'Thought of something, sir?' Wilkins asked.
Allgood didn't answer. 'The fire in her room. It was a big one, wasn't it?'
'Yes, very big, by all accounts, sir. Several people mentioned how hot it was in there.'
Allgood strode across the room, jerked open the door and gave a yell. 'Sergeant!'
A rather alarmed-looking Leather arrived within seconds.
'Where's that fur coat?' Allgood barked.
'Locked in the car outside, sir, waiting to be taken to the station for—'
'Fetch it, quick!'
Leather hurried away. Allgood went to the piano, switched on a lamp that stood on it and took from an inside pocket a powerful magnifying glass. Leather arrived at a run, carrying the mink. Allgood positively snatched it from him and - holding it close up under the lamp and using the glass - carefully scrutinised the material round one of the holes. Wilkins saw that it was the one in the left breast.
Thirty seconds, then nearly a minute, passed. Allgood lowered the glass and raised his head. There was a strange gleam of triumph in his eyes. He addressed Leather.
'Sergeant, go and fetch Carter here immediately.'
'Yes, sir.'
Wilkins' face was suddenly pale. Quietly he said, 'Don't say — don't say you've found proof, sir.'
'Yes, Wilkins. I think I can say I have.'
Wilkins sat down slowly. 'Oh,' he said.
A minute later Leather returned, accompanied by an angry-looking Paul followed by Gerry. Allgood turned to face him. His expression was grim.
Gerry said, 'Look, how much more of this is he expected to put up with? It's disgraceful.'
'Please be quiet,' Allgood said.
He moved close to Paul, and unobtrusively Leather edged round to stand between Paul and the door.
Allgood spoke heavily. 'Paul Edward Carter, as you are aware, I am a police officer. I am inquiring into the murder of Laura Lorenzo. It is now my duty to—' He paused.
Then, utterly unexpectedly, he smiled. '- my pleasant duty to inform you that you are no longer suspected of the crime.' He held out his hand. 'Congratulations.'
* * *
At Allgood's words, Gerry gave a whoop of joy. Paul, however, said nothing. His face was white. He swallowed, then like an automaton slowly reached forward and took Allgood's hand.
'You mean that?' he said thickly.
'I do. You're a very lucky chap.'
The colour was slowly returning to Paul's face. He said, You're a cad, you know, to frighten me like that.'
'Sorry. Just my little joke. Couldn't resist it. If you want to sock me on the beak I shall quite understand.'
Paul managed a wan smile. 'It's tempting, but no. I'm just too grateful.' He turned to Gerry, who came up and took his arm. 'Well, sweetheart,' he said, 'looks as if the nightmare's over.'
She nodded happily. 'So Inspector Wilkins was right?'
'Yes, and I give him full credit for it,' Allgood said. 'Unfortunately' - he smiled - 'he was right for entirely the wrong reasons.' He crossed to Wilkins and put a hand on his shoulder. 'Wilkins, you have a natural flair for detective work. You're what I call an instinctive or intuitive detective. Take my advice: learn to reason, to use logic. I think in time you could become quite an effective investigator.'
'Thank you, sir,' Wilkins said.
Allgood redirected his attention to Paul. 'Want to apologise, old man, for putting you through all that cross-questioning. Unfortunately it was essential. By the way, understand you were at Eton. What years? Wondering if we overlapped?'
They moved to one side a little. Gerry looked closely at Wilkins. 'You all right, Mr Wilkins?'
'Oh, yes, my lady, thank you.'
'You don't look well.'
'I expect that's just reaction, as they say.'
Her face cleared. 'Oh, I see. You thought he was going to arrest Paul, too?'
'Yes, my lady, for a minute or two there I really did.'
'Which would have made you look a bit silly, I suppose. Well, he didn't. You've been vindicated. Congratulations.'
'They're not called for, my lady.'
'But you were right! Oh, you mean what he said about the wrong reasons? But the reasons aren't really important, are i hey? Besides, it's only a matter of opinion. I bet your reasons were just as valid as his. What were his reasons, anyway?'
'I'm not quite sure, my lady.'
