This certainly disposed of some possible motives for the murder, but one could only theorize about the other possibilities. Why had Yarnton mentioned the name Thompson only to the group with Lady Quainton? What significance could that name have for Lucilla Velmond, assuming that her actions might be accounted for by a loan to her brother? What significance could it have for Lady Kinver and perhaps Cleveland?
Everyone to whom he had spoken was certain that Yarnton never passed an idle remark. There was always a barb in his comments, calculated to prick one or other of those to whom they were addressed. It was possible that Lady Quainton had been mistaken in supposing that those three — Lucilla, Cleveland and Lady Kinver — had reacted to the name. Indeed, she herself had expressed doubts. Nevertheless, from what he knew of her in the past, Justin was inclined to accept her first impressions.
He pushed back his chair and tapped his fingers abstractedly on the paper. More facts were needed, more investigation. He added a memorandum to his list:
Watts: Any clue to Thompson among Yarnton’s papers?
Lady Q: Ask her to question Lady K about Thompson.
He paused on this second note. He knew of no one who could question Cleveland casually about the name Thompson, and at present he could not think of an oblique approach. His secretary, perhaps? It was tricky.
A tap on the door recalled him from his cogitations. He threw down his pen impatiently, calling out permission to enter. His manservant appeared.
‘Beg pardon for disturbing you, sir, but Miss Rutherford wishes to see you. Most insistent.’
‘Oh, very well, Selby. Admit her.’
Anthea came hurriedly into the room as Justin rose from his desk. He smiled and directed her to a chair.
‘You’ve arrived in a good hour, as the French say. I need distraction. Can I offer you some refreshment — tea, coffee, ratafia?’
‘No, nothing, thank you,’ she answered quickly. ‘I’m here on urgent business! Justin, I think you should know —’
He interrupted her with a slight gesture and turned to dismiss Selby, who closed the door quietly behind him.
‘Now tell me,’ he invited, his keen eyes detecting the anxiety in her face.
‘It’s Lucy!’ declared Anthea in a rush. ‘Justin, she’s in the most monstrous trouble! She’s confided the whole to me, and I’ve persuaded her to accompany me here to see you — she’s waiting outside. Oh, Justin, it’s far worse than we supposed. She’s being blackmailed!’
CHAPTER 5
‘Good God!’
‘Isn’t it frightful? I thought you would need to see her yourself, for you’ll know just what questions to put to her. But you will be gentle with her, won’t you? Because naturally she is in a vastly nervous state, not to mention her embarrassment at being obliged to face you — someone she scarce knows. Only I represented strongly to her the necessity —’
‘Thompson?’ demanded Justin quickly.
‘Yes, how did you guess?’
‘Never mind that. Go and fetch your friend in, my dear. Meanwhile I’ll get Selby to bring some wine.’
This was done, and soon a shrinking Lucy was seated on the edge of one of Justin’s easy chairs with Anthea close beside her.
Justin, having greeted his guest formally, poured out a small glass of wine and handed it to her.
‘Pray drink that, Lady Velmond. It will put some heart into you.’
Lucy waved it feebly away. ‘Oh, no, I don’t think — indeed, I don’t want anything —’
‘I insist,’ he said gently. ‘Think of it as medicinal.’
She took it, then, in a trembling hand and sipped cautiously at its contents. After a few moments, a little colour came back into her face.
‘Perhaps,’ said Justin in quiet but matter-of-fact tones, ‘you would like to tell me about your predicament?’
She looked at him uncertainly, her cheeks flushing.
Anthea leaned over to take the wine glass from her.
‘Pray don’t be nervous, Lucy,’ she urged in an encouraging tone. ‘You do not know Justin, Mr Rutherford, at all well, but he has been a close friend of your husband for years, and I assure you he may be trusted implicitly.’
‘But — but I don’t wish my husband to learn of this,’ stammered Lucy. ‘Everything I’ve done — and — and suffered, has been to prevent him from knowing.’
