Devious Murder

by George Bellairs

  His eyes were bulging with the very thought of the risks.

  ‘And what does her husband say about all this?’

  ‘He’s never here. He’s so wrapped up in his business interests. He flies over for a week-end now and then. When he’s about his wife behaves herself. He’s crazy about her and will give her anything. On his visits he takes her about the expensive parts of London and shows her off. She’s a beauty really, but there’s usually a limit to what a man should tolerate. But with Mr. Havenith there’s no limit.’

  ‘Is Mrs. Havenith in residence at The Limes at present?’

  ‘No. She left for their Cotswold house, near Cheltenham, earlier this morning. She took a small party down there for a rest after a week of dissipation, so to speak. She’ll probably be there for a few days and then return here. She likes it best here, because it’s convenient for London.’

  ‘Did she take her jewellery with her?’

  ‘No. The bulk of it went to the bank this morning, before she left. The bank collected it.’

  ‘A local bank?’

  ‘No. The First National Bank of New York, in Cornhill, London. They are the Haveniths’ main bankers. They’ve a fine safe custody department there.’

  Littlejohn paused.

  ‘Let’s have a proper account of the security arrangements for Mrs. Havenith’s jewellery. When she arrives here are the valuables kept at The Limes?’

  ‘Yes. They’re taken to the bank when she leaves, if she doesn’t wish to take them with her. When they’re moved to or from the bank two messengers from the bank accompany them, as well as Morgan and me. That, with the driver of the security van, makes five of us. They’re in locked cases and Mrs. Havenith has the keys, or officially is supposed to have them. She leaves them lying about now and then.’

  ‘And then …? What happens when the jewellery arrives here? It is put in a safe?’

  ‘Yes. The safe’s AI. It’s a new one and was bought and installed after a lot of fuss by Mr. Havenith himself, who personally supervised it.’

  ‘You are satisfied with the safe?’

  ‘Of course. Absolutely the last thing in security. Burglar proof.’

  ‘Never say that nowadays, Cairncross.…’

  ‘I mean, it’s as secure as it’s possible to be.’

  ‘And after all Mr. Havenith’s trouble about it, his wife is careless about her jewellery?’

  ‘That’s right. She’s a great trial. As a matter of fact, I once gave notice to Mr. Havenith. I told him the security arrangements didn’t suit me. I went so far as to tell him that Mrs. H ought to take greater care of her valuables. Criticising his wife made him see red and he said I could go and the sooner the better. Then he calmed down, put up my pay, and told me I’d his full permission to make any improvements I liked. That was when he bought the new safe.’

  Littlejohn lit his pipe.

  ‘Tell us what happens when Mrs. Havenith returns with her friends after a night in London.’

  Cairncross smiled to himself as though contemplating the scene.

  ‘The lot of them are often half drunk. Some of them are nearly helpless. They arrive back in the small hours and kick up a lot of noise, slamming the doors of cars and shouting at one another. Then they have more drinks and go to bed. There are some sorry sights about the place next day.’

  ‘And Mrs. Havenith …?’

  ‘Goes to her room, eventually, takes off all her jewellery and all her clothes, and wanders round stark naked. Sometimes she sleeps that way.…’

  ‘Let’s concentrate on her jewellery, shall we?’

  Cairncross leered at Littlejohn.

  ‘Right. Sometimes she puts the pieces carefully in their boxes; at others, when she’s in a carefree mood or annoyed about something, she throws them about the room. Mrs. Morgan always checks the jewellery and brings it to me. It’s part of my duties to be here when she chooses what articles she wants to wear for the evening and then to see that they come safely back and are put securely in the safe.’

  ‘You get your information about what goes on in her bedroom from Mrs. Morgan, I take it.’

  ‘Yes. The temporary staff from the agencies are never allowed even to touch the jewellery. One of them might be in the bedroom helping the dressing or undressing, but Mrs. Morgan attends to the jewellery. That’s Mr. Havenith’s orders and to disobey would mean the sack. This is too good a job for the Morgans to lose, I can assure you.’

