by Clara Benson
Bea sighed.
‘Well, far be it from me to interfere,’ she said. ‘Just don’t do it again, please. And go and apologize to Daphne.’
‘I already have,’ he said.
‘Did she accept it?’
‘I’m not sure. She kept her fists to herself, at any rate.’
She laughed.
‘That’s something. Very well, I’ve done my duty in giving you a scolding, so now I can go back to thinking about all my other troubles. I don’t mind telling you I’m quite sick and tired of all this business with the murder. I dare say you know the police have been searching our rooms this morning? I gather they found something that proves poor Dr. Bachmann might have had a motive to kill the professor.’
‘Oh? What is it?’
‘Some academic feud or other, I think. They didn’t say what. Dr. Bachmann is putting on his most dignified face, but one can tell he’s terribly cut up about it.’
‘Perhaps you ought to go and lend a sympathetic ear,’ said Freddy.
‘I don’t think he wants to talk to anybody.’
‘Nonsense, he’d be overjoyed if you listened to his troubles.’
‘Perhaps I shall, then,’ she said. ‘I do feel I’ve been neglecting my guests, rather.’
‘Hardly surprising, is it? I mean, given what’s happened here in the past couple of days.’
‘We’ve had more successful parties, it’s true,’ she said resignedly, and went off to do her duty to her guests.
It seemed the continued presence of the police was making everybody uncomfortable, for all the guests were restless. Everywhere Freddy went he bumped into one or other of them wandering about, looking as though they did not quite know what they were doing. The police had taken over Cedric’s study, and he was striding grumpily in and out of the downstairs rooms, snapping at anyone who dared to speak to him. Ro was draped across a chair in the morning-room, replying to all questions as shortly as possible and generally giving the impression of one who hated all mankind. Cynthia was haranguing Nugs about something or other, and he was taking it meekly, while occasionally darting longing glances at a whisky decanter that was just out of reach. Meanwhile, Lavinia was gushing to Goose, while Daphne sat slightly apart from the two of them, doing her best not to seem fed up. There was no sign of either Iris or Ralph, and Freddy imagined she had dragged him off somewhere in a fit of guilt to play the dutiful intended. She was probably hanging on his arm somewhere about the garden, and agreeing with his every word. The thought did not make Freddy feel any better. He looked out through the French windows. Kitty Fitzsimmons was standing on the terrace, gazing across the grounds towards the lake. He went out and joined her. She looked tired, and in the bright sunlight he could see one or two lines around her eyes.
‘Hallo,’ she said. ‘I’ve had a trying morning and I’ve come out to lick my wounds in peace. Oh, there’s no need to go,’ she went on, as he showed signs of leaving. ‘I’m just smarting a little, that’s all. I expect you are too.’
‘Just a little,’ admitted Freddy, and she laughed.
‘Poor you. And rotten luck for you both—to be caught, I mean. Still, I shouldn’t worry. So many things have happened here this weekend that everybody will have forgotten it all by tomorrow.’
‘I hope so,’ he said. ‘Why are you smarting?’
‘Because the police dragged up all the old story about Rob,’ she said.
‘It was a motor-car accident, wasn’t it? In the South of France, I seem to recall. He died, but you got out unhurt.’
‘Yes. I suppose you remember all the rumours about it at the time. People couldn’t understand how I’d got out alive while Rob hadn’t. There were some rather unpleasant suggestions that I’d arranged it deliberately.’
‘Of course you didn’t,’ said Freddy, and just managed not to turn it into a question.
‘No,’ she said. ‘I wasn’t even there, in fact.’
He looked at her in surprise, and she gave a little laugh, and said:
‘The woman in the car with him wasn’t me, and she didn’t get out at all—she died with him.’
‘I had no idea,’ said Freddy.
