the ransom money, they would have most likely taken off long before now.
In Hugh's room, Sarah finds Hugh resting in his bed. Further attempts to get at the truth behind Hugh's injury prove fruitless; Hugh is oddly defensive of Tristan, insisting that the shooting was an accident, and that the priest is innocent of any wrong doing in regards to Robin. When Mick pops in after learning about the shooting, Hugh makes it clear he wants some space, so Sarah and Mick leave his room.
Back beneath the pergola, Mick informs Sarah about what he has learned from the servants so far. Six months ago, Sir Gerald and Lady Alexandra banned all but the nurses from entering Robin's room. The servants did not think it was strange due to Lady Alexandra claiming that Robin had a weak constitution. Mick does not believe it, still holding onto his theory that Lady Alexandra killed Robin. Cover up or not, the likelihood that they will get any information from Robin's parents is basically nil, so Mick offers to see if Robin's night nurse, Lottie, might know anything.
=== Chapter 14 ===
Unable to roam the estate in search of clues, Sarah decides to develop the photographs she took yesterday. She discovers that her photography trunk was broken into and the envelope holding the picture of her father torn open. It seems like the kidnapper broke into the trunk and is now aware that she and Hugh were in the park the same day as the murders. This thought sends Sarah into Hugh's room to bolster the door. Once she is back in her room, she studies the photograph of her father. If she is going to find Benjamin, then she should start looking for clues as to why he disappeared in the first place, which means going back to Clerkenwell.
By the time dinner arrives, Hugh is well enough to join Sarah and Sir Gerald. Sarah mentions the horse incident with Olivia and Hugh the affair between Raphael and Tabitha. However, Hugh keeps Sarah from saying anything that could throw suspicion onto Tristan and Sarah keeps Hugh from revealing her theory about Robin being dead.
Out in the gardens, Sarah and Hugh are discussing each other's reluctance and her plan to go to Clerkenwell when Sarah hears someone coming their way. Hiding behind a conical tree, Sarah and Hugh watch as Lady Alexandra meets with Pierce. Their conversation reveals that the two of them used to be engaged, but Lady Alexandra called off the engagement in favor of marrying Sir Gerald. Pierce is still bitter about the whole thing, which leads Lady Alexandra to guess that he took Robin. He denies the charge, going so far as to accuse Lady Alexandra of sending Robin away so she could play the part of the bereaved mother. Their confrontation ends when Pierce forces a kiss on her, prompting Lady Alexandra to bite his lip then flee. Pierce leaves shortly thereafter.
=== Chapter 15 ===
Lottie makes a brief appearance as Sarah waits for a carriage before she runs back into the house. Mick informs Sarah that he has not been able to get any information about Robin from her, but he knows she is hiding something. Mick bids Sarah good luck as the carriage pulls up.
When she arrives in Clerkenwell, Sarah sees the affects time has had on her childhood hometown. When she stops by a new coffee house, she is startled to recognize Meg Logan, younger sister to Ellen and Sarah's former childhood friend. Meg takes Sarah to her home where they discuss Ellen's death. Sarah is shocked to learn that her father took indecent photographs of Ellen; the one Meg shows Sarah is tame compared to some of the others the police found. The only reason they were not in the police file is because Meg's mother knew they would damage Ellen's reputation. Benjamin went missing not long after the photographs were unearthed.
=== Chapter 16 ===
Back in Mariner House, Sarah is sidelined from going straight to Hugh by Lady Alexandra. The actress wants to know how the search for Robin is going, which makes Sarah suspicious. She reveals she knows about Lady Alexandra's theory regarding John Pierce. The actress has not told Sir Gerald because she does not want her husband to know that she had feelings for Pierce, and is still somewhat in love with him. Lady Alexandra denies that she was the one who broke into Sarah's photography trunk, and Sarah is inclined to believe her.
