The Curious Death of Henry J. Vicenzi (The Inspector Felix Mysteries Book 5)

by R. A. Bentley

  'Well, I'd say it was a man, if pressed,' said Dottie, 'but not with any certainty. I've thought and thought, but the more I think the more unsure I am. He, if it was a he, only said the one word, and I'm not even sure what that was but it sounded like a curse.'

  'Not a mouse anyway. And the person who passed along the landing, did they come from downstairs?'

  'Yes, I think they must have done because my room is the first you come to, and they were walking right to left.'

  'Heavy tread? Light tread? Fast? Slow?'

  'I don't know. Slow, I think, as if they were creeping along.'

  'Hence the shovel?'

  'Yes. I mean, I couldn't have struck anyone with it. At least I don't think so. It was just for deterrence.'

  'And then what happened?'

  'Nothing. I heard nothing else and I went back to bed.'

  'I see. And, forgive me, you were alone?'

  'Yes of course,' said Dottie indignantly. 'I mean, yes I was.'

  'Sorry, one has to ask. And did you raise the alarm, when you heard the noises?'

  'Well, no I didn't,' said Dottie. 'It was difficult. It's not my house and I didn't know who it might have been. I didn't wish to appear foolish. And the noises had stopped, so it seemed reasonable that the person passing my room had made them. Then it took me ages to get off to sleep for fear I'd let a burglar get away. And Mr . . . I mean, I heard there was some money stolen.'

  Felix sat back and smiled. 'Well if it's any consolation, this is just what we were hoping to hear from someone. Your insomnia was not in vain.'

  'Gosh! Really? Do you think . . ?' She glanced at the door and lowered her voice. 'Do you think it was . . . you-know-who? I did wonder.'

  Felix lowered his voice too. 'I think that's quite likely, Miss Pickles. Thank you very much for coming to see us. And I hope you both feel better soon.'

  'If you ask me,' said Rattigan suspiciously. She was acting a bit queerly, for her.'

  'Dottie? Pretty obvious why, I'd have thought. However, this is no time to explore the dark labyrinth that is the female heart. Let's concentrate on who was in here Sunday night.'

  'Not much doubt what they were doing anyway.'

  'Not on the face of it; although I wonder a bit about the safe. Still, we are, perhaps, progressing. Let's have Stella Vicenzi in.'

  'Mrs Vicenzi, I'm sorry to drag you back again, but we now find it necessary to ask people about Sunday night, from when they left the party. Can you give me an account of what you were doing?'

  'I was in bed asleep, Inspector, until about five, and then we were packing to leave. We left here at about six-thirty.'

  'Asleep with your husband?'

  'Of course with my husband,' snapped Stella. 'Who else would it be?'

  'My apologies, Mrs Vicenzi. I meant, were you together? For aught I know you may sleep apart. And at any time during the night, were you aware of any strange sound or movement in the house?'

  'Oh, I see, sorry. Yes, we were together. And no, I didn't hear anything, but Miss Pickles did. Have you asked her?'

  'You've talked to her about it?'

  'Yes. Shouldn't I have? She wanted to know if she should tell you, and I said she should.'

  'Thank you; I'm very glad you did. And, yes, we've spoken to her. Can you offer any explanation for the noises she heard?'

  'No I can't. It's disturbing. I wish she had called someone. However, regarding someone on the landing, it could have been Esme, ministering to Henry. She was often up with him in the night. Mrs Entwistle tends to wander as well. She doesn't know what she's doing half the time.'

  'Ah yes, I recall one of the servants saying that. Mrs Vicenzi, it becomes ever more important that I question your husband. Are you still unprepared to give me his whereabouts?'

  'I'll think about it,' said Stella.

  Esme plonked herself bad-temperedly down in front of them. 'Yes? What is it?'

  'Miss Vicenzi, our investigations have moved on somewhat and we need to know people's movements for all of Sunday night, after the party. Will you kindly give me yours?'

  Esme shrugged. 'I saw the stragglers off and went to bed. I slept little and rose at seven-thirty or so. And since you will no doubt ask, I had no-one with me. I'm minded to make that a permanent arrangement. Was that all?'

  Felix smiled his sympathy. 'Not quite. Did you at any time of the night hear any strange sounds or movement in the house?'

  'No, I don't think so.'

  'Anyone passing your room?'

  'Only Grandmamma. She will bang her door.'