‘If anyone is to tell him, it will be you, ma’am, and not myself, I assure you,’ said Justin quietly. ‘But,’ — as he saw her open her mouth to utter a protest — ‘that decision is for you to make. And now, if you could explain to me precisely what happened, it would assist matters considerably. Shall we start with the demand for blackmail?’
His calm, impersonal manner had its effect. She leaned back more easily in her chair and managed to speak coherently.
‘It was a letter. It came about three weeks since, and it said that unless I wished my husband to be informed about —’ she gulped, then went on steadily, ‘certain events from my past, when I was a schoolgirl, I was to send five hundred pounds to the person named in the letter.’
‘A Mr Thompson, I think?’
She nodded, a look of surprise on her face. ‘Yes, how did you know? Oh, but I suppose Anthea must have told you before I came into the room.’
‘No, my niece told me none of the details. I preferred to hear them from you. But the name Thompson appeared to distress you when it was spoken by the murdered man at Lady Windlesham’s soirée. No matter — tell me, ma’am, do you still have this letter?’
She shuddered. ‘Oh, no, I burnt it. It was horrible! I could not bear to keep it by me — besides, it wasn’t safe.’
‘A pity, but your reasons are understandable. Was it handwritten? Did it come through the post?’
‘No, it was made up of printed words cut from some journal or other, very unevenly spaced. It hadn’t been posted; it was handed to me by one of the footmen. I thought nothing of that at the time, for it’s not so unusual for someone to send a note by hand, but later I questioned him as to where he obtained it. He said it was given to him at the door by a boy of the type often employed at inns to carry messages, and that this boy said he must give it to me when no one else was by.’
‘I collect the footman did not know the boy? Or give you a description of him?’
She shook her head. ‘Neither. I asked him too if the boy had said who had employed him on this errand, but John — the footman — had not thought to ask. I didn’t pursue the matter too closely, for the last thing I wanted was to set the servants gossiping.’
‘And for that same reason, doubtless you’d prefer that I did not personally question your footman? Have no fear, I shall not do so. I doubt if there’s anything to be learned there after this lapse of time. To return to the demand. How were you instructed to deliver the money?’
‘I was to address it to a Mr Thompson and post it to the receiving office at Chancery Lane. It must arrive there by 15 March but, of course, I sent it off as soon as I managed to obtain the money, which was five days before that date. I didn’t put it in with the rest of our mail but handed it to the postman myself,’ she added with a shamefaced look. ‘Oh, if only you could know how I have detested this odious deception!’
‘I can imagine so, ma’am,’ he replied gently. ‘But perhaps the need for it will soon be at an end. If you will bear with me, there are one or two further points I’d like to examine. I collect you had some difficulty in raising the money? Would you care to tell me more of that?’
‘When the letter came, I was at my wits’ end,’ she said, clasping her hands in emotion. ‘How was I to find such a sum? All my bills are paid by my husband, of course, and I have a quarterly allowance for pin-money, besides — most generous, I assure you! But it was toward the end of the quarter when I received that odious, horrible letter, and I had only about one hundred pounds left. In the ordinary way, I would only have to ask George for any sum and he’d willingly give it me, but in this case I da
red not. My brother was staying with us for a few days on his way to friends in Hertfordshire, so I asked him if he could make me a loan of four hundred pounds. He laughed, because his pockets are nearly always empty, and said why didn’t I ask George.’
Justin nodded. ‘That would seem reasonable enough, unless you confided in him?’
‘Oh, no,’ she said sadly. ‘We’ve never been very close, alas. I had to tell him something, however, to account for my needing the money, so I was obliged to let him think that I’d been gaming and was afraid to let George find out. He understood that well enough,’ she went on with a tinge of bitterness in her voice, ‘so he suggested I might pawn some of my jewellery. I could think of nothing but what had been given me by my husband — I could never bring myself to part with any of that! — but then at last I recollected a valuable old-fashioned necklace that mama had inherited from an aunt of hers and which she never wore because she disliked it. It came to me on mama’s death, and I had almost forgotten its existence. By the time I recollected it, my brother had departed, or else I could have asked him to transact the business for me.’
