Murder at the Seaside Hotel: A 1920's Historical Cozy Mystery (An Evie Parker Mystery Book 5)

by Sonia Parin

  One by one, they each drew in a deep breath as if to compensate for the fact they had almost stopped breathing.

  Silence settled in the sitting room.

  A flash of lightning had them all looking out to sea.

  “That looks like a storm heading in,” Edmonds said, his voice almost a whisper.

  “How can you tell it’s coming inland?” Caro asked.

  He held up a finger and then pointed toward the beach as another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. “That one’s closer.”

  “We might want to think about heading back to the hotel,” Caro suggested.

  Evie exchanged a raised eyebrow look with Tom and the detective. “Caro?”

  “Yes, milady.”

  “Did you just make all that up?”

  “Oh, the story… Did you like it?”

  “Yes. I found it intriguing. We all did.”

  Caro smiled. “I used to tell my brothers bedtime stories. Most of them were scary. They loved them.” She shrugged. “Something comes over me and I just get carried away and lose myself in telling the tale.”

  “You did very well, Caro. We will now have to make further inquiries. Tom.”

  “Yes, Countess?”

  “You will have to ask the concierge if there are any single female guests staying at the hotel.”

  The detective loosened his tie.

  “Detective. You look worried.”

  “That’s because I am. If any of this proves to be correct, then the local police will have a lot of questions to answer.”

  “Earlier, I told Caro the truth might be staring us in the face, or something along those lines. It is quite possible, someone is close to getting away with murder.”

  “Not on my watch.”

  “That’s the spirit, detective. I am so glad you came.” She turned to Tom. “Now, should we head back?”

  “Yes, Richards has offered to drive us back to the hotel.”

  “We could all do with a good night’s sleep, especially if tomorrow springs as many surprises on us as today did.”

  Chapter 22

  Sleep came to Evie in fitful jolts. Her mind remained active throughout the night, refusing to release all the thoughts it had entertained during the day.

  As much as she’d liked Caro’s idea of May Fields switching places with a wealthy woman, the theory left out the two protagonists Evie had been fixating on.

  Unless…

  The banker and the lawyer had played a role in the switch, somehow facilitating it...

  She peeled an eye open and squinted against the sunlight spilling into her room.

  They had a lot to get through that day.

  The night before, Tom had walked her to her room and had then returned downstairs to have a word with the concierge. A lot depended on his findings.

  Caro had said she would liaise with the maid in the morning and engage her assistance, and Edmonds would be right there to make sure nothing happened to her.

  “That leaves me,” Evie murmured. She couldn’t stand around twiddling her thumbs…

  “Good morning, milady.” Caro breezed in and went straight to the wardrobe. After a brief perusal, she selected a dress in a soft shade of pink with black stripes on the sleeves and collar. “I hope you slept well.” She turned and yelped. “Oh. Oh, you’re awake.”

  “You walk into my room, greet me and then act surprised because I’m awake?”

  “I am sincerely surprised. Usually, you shake your head, groan and moan, turn over a couple of times and then, you open your eyes. But here you are, wide awake. I trust you slept well.”

  “Yes, thank you. There’s no use complaining about a restless night. I’ve been thinking about the day’s activities. How sure are we about the maid? What if she somehow assisted May Fields?”

  “That’s a valid point, milady. But we’ll have to take our chances. I’ll make sure to stay close to her so she doesn’t have the opportunity to alert anyone. We can’t abandon the plan now. If the murder weapon is still in the room, we must find it.”

  “Assuming someone killed the maid before she fell.” Evie groaned. “Are we getting carried away?”

  “Milady! Please tell me you are not having second thoughts. The detective came all this way to assist you. That has to mean something.”

  “True.”

  “If your suspicions did not have any substance, he would not have given you the time of day.”

  “Also true.” Evie flung the bedcovers off and swung her feet off the bed.

  “Tom is waiting for you downstairs. He mentioned something about breakfast.”

  “I suppose I should hurry. I wouldn’t want Tom to think I make a habit of taking too long to dress.”

  Caro laughed under her breath. “I think we are well past that, milady.”

  When she finished dressing, Evie stepped back and adjusted her hat. “Caro.”

  “Yes, milady.”

  “You don’t have to do this.”

  “I would never forgive myself if I didn’t do something, milady. Edmonds is hovering nearby, waiting for me. I have already spoken with the maid.”

  “I thought you weren’t going to say anything until you were ready to go into the room. What if she’s in on it and alerts her co-conspirators?”

  “Relax, milady. When I said Edmonds is hovering nearby, I meant, he is standing guard outside the room she is cleaning.”

  “I see. You have everything under control. And yet… I’m still not entirely sure about the plan,” Evie murmured as she made her way out of her room.

  She found Tom in the lobby, his attention fixed on the stairs.

  “Have you had a chance to speak with the concierge?” she asked.

  “Not yet.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked as Tom guided her out of the hotel.

  “I thought we might have breakfast with the detective.”

  “You’re going to leave Caro and Edmonds?”

  “They can look after themselves.”