  'That's interesting. Can you put a time on it?'

  'I can only tell you it was late, the middle of the night.'

  'Are you sure it was she?'

  'Hers is the only room beyond mine. Unless you think she had company.'

  'What about your father? I realise this may be painful for you, and I apologise, but did you have to get out of bed to him on Sunday night?'

  'Not on Sunday night, no.'

  'There doesn't seem much point in dragging Lewis back from work,' said Felix. 'If he heard something he'd surely have investigated it, a big, strong chap like that.'

  'Unless it was him, of course.'

  'Which it might be. I suggest we descend on him and Drake at Pumfreys. If it's one of them it may put them on the back foot.'

  Mabel appeared with tea and biscuits. 'I've taken the other sergeants theirs in the breakfast room, sir. Mr Jessup seems to know what they're about but I'm sure I don't. Bits of junk everywhere and all those pictures they're taking!'

  'Thank you Mabel; all will become clear eventually. How is Mary? She seemed a little under the weather when we arrived.'

  'She's a bit brighter now, sir, thanks for asking. It was kind of you to talk to her. Will that be all, sir?'

  'There is one thing, Mabel. Would any of the servants have been doing some chores downstairs late on Sunday night, after the party? Or rather, I should say, in the early hours of Monday morning, say about three? Clearing up, perhaps?'

  'Lord no, sir! No chance of that.'

  'I suppose one could say,' observed Felix, dunking a biscuit, 'that if Esme had been up to something she'd have had the perfect excuse in Henry. Running down to the kitchen for cups of tea for him and so on.'

  'Yes she would, though invoking Mrs Entwistle runs it a close second.'

  'Hmm, I know what you mean.'

  They sat in grim contemplation for a while.

  'We could have one of the lads interview her,' suggested Rattigan. 'It would be good practice for them.'

  'You must have read my thoughts. But you know, whatever she was doing I doubt if it was setting up a technically complex booby trap, in the dark. She may have seen or heard something of course. I suppose we'll just have to bite the bullet and ask her.'

  'She wouldn't tell us if she had done,' Rattigan pointed out. 'She's made that clear enough.'

  'True.'

  'I wonder if they've found any dabs?'

  'Let's go and look. When in doubt, procrastinate.'

  'No luck, I'm afraid,' said Yardley. 'There are plenty of those you'd expect to find: Dennis, Jessup, and one or two of Miss Pickles' but none from the list of suspects.'

  'Time for a meeting,' said Felix.

  They arranged themselves around the fatal desk.

  'It's a real poser this,' he said. 'We know when it happened to the minute. We have the murder weapon – they've confirmed the bullet came from it, by the way – and we know the source of that weapon. We're fairly sure we know when the booby-trap was set up, but we still have no clue whatever to who set it; except that they, or an accomplis, must have had access to the garage and the box of bits.'

  'If we exclude Jessup,' said Rattigan, in a tone suggesting he wouldn't necessarily have done so, 'we're left with Lewis Vicenzi, Andrew Vicenzi, Esme Vicenzi, Stella Vicenzi, Charles Drake, Mrs Entwistle and any of the remaining servants. None stand out particularly, though the nature of the thing perhaps suggests it was a m
an. There are no useful dabs and nothing to tell us who was in this room in the early hours of Monday morning, except that whoever it was possibly stole the contents of the safe, the key to which is handily hanging next to it. In short, it could have been any of them.'

  'Or any combination of them, working together,' said Felix. 'Suggestions please, gentleman, Ah! Got one of my own.' He reached for the bell. 'You know, I've started to feel a bit nervous of doing this.'

  'You rang, sir?' said the butler, now reduced to shirtsleeves and waistcoat on account of his sling.

  'Mr Jessup! Nice to see you up and about. A question regarding your heroic exploits at the convent. Do you recall what the rescued child looked like? Was he anything like your Dennis?'

  Jessup considered this. 'That's a very interesting question, Inspector. In a general sort of way, yes he was — about the same height, skinny, fair hair, about the same age. Yes, and glasses! Do you think it might have been deliberate?'

  'Well, it gives one to wonder. Not that it's much help at this stage. Unless Dennis saw someone, of course.'

  'I'm sure he'd have said if he had, but I'll ask him again. Excuse me, sir, the front door.'

  But Mabel had answered it. 'Telegram for you, sir. No reply required.'

