Murder and Mittens

by Anne Wrightwell

Chapter 31

  The inspector came back after dinner that evening and called in Etta and Miss Mittens for a debrief.

  ‘Since you’re still keeping up your pretence, perhaps you could update your mother later,’ he said to Etta. ‘Stewart Grenadier says that he and Evangeline Spinoza were planning to steal Lady Mowbray’s necklace and substitute a fake one. The plan was for Mrs. Spinoza to leave her husband when they got back to London. He and she had planned that Mr. Grenadier would go to her bedroom and give her the fake necklace that night. However, when he got there, around two p.m. she was already dead and the necklace was gone.’

  ‘Do you believe him?’ Etta asked.

  Before the inspector could reply, Miss Mitten asked, ‘Did he know about Dennis Mowbray?’

  ‘He said yes. He said that Mr. Spinoza forced his wife to sleep with Mr. Mowbray to keep him happy.’

  ‘How shocking!’ Miss Mittens commented.

  Etta was silent; she was sickened by this revelation. Poor Evangeline Spinoza.

  ‘And the chauffeur, Callum?’

  The inspector half laughed. ‘He’s a canny one. At first he claimed he found the other necklace by accident and then under pressure, admitted he saw the butler and his niece burying it there. Claims he was digging it up so he could return it to its rightful owner.’

  ‘Mr. Cook the butler?’

  ‘That’s what he claims. I will be having a little chat with Mr. Cook very shortly. Now, have either of you anything to tell me?’

  ‘Not so far,’ Etta said.

  Miss Mittens hesitated. ‘Inspector, are you aware of Sir James’ money troubles?’

  Inspector Brighton quirked an eyebrow. ‘I had heard something to that effect,’ he admitted.

  ‘Mr. Cook has served this family faithfully for many years. I wonder if his loyalty to Sir James might have led him to an illegal act?’

  ‘You mean he was acting for Sir James?’

  ‘I think it a strong possibility.’

  ‘I’ll bear it in mind. Thank you, ladies, that will be all.’

  Dismissed, they left.

  Jen was in the Servants’ Room when Sergeant Wolf came in and asked Kate to accompany him. Kate cast a frightened look at him and then at John.

  “What do you want with her?’ John asked.

  ‘Police business,’ the sergeant told him. Jen assumed that was police speak for ‘mind your own business.’

  ‘She’s done nothing wrong,’ John insisted.

  ‘In which case, she’ll have nothing to worry about.’ Not in my world, thought Jen, maybe in this. ‘Come along now, miss.’

  He and Kate left the room.

  Jen went to wait for Etta. She came in a little later.

  ‘What’s happening?’ asked Jen. ‘Kate the housemaid was taken away by Sergeant Wolf.’

  Etta filled her in.

  ‘So Mr. Cook and Kate are involved in the theft?’

  Jen was furious to think how they had criticised her. But now she thought about it, she realised that they were probably trying to shift the blame on to someone else and protect themselves.

  When Jen got into bed that night, she found it difficult to sleep, her mind was racing like a hamster on a wheel, and the narrow, lumpy mattress didn’t help either. She thought longingly of her comfortable double bed at home with its mattress topper. That led her to thoughts of Matt. How she wished she was home, snuggled up to Matt in bed. She could almost feel his arms around her. Eventually she fell asleep.

  Jen dreamed. She dreamt that she was the White Rabbit with a butterfly net, chasing Etta who was dressed as Alice with a blue dress and white pinafore on. Jen could see her long white rabbit paws as she ran. The pocket watch banged against her side. But as she chased her, Etta changed into someone else, the dark hair flowing over her shoulders, gradually grew blonder and blonder. And when she looked round, it was not Etta’s face she saw but that of Miss Potter.

  Jen was interested and a little annoyed, to see that not one person mentioned the fact that Kate had been to visit the police when she went down to the kitchen the next morning to fetch Etta her cup of tea.

  She complained about it to Etta as she dumped her cup and saucer on the bedside cabinet.

  ‘Callum and I get treated like lepers but no one says a thing when Kate gets hauled off for questioning by the police.’

  ‘One rule for them and another rule for outsiders, Mum. I expect Mr. Cook got hauled off too. Miss Mittens says he would do anything for Sir James. ‘

  ‘More fool him.’

  ‘But if Mr. Cook and Kate stole the necklace before Stewart Grenadier, did they kill her or was she already dead when they got there?’

  ‘Good point. Do you think the inspector will tell you what they say?’

  ‘We can always ask. Since Miss Potter found her in the morning, that left loads of time for people to go in and out. You know that bedroom must have been like Paddington Station in the rush hour. Is there anyone who didn’t visit it that night?’

  ‘That reminds me, I had a weird dream last night.’

  About us in the coma?’

  ‘No. I dreamt I was the White Rabbit and I was chasing you dressed up as Alice. And then you changed into Miss Potter with her hair all down her back.’

  ‘That was weird,’ Etta said lightly. ‘Have I told you that Sir James doesn’t want any scandal about Dennis or Lorenzo so Algy has decided not to pursue it.’

  ‘Never mind all the people who lost their savings because of them,’ Jen said tartly.

  ‘I know, it’s a shame but Algy felt so badly for Sir James and Lady Mowbray, losing Cecil like that.’

  ‘Hmmn,’ said Jen, not convinced.

  Jen saw Callum when she went outside for a smoke after breakfast and to think about her dream and what Etta had told her. He was carrying a holdall and had a battered jacket on.

  ‘Callum,’ she said in surprise.

  He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes but he smiled at her and his eyes crinkled up, as always.

  ‘Hello there, Jane James.’

  ‘I thought the police were holding you.’

