Lord Peter Wimsey [02] Clouds of Witness

by Dorothy L. Sayers

  While Bunter shaved him he was silent.

  *** The interview before Lord Peter was a delicate one; the situation, however one looked at it, unpleasant. He was under a considerable debt of gratitude to his hostess; on the other hand, Denver's position was such that minor considerations really had to go to the wall. His lordship had, nevertheless, never felt quite such a cad as he did while descending the staircase at Grider's Hole.

  In the big farm kitchen he found a stout countrywoman, stirring a pot of stew. He asked for Mr. Grimethorpe, and was told that he had gone out.

  "Can I speak to Mrs. Grimethorpe, please?"

  The woman looked doubtfully at him, wiped her hands on her apron, and, going into the scullery shouted, "Mrs. Grimethorpe!" A voice replied from somewhere outside.

  "Gentleman wants see tha."

  "Where is Mrs. Grimethorpe?" broke in Peter hurriedly.

  "I' t'dairy, recken."

  "I'll go to her there," said Wimsey, stepping briskly out. He passed through a stone-paved scullery, and across a yard, in time to see Mrs. Grimethorpe emerging from a dark doorway opposite. Framed there, the cold sunlight just lighting upon her still, dead-white face and heavy, dark hair, she was more wonderful than ever. There was no trace of Yorkshire descent in the long, dark eyes and curled mouth. The curve of nose and cheekbones vouched for an origin immensely remote; coming out of the darkness, she might have just risen from her far tomb in the Pyramids, dropping the dry and perfumed grave-bands from her fingers.

  Lord Peter pulled himself together.

  "Foreign," he said to himself matter-of-factly. "Touch of Jew perhaps, or Spanish, is it? Remarkable type. Don't blame Jerry. Couldn't live with Helen myself. Now for it."

  He advanced quickly.

  "Good morning," she said, "are you better?"

  "Perfectly all right, thank you--thanks to your kindness, which I do not know how to repay."

  "You will repay any kindness best by going at once," she answered in her remote voice. "My husband does not care for strangers, and 'twas unfortunate the way you met before."

  "I will go directly. But I must first beg for the favour of a word with you," He peered past her into the dimness of the dairy. "In here, perhaps?"

  "What do you want with me?"

  She stepped back, however, and allowed him to follow her in.

  "Mrs. Grimethorpe, I am placed in a most painful position. You know that my brother, the Duke of Denver, is in prison, awaiting his trial for a murder which took place on the night of October 13th?"

  Her face did not change. "I have heard so."

  "He has, in the most decided manner, refused to state where he was between eleven and three on that night. His refusal has brought him into great danger of his life."

  She looked at him steadily.

  "He feels bound in honour not to disclose his whereabouts, though I know that, if he chose to speak, he could bring a witness to clear him."

  "He seems to be a very honourable man." The cold voice wavered a trifle, then steadied again.

  "Yes. Undoubtedly, from his point of view, he is doing the right thing. You will understand, however, that, as his brother, I am naturally anxious to have the matter put in its proper light."

  "I don't understand why you are telling me all this. I suppose, if the thing is disgraceful, he doesn't want it known."

  "Obviously. But to us--to his wife and young son, and to his sister and myself--his life and safety are matters of the first importance."

  "Of more importance than his honour?" "The secret is a disgraceful one in a sense, and will give pain to his family. But it would be an infinitely greater disgrace that he should be executed for murder. The stigma in that case would involve all those who bear his name. The shame of the truth will, I fear in this very unjust society of ours, rest more upon the witness to his alibi than upon himself."

  "Can you in that case expect the witness to come forward?"

  "To prevent the condemnation of an innocent man? Yes, I think I may venture to expect even that."

  "I repeat--why are you telling me all this?"

  "Because, Mrs. Grimethorpe, you know, even better than I, how innocent my brother is of this murder. Believe me, I am deeply distressed at having to say these things to you."

  "I know nothing about your brother."

  "Forgive me, that is not true."

  "I know nothing. And surely, if the Duke will not speak you should respect his reasons." "I am not bound in any way." "I am afraid I cannot help you. You are wasting time. If you cannot produce your missing witness, why do you not set about finding the real murderer? If you do so you surely need not trouble about this alibi. Your brother's movements are his own business."