'Well, I'll soon find out.' She turned back to Allgood. 'Chief Superintendent, may we know how you came to the conclusion that Paul was innocent?'
Allgood hesitated. 'Well, I suppose it won't do any harm. After all, if we let the story get around, it'll show the real killer what he's up against it. Well, it all swings on this.'
He picked up the mink for them to see and briefly ran through the circumstances of its discovery. Then he said, 'Let's see if Chief Inspector Wilkins can explain my reasoning.'
Wilkins blushed. 'Well, sir, you were examining the fur round that hole in the front. You found something. I would guess traces of blood?'
'Right. And plainly Laura Lorenzo's blood — though, of course, we'll have to get that confirmed by the lab. Now, what does that tell us?'
'That she was wearing it when she was murdered. The killer removed it from the body and threw it out of the window afterwards.'
'Precisely. There you are: you see, Wilkins, you can do it. Go on. What about the hole?'
'You mean, sir, that he cut the fur away just to remove the bullet hole?'
'Of course. And no doubt burnt it. It could only have been done after she was shot. Carter couldn't conceivably have done it in the time that elapsed between the shot being heard and Lady Geraldine arriving. Which means that, as Carter said, that shot was a blind, and she was really killed earlier. It's not this which proves Carter's innocence, of course, since he could easily have fired both shots himself. What really clears him - as the murderer must have realised at the last moment - is the mere fact that the lady was wearing the coat when she was killed; a fact given away by the existence of the bullet hole and the blood.'
Paul frowned. 'I'm sorry, and maybe I'm dense, but you'll have to explain that.'
Allgood was positively beaming by now. He said, 'Well, Wilkins, can you oblige the gentleman?'
'I'm afraid not, sir. It's got me beat.'
'Listen, in that bedroom there was a very big open fire. Several people commented on the heat in there, even with the door open. And we know that at about twelve-thirty the maid Eloise went in to make up the fire. Then, at about five past one, a footman saw Signorina Lorenzo enter the room and close the door after her. By then it must have been like an oven in there. Now, even granted that the lady was used to a warm climate and liked heat, it's inconceivable she would have kept her coat on for more than two or three minutes after going in. One of the very first things she would have done would be to take it off.'
Gerry said excitedly, 'Which means she must have been shot almost as soon as she went in!'
'Exactly, Lady Geraldine. Or before one-ten, at the latest, a time when Carter was still four miles from the house, stuck at the side of the road out of petrol - a fact vouched for by you, Lady Geraldine, and by Quartus.'
Wilkins was nodding slowly. Almost to himself, he said, 'Yes, I see. That's it. Very clever indeed.'
Allgood looked amused. 'Thank you, Chief Inspector,' he said, and there was irony in his voice. 'I assume you concur with my findings?'
'Oh, yes, sir. The murder was committed before ten past one, all right.'
'Most gratified.' Allgood gave him a mock bow.
'But what exactly happened?' Paul asked.
Allgood, now in high good humour, was eager to explain. 'The murderer got to the room before Signorina Lorenzo, and waited for her. He shot her almost as soon as she came in, took that letter — the one she'd been writing — from the drawer, and put the gun outside in the corridor. He had a second gun ready, to fire the alarm shot. He left the door open an inch and waited to give a groan as
soon as he heard someone come along the corridor, stop and pick up the gun.'
'Someone?' Paul said. 'Not me specifically?'
'I don't think so. He couldn't have known you'd use that bathroom — though maybe, on the other hand, he didn't realise you usually went to the other one. I would say he just thought it inevitable that somebody — most likely you or Quartus or Miss Fry - would come along. But time passed and nobody did. You, Carter, had been delayed, and Quartus had gone out again to look for you. According to her statement, Miss Fry had entered her room before Signorina Lorenzo came upstairs, and didn't leave it again. We can imagine the murderer becoming more and more frantic as no one came, and then suddenly realising the point about the bullet hole in the coat giving away the actual time of death. His attempt at a frame-up was ruined, but his mind must have worked like lightning. There was a pair of scissors on the dressing-table, and it wouldn't have taken him more than a couple of minutes to cut the holes. No doubt he burnt the pieces he cut out. Then he threw the coat out the window.'