Up in Hugh's room, Sarah stumbles upon a love scene between Hugh and Tristan. Once Tristan hastily makes his exit, Hugh explains that he is in love with Tristan as well as the truth behind the boxing match and the shooting incident: apparently, Tristan killed in self-defense after he and a potential lover were almost beaten to death by their fellow soldiers. The boxing match story was just a cover up. After Tristan and Hugh were left alone, they shared a kiss in the grove of trees, but Tristan shoved him off due to disgust, both of Hugh and himself. Tristan aimed the gun at Hugh and accidentally pulled the trigger when Hugh tried to move closer.
Sarah believes that Tristan might just be buttering up Hugh, but Hugh is adamant that this is not the case. Their argument is interrupted when Mick bursts into Hugh's room to announce that Robin has been found.
=== Chapter 17 ===
Sarah, Hugh, and Mick hastily rush out of the estate and take a tour wagon to Hampstead Heath. Robin's body was found in one of its pools, swaddled in a cloth. Sir Gerald and several other people from the Mariner house watch as Lady Alexandra sobs over her son's body. Sarah, however, is jolted by recognition: this pool is the same one she saw Tristan pray at.
Compounding this unfortunate turn of events is the presence of Inspector Reid and Barrett. Reid believes Sarah and Hugh to be responsible for the murder of Noel Vaughn and Ethel Norris. Barrett sticks up for Sarah despite being hurt by the fact that she kept her detective business from him. Reid ignores him, ordering a couple of his underlings to arrest them. Sir Gerald steps in and negotiates an arrangement with Reid: Sarah and Hugh will continue to work for him, but will remain at the Mariner estate.
=== Chapter 18 ===
Sarah is locked up in her room while Hugh is taken somewhere else. Hours pass before a servant appears with food, followed shortly after by John Pierce. He offers her a get away vehicle, claiming that he was done a good turn in the past is hoping to pay it forward. Even if he is being sincere- and Sarah thinks he might be-, she knows better than to accept. He departs, but not before informing her that the police surgeon believes Robin to have died before Sir Gerald hired her and Hugh.
More time passes before Reid finally makes his appearance. He is aware that Sarah and Hugh were following Noel Vaughn and Ethel Norris and hopes to pin their murders on the both of them. However, his attempts to manipulate Sarah into implicating Hugh fail, as does his offer of clemency if she coughs up information regarding Robin's kidnapping and murder. An enraged Reid leaves Sarah.
=== Chapter 19 ===
Sarah is woken in the middle of a nightmare by a fire. Mick returned to Mariner House and helps Sarah escape her room through the window. Outside the house, she spots the room Hugh was locked in. A guard spots them and lets them back into the house. They run to Hugh, who has been affected the worst by the smoke. As servants throw water on the flames, constables carry Hugh into a different room. Mick manages to bring Hugh back into consciousness, Pierce, Tristan, Olivia, Lady Alexandra, and Tabitha entering the room at some point during the attempt.
The constables write the incident off as an accident, but Mick smelled kerosene: someone deliberately started the fires in front of Sarah and Hugh's rooms. Sick from the smoke smell, Lady Alexandra exits the room, Tabitha trailing after her. One of the constables wants to separate Sarah and Hugh again, though she and Mick insist on sticking together. Since Sir Gerald is away, arranging Robin's funeral, Tristan is currently in charge. He overrules the constables, granting Sarah's wish.
Once they are settled and Hugh and Mick are asleep, Sarah tries to guard them but dozes off due to exhaustion. She is awoken by Olivia bringing in a tea tray. When Olivia says she wants to talk, they move into the adjacent bathroom. Olivia supports Mick's theory, claiming she saw Lady Alexandra carrying a basket while hurrying toward the house. She assumes the basket held kerosene. 
Sarah is not convinced; she knows Olivia has no love for her stepmother, something that Olivia admits. She resents the attention Sir Gerald gives Lady Alexandra and- once Robin was born- his second son. Despite his neglectful treatment of her, Olivia still loves her father. Though Sarah can relate in a way, she still does not believe Olivia.