  Evie settled into the passenger seat and waited for Tom to climb in before saying, “I’m not sure I will be able to enjoy breakfast while my maid is putting her life at risk.”

  “I saw the Prentiss couple leave fifteen minutes ago.”

  “What if they forgot something? Someone should stand guard.”

  Instead of answering, Tom pulled into traffic and drove as fast as he could, which resulted in a few heads turning.

  “You might have warned me to hold onto my hat,” Evie exclaimed as he pulled into the drive leading to the Beach House.

  He brought the car to a stop right outside the front door.

  Coming around to open the passenger door, he said, “You are displaying a great deal of reluctance. I thought you were eager to solve this mystery and see the killer behind bars.”

  “I am, but not at the expense of my maid.”

  “Well, we have a busy day ahead. Let’s be sensible and have a hearty breakfast.”

  Richards welcomed them in.

  “Good morning, Richards.”

  He inclined his head. “My lady. The detective is in the library attending to a telephone call.”

  They followed him through to a dining room facing the sea. Despite not having much of an appetite, Evie helped herself to some eggs and toast.

  As she sat down, Tom excused himself. “I’m… I’m going to have a word with the detective.”

  “B-but, he’s on the telephone.” Turning, she realized she’d spoken to thin air. Evie huffed out a breath and forced herself to eat. Breaking off a piece of crispy toast, she attacked the egg yolk. It seemed everyone had something to do. “Except me.”

  The door to the dining room opened and the detective walked in. “Ah, Lady Woodridge. Good morning.”

  “Good morning, detective. I hope you will join me for breakfast. I am feeling rather abandoned this morning.”

  He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat opposite Evie. “I have just spoken with your man of bu
siness. I must say, I am very impressed. He is a thorough man.”

  “Yes, Mr. Matthew Keys has been with the family since his youth. He’s one of our most trusted employees. What did he have to say?”

  “A great deal, my lady. I believe he found answers to all your questions. As I’m not sure why you asked them, I hope you will make sense of them.” The detective drew out a notebook. “To start with, Mr. Prentiss has been married two years.”

  “Oh, yes. Tom and I were wondering about his marital situation. I have never seen such an unhappy looking couple. At one point, we believed they had been roped in or blackmailed to play a role in a conspiracy to commit a crime and that’s why they looked so miserable. What else did Mr. Keys say?”

  “The Addington couple have also been married for two years.”

  “Did Mr. Keys manage to find a link between the two men?”

  “Yes, and he said he found that to be the most difficult task as the club in question refused to divulge members’ details. He eventually succeeded, however, Mr. Keys did not wish to reveal his tactics.”

  Evie wouldn’t be surprised if he had employed bribery. “He is incredibly resourceful.”

  “As it turns out, our persons of interest both belong to the same club.”

  “But that doesn’t necessarily mean they know each other,” Evie said.

  “True, however, Mr. Keys’ informant confirms the gentlemen have been observed enjoying a drink while sitting by the fireplace.”

  And, still, that didn’t confirm an association between the two men.

  The detective smiled. “I believe the following will convince you, my lady. Almost three years ago, Mr. Prentiss drew up a will and handled all estate matters for Mr. Archival Holloway, Mrs. Addington’s uncle.”

  Evie shifted slightly. “I see. Was this, by any chance, before she became Mrs. Addington?”

  “Yes, by only a few of months. Soon after Mr. Prentiss drew up the will, Mr. Addington met the heiress. A whirlwind romance ensued and they married.”

  “Are we to assume Mr. Prentiss pointed him in her direction?”

  The detective nodded.

  “I see. And she just happened to be an heiress.”

  “As I’ve often said, coincidences tend to expire at some point.” He turned a couple of pages on his notebook. “I believe you came up with a theory about wealthy widows.”

  “Yes, we thought they might have been targeting them. And now Caro has come up with an equally enthralling theory. I must say, she has impressed me.”

  The butler refreshed Evie’s coffee. Taking a sip, she mused, “Maybe that’s what the maid overheard. Mr. Prentiss might have been talking about it with his wife, telling her Mr. Addington married not for love but rather for money. That is not the sort of information you wish to have spread around. If the maid overheard it, she might have decided to use it against Mr. Addington to extort money from him.” She shook her head. “I’m afraid all the different theories we have contrived are currently meshing inside my head. I fear I might never be able to entertain another clear thought again.” She looked over her shoulder. “Tom seems to have disappeared.”

  “He mentioned something about talking to the concierge.”

  “Aha! He has abandoned me. This is his way of keeping me out of the line of fire. Just as well, I’m sure I would have been a hindrance. Everyone had a task except me.”

  They heard hurried footsteps approaching. A moment later, Caro burst into the room.

  “Milady. What an adventure we’ve had.”

  “Caro! I’m ever so happy to see you alive and well. Do sit down and have a cup of tea.”

  “I’m far too excited for that.” She looked toward the door. Edmonds appeared carrying a bulky object. “We have absconded with a statue!”