  "I could wish," said Wimsey, "you had not taken up this attitude. Believe me, I would have done all I could to spare you. I have been working hard to find, as you say, the real murderer, but with no success. The trial will probably take place at the end of the month." Her lips twitched a little at that, but she said nothing.

  "I had hoped that with your help we might agree on some explanation--less than the truth, perhaps, but sufficient to clear my brother. As it is, I fear I shall have to produce the proof I hold, and let matters take their course."

  That, at last, struck under her guard. A dull flush crept up her cheeks; one hand tightened upon the handle of the churn, where she had rested it.

  "What do you mean by proof?"

  "I can prove that on the night of the 13th my brother slept in the room I occupied last night," said Wimsey, with calculated brutality.

  She winced. "It is a lie. You cannot prove it. He will deny it. I shall deny it."

  "He was not there?"

  "No."

  "Then how did this come to be wedged in the sash of the bedroom window?"

  At sight of the letter she broke down, crumpling up in a heap against the table. The set lines of her face distorted themselves into a mere caricature of terror.

  "No, no, no! It is a lie. God help me!"

  "Hush!" said Wimsey peremptorily. "Someone will hear you." He dragged her to her feet. "Tell the truth, and we will see if we can find a way out. It is true--he was here that night?"

  "You know it."

  "When did he come?"

  "At a quarter past twelve."

  "Who let him in?"

  "He had the keys."

  "When did he leave you?" "A little after two." "Yes, that fits in all right. Three quarters of an hour to go and three quarters to come back. He stuck this into the window, I suppose, to keep it from rattling?"

  "There was a high wind--I was nervous. I thought every sound was my husband coming back."

  "Where was your husband?"

  "At Stapley."

  "Had he suspected this?"

  "Yes, for some time."

  "Since my brother was here in August?"

  "Yes. But he could get no proof. If he had had proof he would have killed me. You have seen him. He is a devil."

  "M'm."

  Wimsey was silent. The woman glanced fearfully at his face and seemed to read some hope there, for she clutched him by the arm. "If you call me to give evidence," she said, "he will know. He will kill me. For God's sake, have pity. That letter is my death-warrant. Oh, for the mother that bore you, have mercy upon me. My life is a hell, and when I die I shall go to hell for my sin. Find some other way--you can--you must."

  Wimsey gently released himself. "Don't do that, Mrs. Grimethorpe. We might be seen. I am deeply sorry for you, and, if I can get my brother out of this without bringing you in, I promise you I will. But you see the difficulty. Why don't you leave this man? He is openly brutal to you."

  She laughed.

  "Do you think he'd leave me alive while the law was slowly releasing me? Knowing him, do you think so?"

  Wimsey really did not think so. "I will promise you this, Mrs. Grimethorpe. I will do all I can to avoid having to use your evidence. But if there should be no other way, I will see that you have
police protection from the moment that the subpoena is served on you."

  "And for the rest of my life?"

  "When you are once in London we will see about freeing you from this man."

  "No. If you call upon me, I am a lost woman. But you will find another way?" "I will try, but I can promise nothing. I will do everything that is possible to protect you. If you care at all for my brother----"

  "I don't know. I am so horribly afraid. He was kind and good to me. He was--so different. But I am afraid--I'm afraid."

  Wimsey turned. Her terrified eyes had seen the shadow cross the threshold. Grimethorpe was at the door, glowering in upon them. "Ah, Mr. Grimethorpe," exclaimed Wimsey cheerfully, "there you are. Awfully pleased to see you and thank you, don'tcherknow, for puttin' me up. I was just saying so to Mrs. Grimethorpe, an' asking her to say good-bye to you for me. Must be off now, I'm afraid. Bunter and I are ever so grateful to you both for all your kindness. Oh, and I say, could you find me the stout fellows who hauled us out of that Pot of yours last night--if it is yours. Nasty, damp thing to keep outside the front door, what? I'd like to thank 'em."

  "Dom good thing for unwelcome guests," said the man ferociously. "An' tha'd'better be off afore Ah throws thee out."

  "I'm just off," said Peter. "Good-bye again, Mrs. Grimethorpe, and a thousand thanks."