Once Olivia has left, Sarah relates Olivia's story to Hugh and Mick. They are each still divided on who is behind it all, Mick favoring Lady Alexandra, Hugh defending Tristan, and Sarah secretly glad that Sir Gerald has an alibi. Regardless of who it is, this murder attempt means that the murderer is getting antsy; they should solve the mystery before the murderer tries to kill them again.
=== Chapter 20 ===
Reid walks into the room, Sarah, Hugh, and Mick already awake and alert. Apparently, Barrett was able to confirm that Sarah and Hugh did not kill either Noel or Ethel, meaning they are free to go. He threatens them to stay out of the investigation before storming out of them room.
Hugh goes to take a bath while Mick stays behind to keep an eye on him per Sarah's request. She leaves the room to find Tristan waiting behind the door. He tells Sarah a bit about Olivia's background: her mother, Vittoria, was mentally unstable, a fact that Sir Gerald did not know about until after their marriage. The instability got worse after Olivia's birth, so much so that she had to be admitted to an insane asylum where she would ultimately commit suicide. Vittoria's death led Sir Gerald to distance himself from Olivia, both literally and figuratively. Much of Olivia's petty behavior can be chalked up to a neglected child doing whatever she can to get any attention from her father, good or bad. 
Once he has said his piece, Tristan leaves Sarah, who goes looking for Barrett. Barret is in her burned room where they argue about the previous night's events. Though he knows Sarah has not always been truthful with him, Barrett is still hurt by her lies. He is frustrated that she always puts someone or something before being honest with him, especially when she is been put in a dangerous situation. He wants Sarah to tell him everything right then and there, and when she hesitates, he immediately wonders aloud if she is cheating on him with Sir Gerald.
Forced to break the confidentiality agreement or lose Barrett, Sarah and Barrett walk out of Mariner House and into the grounds. They eventually stop somewhere deep in the garden where Sarah tells Barrett everything except for anything related to her search for her father. Barrett can tell that she is still hiding stuff from him and Sarah is determined not to say anything more; she knows Barrett will relate everything she has said to Reid, and she is loathe to throw the police back onto her father's trail. Fed up with Sarah's dishonesty, a remorseful Barrett calls off their relationship, leaving Sarah behind in the garden.
=== Chapter 21 ===
Knowing they will not have much time, Sarah runs back to her new room and informs Hugh and Mick that she spilled the beans to Barrett. They hurriedly don coats and hats and Sarah's satchel, but before they can exit the upper floor via a back door, a pair of constables show up. The amateur detectives change directions, rushing down the grand staircase.
Their attentions are taken by a commotion from the parlor, where Robin's wake is being held. Tabitha, Raphael, and Lottie are watching as Lady Alexandra accosts Reid, Barrett and two other constables for interrupting the vigil. Another pair of constables arrive with Tristan and a cuffed Olivia in tow, having caught the two of them attempting to skip town. Reid lets them all in on Sir Gerald's theory that Robin's disappearance and subsequent murder was in inside job, as well as the hypothesis that there might have been something wrong with Robin. At the suggestion that the ransom note might have been used to get some of Sir Gerald's money, Raphael bolts. Tabitha unwittingly clues in Lady Alexandra to her feelings for the medium.
At that moment, Sir Gerald appears. Thanks to a comment from Reid, Sir Gerald quickly comprehends that either Sarah, Hugh, or both broke the confidentiality agreement. The anger that fills him from this revelation disappears as quickly as it arrives. Instead of the punishment Sarah expects, Sir Gerald simply dismisses them.
=== Chapter 22 ===
As Sarah, Hugh, and Mick exit Mariner House, they discuss Sir Gerald's reaction. When they reach the gates, Hugh climbs into a carriage, not wanting anything more to do with the case. Sarah does not blame him, but she refuses to give up, Mick staying with her since he does not like the idea of leaving her to fend for herself.
