Murder and Mittens

by Anne Wrightwell

Chapter 29

  Etta was soon summoned to Sir James’ study and asked to explain herself. She stood in front of the old man standing by his desk and glaring at her from under busy eyebrows, who she suddenly realised, was only about ten years older than her mother, and was surprised to discover that she was not quaking in her shoes.

  ‘I understand that your maid is your mother?’

  Mr. Cook certainly hadn’t wasted any time.

  ‘That’s correct.’

  ‘Who are you?’

  ‘Before I say anything further, I think you should ask Algernon Wainwright to come here.’

  ‘What has he got to do with it?’ Sir James demanded.

  ‘If he comes here, you’ll find out,’ was Etta’s cool reply.

  Sir James scowled at her and then summoned Mr. Cook and asked him to fetch Algernon.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Algernon asked as he came through the door.

  ‘Sir James, Mr. Wainwright has something to tell you,’ Etta said. She didn’t see why she should have to do all the explaining when the scheme was Algy’s brainchild.

  Sir James exploded. ‘What’s going on? That’s what I would like to know. Who is this young woman and why is her mother her maid?’

  ‘Ah,’ said Algernon.

  ‘The game’s up Algy and it’s time to come clean.’

  ‘Ah,’ Algernon said again. ‘It’s a little difficult to explain.’

  ‘Try,’ Sir James invited him.

  Algernon tried. ‘I got Hetty, Miss Ashcroft, except she isn’t, Hetty Ashcroft, I mean, she has a different name but for this she was called Miss Ashcroft,’

  ‘Get on with it,’ Sir James growled.

  Algernon swallowed. ‘Well, the fact is, I asked Hetty to pose as an heiress and get herself invited down here with her maid.’

  ‘You did, did you? Why?’

  Algernon ran a finger around his collar as if it were too tight.

  ‘ Miss Ashcroft and her mother are private investigators.’

  ‘What!’

  Etta really thought that Sir James was going to have a heart attack. His face went an alarming shade of red and his breathing began stertorous. ‘Loosen your collar and have a glass of water,’ she urged. ‘And try to calm down. Do you have any medication?’

  ‘There’s nothing wrong with me,’ said Sir James irritably but his colour did lessen. ‘I just want to hear what this is all about. Why did you have the damned cheek to bring private investigators to my house?’

  Algernon stood his ground. ‘I apologise, bad form I know, but I was doing it to try to protect Dotty.’

  ‘What does Dotty need protecting from?’

  ‘From Stewart Grenadier for one thing and from, I’m sorry to say, from Denny and from Lorenzo Spinoza.’

  Sir James latched onto Lorenzo Spinoza. ‘Lorenzo? Why Lorenzo? He’s a millionaire and a very astute financier. He’s helping me sort out my finances.’

  ‘That’s what you think,’ Etta said before she could stop herself.

  ‘He may be a millionaire but he’s got there with some very crooked business ways. He and Denny are involved in a financial scam, a non existent gold mine.’

  Sir James’ face now went an alarming shade of pale.

  ‘Oh no,’ Etta said, ‘you didn’t give him any money, did you, Sir James?’

  He sat down heavily. ‘No, I am extremely thankful to say that I did not. But I was counting on him to lend me some money.’ He looked even older than before. ’Without his money, I can’t go on. The house will have to go.’

  ‘Is it that bad?’ Algernon asked.

  ‘In a word, yes.’

  ‘I’m terribly sorry.’ Algernon paused for a moment and then went on in a rush, ‘so that was why Hetty was here, as bait for Lorenzo to get proof of the scam and get him arrested.’

  ‘And Dennis is involved in this financial misadventure?’

  ‘I’m afraid so, yes.’

  ‘Have they taken any money off Dotty?’

  ‘Not as far as I know.’

  ‘That’s something to be grateful for.’ Sir James helped himself to a drink from the decanter sitting on his desk. He sat there silent for a while and then spoke. ‘I don’t want any more scandal. Mrs. Spinoza’s death and my boy’s are bad enough. Having a scandal about Dennis as well as losing the house will kill my wife. I’d like you to leave as soon as possible.’

  ‘There’s only one problem,’ Etta said gently. ‘The police may not let us.’

  Sir James heaved a sigh. ‘Very well, but as soon as the inspector says you may leave, I want you to go.’

  ‘Are you going to tell everyone the truth?’ Algernon asked.

  ‘No, I don’t want my wife or daughter to have anything more to upset them. I’ll keep quiet and I’ll tell Mr. Cook to do the same.’

  ‘Mrs. Wagstaff knows as well,’ Etta pointed out.

  ‘Then I’ll ask her to keep her mouth shut, as well.’

  Etta was a little shocked by this but she reflected Sir James had had two big shocks in as many days.