‘No, we kept it quite secret. He and I had been living separate lives for some time before then. It was all very amicable, but we kept it quiet because it was no-one’s business but our own. But he was an idiot to take the girl with him. She was a nobody—a shop-girl or something—and it could have caused an awful scandal if anybody had found out about it, because of his diplomatic position. He was terribly important to the Government, you know, and it was the sort of job in which one has to be seen to be above reproach, for the good of the country. It would have looked very bad had it come out that he was running around in Nice with a woman who wasn’t his wife, so when I heard the news I hurried across to France and pretended I’d been with him, and that I’d got out completely unharmed. The girl’s family tried to make trouble, and we had to pay them to keep quiet about it. But rumours have a way of getting out, don’t they? And people got hold of the wrong end of the stick and instead of suspecting what really happened, they thought I’d planned the accident deliberately.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Freddy, and he meant it, although at the same time he could not help wondering whether his friends and relations would have called Daphne a nobody if the two of them had died in a motor accident.
She gave a dismissive gesture.
‘No need,’ she said. ‘I’m quite hardened to it all now. Or at least I thought I was, until the police got hold of me this morning. You see, they telegraphed the French police and got the story from them—the true one, I mean—and gave me an uncomfortable time of it.’
‘Why? You didn’t do anything strictly illegal, did you?’
‘Not as far as I know. Both of them were given a decent burial and I don’t think it’s against the law to try and stop the papers getting hold of a story. No, it wasn’t that. It’s just that somebody has told them they saw Professor Coddington pestering me before he died. Apparently I had a guilty look on my face at the time, and whoever it was put two and two together to make—oh, about eleven, I should think—and told the police. Anyway, they wanted to know whether the professor had somehow found out the truth and tried to blackmail me with it.’
‘And had he?’
‘No!’ she said. ‘Although it’s true he was pestering me. He was terribly superior and dropped some hints that he knew something to my disadvantage, but after about two minutes it became perfectly clear that he was talking about the old rumours that I’d been responsible for Rob’s death, so I made some chilling reply or other and escaped as soon as I could.’
‘Not such a fine fellow, the professor,’ said Freddy. ‘I don’t wonder someone took a sash weight to him.’
‘No,’ she agreed. ‘But it wasn’t me, at any rate.’
‘What did the police say about it?’
‘Nothing in particular. They were all very non-committal, as you’d expect. One can never get anything out of them. But as a matter of fact, I rather think they’re stumped. They asked me whether I got up in the night at all, but I didn’t, except for a couple of minutes when everybody else did. They kept asking me what time that was, and of course I hadn’t the faintest idea. They seemed a little preoccupied with times, actually.’
‘I think they’re coming to the conclusion, as I have, that it was impossible for any of the guests to have killed Coddington,’ said Freddy. ‘I imagine we’ll hear shortly that they’re causing consternation below stairs by suggesting one of the servants did it.’
‘Goodness me,’ said Kitty. ‘Then perhaps we oughtn’t to expect dinner on time, if the servants are in an uproar. You won’t tell anybody what I told you, will you? I should hate to see the whole thing chewed over in the papers. I don’t like to think of Rob’s reputation being ruined—especially not now he’s de
ad. I was terribly fond of him, despite everything.’
‘I won’t say a word,’ he promised, and she smiled gratefully.
‘Thank you, you’re very kind,’ she said. ‘I shall trust you, even if you do work for the Clarion. But please don’t tell your mother.’
‘No fear of that. She’d have it in her gossip column before you could say knife.’
‘I know it,’ she said, then glanced up. ‘There’s Mrs. Dragusha. She must be ready for me again.’
She waved, and Freddy turned to see the dressmaker standing at the top of the terrace steps, evidently looking for Mrs. Fitzsimmons. Kitty sighed.
‘I gather Iris is furious with me for pushing ahead of her in the queue,’ she said. ‘I had no idea she’d been trying to persuade Mrs. Dragusha to fit her in too. But her waiting list is so long that I simply had to jump in as soon as I had the opportunity. I shall have to try and make peace with Iris as best I can.’
