Aunt Bessie Remembers

by Diana Xarissa

  “Where shall we start?” he asked.

  “Maybe you should tell me about the evening as if I weren’t there,” Bessie suggested. “It will be interesting for me to hear about it from a different perspective.”

  “I’ll start with Saturday afternoon,” Jack said. “Susan Haymarket arrived around one o’clock. Elizabeth thought that the police inspector was going to be coming with her, but he was on a later flight for some reason.”

  Bessie nodded. “What about Elizabeth’s friends? Were they already at Thie yn Traie at that time or did they arrive later in the day?”

  “That’s a good point. Most of Elizabeth’s friends arrived on Friday evening. I’ll tell you about them first, then, shall I?”

  “I think that would be best.”

  “Okay, let me think. Elizabeth sent a car to the airport around seven. It brought back Vivian Walker and Ernest and Norma McCormick. I met them in the foyer and had their bags taken to their rooms while they went in to dinner with the family. After dinner, I escorted them all to their rooms in the east wing.”

  “And what did you think of them?”

  “Oh, I couldn’t possibly say anything about the guests in the house,” Jack began. He laughed. “Okay, yes, I can, but only to you. I have told the police a few things as well, but I was more careful with them. I know the chief constable is friendly with Mr. Quayle. I can’t have him finding out that I was talking about the guests, now can I?”

  “I suppose not, but if you tell me anything that might be relevant, I will have to tell John Rockwell about it,” Bessie warned him.

  “He seems very reasonable. Maybe he could put whatever it is into his notes as coming from an unnamed source or something like that.”

  “I’ll certainly ask him to do so.”

  “Okay, so what did I think of the first three arrivals well, let me see. Vivian Walker is a spoiled monster who thinks men should fall at her feet so that she can trample all over them and then laugh. When I didn’t immediately become enslaved by her beauty, she got quite snippy with me, which I found amusing.”

  Bessie grinned. “So you didn’t like her, but can you see her killing anyone?”

  “Absolutely. I can see her losing her temper and stabbing someone with one of her ridiculously high heels, for instance. Do I think she killed Jerome Rhodes? No, I don’t. It was far too cleverly done for her.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “The man was alone in a locked room in the dark. The killer had to make his or her way out of the great room, find a way into the study, find and stab a man in the dark, and then get back to the great room without anyone noticing. I can’t quite believe that anyone accomplished that, really.”

  “John said something about another way into the room?”

  “I’m looking for it, but I haven’t found it yet,” Jack replied. “The police are still denying everyone access to the study itself, but I’ve been trying to find a sliding panel or something on the wall behind it every chance I get. I haven’t found anything yet, though.”

  “Elizabeth was in the corridor with a torch. She would have seen anyone who walked out of the great room. There must be another way into that room.”

  “I agree, although I’m not sure that I’d rely too heavily on what Miss Elizabeth says, either.”

  “Why not?”

  “I believe she and Mr. Caine spent some part of the time while the lights were out, um, let’s just say, together.”

  “Together and not paying attention to anything else that was going on around them?” Bessie suggested.

  “Exactly.”

  “I thought Andy was in the great room the whole time,” Bessie mused. “I certainly didn’t notice him leaving.”

  “The staff was all in the kitchen, but I can tell you we heard a lot of noise and shouting, even from that distance. You couldn’t possibly have heard anyone leaving or entering the room.”

  “It was very dark, though.”

  Jack nodded. “I still think whoever it was found another way into the study, but he or she might have switched a torch on at some point outside of the great room. I don’t know that anyone in the great room would have noticed.”

  “Probably not. But we were talking about the guests. You didn’t like Vivian. What about Ernest and Norma?

  “They seem slightly odd to me, but nice enough.”

  “Odd in what way?”

  “Maybe it’s a twin thing, but they seem to be together all the time. I don’t have any siblings, but they seem much closer than most of my friends are with their brothers and sisters.”