Justin reflected wryly that this was just as well. Judging by what he had learned of the lady’s brother, she might have found herself somewhat light on the transaction.
‘So you were obliged to set about it yourself,’ was all he said. ‘That must have been vastly disagreeable.’
She shuddered. ‘Indeed it was! I couldn’t think how to contrive, for I knew if I went to any of the fashionable jewellers it would be bound to come to my husband’s ears. Then I hit upon the notion of asking one of the housemaids, who’s a particular pet of mine, and she gave me the direction of an honest pawnbroker whom her family use sometimes. Only it was in such a low quarter, and that odious man must have seen me there, though I didn’t see him, and then George came to hear of it, and he misunderstood —’
She broke off, close to tears.
Justin turned aside for a few moments, allowing Anthea to comfort and compose her friend.
‘Pray don’t distress yourself, ma’am,’ he said presently in his quiet manner. ‘The information you’ve given me will be of great value in solving the mystery of Yarnton’s murder and in clearing George’s name. I’d like you to promise that if ever you receive a second blackmail letter, you’ll bring it at once to me. Will you do that?’
She looked startled.
‘A second? Do you think there will be others? Dear Heaven, I had hoped that this would be the end of it! Besides, how can I possibly find the means to meet any further demands?’
‘I think it unlikely that the blackmailer will make any further application for some time, ma’am. He will no doubt have worked things out very carefully and realized that to press you too hard will spoil his game, because you’ll be obliged to tell Velmond. But if such a demand is presented, you’ll let me have it, will you not?’
She promised, incoherently but positively.
‘Thank you. And if I may venture to offer a word of advice,’ — the tone was diffident but his brown eyes were serious — ‘it would be that you should conquer your fears and confide in George. He’s a good fellow, and I don’t think you’ll find him lacking in that sympathy and understanding which a wife expects of her husband. It would be of advantage if he and I could put our heads together over this affair, but obviously we can’t do so until you decide to tell him. I’m bound by my promise to you to keep silent.’
Her eyes evaded his.
‘Yes — yes — I see that, of course, but — I must have a little more time — it will not be easy —’
She broke off and extended her hand in farewell.
‘You’ve been prodigiously kind, Mr Rutherford, and I don’t know how to thank you. I feel somewhat easier for having confided my troubles to you and your niece. I trust that in a happier time, if ever that comes, we may know each other better. Goodbye, and thank you — thank you!’
‘So that’s the position, Joe. We now know that Thompson was a blackmailer and that in some way Yarnton had smoked that fact out. What isn’t so clear is whether Yarnton knew the actual identity of the blackmailer.’
‘Well, one thing is clear, sir, if I may say so, and it’s that if this Thompson heard deceased’s remarks, we’ve got a strong motive for murder, stronger than Lord Velmond’s.’
‘True.’ Justin frowned thoughtfully. ‘Lady Quainton repeated to me the exact words used by Yarnton to the group of guests with her at the time. Those words were: “I believe the gentleman in question is among us this evening, perhaps not so very far away?” Taken in conjunction with the fellow’s previous question, what does that suggest to you, Joe?’
‘That he definitely thought the blackmailer was one of that group, sir,’ replied Watts promptly, ‘though he may not have been sure which one.’
Justin nodded. ‘I think it’s a fair assumption. At any rate, we can’t afford to overlook it. There were nine people in that group, of whom four were ladies. We can discount them, of course.’
‘A female wouldn’t hardly have the strength to strangle a man,’ agreed Watts.
‘Nor, I believe, the temerity to enter the gentlemen’s cloakroom,’ said Justin dryly. ‘And that is where Yarnton was murdered. To resume. Of the five gentlemen, we may rule out Velmond. Not simply because I believe him innocent, but more positively because it’s palpably absurd to suppose him to be blackmailing his own wife. That leaves us with Cleveland, Bradfield, Dr Wetherby and Cleveland’s secretary, Peyton.’