They walk back to the house, but are caught part of the way by two constables. A chase ensues, ending when Sarah tumbles head over heels down a hill in a forest outside of the estate's grounds. After the constables leave, Mick leads Sarah to a secret escape route that he learned about from the servants. The route is a solitary underground tunnel. Sarah and Mick follow it until they reach a door, but when Mick tries to open it, he finds that its locked.
=== Chapter 23 ===
Once night falls, Sarah wakes from an afternoon sleep. She and Mick exit the tunnel and reenter the woods. They inch their way down very steep slope, at the bottom of which is Raphael, injured and covered with leaves. In trying to escape the police, he fell down the slope and broke his right leg. He used the leaves to camouflage himself.
Seeing an opportunity to get some straight answers, Mick and Sarah question Raphael as to his role within Mariner House. He admits that his name is not actually Raphael and is not really a medium; he is a cobbler named Joey Fenton. While he nor Tabitha did not kidnap or kill Robin, they did send Sir Gerald the ransom note. However, they were too afraid of any potential traps Sir Gerald might set to collect the money. Raphael cannot help Sarah or Mick with the murders of Noel and Ethel.
As they talk, some guards or policemen are getting closer. Sarah and Mick help Raphael stand and support him as they try to flee. They manage to get as far as the road when a constable on horseback finds them. They arrest Raphael for fleeing the scene, and Sarah and Mick for aiding him.
=== Chapter 24 ===
Sarah, Mick, and Raphael are brought back to Mariner House. In the dining room, Sir Gerald argues with Reid while Chief Commissioner James Monro mediates. The constables that arrested Sarah, Mick, and Raphael inform Reid about Raphael's escape attempt and his and Tabitha being behind the ransom note. At Raphael's insistence that they did not kill or kidnap Robin, Reid sends one of his constables to bring Tabitha to the dining room. 
As Commissioner Monro departs, Reid shifts his focus to Sarah and Mick. He allows them to be uncuffed and is the middle of demanding that they stay away when Lottie interrupts with some distressing news: Tabitha is dead. Raphael's injury keeps him from following Reid, Sarah, Mick, and Lottie to a room. A frightened looking Olivia stands at the entrance of the room, inside of which Tristan administers last rites. 
Tabitha's body lies on a bed, frozen in a fit of agony. Based on that, a cup of cocoa, a bottle of strychnine, and an apologetic note, Reid theorizes that Tabitha committed suicide instead of being hanged for Robin's murder. Sarah knows Tabitha had an alibi for the murder, that which being Lady Alexandra herself. However, when this is pointed out, Lady Alexandra rescinds the alibi. Instead, she now claims to have been rehearsing some plays, getting Lottie to back her up on this. Reid believes her, announcing a close to the case.
=== Chapter 25 ===
As Sarah and Mick watch Raphael be placed in a police wagon, Barrett walks up to Sarah, asking why she has not left yet. Sarah and Mick's attempts to convince him that Reid has made a mistake fall on deaf ears. Though he misses being Sarah's lover, he does not let it stop him from telling Sarah and Mick to stop being such bad sports for not getting the reward money before leaving them.
Sarah and Mick slowly make their way down the road when Lottie calls to them to wait. It is clear that she has a crush on Mick and wants to make amends, but Mick is angry with her for backing up Lady Alexandra. It is not until Lottie explains that she is the breadwinner for her family that Mick relents. She even tells them information about Robin that had been kept secret within Mariner House, at least once Sarah and Mick assure her they will not tell Lady Alexandra she spilled the beans.
Robin had been born with some kind of developmental disorder, one that left him limp, unable to walk, and unable to form even simple words. Sir Gerald and Lady Alexandra were ashamed of Robin, leading them to act like overprotective parents while regretting his birth privately. While Lottie does know that a Dr. Kirkland was called over, she was dismissed before she could here what the diagnoses was. 