'Why?' Gerry asked.
'Well, the best way out of the coat problem would really be for it to disappear entirely. Perhaps he thought that if he got it out of the house temporarily, there was just a chance he might be able to dispose of it the following day. Failing that, however, then at least the holes would conceal the fact Laura Lorenzo was wearing it when she was shot. And they would have, had he not been a little bit careless in cutting round the bullet hole and left traces of blood. But, of course, he was working under great pressure.'
'Why cut four holes?'
'Camouflage, Lady Geraldine: to draw attention away from that particular hole, to disguise the reason for it.'
There was silence for a few seconds before Paul said, 'Isn't it odd that nobody heard the first shot?'
'I don't think it is,' Gerry said. 'The walls and doors here are so thick and solid that sound just doesn't carry. We found that out last time, didn't we, Mr Wilkins?'
'Yes, indeed, your ladyship. In addition, of course, the next door room is that of Mr Quartus, and he was out of it at the time.'
'There is another possibility,' Allgood said. 'He could have used a silencer. I must ask the Earl, if he owns a silencer for that gun, to check if it's still there.'
Paul said, 'That second gun - the one that fired the alarm shot you think that was the killer's own?'
'Well, there are no other guns missing from the collection, so it must have been. But obviously, it won't still be in his possession.'
'You mean he'll have hidden it in the house somewhere?' Paul said eagerly. 'Well, surely, if you search for it . . .'
'Oh, we will, in time. But it won't do a lot of good to find it, except to provide additional confirmation of your story. Plainly it won't be one that can be traced to the killer, since he could easily have stolen a second gun from the collection if he'd needed to. And he won't have been such a fool to have left his prints on it.'
Gerry was frowning. 'Where did that second bullet go? The window in Laura's room was closed, and so was the one at the end of the corridor. Or did he use a blank?'
'He might have, though I doubt it. If he brought blanks with him it would probably mean he'd planned the scheme before he arrived, which seems highly unlikely. No, remember the door of the bathroom is almost across the corridor from the bedroom, and the window in the bathroom is opposite the door. What's more, the window was open when I was up there a short while ago. Probably he opened it in advance. That wouldn't cause any comment, as people tend to open bathroom windows even in very cold weather, to let steam out. So all he would have had to do, after shoving Carter in the back, was stand in the corridor and fire his gun through the open bathroom door and out of the window. Then he could slip down the stairs, or actually into the bathroom itself, closing the door after him. A few seconds later he could quietly join the crowd which had gathered in the doorway. He could rely on nobody else looking anywhere but into the bedroom, though even if somebody did spot him coming out of the bathroom it would hardly cause any comment.'
Gerry gave a little shiver. 'He sounds awfully clever, doesn't he?'
'Yes, we're dealing with a very smart and ruthless criminal. However, one perhaps not quite as smart as he believes himself to be. Part of his scheme's gone wrong already. And he's one of a very small circle of suspects, some of whom will probably have alibis. So it shouldn't be too hard to root him out.'
She stared. 'You mean that?'
'Oh, yes. I expect to have him under lock and key by Monday. But if not, on Tuesday we'll start digging into the backgrounds of all the suspects - and Signorina Lorenzo - checking for past connections, possible motives, police records, and so on. The truth is bound to come out then.'
'I hope you're right,' she said. 'Incidentally, will you be starting your questioning tonight? Mummy was wondering about dinner.'
Allgood looked at his watch. 'I had meant to begin interviewing this evening, but all these developments have made it a bit late for that now. So tell them they can relax tonight, or at least the innocent ones can. I shall go to my room and spend a couple of hours in intense thought. I'll start my interrogations in the morning.'
'May I also tell them Paul is in the clear?'
'By all means.'
'And what you've discovered about the actual time of the murder, the mink and everything?'
'I don't see why not.'
She gave a grin. 'Spiffing. Come on, Paul, this is going to be fun.'
She took his hand, hurried him to the door and opened it. Then she stopped. Leaning up against the wall outside, his hands in his pockets, was Hugh.
She said, 'Oh, isn't it marvellous? Mr Allgood's completely cleared Paul of the murder.'
