The Layton Court Mystery

by Anthony Berkeley

  The inspector looked slightly taken aback.

  ‘Well, I think it would be better, my lady,’ he replied, a trifle deprecatingly. ‘As the only surviving relative of the deceased’s, you know. But of course if you have any – ’

  ‘I was not a relative of Mr Stanworth’s,’ Lady Stanworth interrupted in the same tone. ‘I thought I had made that clear to you this morning. He was my brother-in-law.’

  ‘Quite so, quite so,’ said the inspector apologetically. ‘I should perhaps have said connection. It is usual for the nearest connection to be present when – ’

  ‘I ought to have warned you, perhaps, Lady Stanworth,’ Jefferson put in evenly. ‘But, unfortunately, I have not seen you to do so since before lunch; and I did not care to take the responsibility of disturbing you. The opening of the safe is, after all, a mere formality; and both the inspector and myself have no doubt that nothing of any importance will be found. Nothing whatever.’

  Lady Stanworth looked hard at the last speaker for a moment, and when she spoke again the former coldness of her tone had completely disappeared.

  ‘Of course I will come if you think it better, Inspector,’ she said graciously. ‘There is really no reason whatever why I should not do so.’ And without more ado she led the way towards the library.

  Roger brought up the rear of the little party. He was thinking furiously. He had watched the little exchange that had just taken place with feelings almost of bewilderment. It was so unlike Lady Stanworth to go out of her way to snub the poor inspector in that highly unnecessary manner. Why had she done so? And why had she been so very much on the high horse with regard to the opening of the safe? It seemed almost as if she had been really apprehensive of something, and had adopted this attitude in order to cloak her actual feelings. But if that were the case, what earthly reason could she have for apprehension? Roger asked himself despairingly.

  Yet her sudden change of manner was no less remarkable. As soon as Jefferson had spoken, she had become as gracious as ever and all objections had been abruptly dropped. What was it Jefferson had said? Something about nothing of importance being found in the safe. Ah, yes. ‘Both the inspector and myself have no doubt that nothing of importance will be found.’ And myself! Now he came to think of it, Jefferson had certainly stressed those two words a little. Could it be that he had conveyed some kind of warning to her? Information of some sort? And if so, what? Obviously the same information that he and Mrs Plant had received during the morning. Was it possible then that Lady Stanworth herself could be in league with Mrs Plant and Jefferson? Surely this was making things altogether too complicated. Yet he could take his oath that something had passed between those two before Lady Stanworth finally descended the last few stairs so amicably.

  Thus the gist of the thoughts that whirled confusedly through Roger’s brain during the few seconds occupied by the journey to the library. As he passed the threshold he raised his eyebrows in mock despair and, shelving this fresh problem for the time being, prepared to give all his attention to present events.

  Mrs Plant and Alec were already in the library; the former perfectly cool and collected, the latter, to Roger’s eyes at any rate, somewhat ill at ease. It was clear, Roger reflected, with some uneasiness, that Alec did not at all like the highly ambiguous position in which he stood with regard to that lady. What would he say when he heard the possibility that his hostess also might not be unconcerned with this dark and mysterious business? It would be just like Alec to throw up the whole affair and insist on all cards being laid upon the table; and that would have broken Roger’s heart just at the moment.

  Inspector Mansfield was regrettably lacking in an appreciation of dramatic effects. He did not gaze around him from beneath lowered brows. He did not mutter to himself so that everyone could strain forward to catch his ominous words. He did not even make a speech.

  All he did was to observe cheerfully, ‘Well, let’s get this business over,’ and casually open the safe. He could not have made less fuss had it been a tin of sardines.

  But in spite of the inspector’s lamentable behaviour, drama was not altogether lacking. As the heavy door swung open, there was an involuntary catching of breath and heads were craned anxiously forward. Roger, watching the faces of the others instead of the centre of attraction, noted quickly that a flicker of anxiety flashed across the countenances of both Mrs Plant and Jefferson. ‘Neither of ‘em have seen inside, then,’ he thought. ‘Their information came from a third person. That’s certain, anyway.’

