The Ruby in the Storm

Chapter 41: The Quincys

The deputy was a young man with shocking red hair and tired eyes. Lydia had never met him before but already she pitied him.

"Greetings," Robert reached out and shook his hand, "I am Robert Quincy, man of the house. You asked for me?"

Of course, he didn't bother introducing Lydia. She glared at him.

"I did, sir, my name is Deputy Kit Fischer," he said. "Are you the guardian of Lucy Quincy?"

Lydia felt her heart skip a beat. "What has happened to my sister?" She demanded.

"Please, Lydia," Robert held up a hand, which she almost slapped away. "I am," he said to the deputy. "Why do you ask?"

"She has been arrested for conspiracy to murder James Boatwright, alongside," Deputy Fischer handed him a folded piece of paper. "It is all written here and signed by Magistrate Donaldson, you may take your questions directly to him."

With that, he bowed his head and left, leaving the two Quincys standing there, utterly aghast.

XXX

"Captain Beauchamp informed me that you are the witness to his crime."

"I am," Phillip replied.

"As you know," Harold Stone said, leaning forward, "I am James Boatwright's representative, and a good friend to the Boatwright family. All I want is the truth so we can put this matter to rest and Mrs. Boatwright can properly mourn the loss of her son and husband."

"I understand."

"However, it has been made clear to me by Captain Beauchamp that there are certain... Details regarding the night Mr. Boatwright was killed. Details regarding specific actions he took against Ms. Lucy Quincy that led to his being shot."

Phillip nodded. "Indeed."

Stone sighed. "Listen, Mr. Doyle, I am not an insensitive man. But one thing that I must not do is slander the name of Boatwright unnecessarily. James's father was a good friend of mine you see."

Phillip frowned. "But that's the truth of what happened."

"And that is what Mr. Beauchamp says, but did you personally see it happen?"

"Of course I did!"

"No, you misunderstand," Stone urged. "Allow me to rephrase: did you personally see with your own two eyes James Boatwright attempting to rape Lucy Quincy before he was shot by Captain Ross Beauchamp?"

Phillip, stunned to silence, and suddenly feeling pangs of regret, shook his head. That was the honest truth; he had not seen James attempt to rape Lucy, only heard her screams, but that was indicator enough. This man was trying to urge Phillip into sweeping it under the rug and build another sort of case entirely.

"I did not have to be there to know what was happening," Phillip said. "And when I arrived, I found James's body on top of Lucy, it was a very compromising position. It does not take a genius to add those pieces together."

"All speculation, I am afraid to say," Stone replied blithely. "Women claim to be violated in order to shame great men all the time. It is hardly a new story, and it is a cover up at best."

"You are mad!" Phillip exclaimed. "Cover up for what?!"

"Why, a greater crime of course!" Stone replied. "Mr. Doyle, you strike me as a reasonable man, a man of thought. Word about Lanfore was that Mr. Boatwright was actively courting Ms. Quincy upon her arrival and up to the time she left with Captain Beauchamp. The Magistrate has revealed the truth of Ms. Quincy's paternity, of course, but Mr. Boatwright perhaps did not know of it or, if he did, his love for Ms. Quincy was so great that he did not care. One could speculate that Captain Beauchamp and Lucy conspired to have Mr. Boatwright eliminated, as he proved a threat to their great romance, so Ms. Quincy enticed Mr. Boatwright to come to Belmoran, which he did. She seduced him, luring him to a backwater dockyard where there would be no proper witnesses, and Captain Beauchamp shot him." Stone looked proud of himself. "It all comes together nicely, and the Boatwright name remains intact. And with Ms. Quincy's mother being a known harlot, it will not be a difficult story to sell."