  ‘About the safe … Yours is the responsibility of locking up the jewels when they are here. You hold the keys?’

  ‘It’s a combination lock with one key. I know the combination; Mrs. H holds the key. With a careless woman like Mrs. H about her husband must trust somebody. He can’t be here himself. So it has to be me.’

  ‘Does Mrs. Havenith know the combination?’

  ‘She did. But I’d be surprised if she remembers it. She always sends for me when she wants the safe opening.’

  ‘You say she’s away at present. We’d better take a look over The Limes if you will arrange that.’

  ‘I could do. It might be a bit awkward, but I guess I could fix it.’

  ‘We’ll get a warrant, if that would be preferable.’

  Cairncross didn’t like that idea at all. He hastened to say so.

  ‘No, don’t do that. I’ll see to it. When do you want to look round?’

  ‘Let’s say after lunch, and get it over. And I think we’d better have a list of the staff, registry and permanent, particularly those who were here last night.…’

  Cairncross frowned and his heavy eyebrows met in the middle.

  ‘You think that The Limes occupants are suspects in this murder case you’re on?’

  ‘Not exactly, but it will be useful to know.’

  ‘I’ll give you a list right away.’

  ‘No, don’t trouble now. We’ll have lunch in the village and come back later. You can get on with your own lunch, too. I’m sorry our interruption will have spoiled your cooking for you.’

  ‘I’m used to it. Always on call and when madam is in the house, I’m on the hop most of the time. Luckily, she’s away a lot. Then I do get a bit of peace and a rest. She’s due back the day after tomorrow and then she’s off to Deauville for a week.’

  ‘Does she take all her jewellery with her on all these trips?’

  ‘Very rarely. She only takes a part of it. When she takes the lot I have to go with her.’

  ‘A bit risky even taking a few pieces, isn’t it?’

  ‘They’re her instructions and what she says and does usually goes with her husband.’

  ‘Is she faithful to her husband?’

  The question took Cairncross by surprise. He drew a deep breath, blew through his moustache and passed his hand across his face.

  ‘If you knew some of the men she mixes with and knew her volatile temperament you wouldn’t ask. I’m not here as security officer for her morals and conduct. That should be her husband’s business. I’ve enough on with the safety of the house and valuables. He’s so occupied with his oil that he hasn’t time to see what goes on.’

  Cairncross started to sulk, as though indignant at the amount of responsibility they were expecting him to assume.

  ‘Has she a regular lover?’

  Cairncross gaped at another unexpected question and then lost his temper.

  ‘I’m a security officer, not a divorce detective! Now, if I don’t answer your question you’ll no doubt say I’m obstructing the course of justice. All this has nothing to do with the case you’re investigating, I’m sure.’

  ‘Come on, Cairncross, let’s have an answer.’

  The silence lasted quite a time while Cairncross made up his mind just how much to divulge.

  ‘Oh, all right. But if I tell you, it’s understood that it’s strictly confidential. Unless you promise I won’t tell you. I’ll go to gaol first.’

  He folded his arms and tightened his lips in an overemphatic gesture as he waited for the ver
dict.

  ‘If what you tell us has nothing to do with this murder case we’ll forget you ever told us.’

  Cairncross cleared his throat noisily, as though the secret was choking him.

  ‘She’s had quite a few since I’ve been here. But recently she seems to have fallen for somebody.…’

  ‘I’m sure you know who it is, so you might as well tell us.’

  ‘All in good time, I’m coming to it.’

  ‘Hurry up, then.’

  ‘It’s Mr. Leo.…’

  ‘Leo who?’

  ‘Mr. Leo Havenith.’

  ‘A member of her husband’s family?’

  ‘He’s Mr. Havenith’s son. Mrs. Havenith’s his stepmother.’

  ‘What age will he be?’

  ‘About the same as his stepmother.’

  ‘Where does he live?’

  ‘In London and, very often, at The Limes. He’s his father’s agent. He looks after everything over here. The properties and the financial side. And he looks after his stepmother good and proper, too.’