  But it was Lady Stanworth who held his attention most closely. Thinking herself unobserved for the moment, she had not troubled to hide her feelings. She was standing a little behind the others, peering between their heads. Her breath was coming quickly, and her bosom rising and falling almost tumultuously; her face was quite white. For a few seconds Roger thought she was going to faint. Then, as if she was reassured, the colour came back into her face and she sighed ever so softly.

  ‘Well, Inspector?’ she asked in normal tones. ‘What is there?’

  The inspector was rapidly scrutinising the contents.

  ‘As I expected,’ he replied, a trifle disappointedly. ‘Nothing of any importance as far as I’m concerned, my lady.’ He glanced quickly through a bundle of papers that he held in his hands. ‘Share certificates; business documents; contracts; more share certificates.’

  He replaced the bundle in the safe and took out a cash-box.

  ‘Whew!’ he whistled softly, as he opened it. ‘Mr Stanworth kept plenty of ready money on hand, didn’t he?’

  Roger pricked up his ears and followed the direction of the inspector’s gaze. Lying loosely at the bottom of the cash-box was a thick wad of banknotes. The inspector picked it out and flicked them over.

  ‘Upwards of four thousand pounds, I should say,’ he remarked with fitting awe. ‘That doesn’t look as if he was in financial difficulties, does it?’

  ‘I told you I thought it most unlikely,’ Jefferson said shortly.

  Mrs Plant stooped and looked into the safe.

  ‘Oh, there’s my jewel-box,’ she said, in tones of relief. ‘On the bottom shelf.’

  The inspector bent down and extracted a small case of green leather. ‘This, madam?’ he asked. ‘You said this is yours?’

  ‘Yes. I gave them to him to lock up for me yesterday morning. I never like to leave them lying about in my room if I can help it, you know.’

  The inspector pressed the catch and the lid of the case flew open. A necklace, a bracelet or two, and a few rings were visible inside; pleasant little trinkets, but not of any remarkable value.

  Roger exchanged glances with Alec. In the eyes of the latter there was a scarcely concealed derision which Roger found peculiarly difficult to bear in silence. If ever a look said, ‘I told you so!’ Alec’s did at that moment.

  ‘I suppose Lady Stanworth can identify these as yours, madam,’ the inspector was saying. ‘Purely as a matter of form,’ he added, half apologetically.

  ‘Oh, yes,’ said Mrs Plant easily, picking the necklace and a few other things out of the case. ‘You’ve seen me wearing these, haven’t you, Lady Stanworth?’

  There was a perceptible pause before Lady Stanworth answered; and it seemed to Roger that she was looking at Mrs Plant in rather an odd way. Then she said, naturally enough:

  ‘Of course. And I remember the case, too. Yes, these belong to Mrs Plant, Inspector.’

  ‘Then we may as well hand them over to her at once,’ said the inspector, and Lady Stanworth nodded approvingly.

  ‘Is that all you require, Inspector?’ Jefferson asked.

  ‘Yes, sir; quite. And I’ve had my journey for nothing, I’m afraid. Still, we have to go into everything, as you know.’

  ‘Oh, naturally,’ Jefferson murmured, turning away from the safe.

  ‘And now I must get back and finish my report,’ the inspector continued. ‘The coroner will communicate with you this afternoon as soon as I’ve seen
him again.’

  ‘Oh, by the way, Inspector,’ Mrs Plant put in, ‘Mr Sheringham was telling me that I might be wanted to attend the inquest. Is that necessary?’

  ‘I’m afraid so, madam. You were the last person to see Mr Stanworth alive.’

  ‘Yes, but my – my evidence wouldn’t be of the least importance, would it? The few words I had with him about those roses can’t throw any light on the matter at all.’

  ‘I’m very sorry, madam,’ the inspector murmured, ‘but in these cases the last person to see the deceased alive is invariably called, whether the evidence appears to be of any importance or not.’

  ‘Oh! Then I must take it as quite certain that I shall have to attend?’ Mrs Plant asked disappointedly.

  ‘Quite, madam,’ the inspector returned firmly, moving towards the door.

  Roger hooked his arm through that of Alec and drew him out through the French windows.

  ‘Well?’ asked the latter with an undisguised grin. ‘Still as sure as ever that those jewels weren’t in the safe, Sherlock Sheringham?’