She gave a rueful smile and hurried off, leaving Freddy to think about what she had told him. There seemed to be nothing in Kitty’s story that would give her a motive for having killed the professor. It was clear she had made every attempt to prevent the circumstances of her husband’s death from reaching the press, but as far as he could tell she had done nothing against the law, exactly. But was she telling the truth about Professor Coddington? She said it was obvious that, despite what he had insinuated, he did not know what had really happened. Had that been a lie? If he had somehow found out the true story and had threatened Kitty with exposure, then would she have been desperate enough to kill him in order to keep it quiet? Freddy considered the possibility for a moment, then remembered Cedric’s presence in the West Wing that night. It was almost certain that she had an alibi for the first part of the night, although she would undoubtedly try to avoid using it if it were at all possible. But what about later? He thought back to what had happened. He recalled that Kitty had emerged from her room, had seemed terribly bored by the disturbance, and then had gone back to bed. She might have waited until the coast was clear, then gone downstairs and killed the professor, Freddy supposed—but then, how was it that she had not been seen by Nugs, who had been wandering around the house and had passed the library at just around the time of Coddington’s death? Might she have crept out of her room and got into the passage through the linen cupboard? If that were the case, then how had she known about that entrance? Bea had said she thought it had been blocked up long ago.
He went back into the morning-room, and found his mother there, still talking to Nugs, who brightened in visible relief at Freddy’s entrance.
‘Oh, there you are, darling,’ said Cynthia. ‘I wanted to talk to you, but you keep running off.’
‘If it’s about this morning, then I’ve already had an earful from Daphne and Bea, so you needn’t bother,’ he said.
‘This morning? What happened this morning?’ said Cynthia, pricking up her ears. ‘What have you been getting up to now?’
‘Nothing. Never mind,’ he said hurriedly, kicking himself, for it seemed she had heard nothing of it.
‘You’re not keeping things from me, are you? You may as well tell me now, because I shall find out one way or the other,’ she said, although she obviously had other things on her mind, for she immediately went on: ‘Now listen, I want to know what you’ve found out. You must tell me whatever you know, as I have to write my piece. I was a little worried that I might be short of material this week, since we were coming to Belsingham for a dull family party—or so I thought—but after what’s happened there are simply heaps of things I could say if the police would only let me, but they’ve embargoed almost everything I want to write, so you must give me something I can use. You can keep all the dull news to yourself, but you must let me have the juicy society stuff. What did Kitty say to you just now? Was it something about the murder?’
‘It was nothing at all interesting,’ said Freddy.
‘Nonsense. Whatever it was, you can be sure she told you purposely so you’d pass it on to me. You know how she loves seeing her name in the papers.’
‘Oh, very well, if you must know, she was telling me about the frock Mrs. Dragusha is making for her. And don’t ask me to repeat what she said, because I was only half-listening.’
‘Only that? That’s not much. But how did Kitty manage it? I thought one had to wait months for a Dragusha frock. Is Iris getting one too?’
‘No, and I hear she isn’t too happy about it,’ said Freddy.
‘Hmm. Now I might be able to work with that,’ said Cynthia, considering. ‘I expect I can whip it up into a nice little feud.’
‘Don’t be absurd, there’s no feud,’ said Freddy, but he could see his mother was not listening, and had already begun to compose the piece in her head.
‘I’ll just write a few notes down,’ she said, and went to sit at a writing-desk at the side of the room. Nugs took the opportunity to escape, and Freddy did likewise. His mother’s words had reminded him that he would have to write his own piece for the Clarion, and he was just about to go and ask the police how much of the story he might be permitted to publish, when he was accosted by Goose, whose mouth was drawn together in a thin line, and who looked as though he meant business.
‘I’ve come to thump you,’ he said without preamble. ‘What’s this I hear about your playing fast and loose with half the women in the place?’