  He collected Bunter, rewarded his rescuers suitably, took an affectionate farewell of the enraged farmer, and departed, sore in body and desperately confused in mind.

  CHAPTER XIII

  Manon

  "'That one word, my dear Watson, should have told me the whole story, had I been the ideal reasoner which you are so fond of depicting.'"

  --Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

  "Thank god," said Parker. "Well, that settles it."

  "It does--and yet again, it doesn't," retorted Lord Peter. He leaned back against the fat silk cushion in the sofa corner meditatively.

  "Of course, it's disagreeable having to give this woman away," said Parker sensibly and pleasantly, "but these things have to be done." "I know. It's all simply awfully nice and all that. And Jerry, who's got the poor woman into this mess, has to be considered first, I know. And if we don't restrain Grimethorpe quite successfully, and he cuts her throat for her, it'll be simply rippin' for Jerry to think of all his life.... Jerry! I say, you know, what frightful idiots we were not to see the truth right off! I mean--of course, my sister-in-law is an awfully good woman, and all that, but Mrs. Grimethorpe--whew! I told you about the time she mistook me for Jerry. One crowded, split second of glorious all-overishness. I ought to have known then. Our voices are alike, of course, and she couldn't see in that dark kitchen. I don't believe there's an ounce of any feeling left in the woman except sheer terror--but, ye gods! what eyes and skin! Well, never mind. Some undeserving fellows have all the luck. Have you got any really good stories? No? Well, I'll tell you some--enlarge your mind and all that. Do you know the rhyme about the young man at the War Office?"

  Mr. Parker endured five stories with commendable patience, and then suddenly broke down. "Hurray!" said Wimsey. "Splendid man! I love to see you melt into a refined snigger from time to time. I'll spare you the really outrageous one about the young housewife and the traveller in bicycle-pumps. You know, Charles, I really should like to know who did Cathcart in. Legally, it's enough to prove Jerry innocent, but, Mrs. Grimethorpe or no Mrs. Grimethorpe, it doesn't do us credit in a professional capacity. 'The father weakens, but the governor is fixed'; that is, as a brother I am satisfied--I may say light-hearted--but as a sleuth I am cast down, humiliated, thrown back upon myself, a lodge in a garden of cucumbers. Besides, of all defences an alibi is the most awkward to establish, unless a number of independent and disinterested witnesses combine to make it thoroughly air-tight. If Jerry sticks to his denial, the most they can be sure of is that either he or Mrs. Grimethorpe is being chivalrous."

  "But you've got the letter." "Yes. But how are we going to prove that it came that evening? The envelope is destroyed. Fleming remembers nothing about it. Jerry might have received it days earlier. Or it might be a complete fake. Who is to say that I didn't put it in the window myself and pretend to find it. After all, I'm hardly what you would call disinterested."

  "Bunter saw you find it."

  "He didn't, Charles. At that precise moment he was out of the room fetching shaving-water." "Oh, was he?" "Moreover, only Mrs. Grimethorpe can swear to what is really the important point--the moment of Jerry's arrival and departure. Unless he was at Grider's Hole before 12.30 at least, it's immaterial whether he was there or not."

  "Well," said Parker, "can't we keep Mrs. Grimethorpe up our sleeve, so to speak----"

  "Sounds a bit abandoned," said Lord Peter, "but we will keep her with pleasure if you like."

  "--and meanwhile," pursued Mr. Parker, unheeding, "do our best to find the actual criminal?"

  "Oh, yes," said Lord Peter, "and that reminds me. I made a discovery at the Lodge--at least, I think so. Did you notice that somebody had been forcing one of the study windows?"

  "No, really?"

  "Yes; I found distinct marks. Of course, it was a long time after the murder, but there were scratches on the catch all right--the sort of thing a penknife would leave."

  "What fools we were not to make an examination at the time!" "Come to think of it, why should you have? Anyhow, I asked Fleming about it, and he said he did remember, now he came to think of it, that on the Thursday morning he'd found the window open, and couldn't account for it. And here's another thing. I've had a letter from my friend Tim Watchett. Here it is:

  " My lord,--About our conversation. I have found a Man who was with the Party in question at the 'Pig and Whistle' on the night of the 13th ult. and he tells me that the Party borrowed his bicycle, and same was found afterwards in the ditch where Party was picked up with the Handlebars bent and wheels buckled.