‘We can count Mr Bradfield out, sir, can’t we? We established that he was in the refreshment-room taking a drink with Lord Velmond until his lordship decided to leave. That hardly gives him more than ten minutes or so to get into the cloakroom ahead of his lordship, strangle his victim and make his escape. Not saying it couldn’t be done, of course, if a man’s cool and quick enough, but all the same —’
He shook his head doubtfully.
‘Yes, it’s unlikely, but I think we must include him in our investigations. We’re going to need to look very carefully into the affairs and backgrounds of all these men. Fortunately, although I’m acquainted with them in a general way, none is a personal friend. I don’t become involved with Town society to any extent, as I’m frequently either out of England or doing research in Oxford. I can therefore preserve a reasonable degree of detachment.’
‘So what’s our next move, sir?’
Justin brooded for a moment. ‘Joe, when you made a search at Yarnton’s rooms, did you chance to find any reference to Thompson among his papers? Of course, that name would mean nothing to you at the time, so you may not have noticed.’
Watts looked crestfallen. ‘That’s just it, sir. We did find a notebook, a sort of diary, y’know. We scanned through it, thinking to find some clue to his murderer there, but it wasn’t no use. He’d written down all the bits of spying he’d done — very spiteful it was, sir — and several taunts he meant to throw at various individuals. We couldn’t fathom who most of them were because he’d used initials or just one letter instead of a name. But nothing stood out, as you might say, and seeing as it was a dead bore to plough right through it, we gave it up. It’s possible, though, that he may have mentioned Thompson, if only we’d known the name mattered and we’d troubled to go through the book more thoroughly.’
‘What did you do with it?’ demanded Justin, his eyes alight.
‘Why, put it back in his bureau along of all his other papers. We locked the desk and kept the key, of course, and we locked up his rooms, too. Don’t think his lawyer’s been along so far to ask for the keys.’
‘Splendid! We’ll obtain them from Conant at once. I’d like to take a look at this diary myself.’
CHAPTER 6
The bookroom in Mr Henry Cleveland’s house in St James’s Square was situated at the front, overlooking the gardens. It contained two writing desks, one for the Member of Parliament and a smaller one for his secretary. On a chilly, wet morning in late March, the view throu
gh the window was not as pleasant as sometimes. Nevertheless, Cleveland stood looking out as one in a trance, the expression on his countenance matching the weather.
He drew a small notebook from his pocket, slowly turning the pages. Hearing a knock on the door, he hastily restored it to its place, calling out permission to enter.
Roderick Peyton came in, looking the perfect secretary in his dark grey coat and trousers, his cravat tied in one of the more discreet styles.
‘Good morning, sir,’ he greeted Cleveland deferentially. ‘I’ve opened the post, and there are several letters requiring your personal attention. Mr Grey Bennet, who is to be chairman of the Select Parliamentary Committee on the Police, would like an appointment at your early convenience.’
‘Yes. Well, consult my diary and see when I am free,’ replied Cleveland somewhat absently.
He turned away from the window and sat down at his desk, pulling some papers towards him. Peyton also seated himself to begin work.
‘Police,’ said Cleveland thoughtfully. ‘I wonder how Bow Street are progressing with the recent murder? Nasty business for Velmond.’
Peyton looked up. ‘Yes, indeed. I have heard a rumour that his friend Mr Justin Rutherford is interesting himself in the case. Do you know if there’s any truth in it, sir?’
Cleveland looked up sharply. ‘Interesting himself? In what way?’
‘By what I heard, he was asking questions and had been to see the chief magistrate at Bow Street, Sir Nathaniel Conant.’
‘You’re vastly well informed,’ said Cleveland, giving him a sharp glance.
‘I try to keep my ear to the ground, sir,’ replied Peyton modestly, ‘in your interest.’
‘Oh, yes, quite so. Well, young Rutherford is reputed to have a keen mind. If he interests himself in a subject, I dare say he’ll manage to master it.’
A Reputation Dies: A thrilling combination of detective fiction and romance (The Rutherford Trilogy Book 1) Page 5