This was a gross exaggeration, and Freddy opened his mouth to say so, but Goose went on:
‘You’ve upset Daphne, and she says she wants to leave. And I dare say Ralph will want to have a word with you, too.’
‘He doesn’t know?’ said Freddy in some alarm.
‘Haven’t the foggiest,’ said Goose. ‘Although if he does he’ll probably be telling Iris how disappointed he is in her for the next few hours. That ought to give you plenty of time to escape. No, but seriously, Freddy, how could you do it to Daphne? She’s a splendid girl and doesn’t deserve that kind of thing.’
‘I know she doesn’t, and you’re about the fifth person to tell me that. I’ve begged her pardon, but it’s nobody’s business but ours.’
‘It’s my business too,’ said Goose. ‘Or it would be if you’d have the decency to step aside and let me have a shot.’
‘I don’t know why you’re asking my permission now,’ said Freddy pointedly. ‘You’ve spent the last two days having a shot, as far as I can tell.’
‘I most certainly have not! I’m a man of honour, and I’d never steal another chap’s girl. I won’t deny I’ve talked to her, but I like her, Freddy. She’s a sensible girl and her head isn’t at all turned by my title. One doesn’t see that very often these days.’
‘I rather think your title puts her off, old bean,’ said Freddy. ‘She finds all this formality a little too much to take.’
‘Then she needn’t,’ said Goose. ‘It must be this mausoleum she doesn’t like. I mean to say, nobody could possibly find Father and Mother too formal. Why, they’re as easy as they come! We none of us were brought up to this. But this place is slightly rattly, I will admit. She wouldn’t have to live here all the time. We could have a flat in London if she liked—’
‘Oh, you’ve got that far, have you?’ said Freddy in surprise, as Goose stopped and flushed. ‘Well, if that’s how you feel about her, don’t let me stop you. You might have an uphill battle to convince her, though. Still, at least you’ll have Lavinia on your side,’ he added maliciously.
‘Oh, Lord!’ said Goose expressively. His usual cheery demeanour had returned, and he had quite forgotten his declared intention to thump Freddy. ‘I say, thanks.’
‘My pleasure,’ said Freddy dryly. ‘Now that you’ve got my girl, is there anything else you’d like?’
‘No, that’ll do for now, thanks,’ said Goose with a grin, and was preparing to depart when Freddy suddenly remembered something.
> ‘Goose, you know the other night when you went downstairs to get the torch from the library?’
‘Yes.’
‘Was the light on?’
‘In the library?’ Goose wrinkled his forehead. ‘No, it was off. I switched it on and then off again when I came out.’
‘And you didn’t see anybody?’
‘No, nobody. Why?’
‘Why, because it was about ten to three when you went down, and Professor Coddington must surely have been up and prowling around by then. If he wasn’t in the library he must have been in the secret passage already. Did you look in that direction?’
‘No,’ said Goose. ‘I didn’t go into that part of the room at all. I went across to the chest of drawers where the torch was, dug it out and then left.’
‘So you didn’t see whether the door to the secret passage was open?’
‘No. One can’t see that part of the room very well, with that beastly great desk in the way and the stairs up to the balcony. But it must have been open, mustn’t it? As you say, if he wasn’t in the library when I went in then he must have been in the passage already.’
‘I wonder why he switched the light off, then,’ said Freddy thoughtfully.
‘What?’
‘Think about it—if you were Coddington and you’d got up and were planning a little midnight jaunt to help yourself to someone’s family jewels, what would you do? You’d come into the library and switch on the light, wouldn’t you?’
‘Not if you didn’t want to be seen.’
‘But then how did he see to find the book and the catch to open the door?’
‘Why, he took a torch with him, of course,’ said Goose.
‘But that’s just it—he didn’t,’ said Freddy. ‘There was no torch in his hand when he was found.’
‘But he must have had one if he was wandering around in the passage. One couldn’t possibly find one’s way up to Ro’s room and back down to the library without one. Not quickly, at any rate.’