  ‘Yes. I’ve been expecting a little subtle ridicule from you, Alec,’ Roger said with mock humility. ‘No doubt I deserve it.’

  ‘I’m glad you’re beginning to realise that,’ retorted Alec pleasantly.

  ‘Yes, for drawing the only possible conclusions from a given set of facts. Well, I suppose we shall have to go back to the beginning again, and start to draw some impossible ones instead.’

  ‘Oh, Lord!’ Alec groaned.

  ‘But seriously, Alec,’ said Roger with a change of tone, ‘things are going very curiously. Those jewels ought not to have been in the safe at all, you know. Nor the money either, for that matter. It’s all wrong.’

  ‘Most annoying when things break rules like that, isn’t it? Well, I suppose you’ll allow now that Mrs Plant was speaking the truth this morning, after all.’

  ‘I suppose I shall have to,’ said Roger reluctantly. ‘For the present, at any rate. But it’s very, very extraordinary.’

  ‘That Mrs Plant should have been speaking the truth? It seemed to me far more extraordinary that she should have been lying, as you were so jolly sure.’

  ‘All right, Alec. Don’t get rattled. No, I wasn’t meaning that exactly. But that she should have been so remarkably agitated about those jewels of hers, as if she thought that somebody was going to steal them! And then that yarn of hers that she thought the police would take them and she wouldn’t get them back. No, say what you like, Alec, it is extraordinary.’

  ‘Women are extraordinary,’ said Alec wisely.

  ‘Humph! Certainly Mrs Plant is.’

  ‘Well, at any rate, she’s exonerated, I take it.’

  ‘No, that she isn’t,’ said Roger with decision. ‘That lady isn’t free from suspicion yet by any means. After all, the matter of the jewels is only one of several curious circumstances. But look here, Alec; another remarkable thing has cropped up since I saw you last. I’m going to tell you, because I promised I’d share anything new with you at the very beginning. But I won’t unless you’ll promise to take it quite calmly, and not smite me with that great ham-fist of yours or throw yourself despairingly into a rose bush or anything. You know, you’re a very difficult sort of person to work with on this sort of job, Alec.’

  ‘Fire away!’ Alec grunted. ‘What’s happened now?’

  ‘You won’t like it, but I can’t help that. After all, I’m only telling you facts, not theories; and there’s no getting away from them, however unwelcome they may be. It’s about Lady Stanworth this time. Listen.’

  And Roger embarked upon a voluble recital of The Strange Behaviour of Lady Stanworth.

  chapter twelve

  Hidden Chambers and What-nots

  ‘Oh!’ said Alec carefully, when Roger had finished.

  ‘You see? I carefully refrain from drawing any deduction. Aloud, at any rate. All I say is that it looks funny.’

  ‘Lots of things seem to look funny to you, Roger,’ Alec remarked tolerantly.

  ‘About this case?’ Roger retorted. ‘You’re quite right. Lots of things do. But let’s put all these side issues behind us for the moment. There’s one thing that I’m simply aching to set about.’

  ‘Only one?’ said Alec nastily. ‘And what’s that?’

  ‘To find out how the murderer got away from the library last night. If we can solve that little problem, we’ve cleared up the last remaining difficulty as far as the committing of the murder goes.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose we have,’ Alec replied thoughtfully. ‘But it seems to me that we’ve rather got our work cut out there, haven’t we? I mean, it’s pretty well impossible for a man to get out of a room like that and leave everything locked up behind him, you know.’

  ‘On the contrary, that’s just what it isn’t; because he did it. And it’s up to us to find out how.’

  ‘Got any ideas about it?’ Alec asked with interest.

  ‘Not a one! At least, I can think of one very obvious way. We’ll test that first, at any rate. The library’s empty now, and I expect Jefferson will be pretty busy for the rest of the afternoon. We can sleuth away in peace.’

  They turned their steps in the direction of the library.

  ‘And what is the obvious solution to the library mystery?’ Alec asked. ‘I’m blessed if I can see one.’

  Roger looked at him curiously. ‘Can’t you really?’ he said.

  ‘No, I’m dashed if I can.’

  ‘Well – what about a secret door, then?’