  "Trusting to the Continuance of your esteemed favour,

  "Timothy Watchett."

  "What do you think of that?"

  "Good enough to go on," said Parker. "At least, we are no longer hampered with horrible doubts."

  "No. And, though she's my sister, I must say that of all the blithering she-asses Mary is the blitheringest. Taking up with that awful bounder to start with----" "She was jolly fine about it," said Mr. Parker, getting rather red in the face. "It's just because she's your sister that you can't appreciate what a fine thing she did. How should a big, chivalrous nature like hers see through a man like that? She's so sincere and thorough herself, she judges everyone by the same standard. She wouldn't believe anybody could be so thin and wobbly-minded as Goyles till it was proved to her. And even then she couldn't bring herself to think ill of him till he'd given himself away out of his own mouth. It was wonderful, the way she fought for him. Think what it must have meant to such a splendid, straight-forward woman to----"

  "All right, all right," cried Peter, who had been staring at his friend, transfixed with astonishment. "Don't get worked up. I believe you. Spare me. I'm only a brother. All brothers are fools. All lovers are lunatics--Shakespeare says so. Do you want Mary, old man? You surprise me, but I believe brothers always are surprised. Bless you, dear children!"

  "Damn it all, Wimsey," said Parker, very angry, "you've no right to talk like that. I only said how greatly I admired your sister--everyone must admire such pluck and staunchness. You needn't be insulting. I know she's Lady Mary Wimsey and damnably rich and I'm only a common police official with nothing a year and a pension to look forward to, but there's no need to sneer about it."

  "I'm not sneering," retorted Peter indignantly. "I can't imagine why anybody should want to marry my sister, but you're a friend of mine and a damn good sort, and you've my good word for what it's worth. Besides--dash it all, man!--to put it on the lowest grounds, do look what it might have been! A Socialist Conchy of neither bowels nor breeding, or a cardsharping dark horse with a mysterious past! Mother and Jerry must have got to
the point when they'd welcome a decent, God-fearing plumber, let alone a policeman. Only thing I'm afraid of is that Mary, havin' such beastly bad taste in blokes, won't know how to appreciate a really decent fellow like you, old son."

  Mr. Parker begged his friend's pardon for his unworthy suspicions, and they sat a little time in silence. Parker sipped his port, and saw unimaginable visions warmly glowing in its rosy depths. Wimsey pulled out his pocket-book, and began idly turning over its contents, throwing old letters into the fire, unfolding and refolding memoranda, and reviewing a miscellaneous series of other people's visiting-cards. He came at length to the slip of blotting-paper from the study at Riddlesdale, to whose fragmentary markings he had since given scarcely a thought.

  Presently Mr. Parker, finishing his port and recalling his mind with an effort, remembered that he had been meaning to tell Peter something before the name of Lady Mary had driven all other thoughts out of his head. He turned to his host, open-mouthed for speech, but his remark never got beyond a preliminary click like that of a clock about to strike, for, even as he turned, Lord Peter brought his fist down on the little table with a bang that made the decanters ring, and cried out in the loud voice of complete and sudden enlightenment: "Manon Lescaut!"

  "Eh?" said Mr. Parker. "Boil my brains!" said Lord Peter. "Boil 'em and mash 'em and serve 'em up with butter as a dish of turnips, for it's damn well all they're fit for! Look at me!" (Mr. Parker scarcely needed this exhortation.) "Here we've been worryin' over Jerry, an' worryin' over Mary, an' huntin' for Goyleses an' Grimethorpes and God knows who--and all the time I'd got this little bit of paper tucked away in my pocket. The blot upon the paper's rim a blotted paper was to him, and it was nothing more. But Manon, Manon! Charles, if I'd had the grey matter of a woodlouse that book ought to have told me the whole story. And think what we'd have been saved!"

  "I wish you wouldn't be so excited," said Parker. "I'm sure it's perfectly splendid for you to see your way so clearly, but I never read Manon Lescaut, and you haven't shown me the blotting-paper, and I haven't the foggiest idea what you've discovered."