While Mick's theory ultimately proved correct, it sheds suspicion on Sir Gerald as much as Lady Alexandra. It also still does not solve the problem that he and Sarah no longer have access to Mariner House. Mick suggests that ask Hugh for ideas once they are back home.
=== Chapter 26 ===
Back at their home in Argyle Square, Sarah and Mick are dismayed to learn from Fitzmorris that Hugh is not there; he stopped by long enough to change clothes before going out again. He has not come back since. Mick goes out to find Hugh.
After a good night's sleep, Sarah wakes to the news that neither Hugh nor Mick has returned. Not wanting to wait for them, Sarah gets ready to interview Dr. Kirkland herself. When she gets to his place of work- the Royal Orthopedic Hospital- she learns from Dr. Kirkland that Robin had Little's Disease, a chronic, incurable condition that worsens with age. Unlike Sarah was led to believe, Lady Alexandra was the one to call on Dr. Kirkland. Kirkland told her his diagnoses and as far as he knows, Sir Gerald is ignorant of it. Robin disappeared two weeks after the consultation.
=== Chapter 27 ===
In the time Sarah was away, Mick has returned home. When she herself returns back from the interview, Sarah informs Mick and Fitzmorris what she found. While they are discussing what this means for the case, Hugh finally appears. He is quite obviously drunk and upset. An argument quickly breaks out between Sarah and Hugh. Hugh finishes it with one last parting remark before going to bed. Though Sarah is dismayed that her friendship with Hugh is on its last legs, she keeps up a brave face for Mick.
That afternoon, Sarah and Mick go to St. Paul's Cathedral where Robin's funeral is being held. They manage to get an audience with Sir Gerald, albeit in the cathedral's crypt. Unsurprisingly, Sir Gerald is displeased that they are continuing to poke into his family's business. What is surprising is his willingness to believe that Tabitha and Raphael committed the crime, even after Sarah and Mick tell him the latest evidence that clearly implicates his wife. Upon questioning, Sir Gerald reveals that Lady Alexandra is three months pregnant and her condition is delicate; even if his wife killed Robin, he does not want anyone or anything to come out that might potentially upset her and lead to the loss of their new child.
=== Chapter 28 ===
When Sarah and Mick return to their house, they learn Hugh went out again. Mick does not go searching for him, and they both realize that Lady Alexandra will be getting a free pass for her crimes. In a fit of sadness, Sarah starts packing a couple of suitcases while Mick sleeps, even throwing out some pictures. Fitzmorris manages to temporarily talk her out of it, more so because Sarah does not want to search for lodging late at night. 
She is about to leave the kitchen when a picture at the top of the wastebasket catches her eye. It shows Vaughn and Norris next to the fountain. In amongst the group of strangers is Raphael, initially overlooked because Sarah had not known him until now. This new evidence that Raphael lied about his whereabouts leads Sarah to visit the swindler in his jail cell the next morning.
From Raphael, Sarah learns that John Pierce left the money at the designated time and place. However, Peirce was also the one to take the money; Raphael had meant to collect it but chickened out at the last second. Raphael did not tell Sir Gerald or Lady Alexandra out of fear that they would pin Robin's kidnapping on him. Instead, he went to Peirce and tried to blackmail him. It worked for a period of time until Raphael broke his leg. Peirce threatened to harm Raphael's wife and children if he let slip about the money. Raphael does not know if Peirce killed Vaughn and Norris, though.
=== Chapter 29 ===
Back at home, Hugh has returned and is looking much better, not to mention sober. He and Sarah apologize to each other for the things they said during their argument. Sarah informs Hugh and Mick about the latest evidence against Peirce. While their source is no truly reliable, they all agree to tell Sir Gerald. 