  ‘Oh!’ Alec observed blankly. ‘Yes, I didn’t seem to think of that.’

  ‘It’s the only obvious way. And it’s not outside the possibilities by any means in an old house like this. Especially in the library, which hasn’t been pulled about so much as some of the other rooms.’

  ‘That’s true enough,’ said Alec, quite excitedly. ‘Roger, old sleuth, I really do believe you’re on the track of something at last.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Roger returned dryly. ‘I’ve been waiting for a remark like that for some hours.’

  ‘Yes, but this really is interesting. Secret passages and – and hidden chambers and what-nots. Jolly romantic, and all that. I’m all in favour of unearthing it.’

  ‘Well, here we are, and the scent ought to be strong. Let’s get down to it.’

  ‘What shall we do?’ asked Alec, staring curiously round the walls as if he expected the secret door to fly suddenly open if he looked hard enough.

  ‘Well, first of all, I think we’d better examine this panelling. Now, let’s see; this wall where the fireplace is backs on to the drawing room, doesn’t it? And this one behind the safe on to the storeroom and a little bit of the hall. So that if there is a door or anything, the probability is that it will be in one of those two walls; it’s not likely to be in either of the outside ones. Well, I tell you what we’d better do. You examine the panelling in here, and I’ll scout round on the other side of the walls and see if I can spot anything there.’

  ‘Right-ho,’ said Alec, beginning to scrutinise the fireplace wall with great earnestness.

  Roger made his way out into the hall and thence to the drawing room. The dividing wall between that room and the library was covered with paper, and one or two china cabinets stood against it. After a cursory peep or two behind these, Roger mentally wrote that wall off, at any rate, as blameless. The storeroom, similarly, was so full up with trunks and lumber as to be out of the question.

  Roger returned to the library, to find Alec industriously tapping panels.

  ‘I say,’ said the latter, ‘several of these panels sound hollow.’

  ‘Well, there’s no way through either into the drawing room or the storeroom, I’m convinced,’ Roger remarked, closing the door behind him. ‘So that I don’t think it’s much use trying those walls haphazard.’

  Alec paused. ‘What about a secret chamber, though? That wouldn’t necessarily need a way straight through. It might come out anywhere
.’

  ‘I thought of that. But the walls aren’t thick enough. They’re only about eighteen inches through. No, let’s go and have a look at it from the outside. There might possibly be some way into the garden.’

  They went out through the open windows and contemplated the red-brick walls attentively.

  ‘Doesn’t look very hopeful, does it?’ said Alec.

  ‘I’m afraid not,’ Roger admitted. ‘No, I fear that the secret-door theory falls to the ground. I thought it would somehow.’

  ‘Oh? Why?’

  ‘Well, this house doesn’t belong to the Stanworths, you see, and they’ve only been here a month or so. I don’t suppose they’d know anything about secret passages, even if there were any.’

  ‘No, but the other fellow might.’

  ‘The murderer? It isn’t likely, is it?’

  ‘I hate giving up the idea,’ said Alec reluctantly. ‘After all, it’s the only possible explanation of his disappearance, as far as I can see.’

  Roger suddenly smote his hands together. ‘By Jove! There’s one hope left. Idiot not to have thought of it before! The fireplace!’

  ‘The fireplace?’

  ‘Of course! That’s where most of these old houses have their secret hiding places. It will be there if anywhere.’

  He hurried back into the library, Alec close at his heels. There he stopped suddenly short.

  ‘Oh, Lord, I was forgetting that the blessed place had been bricked in so very thoroughly.’ He gazed at the modern intrusion without enthusiasm. ‘That’s hopeless, I’m afraid.’

  Alec looked thoughtfully round the room. ‘I don’t think we’ve examined these walls enough, you know,’ he remarked hopefully. ‘There’s plenty of scope in this panelling really.’

  Roger shook his head. ‘It’s just possible, but I’m very much afraid that – ’ He caught a sudden and violent frown from Alec, and broke off in mid-sentence. The door was opening softly.

  The next moment Jefferson entered.

  ‘Oh, hullo, you two,’ he said. ‘I’ve been looking for you. Can you manage to look after yourselves for the afternoon?