Death at Dinner

by L. A. Nisula

  “What sort of cold feet?”

  “Well, it centered on money, of course. To understand that, you need to understand the details of our companies.” Mr. Carrollton reached for the teapot, which put me in his line of sight. I tried to blend into the shadows, but he noticed me at once. “Betty, go see if the ladies need more tea.”

  I tried to find a way out of that order, but he kept watching me, expecting me to go, so I gave the tea tray a final straighten and left the room.

  Chapter 7

  ON MY WAY TO THE STUDY, I passed the dining room. I could see Constable Triply closing it off. He was attaching tapes across the door with large magnets, clamping them to the wall on either side and locking the tapes in place with a small key. I slowed as I passed by. He glanced up and smiled at me, but didn’t tell me to hurry along, so I stopped to watch him as he finished securing the crime scene then went inside the dining room and begin collecting samples from the plates and glasses left on the table. That was boring detail work, so I quickly lost interest and went on to the study where the guests were gathering.

  ~ * ~ * ~

  When I arrived in the study, Mr. Sharma was speaking to Mrs. Delford, trying to calm her down it seemed. Miss Carrollton was sitting beside him, trying to get his attention whenever there was a pause in the conversation. Mr. Warland was hovering behind them, being ignored by everyone.

  Most of the guests had brought their tea with them from the library, but there was no tea service in the room. I was going to slip out and get another pot when Mr. Carrollton came into the study with Inspector Hamilton. Inspector Hamilton was carrying the remains of the tea tray from the library, which he left on the small table near the door. Clearly the business discussion hadn’t taken very long. I moved into the shadows so I wouldn’t miss anything.

  But it didn’t quite work. Mr. Carrollton noticed me as he crossed to the empty chair by the others.

  “Addie, serve that wine. It will settle our nerves.”

  I assumed I was Addie and went to the desk. At least I hadn’t been told to leave yet. The only wine there was a bottle of Burgundy that hadn’t been decanted, but I didn’t think anyone would mind under the circumstances. I poured the wine and brought the tray to Mr. Carrollton first, then to Mr. Sharma and Mr. Warland. As I crossed to Inspector Hamilton, Mrs. Delford grabbed the last glass from the tray and slid into a corner to drink the wine in private.

  Inspector Hamilton looked down at the empty tray I was holding.

  “I’m sorry, Inspector. I’ll get you another glass.”

  “Don’t bother. On duty and all.” He smiled a little. “But I wouldn’t say no to a cup of tea.”

  “Right away, sir.” I put the empty tray back on the desk where Ross was trying to get something out of the drawer without being noticed and got a cup of the tea from the table by the door. I took my time preparing it so I could listen.

  Inspector Hamilton went to the fireplace and leaned against the mantle. “I believe I have addresses for all of you. It is just a formality, but until we have narrowed our focus, I must ask that none of you leave town at this time.”

  Mr. Carrollton started to cross the room. “You can’t mean my guests are suspects.”

  Inspector Hamilton pretended he hadn’t heard. “I may need to ask more questions once the medical examiner has given me a report, so I will need to contact you again. Unless any of you have more information you’d like to share with me, you’re free to go.”

  Everyone got to their feet and milled around Mr. Carrollton to say goodbye. Ross was sober enough to realize he’d be needed in the front hall and joined me at the study door.

  Inspector Hamilton followed him. He was looking at me when he said, “Mr. Ross, I still need to speak to the servants. I am going to go over the dining room again; then I will come down to the kitchen. Please make certain everyone is present.”

  “Right, sir.” Ross almost saluted then remembered where he was.

  I nodded. Inspector Hamilton smiled a little then went back to Mr. Carrollton. He knew that, while Ross might be in charge as butler, I would make sure we were all there. Not that that would be a problem; Mrs. Albright and Mrs. Pomeroy were probably going mad waiting for more information from the case.

  None of the guests spoke in the front hall as Ross and I helped them into their coats. Mr. Warland was the first one out the door, almost pushing Mr. Sharma aside in his rush to get his coat.