'Really?' He cocked an eye at Paul. 'Congratulations.'
'Thanks.'
Hugh sauntered into the room. Gerry said, 'She was killed much earlier than anybody thought - almost as soon as she got home. Paul was out with me then. So he's got an alibi.'
'I see. And that must mean I have, too.' He gazed coolly at Allgood. 'Is that right? Am I cleared, also?'
Allgood said, 'You're Quartus, correct?'
Hugh bowed his head.
'Let me see. You were downstairs, in full sight of the Earl and Countess when Signorina Lorenzo went up to her room. You left the house almost immediately, drove four miles, found Lady Geraldine and Carter, and brought her back with you, arriving here at about one-fifty. Is that right?'
'Hundred per cent.'
'Then, yes, Quartus, you're in the clear.'
Hugh nodded casually. 'Good.'
'That's wonderful!' Gerry said excitedly. 'Thank heavens Paul ran out of petrol!' She took Hugh's arm. 'Come on, we're going to tell the others.'
He shook his head. 'You go on. I want to talk to the law.'
'OK.' She and Paul left the room.
'I've been wanting to speak to one of you all day,' Hugh said, 'but thought I'd better wait until I was sent for. However, if I wait any longer it won't be worth bothering at all.'
'To do what?' Allgood asked a little coldly.
'To report a stolen motor-bike.'
Chapter Seventeen
'A motorcycle?' Allgood looked annoyed. 'I am hardly the person and this is hardly the time to—'
'No? All right, I'll go and report it to the village bobby. Only as it was taken Friday night, shortly before the murder, I thought you might be interested.'
'Stolen from here?' Allgood was suddenly alert.
'Yes.' Hugh explained the circumstances.
'And the thief left the sidecar?' Allgood frowned. 'What an extraordinary thing. But I can't see any possible connection with the murder.'
Hugh said, 'The talk at first was of the motive being robbery and the fur coat being thrown out of the window to an accomplice. Although I see the coat's been found' - he nodded towards the piano, on which Allgood had put it down - 'it occurred to me that that might have been the original plan and they took my bike as a getaway vehic
le.'
Allgood looked dubious. 'Well, it's a possibility, I suppose. Anyway, thank you for telling us.'
'I want it back, so put out an all-points bulletin, or whatever you call it, won't you? It's a jolly good machine.'
'That'll come under my jurisdiction, sir,' Wilkins said. 'I'll see to it.'
'Thanks.' Hugh went out.
Allgood sat silently thinking for a minute or so, until there came a knock at the door. It was Paul again.
Allgood said, 'Ah, Carter, how was Lady Geraldine's announcement received?'
'Oh, reasonably well. Everybody was very nice to me. The Earl apologised first, and then all the others - even though I'm far from certain they're all convinced. Particularly as it gradually sank in that if I'm innocent, they now understand they're all suspects. And when Gerry told them what you said about probing into their private affairs if the case wasn't solved by Monday, the atmosphere became a little strained.'
'Excellent! That should make all the innocent ones very eager to cooperate.'
'Lady Burford, of course, backed up by cousin Cecily, now maintains that the murder must have been committed by some passing tramp, who is now miles away. I think we're all going to pretend to go along with that, for the sake of normality. To admit openly that one of your companions is a murderer would make the situation intolerable. Why I came back, though, was to talk about silencers. Gerry told her father what you said. I offered to bring his reply. He has a dozen or more of the things. Seems he used to fit them to every pistol possible, so he could fire them without disturbing people too much. But since he's had that little shooting range put up, and the room is properly soundproofed, he's never bothered. They're all kept with the ammunition, and he couldn't possibly say if one is missing.'
Allgood nodded. 'I see. Well, it doesn't really matter. We know the shot was fired. Why it wasn't heard isn't vitally important.'
'Right. I'll tell him.' Paul started to turn away but hesitated.
Allgood eyed him keenly. 'There's something else, isn't there?'
Paul smiled. 'How did you know?'
'Why should you have brought the message about the silencers? It was a pretext. You wanted to see me again, and I would guess without Lady Geraldine being present.'
2 The Affair of the Mutilated Mink Page 18