  “Perhaps it is a twin thing,” Bessie said. “I understand they work together in the company business, as well, so that may play a part in their relationship.”

  “I don’t think either of them killed Mr. Rhodes, mostly because they are so close. If one of them wanted to commit murder, I think they both would have had a hand in it, and that would make things even more complicated.”

  “Maybe one of them stayed behind to provide an alibi for the other,” Bessie suggested.

  “Except as far as I know, neither of them has done so. Mr. McCormick said something at breakfast about not knowing where anyone was while the lights were out. I waited to see if he’d add something about his sister, but he didn’t.”

  “Okay, so those three arrived and were given dinner. What happened next?”

  “While they were eating, Sean Rice, Richard Long, and Madison Fields arrived by taxi. I believe there was some sort of confusion about their arrival, which is why Elizabeth hadn’t sent the car again.”

  “And what did you think of them?”

  “Mr. Rice and Mr. Long are nearly interchangeable. They’re both London bankers with too much money and not enough personality.”

  “It’s difficult to imagine either of them as a murderer, then.”

  “Yes and no. I suspect they’re both quite capable of murder if suitably provoked, but I couldn’t begin to guess what might provoke either of them.”

  “Sean is quite interested in Vivian,” Bessie suggested.

  “Only because she’s gorgeous and the only woman around, well, aside from Madison, but we’ll talk about her later. He wants her, but he wouldn’t kill for her, and even if he would, why would he kill Mr. Rhodes? His only competition for Vivian’s affections at the moment is Mr. Long.”

  “But you think either of them could be the murderer, if we could come up with a motive.”

  “It will have to be something to do with money,” Jack told her. “That’s the only thing men like that really care about.”

  “So we need to learn more about both men. Maybe one of them crossed paths with Mr. Rhodes in London.”

  “Maybe. Now let’s talk about the quiet, shy, and mousy Madison, shall we?”

  “You don’t like her?”

  “I wouldn’t say that, exactly, but no, I really don’t. She does her best to blend into the background everywhere, but in a showy way. It’s almost ‘look at me, here I am, standing in the corner, being all demure and silent.’” He shook his head. “I’m explaining myself badly, but there’s something unpleasant about her. Her shy, quiet routine seems to be working on Richard Long, though.”

  “I thought he was paying her some attention at lunch.”

  “He is, which is driving Vivian mad. She wasn’t interested in either man until Mr. Long started chasing after Madison, now she’s chasing him while Mr. Rice is chasing her and it’s all getting quite ugly.”

  “Can you see Madison as the killer?”

  “She’s certainly sneaky enough to have worked out a way to do it, but she’s also curiously devoid of emotions. I can’t see her caring enough to kill anyone. Still, with the right motive, yes.”

  “What happened after they arrived, then?”

  “Elizabeth took them to the dining room and fed them. Eventually, they went to their respective rooms and everyone was tucked up for the night.”

  “Could anyone have been up explor
ing Thie yn Traie during the night?”

  “We had a member of the security staff stationed in that corridor all evening,” Jack told Bessie. “He was there in case anyone needed anything, not because we were worried about security, but he reported the next morning that no one had left their rooms before breakfast time.”

  “Did anything interesting happen at breakfast?”

  “Not that I recall. I can tell you all about it if you’d like, but I really don’t think it’s relevant.”

  “When you started earlier, you started with Susan’s arrival at one. Can we safely jump to that, or is there anything you need to tell me about the morning or lunch?”

  “Not a thing. As I said earlier, we were expecting the police inspector to arrive with Ms. Haymarket, but she told us that the man had had to switch to a later flight for some reason. Miss Elizabeth might know more about that. All I know is that I had to ring all of the guests to change the time of the party from six to seven.”

  “All of the guests?”

  “I didn’t ring the guests who were staying at Thie yn Traie, just everyone else.”

  “You didn’t ring me, either. I still arrived at six.”