  As I was helping Mrs. Delford with her things, I remembered she had come with Mr. Ainsworth. “Do you have a way home?”

  She hesitated. “A cab. I’ll be taking a cab.”

  Mr. Sharma was buttoning up his coat. “Allow me to find you one. In fact, where are you traveling?”

  “Sedding Street.”

  “I’m staying nearby. What a coincidence. Let us share a cab, then.”

  “If you’re sure it won’t be an imposition.”

  “Nonsense. It will be on the way.”

  I knew Sedding Street was near Sloane Square, almost halfway across London from Westminster, but Mrs. Delford didn’t seem to be in any condition to get home by herself.

  Mr. Sharma buttoned his coat and offered Mrs. Delford his arm. I watched from the front window until I saw Mr. Sharma hail a cab and help Mrs. Delford inside.

  Ross was poking around in the closet, probably looking for the mackintosh. I wished I’d thought to hide it when I’d been getting Mrs. Delford’s coat. But it was too late to worry about that. I knew Inspector Hamilton would have to pass through the front hall on his way to the kitchen, and he seemed more than capable of herding Ross along with him, so I left Ross poking around the closet and went downstairs.

  ~ * ~ * ~

  Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Albright were seated at the kitchen table with a fresh pot of tea and the strawberry trifle that should have been dessert between them.

  I took the chair beside Mrs. Albright's. “Inspector Hamilton is going to come down and talk to us when he’s finished looking at the dining room.”

  “And Ross knows?” Mrs. Pomeroy asked.

  “He was there when Inspector Hamilton told us. I left him in the front hall. Inspector Hamilton will have to go that way when he comes down, so he can give Ross a nudge if he needs it.”

  “That should do then. Did Mrs. Delford make it home?”

  “Mr. Sharma is sharing a cab with her.”

  “That’s good. Have a cup of tea and tell me about this inspector.”

  While I fixed myself a cup, Mrs. Albright and Mrs. Pomeroy were staring at the trifle. “Do you think we can eat this?”

  Mrs. Albright fingered the serving spoon. “It seems a shame for it to go to waste.”

  I looked at the bowl. The cream was already looking a little tired. “We should probably ask the inspector before we do, just to be certain.”

  Mrs. Pomeroy took one more look at the dessert, then pushed it to the end of the table. “I suppose so. There are some chocolate biscuits in the pantry. Would you get them, Agnes?”

  While Mrs. Albright went to get the biscuits, Ross stumbled down the stairs and collapsed into the nearest chair. I slid a cup of tea over to him. He glanced at the china cupboard.

  “Don’t even think it,” I murmured. “That inspector’ll be down here, and he’ll question all of us. Do you want to be drinking before that?”

  Ross looked at me again, then grabbed one of the biscuits Mrs. Albright brought back.

  Mrs. Pomeroy put a plate for the biscuits on the table. “What do you think he’ll ask us?”

  “I don’t really know. He asked the others what they saw when it happened.”

  “What did happen?”

  Inspector Hamilton hadn’t told me not to say anything, so I started telling them all about the questioning I’d seen.

  Chapter 8

  WE’D BEEN IN THE KITCHEN for over half an hour when Inspector Hamilton came to take our statements. He held out his identification as he came down the stairs and sat at the table.

&nb
sp; “So it’s time then?” Mrs. Pomeroy asked.

  “I’m afraid so, ma’am. You would be the cook, correct? Mrs. Alma Pomeroy.”

  “That’s right.”

  “And am I correct in assuming you’ve all been discussing this case among yourselves?”

  We all smiled sheepishly.

  “Then there isn’t much point to me separating you, I suppose.”

  Mrs. Pomeroy handed Inspector Hamilton a cup of the tea.

  “Thank you. Now, I saw the two of you upstairs. Am I right in assuming you two,” he nodded at Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Albright, “were down here during the meal?”

  “That’s right,” Mrs. Pomeroy said. “We were plating and finishing it up.”