They wait until night to travel to Mariner House. Knowing they cannot just waltz right through the front door, Sarah, Hugh, and Mick use the underground escape tunnel. They quietly make their way to Sir Gerald's office where they catch him in the middle of him drinking and crying. Sarah, Hugh, and Mick each take turns explaining that Lady Alexandra is in the clear and they have new evidence. 
Just then Peirce appears in the office's doorway. At Sir Gerald's question as to who actually killed Robin, Hugh points an accusatory finger at Peirce.
=== Chapter 30 ===
Peirce and Sir Gerald get into an argument. Peirce admits to stealing the ransom money, but denies killing Robin. Sir Gerald, unwilling to believe him, takes out a pistol. In a flash of understanding, Sarah realizes that Sir Gerald was eager to get avenge Robin's kidnapping and, later, murder. 
Peirce and Sir Gerald struggle for control of the pistol, accidentally setting it off. The noise brings Olivia, Tristan, Lottie, and Lady Alexandra running to the office. After hearing that Peirce allegedly killed Robin, Lady Alexandra flies into a rage. She starts hitting Peirce, but he throws her off and grabs Lottie. He holds her hostage, dragging her down the grand staircase. Sarah, Hugh, and Mick follow him while doing their best to make him see reason. However, his desperation renders their efforts in vain. 
It is not until Tristan catches up to them on the terrace that Peirce stops his progress. Tristan offers himself up in Lottie's place. It takes some convincing, but the exchange is made. Peirce and Tristan disappear into the night. Hugh follows after them, but before Sarah and Mick can pursue Hugh, a guard intercepts Sarah and Mick. Mick distracts the guard while Sarah runs away. In her haste to outrun the police, she winds up lost in some woods. Luckily- or unluckily- she hears Peirce's voice.
=== Chapter 31 ===
Peirce led Tristan to Hampstead Heath's fairground. As they stop to rest, Tristan tries and fails to negotiate with Peirce. He is convinced in Peirce's innocence regarding Robin's murder to the point that it is suspicious. Still, Sarah steps in when it looks like Peirce will shoot Tristan. Before anyone can react, though, Peirce is stabbed in the back by Olivia. Shortly after, Hugh and Mick appear. 
The conversation that unfolds between Tristan and Olivia eventually leads to the revelation that Olivia killed Robin; during the period of Robin's isolation, Olivia was curious to see why her beloved father was making such a fuss over the new baby. She was disgusted by Robin's obvious disability, and when Robin began to cry and spasm, Olivia feared she would be caught in his room. This fear, combined with her bitter jealousy, led her to smother Robin. In her haste to cover up her actions, Olivia sought out Tristan who was the one to put Robin's body in the pool. Olivia was also the one who poisoned Tabitha and set the fires that could have killed Sarah and Hugh.
The guilt over aiding Olivia cover up her crimes has weighed on Tristan heavily. He no longer wants to be complicit and is ready to tell the police everything. Determined not to face any punishment, Olivia grabs the gun Peirce wielded. Hugh and Tristan lunge at Olivia the same moment the gun goes off. Upon Mick's urging, Sarah starts running into the woods, but the sight of Olivia trying to aim for Mick makes her veer back. She winds up crashing into Olivia. They fight over the gun, the barrel shoved against one of Sarah's ribs at one point.
A shot rings out and, in the confusion, Sarah initially thinks she was the one who was hit. It is not until she sees Olivia's corpse and Sir Gerald standing next to her while holding a shotgun that Sarah realizes what happened: Sir Gerald got his revenge in the end. As Hugh and Mick come on the scene and piece together what happened, Barrett gathers up Sarah in his arms. Mistaking the blood on Sarah to be hers, Barrett prematurely grieves for Sarah, who is too comforted by being in his arms once more for the moment to correct him.
=== Chapter 32 ===
The inquest for Olivia and Peirce's murders is held in the Drill Hall Assembly Room. In the days leading up this, Sarah, Hugh, and Mick went over what they will say on the witness stand. Sarah in particular is anxious since Inspector Reid is there and she knows he would love nothing more than to tear into them. Their preparation ends up being rendered moot when the corner instantly pronounces Olivia guilty of all the murders and the kidnapping, and that her own death was self inflicted. 