  ‘Lets go, Etta,’ said Algernon.

  Miss Mitten sought her out afterwards. It had begun raining. The grey cloud covered sky and the sound of the rain suited Etta’s mood.

  ‘Are you all right, my dear?’ she asked.

  “Can we go somewhere and speak privately?’ Etta asked.

  Miss Mittens led Etta to her bedroom. It was a similar size to Etta’s but on the other side of the house and had dark mahogany furniture. It also had two slipper chairs, upholstered in burgundy velvet.

  ‘Make yourself comfortable, my dear and lets see if we can make sense of what has happened.’

  Etta sat down and relaxed into the chair. It was quiet in Miss Mitten’s bedroom apart from a carriage clock ticking away.

  ‘To recap: Evangeline Spinoza was murdered and Lady Mowbray’s diamond necklace that she was wearing was stolen. Then the necklace turned up in your jewellery box and proved to be fake. We discovered that Dennis Mowbray was having an affair with Evangeline Spinoza. Then Cecil Mowbray was murdered after bragging to you that he was going to blackmail the murderer. We find out that Stewart Grenadier had also been having an affair with Evangeline and had been planning to substitute a fake necklace for the real thing. That was the necklace found in your room. Then the chauffeur digs up another necklace. Is there anything I’ve missed?’

  ‘How did you do that without a notebook?’ Etta asked.

  Miss Mittens gave a modest smile. ‘I have a photographic memory. Have I missed anything?’

  ‘Sir James’ financial situation?’

  ‘Ah yes, James. One of those men that reckon himself to be astute with money and yet have a gambling addiction. Yes, I knew about his financial problems. That was why Agatha wanted to sell the necklace to Evangeline.’

  ‘Mum and I thought that there were three people with a motive to kill Evangeline but we didn’t know about Stewart Grenadier at the time so that makes four. And with Callum, that makes five.

  ‘Who were your three?’

  ‘Lorenzo Spinoza, Dennis and Marjorie Mowbray. Have you got anyone else?’

  ‘Miss Potter, because she was Evangeline’s maid.’

  ‘Mum says she didn’t like her at all.’

  ‘Dotty.’

  ‘Dotty?’ Etta couldn’t keep the note of surprise out of her voice.

  ‘She is besotted with Stewart Grenadier and I wonder if she did know about the affair even though she says she didn’t.’

  Etta thought about Dorothy’s reaction to the news about Stewart’s affair with Evangeline and shook her head. ‘No, I think you’re wrong.’

  ‘Tears can be manufactured, you know but I agree that she is an unlikely murderer. I think we can rule out Marjorie Mowbray as well. She is unlikely to have committed the first murder and even more unlikely to have committed the second.’

  ‘That leaves Lorenzo, Dennis, Stewart, Miss Potter and Callum.’

  ‘Lorenzo Spinoza is an unscru
pulous man, even crooked in his business affairs. Does his lack of morality extend to murder? There was a bathroom that joined his and his wife’s bedrooms so he could go through without being seen from outside. Would he steal the necklace? We need to ask the inspector about his alibi for his wife’s murder and the murder of Cecil Mowbray.’

  ‘Do you think Dennis Mowbray could have done it?’ Etta asked.

  ‘A lovers’ quarrel perhaps especially if he had found out about Stewart. But for him much more than Lorenzo, why would he steal the necklace. I grant you he is an unscrupulous man but I think he would draw the line at stealing his mother’s necklace that he would be very likely to own one day.’

  ‘I bet he’d have fleeced his sister without batting an eye,’ Etta said.

  Miss Mittens sighed. ‘Families can be so difficult, can’t they? And siblings in particular. Again, I wonder what his alibis are?’

  ‘Stewart Grenadier’s next.’

  ‘The question about Stewart Grenadier I would like to have answered is, did he know or did he not know about the affair with Dennis Mowbray. If he didn’t know, then why would he kill Evangeline?’

  ‘So he must have known. He took the necklace and put the fake one in my jewellery box. Then he buried the real one in the wood,’ Etta suggested. ‘Callum must have discovered it somehow.’

  ‘That scenario has also occurred to me and yet, how would Stewart, who I believe, has never been to Wilkington Hall before, know about the way into the woods? That suggests someone who is knowledgeable about the local area. I look forward to hearing from Inspector Brighton what Stewart had to say for himself.’

  ‘Why would Miss Potter want to kill Evangeline?’

  ‘She does not seem a very likely suspect, that is true with no real discernable motive.’

  ‘And Callum?’

  ‘That’s the chauffeur isn’t it? I think your theory you mentioned earlier, is likely to be correct. Callum saw the real diamond necklace being buried or came across the site somehow and decided to keep it for himself. He is unlikely to be our murderer.’