  Inspector Hamilton nodded. “So you prepared all of this food? None of it was ordered in or purchased prepared?”

  “Of course not.” Mrs. Pomeroy looked offended.

  “I have to ask. Now did any of you eat from the platters before you sent them up?”

  “No, sir. Too busy to breathe down here, let alone eat.”

  “Not even to sample what was being served?”

  “During cooking, but not serving.”

  “But all of the guests upstairs ate from the same plates,” I pointed out.

  “You would be Callie—”

  “Cassie. Cassandra Pengear.”

  “You were the parlor maid.”

  “Acting parlor maid. Just for tonight.”

  “Normal profession?”

  “Typist.”

  “And you were in the dining room when it happened?”

  “That’s sort of right. To be specific, I was in the pantry, near the door to the dining room.”

  “I’ll want to speak to you in more detail, if you don’t mind, after I’ve spoken to the others.”

  It wasn’t really a question, but I said, “Certainly,” as if I had a choice.

  “Now where was everyone when it happened?”

  Mrs. Pomeroy answered for us all. “I was here in the kitchen with Mrs. Albright. Mr. Ross and Miss Pengear were upstairs serving dinner.”

  “So you and Mrs. Albright were together the whole time, and were not able to see anything that happened upstairs.”

  “That’s right.”

  “And the two of you were there when it happened.”

  “That’s right,” I answered since Ross was staring at the china cabinet again.

  Mrs. Pomeroy poked Ross in the arm until he nodded.

  “And what was the menu for the evening? In the order served, please.”

  He was looking at me, so I answered. “There were a few hors d'oeuvres, then the salmon mousse was first.”

  “That was the only one individualized in the kitchen?”

  “That’s right. The others were plated in the pantry. The salad was next. Then a cold green soup. The fish was supposed to come after that. That’s what we were preparing to serve when Mr. Ainsworth collapsed.”

  “Now the salad was served from one bowl, correct?”

  “Well, it started in one bowl, but then they were plated just before they were taken out.”

  “In the kitchen?”

  “No, in the pantry upstairs. Mrs. Pomeroy sent up the plates in the dumbwaiter, then the greens, then the tomato roses on a tray, then the dressing and garnish separately.”

  “Tomato roses?” Inspector Hamilton had clearly never heard of such a thing.

  “That’s right. Tomatoes cut so they look like a rose.”

  Mrs. Pomeroy sighed, “It was the centerpiece of the dish. I hope they were appreciated, although no one will remember them now.”

  Inspector Hamilton looked like he wanted to move on. “And who assembled them?”

  “I did.”

  “Not the butler?”

  “No, he was...” I couldn't think of another nice way to say it. “He was having enough trouble staying upright, so I did it. And before you ask, the tomatoes were all on one platter; the greens were all tossed in one bowl; the dressing was in another bowl; and the herb garnish was in a third bowl.”

  “So only you could have poisoned the salad.”

  That was not a possibility I wanted him to consider too hard. “But I didn’t. I didn’t even know Mr. Ainsworth. Anyway, then Ross served them.”

  “He was upright enough to do that?”

  “I carried the tray for him, and he served out the plates.”

  Inspector Hamilton sighed. “You’re not leaving town, are you?”

  I knew what he meant but didn’t want to say. “No, I’m not going anywhere.”

  Inspector Hamilton turned back to Mrs. Pomeroy. “Do you know of anyone who would have reason to kill Mr. Ainsworth?”

  “Oh no, Mr. Ainsworth was a very nice man. We all liked him. Mr. Carrollton relied on him.”

  “Relied on him how?”

  “In a business sense, I suppose. They’re working very closely on some business. A merger, I think. Mr. Carrollton wouldn’t make a move without him.”

  “Can you think of anyone outside of the business?”

  “I only knew Mr. Ainsworth’s business affairs with Mr. Carrollton of late.”

  “And prior to that?”

  “I worked for his father, so I knew him a bit, but he was already on his own when I was there.”

  “Is there anything from that time that you remember?”

  “Nothing to do with murder.” Mrs. Pomeroy looked shocked at the suggestion.

