Chapter 88

A few moments later, he returned with Sebastian.

He bowed to Adrian in thanks before turning towards Cassandra. She gestured for him to take a seat, and once he had done so, she dived straight to the heart of the matter.

"What have you discovered?"

Sebastian began with Camille and all he learned about her.

His report was brief but sufficient. His inquiries had established that the woman’s name was Camille Dawson, that she was married, and that her husband was presently ill and receiving treatment. She had two sons, the elder of whom had recently joined the Navy. The family had lived elsewhere before moving into their present house, and their current circumstances were being financed by John.

After learning where Camille had lived previously, he went there at once to see what he could uncover, and he was not disappointed. It yielded several useful details. More inquiries allowed him to confirm nearly everything the Suttons had told him. The information gathered there also filled in some of the gaps in their account, giving him a clearer picture of the family’s circumstances.

"Ten years ago, her husband, Adam Dawson, was involved in an accident that nearly killed him. He survived, but his leg were crushed, leaving him permanently incapacitated. The family was already struggling financially at the time, but the cost of his treatment placed an even heavier strain on their limited resources. Whatever savings they had were quickly depleted, and they were eventually forced to rely on whatever assistance they could find."

Similar to Sebastian, the information had not completely eliminated the possibility that Camille could still very well be John’s mistress from Cassandra’s mind, but neither had it confirmed it either.

A married woman could have a lover, after all. Yet the existence of a husband—and particularly the fact that John was paying for his treatment—introduced another possibility.

There was more to Camille’s circumstances than Cassandra had first assumed.

"Did you get the elder son’s name?" Adrian asked.

"Edwin Dawson."

Adrian nodded slowly. "I may be able to learn more about him through his direct superior in the navy. It won’t be too difficult."

Cassandra glanced towards him. That was useful. If Edwin had only recently entered naval service, Adrian’s connections could perhaps reveal where the young man was stationed and what could be learned about his family.

She returned her attention to Sebastian.

"And Whitmore?"

For the first time, Sebastian seemed to consider his words before speaking.

"I found several things, my lady. Unfortunately, none of them are incriminating."

Cassandra’s fingers tightened slightly over one another as she felt a frown forming on her face.

That was not what she had expected.

Sebastian explained that Whitmore hailed from a respectable family whose standing had been established by his father through a successful banking career.

Whitmore had initially followed a different path, beginning his studies in medicine before abandoning them sometime during his third year. He subsequently turned his attention to finance and foreign trade, where he had since made his career.

Apparently, he had possessed a talent for investment.

Several of his early ventures had been greatly successful, providing him with enough capital to establish himself independently.

Rather than squander the money, he had reinvested it, gradually multiplying his fortune until he had amassed the considerable wealth he now possessed.

Cassandra frowned harder.

There was nothing fascinating about a wealthy man investing wisely. It was irritatingly ordinary, so at odds with what she knew.

Sebastian continued with his report. Whitmore had also retained several of his old school connections. Though he had abandoned his studies, he remained acquainted with prominent members of the Association of Medicine and Anatomical Studies and occasionally made substantial donations to the institution.

This caught Cassandra’s attention again.

"Why, pray tell, would he maintain a connection with the institution?" She pondered aloud. A trafficker who had once studied medicine. What were the chances of that?

The coincidence was strange enough to make her question herself, if only for a moment. But no. She knew what she had heard in that chapel, and she refused to let doubt creep in now and muddle the memory.

There was a connection. She was certain of it. Something tied the two together, something that ought to have been obvious, yet no matter how she turned it over in her mind, she could not quite put her finger on it. The answer seemed to hover just beyond her reach, and her inability to seize upon it was beginning to drive her mad.

Cassandra sat back. The pieces refused to fit.

The human trafficking network was not something a man became involved in by accident.

Yet here was Sebastian telling her that Whitmore had managed to construct a life in which every visible piece appeared innocuous and unassuming.

A banker’s son.

A former medical student.

A successful investor.

A patron of a respected medical association.

A man with a thirst for knowledge.

Nothing criminal. Nothing she could put her hands upon. She loathed him more because of it.

She would do almost anything to see that devil behind bars, for a prison cell was exactly where he belonged.

Cassandra stared thoughtfully at the carpet.

How did a man become involved in human trafficking while maintaining a reputation clean enough that no one seemed willing to question it?

She turned the question over in her mind, examining it from every direction. Perhaps his wealth gave him access. Perhaps his connections shielded him. Perhaps there were people who knew exactly what he was and had chosen to look away.

Cassandra looked up sharply, an idea forming. It was foolhardy at best but worth the try.

"You said he still has connections with the Association of Medicine and Anatomical Studies?"

"He occasionally attends lectures. Not often enough to make it a habit, but he has been seen at lectures. Particularly those concerning human anatomy and physiology. I am told he has also attended a few dissections." He had expected Whitmore’s name to lead him towards something ugly. Instead, every road Sebastian followed led to a dead end.

"Then it seems we shall have to attend one of these lectures ourselves."

A daring gleam entered her eyes and it made the two men wary.