  “Miss Elizabeth told me that she would ring you herself. I’m sorry that she didn’t do so.”

  “It wasn’t a problem. Elizabeth sent a car for me before six, anyway. I’m not sure why she didn’t let me know about the change.”

  “I suspect she wanted her mother to have some company while she was waiting,” Jack said with a grin.

  Bessie nodded. Elizabeth knew how nervous her mother got before social occasions. She also knew that having Bessie there would make Mary feel better. “Susan arrived at one, and then what happened?” she asked.

  “She and Miss Elizabeth directed the staff as to how they wanted the great room set up. They worked out where Mr. Rhodes was going to stay while the lights were out, and basically just rushed about shouting at everyone.”

  “And where were Elizabeth’s friends during all of this?”

  “They mostly stayed out of the way, although I’m pretty sure they all drifted through at least once or twice during the afternoon. The kitchen staff was kept busy taking them all food and drinks, mostly to the television room in the east wing. That seems to have been where the group spent most of their time on Saturday.”

  “Why didn’t they go out and see some of the island?” Bessie demanded.

  “Miss Elizabeth did suggest that, but no one was interested in doing so. Apparently it was more fun to sit around and complain about being bored.”

  “You said Elizabeth and Susan worked out where Mr. Rhodes was going to be while the lights were out. How many of Elizabeth’s friends were around when she and Susan were discussing that?”

  “I know Mr. Rice and Mr. Long wandered through during that part of the discussion, because they were together and they were looking for a photocopier for some paperwork that Mr. Long needed copying to give to Mr. Rice.”

  “Did they seem particularly interested in the study?”

  “I wish I could say yes, but they were just looking for Miss Elizabeth so that they could ask about a photocopier. I don’t recall either of them paying any attention to the various rooms outside the great room, or even being there when Miss Elizabeth and Ms. Haymarket were discussing using the office.”

  Bessie made more tea and added more biscuits to the plate. “What was the next thing that happened, then?” she asked as she sat back down.

  “You arrived,” Jack grinned, “and you know what happened from there.”

  “So talk to me about the people we haven’t already discussed. Tell me about Leonard and Liza Hammersmith for a start.”

  “They’re guests at Thie yn Traie at least once a month. Mr. Quayle has some business interests that Mr. Hammersmith shares.”

  “But what do you think of them?”

  “She’s a social-climbing snob who thinks she’s better than everyone else, and he’s a ruthless businessman who would steal from his own grandmother if he thought it would help him make a pound or two.”

  “My goodness, you really don’t like them, do you?”

  Jack shrugged. “I don’t really like them, but at least I know where I stand with them. I can’t see either of them killing anyone in such an elaborate way. If Mr. or Mrs. Hammersmith wanted someone dead, they’d simply hire someone to do it for them. Neither of them would get their hands dirty.”

  “What about Mona Kelly?”

  “She’s a dear,” Jack said with a smile. “I know she’s a little bit older than I am, but, well, there’s something very attractive about her.”

  “She’s considerably older than you,” Bessie pointed out.

  Jack shrugged. “I’d still ask her to dinner if I thought she’d say yes.”

  Bessie chuckled. She didn’t understand it herself, but she knew that Mona generally had that effect on men. “So you don’t think she killed Jerome Rhodes?”

  “No, although if she wanted him dead there’s no doubt in my mind that her escort could have had it taken care of in no time.”

  “Michael Higgins?”

  “Yes, although I doubt that’s his real name. He’s MI5 or MI6 or maybe even with some government department about which we know nothing.”

  “And you think he could have killed Jerome?”

  “I think he could have had the man killed, but if he did want him dead, he would have done a better job of it. Mr. Rhodes would have fallen off a cliff or taken an accidental overdose of something. He wouldn’t have been stabbed. Mr. Higgins is far too clever to have done something so crude.”