  “And what about Mr. Carrollton?”

  “He didn’t really receive anyone outside of business.”

  “And family?”

  “Just his niece, you probably spoke to her already, and his sister-in-law.”

  “That would be Miss Carrollton’s mother.”

  “That’s correct.”

  “Any tension there that you know of?”

  “Not at all. Mr. Carrollton was helping Miss Carrollton find a husband. I think Mr. Ainsworth might have been consulted on the matter, marriage contracts, things like that.”

  “And Mrs. Carrollton was fine with that?”

  “As far as I know. She never seemed bothered by it when she visited.”

  “Very well.” He scribbled in his little notebook again. “What about you Mr. Ross? Did you notice anything unusual?”

  Ross sat up a little straighter and held his hands very still on the table. “Wouldn’t know. I’m not normally here.”

  “Not normally here?”

  Mrs. Pomeroy saw that Ross didn’t know how to answer beyond what he’d planned. “We asked him to come because the regular butler’s ill.”

  “I see.” He turned back to Mrs. Pomeroy. “So you’re the only person here who’s regular staff.”

  “That’s right. Our normal butler and footman are both feeling poorly.”

  “So you are the only one who would know the household.”

  “I suppose so.”

  He scribbled in his little notebook then turned back to Ross. “And where were you when it happened?”

  “Serving dinner in the dining room.”

  “So you saw in collapse.”

  Ross paused again. “Don’t think— not exactly.”

  I interrupted to clear things up. “We were in the pantry just off of the dining room, so we weren’t actually in the room when it happened.”

  “I’ll get to you in a moment, Miss Pengear.” He smiled a little.

  “Sorry.”

  “Now, Mr. Ross, if you would tell me exactly what you did.”

  “I served the soup, just like she told me to.” He pointed at me. “Then something happened and I went to the cupboard to—to...” he stopped as he tried to come up with something other than the truth; he’d gone for his bottle.

  Inspector Hamilton didn’t write anything down. “Mrs. Pomeroy, do you have Mr. Ross’s address?”

  “I do.”

  “Then Mr. Ross, I will call on you tomorrow when you will, hopefully, be in a better state to answer questions. Do you understa
nd?”

  Ross nodded.

  I wasn’t sure if Ross understood, but Inspector Hamilton clearly did. Then he turned to Mrs. Albright. “Mrs. Agnes Albright, am I correct that you are not normal staff either?”

  “That’s right. I’m just helping out for the evening.”

  “Did you see anything that you would consider unusual?”

  “Nothing at all down here.”

  “And did you know any of the parties before tonight?”

  “Just Mrs. Pomeroy. And Cassie, of course.”

  “Very well. Leave your address please, then you may leave.”

  Mrs. Albright leaned towards me. “I’ll wait for you in the entryway.”

  I nodded to show I understood. I certainly didn’t blame her for not wanting to stay around for the rest of the questioning.

  “Now for you, Miss Pengear.”

  I sat up very straight as he looked me over.

  “You were in the dining room when it happened.”

  So that was why he seemed so interested me. “I had just left the dining room after we served the soup, so I was in the pantry when it actually happened.”

  “And in the library when I questioned the others.”

  I wasn’t sure what he was driving at, so I just smiled a little and nodded.

  “Why?”

  I hadn’t expected the questioning to go in this direction. “To serve the tea.”

  “Why?”

  “We thought tea would calm everyone down.”

  “That’s why you brought the tea. Why did you stay?”

  “To pour out.”

  “So not to see what the others said, or if they caught you putting something in—”

  “Of course not!” I definitely had not anticipated that line of questioning. It seemed best to tell him the complete truth. “I wanted to hear what they said. I’ve been involved in a few investigations, on the periphery of course, and I found it interesting. I’ve even done a bit of typing for the Yard.”

  “Interested in the death of a man you don’t know?”

  “Precisely because I didn’t know him. If I’d known him, it would be a tragedy. As it is, as terrible as it seems, it’s just a puzzle.”