  Felix opened it. 'It says: "urgent search Lewis Vicenzis office Pumfries soonest Drake," from ten minutes ago. Come on!'

  *

  They found Lewis Vicenzi and Drake in noisy altercation outside Lewis's office door. A number of clerks and typists had wandered out to watch, though careful not to get too close.

  'Ah! Inspector,' said Drake, clearly relieved to see them. 'I think you will find something in here that will interest you.'

  'The man's gone mad,' said Lewis. 'He's locked me out of my own office and sacked Crossland!'

  'Mr Crossland slandered me in front of members of staff. What did you expect?'

  'Rubbish!' said Lewis. 'He spoke only the truth. And you had no right to do that without discussion.'

  'Mr Vicenzi, may I remind you that I am now the sole proprietor of this firm? I believe I can dispense with the services of whomever I like.'

  'If you wanted to destroy Pumfreys you could scarcely have chosen a better way to do it. Without Crossland we're done for!'

  'May I ask where your own key is, Mr Vicenzi?' interrupted Felix.

  'I haven't got one; I never lock my door. Anyone will tell you that.'

  'That's a lie,' said Drake.

  'Prove it,' snapped Lewis.

  'And what, pray, do you do when you . . .' began Drake, and then stopped.

  Narrowing his eyes, Lewis stepped threateningly towards him, 'When I what?'

  'That will do, gentlemen,' said Rattigan, calmly interposing his bulk between them.

  'Kindly unlock this door, Mr Drake,' said Felix, 'Or don't you want us after all?'

  'Certainly, Inspector,' said Drake, and did so, throwing it open with a flourish.

  'Thank you, sir.' He turned to Lewis. 'Mr Vicenzi, I can't let you in, I'm afraid. You may wish to wait at home until we've looked into this. I don't know at this stage how long it may take.'

  'Are you ordering me home, Inspector?'

  'No sir, but I'm recommending it.'

  Lewis sighed resignedly. 'Very well, I'll be there when you want me.'

  'Now, Mr Drake,' said Felix, 'what have you got to show us?'

  'Do you mean to say you're going to let the man walk out of here?' demanded Drake, watching Lewis step into the lift.

  'You let us worry about that, sir. Lead on, will you?'

  Five minutes later they emerged, Drake beaming. 'Thank you, Mr Drake,' said Felix, 'that is a most interesting discovery. Where will we find you later?'

  'Somewhere about the store, Inspector,' said Drake airily. 'Any of my staff will fetch me.'

  The four detectives crowded into the office, shutting the door on inquisitive eyes.

  'Off his onion,' growled Rattigan contemptuously. 'Power gone to his head.'

  'It's his to wield,' cautioned Felix. 'Dabs please, lads. Just these items, nothing else.'

  They examined the room, peering at this and that, while Yardley powdered a solenoid – presumably a spare – some odds and ends of unknown function and four rounds of ammunition, all discovered at the back of a filing cabinet.

  'He forced the lock, I see,' said Rattigan.

  'Several others too.'

  'Nothing,' reported Yardley, shaking his head. 'Gloves, probably. Except . . . ah! two on this cartridge. Nice ones. Got the enlargements, John?'

  They compared the dabs with the photographs already taken.

  'New to us,' pronounced Yardley. 'Only a guess, but I'd say a working person.' He passed Felix his magnifying glass. 'Note the wear to the fingertips, and those little scars.'

  'Gotcha!' said Rattigan. 'Or I'll eat my hat.'

  *

  They were gathered in the drawing room; some sitting, some restlessly pacing. The air was thick with tobacco smoke and nervous tension.

  'Here they are,' said Stella, who had been staring out of the window.

  'Took long enough,' grumbled Lewis. 'Hell! They've got Drake with them.'

  'Well don't lose your temper,' said Stella. 'It won't help.'

  'I don't lose my temper.'

  'Yes you do,' said Dottie.

  'Once, I lost my temper.'

  'If that man is coming in here, I'm off,' said Esme, and left the room.

  'Coward!' said Stella.

  'Heh heh,' said Mrs Entwistle.

  Felix was first to appear, gently but firmly driving Mabel, Mary and a very reluctant Esme ahead of him. 'You don't have to speak to him, Miss Vicenzi,' he said, 'but I want you here. Mr Vicenzi, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. He looked about him with approval. 'I'm glad you are all together as there are one or two matters to be dealt with and it will make it easier. Would in here be suitable at all?' He looked around him with approval. 'It's a nice big room isn't it?'