  Cairncross looked very pleased with himself for some reason. Perhaps it gratified him to think he’d given Littlejohn a surprise for a change.

  ‘Quite a pretty pickle, Cairncross.’

  Cairncross seemed hurt, as though accused of outrageous conduct himself.

  ‘Well … You insisted, didn’t you? If Mr. Havenith, senior, gets to know of this there’ll be another murder or two.’

  ‘Does Mr. Leo know the combination of the safe?’

  ‘What a funny question to ask. He’s not supposed to know it, but I’ve no doubt Julie … that’s Mrs. Havenith … will have told him. In any case, what use is that information? Leo’s hardly likely to pinch Mrs. H’s jewellery. He’s enough money of his own for anything he needs. His father makes him a good allowance.’

  Littlejohn turned to Cromwell, who had been a silent spectator hitherto.

  ‘Have you any questions, Bob?’

  ‘You have covered most of the ground. It seems to me, however, that we’ll have to turn our attention to The Limes and interview a few of the occupants, including Mrs. Havenith. It might easily be that Blunt had finished his inspection of The Limes and thought the time ripe for burgling it. If so, when he entered the place he might have encountered someone unexpectedly and met his death in a tussle.…’

  Cairncross grew suddenly alarmed.

  ‘Here! If you’re taking that course keep me out of it. You’d better start afresh as though you hadn’t interviewed me. I can’t dictate to you how to carry on your own investigations, but if you bring me into it there’ll be questions about what I was doing when all this was going on.’

  He seemed lost for words, but Cromwell soon brought him up with a jerk.

  ‘Where were you last night, Cairncross?’

  ‘I was on the premises, but as I’ve said before, I neither saw nor heard anything unusual.’

  ‘Tell us exactly how you spent the time, say, between nine o’clock and midnight.’

  ‘Do you suspect me?’

  ‘For one who’s been in the Force that’s a silly question. You know we need all the information we can get about the crime. This is routine.’

  ‘I hope so. Just a minute.…’

  Cairncross crossed the room to an old roll-top desk in which he seemed to keep his papers and returned with a small book which he thumbed open.

  ‘Here we are … This is the book I fill in with the times of my rounds.’

  He ran his forefinger down one of the pages, intoning the contents like someone reciting a litany.

  ‘Nine o’clock, did you say? The party left early. They were going to a show in the West End. There were only four of them. They were meeting the rest at the theatre.’

  ‘Who were in the party?’

  ‘Mrs. Havenith and Mr. Leo and Mr. and Mrs. Steinberg.…’

  ‘Who are the Steinbergs?’

  ‘He’s the foreign manager at the bank in the City where the Haveniths do their business. He and his wife are invited here now and then.’

  Cairncross sat slowly down in an arm-chair as though exhausted by the interview.

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘What about?’

  ‘You were telling us about the movements of the occupants.’

  ‘Well, they left about seven. Seven-ten according to the book. I remember Filson, the chauffeur, grumbling to me that they were late, as usual, and he only hoped they’d have a good run, otherwise the show would have started by the time they got there.’

  ‘Where does Filson live?’

  ‘In one of these flats. He’s away with Mrs. Havenith now.’

  ‘What time did they return?’

  ‘Mrs. Havenith was going away, as I said, first thing this morning so she didn’t bring any of the party home for a few drinks. She and Mr. Leo arrived home alone. The Steinbergs live in Tolham, so I reckon they dropped off on the way. They didn’t come here in their own car; Filson picked them up before the theatre, brought them here for a drink, and they all went off in Mrs. Havenith’s car.’

  ‘What time did Mrs. Havenith and Leo return?’

  ‘Nine o’clock. On the way to the theatre Mrs. Havenith got a headache. That’s usually an excuse for getting rid of a party when she feels bored. Filson put away the car and then came here to tell me they’d arrived back and I’d better hold myself in readiness to lock the jewellery away. Which I did.…’

  ‘What time was that?’