  “I think that’s everyone,” Bessie sighed. “We don’t need to discuss George, Mary, or Elizabeth, and I won’t consider Andy as a suspect either.”

  “I could never say a bad word about my employers,” Jack said. “Anyway, Mrs. Quayle was with you and Mr. Quayle is far too loud and bumbling to have walked anywhere when the lights were out. From the kitchen doorway, I could see Miss Elizabeth for most of period in question, as she had that torch, and Mr. Caine was with her nearly the entire time.”

  “And the staff were all in the kitchen?”

  “That seemed the safest place for everyone,” Jack explained. “I warned Miss Elizabeth that I was going to have them all join me in the kitchen, which meant leaving the bar unattended for a short while, but she didn’t mind.”

  “What about the security staff?”

  “They were monitoring the house from the outside, but didn’t have any staff inside Thie yn Traie during the party,” Jack replied.

  “That’s a shame. And they were warned about the power cut?”

  “Yes, Miss Elizabeth set it all up with them so that they didn’t worry. Security arranged for the power to be cut to the ground floor, but the external cameras and alarms continued to function throughout the outage. I’m afraid there’s no way anyone broke into the house to kill the man.”

  “I can’t imagine how anyone from outside would have found their way to Jerome in the dark, anyway,” Bessie said. “The killer has to have been someone who was at the party. What did you think of Susan?”

  “When she first arrived, she seemed very competent and a bit bossy. Miss Elizabeth didn’t seem quite certain of how to deal with her. As the afternoon went on, however, it became increasingly obvious that she was slightly out of her depth, shall we say? The plans kept getting more and more convoluted as they went along and I believe Miss Elizabeth was getting quite fed up.”

  “And what did you think of Jerome Rhodes?”

  “I didn’t believe he was a police inspector, that’s for sure, not after he started drinking, anyway, and he started drinking almost as soon as he arrived.”

  “Did he mention why he’d taken a later flight?”

  “Not to me, but he didn’t say much to me at all. He mostly looked right through me as if I weren’t worthy of his notice. That was the first thing that gave him away, really. Real police inspectors know that the staf
f always know everything that happens in a home and pay them particular attention. That’s one of the reasons why I’m so frustrated about this murder. It happened right under my nose and I almost feel responsible.”

  “Don’t be silly. You are in no way responsible.”

  “I feel as if I should know who did it, though. I was there, right down the corridor from the study. I should have seen something or heard something.”

  “As you said earlier, the party was very loud and there was all manner of shouting going on. Jerome could have shouted out his killer’s name and we all would have missed hearing it. As for seeing something, well, if Elizabeth missed it all while practically standing in the doorway, it’s hardly surprising that you missed it.”

  “Which is why I’m quite determined to find the alternate way into the room that has to be there,” Jack said. “I was hoping you might know about it, actually, as you were around when the house was being built.”

  “I didn’t really know the Pierce family,” Bessie said. “I certainly wasn’t invited over to Thie yn Traie while they lived there. I do know someone that I could ask, though. If anyone would know about secret doors at Thie yn Traie, it’s Bahey Corlett.”

  “Is it?”

  Bessie grinned. “She was nanny to the Pierce boys when they were growing up. She’s retired now and lives in Douglas.”

  “Can you ring her right now?” Jack demanded.

  “I can try. I don’t know that she’ll be home.”

  She wasn’t. Bessie let the phone ring a dozen times, but no one picked up, and Bahey didn’t seem to have an answering machine. “I’ll just try her friend, Howard, as well,” Bessie told Jack. “She’s often with him.”

  Howard didn’t answer either, but at least he had a machine. Bessie left a message, asking him to have Bahey ring her back before she put the phone down. “I’m sorry, but that’s all I can do.”

  “Now I’m even more eager to get back to the house,” Jack said. “I really want to find that secret door myself, if I can. Mrs. Quayle gave me the afternoon off. If I go back now, I can spend a few hours searching before I have to return to work.”