  There were nervous shrugs and nods of assent and Rattigan took out his notebook. 'Mr Jessup's not here, sir,' he observed.

  'Ah! Nor he is,' said Felix. 'Where is Mr Jessup, Mabel?'

  'He's gone out, sir.'

  'Not driving surely?'

  'Oh no, sir. He said he'd be back in a few minutes.'

  'That's a nuisance. However, we won't wait for him.' He turned to Drake who was hovering in the doorway. 'Come in, Mr Drake. Don't be shy now.'

  Keeping as far from Esme as he could, Drake stalked crossly into the room, 'I really don't see the need for this, Inspector,' he said. 'Surely I've provided sufficient evidence to you?'

  'All will become clear, Mr Drake,' said Felix. He turned to the others. 'Now then, I suspect that the following will not be news to many, but I must tell you that in the small hours of Monday morning, a booby trap was planted in Mr Henry Vicenzi's study, consisting of a gun and a simple mechanism designed to fire it when the servant bell was pressed. That gun killed him.' He paused and looked around, reading shock on many faces. It seemed that Jessup and Miss Pickles had been as good as their word.

  'It's certainly news to me,' said Lewis grimly.

  'And to me,' said Stella. Her face was quite drained of colour and she was holding onto a chair for support. 'Dottie, did you know about this?'

  'No, I didn't,' lied Dottie, while anxiously watching two figures getting out of a taxi.

  'But that means it could have been anyone, doesn't it?' frowned Esme. 'They didn't even have to be here.'

  'That has been our problem, Miss Vicenzi,' said Felix, 'and that is why we've been so eager to discover what you were all doing at the time we think the thing was set up. Mr Vicenzi and Mr Drake, I have interviewed everyone else regarding the period in question, which is between the end of the birthday party and breakfast on Monday morning. Before we proceed further, perhaps you gentlemen will tell me what you were doing then?'

  'Easy in my case,' shrugged Lewis. 'I was in bed asleep. I rose at about five and l
eft the house at something after six, as you know.'

  'In bed alone, sir?' asked Felix.

  'Yes I was.'

  'So there is no-one able to corroborate your statement?'

  Lewis scowled at him. 'I suppose not, no.'

  'Humph!' said Drake, nodding as if vindicated.

  'I can corroborate it, Inspector,' said Dottie, her face suddenly scarlet. 'Mr Vicenzi was with me that night.'

  Eyebrows were raised around the room at this, and Mary clapped both hands to her mouth. Lewis, staring straight ahead of him, said nothing.

  'Would that be all night, Miss Pickles?' asked Felix politely.

  'More or less, yes.'

  'I see,' said Felix. 'Mr Vicenzi, is that correct?'

  But before he could answer, Stella stepped forward. 'That was sweet of you, Dottie dear,' she said. 'But I can't let you do it. It was I who spent the night with Lewis, Inspector, not Miss Pickles. And I can assure you that he had neither the time nor the energy left for planting booby traps.' She turned to Mary. 'And now are you satisfied?'

  'Oh, Mrs Andrew!' cried Mary, and burying her face in her pinny began to weep.

  'Thank you, Mrs Vicenzi,' said Felix, his expression studiedly neutral. 'Mr Vicenzi, is that correct?'

  'Yes,' admitted Lewis.

  'Mr Drake, what about you?'

  'Alone and asleep, Inspector,' said Drake sourly. 'In my case, however, I have no young women queuing to provide me with a dubious alibi.'

  'Thank you, Mr Drake, my sympathy,' said Felix. 'We will move on.' But just then a tall but painfully thin figure appeared at the doorway, a smiling Jessop close behind him.

  'Andy!' shrieked Stella and rushing to him, threw herself into his arms. 'Oh darling, I've been so worried about you!'

  'Hey, steady on old thing, you'll have me over,' chuckled Andrew. 'Can someone catch me up?'

  'Detective Inspector Felix, this is my brother Andrew,' said Lewis.

  'How do you do, Mr Vicenzi,' said Felix. 'May I ask you where you've been?'

  'Wales,' said Andrew. 'Aberystwyth. I can give you all the details.'

  Not quite the Côte d'Azur, is it?' muttered Rattigan, making a note of it.

  'And can you tell me, sir, since you've arrived at this opportune moment, where you were between the end of the party last Sunday night and breakfast time Monday morning?'