  ‘Half past nine. Mrs. Havenith went straight up to bed, took some sleeping tablets, and that was all.…’

  ‘You seem well informed about her movements.’

  ‘Mrs. Morgan told me, as she usually does, as she gives me the valuables and I check they’re all there.’

  ‘What happened to Leo?’

  ‘He hung about smoking and drinking and then went off to do some packing.’

  ‘Then he went to bed?’

  ‘I guess so. I didn’t knock on his bedroom door and ask him.’

  ‘Do he and Mrs. Havenith occupy rooms near one another?’

  ‘Yes. There’s one room between them on the same corridor.’

  ‘And about your own schedule. You were going to tell us what you did between nine and midnight.’

  Cairncross passed his record book across to Cromwell.

  ‘You might as well look at it yourself.…’

  There were details of Cairncross’s visits to the house during the day. The itineraries were very thorough and involved several full inspections. At six o’clock, Mrs. Morgan had told him which articles of jewellery her mistress wished to wear that evening and he had handed them to her from the safe. She had initialled the book for them. He had also recorded the arrival of the Steinbergs and then the departure of the party for the theatre. He had again inspected the house and then returned to his quarters. At nine, the return of Mrs. Havenith and Leo were noted. Then the replacement of the valuables in the safe. A check of the burglar alarms and another routine promenade of the house and grounds at midnight.

  ‘So that, roughly, between ten and midnight, you were in your room?’

  ‘Yes. All the alarms were switched on. I was up at seven and began my daily routine.’

  ‘It must be a bit of a bore and very trying for you.…’

  ‘It’s what I’m paid for and I might have worse jobs to do elsewhere. I like it.’

  Cromwell handed back the book.

  ‘Thanks, Cairncross. We’ll see you after lunch.’

  Cairncross looked at his half-cooked chops and shrugged his shoulders.

  Chapter 4

  Burglar Alarms

  After lunch, the two detectives returned to The Limes, where Cairncross was waiting for them in his flat.

  ‘I’ve arranged it all. I’ve explained to Morgan and his wife about the murder of Blunt and that it will assist you in your inquiries to take a look over the house.…’

  Cromwell looked nettled at Cairncross’s patronising manner.
/>
  ‘Very enterprising of you, Cairncross. We can resort to a search warrant if we wish, but this will avoid delay and we can take out the warrant later if we need it.’

  ‘If you’re taking it that way, I’m sorry I interfered.’

  ‘Shall we get on then.’

  Cairncross, now on his dignity, amused Cromwell by taking them in by the tradesmen’s entrance.

  ‘Where’s the entrance hall?’ Cromwell said. ‘We’ll start there.’

  ‘You’re not going to search the rooms, are you?’

  ‘Not at present. That may come later.’

  Cairncross grew red in the face.

  ‘I’m taking a considerable risk in letting you in this place at all. I don’t know what Mrs. Havenith will say when she knows.’

  ‘For God’s sake stop arguing, Cairncross. We’ll see that you don’t get the sack for helping us.’

  The altercation was interrupted by the entry of Morgan, a stocky dark Welshman with bright eyes like shoe-buttons and an ingratiating manner. Cairncross introduced him.

  ‘Very pleased to meet you and help you, gentlemen, I’m sure. There’s been a murder next door, I believe.’

  ‘Yes. The murdered man’s flat overlooks this house and we’d like to see the rooms which face it.’

  ‘Would you like a tour of the place?’

  ‘Not at present. Just the rooms I mentioned.’

  Cromwell was very amiable about it and as he and Morgan were getting on well together Littlejohn left it to him. Meanwhile, Cairncross seemed to have lost the initiative and Morgan was going to do all the talking.

  Morgan, who was probably professionally described as the butler, had spruced himself up to receive the police. He wore his black jacket and striped grey trousers and his shoes were highly polished.

  A door to the left opened and a woman, obviously Mrs. Morgan, appeared. She was tall and well-built and seemed to tower above her husband, with whom she exchanged a few words in Welsh.