The corner is not entirely happy by this circumvention of producer, and Reid is furious at not having his chance to sink his claws into Sarah and her friends. They are saved from Reid's wrath by Sir Gerald's guards, who escort them into an awaiting carriage holding their employer. As the carriage travels to the train station, Sir Gerald hires them on the spot to be his personal investigators. Though leery at being under his beck and call, Sarah, Hugh, and Mick accept, knowing that refusing is not really an option. 
Tristan is waiting for Hugh at the train station. Knowing that they will be occupied for awhile, Sarah and Mick go ahead and take the train home. Hugh does not come back until after dinner. He and Tristan discussed how their relationship will proceed; Tristan has to decide if he wants to stay with Hugh or stick with being a priest before the ship bound for India leaves next month. 
Just as Hugh disappears upstairs, Sarah hears Barrett knock on the door. The incident at Hampstead Heath made Barrett realize how much he still loves Sarah and does not want to lose her. Sarah makes it clear that she will never be fully honest with him. Happy at being reunited, Sarah and Barrett share a tight embrace.
=== Epilogue ===
As Sarah watches Barrett leave from one of the living room windows, she catches sight of Sally. When Sally turns to leave, Sarah dashes outside and invites her in. Sarah makes them some tea while they talk. Sally confesses that she would like to have a sister and Sarah surprises herself when she agrees. They both want to find Benjamin Bain, but Sarah knows that the information she has will alarm Sally. 
Tea in hand, they sit at the kitchen table while Sarah informs Sally about Ellen Casey, Benjamin's police record, and her trip to Clerkenwell. Knowing that Benjamin will most surely be hanged for Ellen's murder, the sisters put their heads together to come up with a clue that could help them find Benjamin. They start with his second disappearance; Sally recalls a letter that Benjamin received about a week before. The letter's contents upset Benjamin so much it made him physically ill. Sally had been sworn to never mention the incident before Benjamin burned the letter. 
The letter was from a man named Lucas Zehnpfennig. The name triggers one of Sarah's memories; one day when she was ten, she had returned home from school to find her mother and a Lucas Zehnpfennig in the parlor. Lucas had taken Sarah onto his lap and stroke her hair. That was when Benjamin had come in. Upon seeing Sarah in Lucas's lap, Benjamin had grown furious, ordering Sarah to her room and Lucas to leave. She had heard her parents having a whispered argument later that same night.
That Benjamin's disappearances were preceded by the presence of this Lucas man leads Sarah to believe that he might be crucial to finding their father.
== Character Appearances ==
<tabber>
|-|Debut=
* Noel Vaughn
* Ethel Norris
* Sir Gerald Mariner
* Robin Mariner
* Mrs. Albert
* Sally Albert
* Lord Staunton
* John Pierce
* Tristan Mariner
* Olivia Mariner
* Tabitha Jenkins
* Lady Alexandra Lyle
* Meg Logan
* Lottie
* Commissioner Monro
* Dr. Kirkland
* Ellen Casey (mentioned)
|-|Reoccurring=
* Sarah Bain
* Hugh Staunton
* Mick O'Reilly
* Fitzmorris
* Benjamin Bain
* Inspector Reid
* Catherine Price (mentioned)
* Abraham Lipsky (mentioned)
* Rachel Lipsky (mentioned)
</tabber>
== Character Deaths ==
Name 	Cause of Death	When
Noel Vaughn 	Murdered 	Chapter 2
Ethel Norris	Murdered 	Chapter 2
== Cover Gallery ==
Likeness first edition (2017).jpg|2018 First Edition (English)
== Trivia ==
Coming soon...
== References ==
== Navigation ==
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Category:Novels
Category:Sarah Bain novels