  Chapter 23

  Evie glanced at the detective. “I’m sure Caro didn’t mean what she said…”

  “Oh, yes. I did. I stole a statue from the hotel,” Caro stated. She could not have sounded prouder.

  Evie tried to signal with her eyes, but Caro either ignored her or she felt compelled to throw caution to the wind.

  “As a matter of fact, I also helped myself to a pillow case. Show them, Edmonds.”

  Evie sighed and watched Edmonds set the bulky object on the table. Taking care to only handle the pillow case, he unveiled the statue.

  Caro grinned. “We actually changed our tactics at the last minute. While I engaged the maids in conversation, Edmonds sneaked into the room and grabbed the statue. We had discussed this earlier in the morning. I noticed the table lamp had a glass top and a cord attached, so I concluded it could not have been used as a weapon.” Pointing at the statue, she added, “I haven’t actually wiped it, so it might all have been for naught.” Caro dug inside her handbag, produced a white handkerchief and handed it to the detective.

  The butler jumped into action and put a jug of water and a small dish on the table. Clearly, he had heard the detective’s story the previous night.

  Drawing in a deep breath, the detective dampened the handkerchief and began to dab the statue, paying particular attention to the ridges.

  Evie studied the dancing girl, casting an appreciative eye over the stylized design. To think it might have ended someone’s life or rather contributed to the end of a life.

  The detective stopped dabbing the statue and held the handkerchief out for their inspection.

  Caro gasped and pressed her hands to her cheeks. “Is that… Is that blood?”

  “It appears to be.” The detective smiled at her and then at Evie. “Ladies, gentlemen, I believe we have our murder weapon.”

  And no victim, Evie couldn’t help thinking. She shifted and found a chair to sit on. “Amazing. What now?”

  The door to the dining room opened and Tom walked in.

  “Just in time,” Evie said and pointed to the handkerchief.

  As he studied it, he said, “I spoke with the concierge. May Fields applied for the position herself.” He looked straight at Evie when he added, “This happened straight after Mr. Prentiss’ visit to Findon.” He did not wait for their responses. “Also, only one guest left before her scheduled departure.”

  “A woman?” Evie asked.

  He nodded and handed the detective a piece of paper. “I wrote down her London address. It would be worth following up on it. Although…” he raked his fingers through his hair, “What are the chances? I mean, really? What are the chances? All along, we’ve been thinking of May Fields as the victim and she could, quite possibly, now be the killer. I… I… My apologies, I am lost for words.”

  “Does this mean our other suspects are off the hook?” Evie asked.

  “I think it means we are a step closer to proving one possibility,” the detective offered. “But you proposed another scenario, Lady Woodridge.” The detective took care to cover the statue. “This will need to be analyzed. The killer did a thorough job of cleaning it, but not thorough enough.” He pushed out a breath. “This gives rise to more questions than I could ever answer.”

  “Will you speak with your Worthing counterpart?” Evie asked.

  “No, I’m afraid not. At this stage, I think I will need to go straight to Scotland Yard.” He looked up at the butler. “Do you have something I could use as a carry bag? I will be catching the next train to London.”

  “Will you return here, detective?” Evie asked.

  “Quite possibly.” He nodded and then shook his head. “I have no idea how I am going to explain all this.”

  “I certainly don’t envy you, detective.” Evie tapped her chin in thought. “I keep going over everything we have put together and all I can see are loose ends. Mr. Prentiss’ visit to Findon and subsequent contact with May Fields. That is a coincidence we cannot overlook. His association with Mr. Addington is another one. The emergence of a note written by May Fields. Why didn’t Ruth Charles mention it when we visited Findon? I’m sure I told her I had offered to take care of the arrangements.”
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  “We’ll get to the bottom of it, Lady Woodridge. Now, I will have to take my leave. I promise to contact you when I know something.”

  “That is very considerate, detective. Thank you.”

  “It’s the least I can do, my lady.”

  “This almost feels anticlimactic,” Evie mused as they made their way back to the hotel.

  “Would you care to take a drive? It might clear your head,” Tom offered.

  “Oh, yes. I like the idea of escaping from it all…”

  He made a turn and headed in the opposite direction.

  “I take it you know where you are going.”

  “Brighton. It’s not far from here, which makes me wonder why you chose Worthing as our destination.”

  “Oh, it was nothing more than a coincidence. Caro expressed a desire to visit the seaside and I received an invitation to stay at the hotel.” Evie laughed. “I believe I am about to launch into another scenario. After all, what are the chances of receiving such an offer right at the time when my maid expresses a desire to visit a seaside town?”

  “Are you about to suggest the hotel owner planned it all?”

  “That would be too far-fetched.” She lowered her hat over her eyes. “What should I look forward to seeing in Brighton?”

  “Great architecture.”

  “Oh.”

  “The area has a significant Stone Age history.”

  “More flint mines?”

  Tom laughed. “No, I don’t think so. There is a pier.”

  “Oh, heavens.”

  “By the way, the concierge said he saw Mr. Prentiss arrive soon before five on the afternoon of the incident. He and his wife went straight to the library.”