  ‘They had to let me go. They couldn’t prove that I wasn’t going to give back the necklace to Lady Mowbray. Besides, turns out the necklace was fake.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I reckon the old man did the dirty on her high and mightiness some time ago. Switched necklaces on her. I didn’t know he had it in him. So I’m free to go provided I don’t leave town.’ He grinned.

  ‘But you are leaving,’ Jen said, trying to absorb the information she had just been given.

  ‘The inspector wanting me to stay is no good reason. Besides, I’ve been sacked. I’d have to stay at the pub and waste my hard earned money. And I’m pretty tired of this place anyhow. Time to move on.’

  ‘Is it true about you being a jewel thief?

  He smiled again. ‘Depends. Do you want it to be true?’

  ‘No. Why would you want to steal from people?’

  ‘Stealing from poor people is wrong but stealing from rich people, what’s so wrong about that? They can afford to lose it. And if the swag goes to a good cause.’

  ‘Does it go to a good cause?’

  ‘The best in the world. Socialism, bringing hope to the masses. One day, this iniquitous capitalist system will be dismantled and workers will be free, resources shared equally.’

  ‘Don’t hold your breath,’ Jen said. ‘Where will you go?’

  ‘I think I’ll get out of England for a while.’

  ‘Russia?’

  He regarded her. ‘Maybe.’

  ‘It might not be as great as you think,’ Jen warned. Spain?’

  ‘Why Spain?’

  ‘I hear things about to get interesting there.’ When had the Spanish Civil War started?

  ‘Fancy coming along?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘You must be fed up to the back teeth with the set up? Fancy an adventure?’

  ‘Are you s
erious?’

  ‘Why not? I like a woman with backbone and we could have some fun.’

  For a half a minute Jane James was tempted and then she remembered that she was not Jane James, she was Jen Ashcroft and she had someone waiting at home for her.

  ‘I’m sorry, I can’t.’

  ‘Pity. Worth a try.’

  He stepped forward and kissed her. His mouth was soft and Jen felt a pang, just for a second, that she would never see Callum again.

  Bye Jane James. May you live in interesting times.’

  ‘And the same to you,’ she retorted. Wasn’t that saying a curse in some places? ‘Be careful.’

  He grinned again. ‘Always am,’ he called back and moved off towards the way into the woods.

  Jen was walking along the corridor to Etta’s room when she caught sight of Mrs. Wagstaff questioning Kate.

  ‘She and Miss Potter went to pick some bluebells for Lady Mowbray,’ Kate said.

  ‘What?’ exploded Mrs. Wagstaff.

  ‘She told Lily that you said to ask her to help her get the bluebells as something special to cheer up her ladyship. And that she needed some fresh air to clear the silly fancies out of her head.’

  ‘I did no such thing,’ Mrs. Wagstaff said.

  A sudden thought occurred to Jen. Lily and Kate shared a bedroom.

  ‘Kate, did you tell Miss Potter about Lily’s ghost?’

  Kate tossed her head. ‘I might have mentioned it when Miss Potter asked me if this house was haunted.’

  ‘You stupid girl!’ Jen said with feeling. She turned to Mrs. Wagstaff, ‘go and get Inspector Brighton or Sergeant Wolf. Tell them to go to Bluebell Woods immediately. Lily’s in danger.’

  She sprinted away from their startled faces and ran down the main stairs. She dashed towards the door that led to the servants’ way to the kitchen. Jen ran through the kitchen ignoring the complaints and crashes as they bumped into the kitchen staff. Then out into the kitchen garden and beyond, along the path that led to the back of the grounds and the gap in the fence.

  Jen squeezed through, she didn’t care about her apron this time; let it get stained. She just hoped she was in time to save Lily.

  This time in the woods, Jen tried to make as much noise as possible, deliberately treading on twigs and branches that snapped as she moved. She wanted to warn Miss Potter that she was not alone.

  Then the trees thinned a little and she saw Miss Potter and Lily up ahead. Lily stood out in her black dress and white apron. They both had their backs to Jen. Lily was stooping down to pick some bluebells, in front of Miss Potter, who had a branch as thick as her arm in her hand and was raising it up to strike.

  ‘Miss Potter!’ Jen shouted. ‘Miss Potter!’

  Miss Potter swung round and her arm fell to her side, the tip of the branch touching the ground.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked.

  ‘We could ask you the same thing,’ Jen said.

  Lily straightened up and turned round. Her hands were full of limp bluebells.

  ‘Hello miss, we’re picking bluebells for Lady Mowbray.’

  ‘I think you’ve got enough now, Lily. In fact, I think you should go straight back now.’

  Lily looked puzzled but started to move towards them. Miss Potter reached out, grabbed a wrist and pulled her back.

  Lily looked puzzled but started to move towards them. Miss Potter reached out, grabbed a wrist and pulled her back.

  ‘I don’t think so,’ she said.

  Jen looked round and saw a large branch on the ground. She picked it up, it was slightly damp and rough to the touch and ran at Miss Potter, brandishing the branch. Miss Potter moved slightly forward, letting go of Lily’s wrist, her eyes on Jen. Jen waved her branch to the right, and Miss Potter’s branch rose up to meet it, making a harsh sound. But at the same time, Jen curled her left hand into a fist and hit Miss Potter in the stomach. She made an ‘ooof!’ sound and collapsed to the ground.

  ‘Run, Lily, run!’ yelled Jen.

  Lily ran off, screaming.

  Jen stood over Miss Potter and let go of her branch. She looked up at Jen, her white hair straggling down around her face and to Jen’s surprise, began to laugh. It was not a nice laugh.

  ‘What are you laughing at?’ Jen asked.

  ‘You think you’ve been very clever, don’t you?’

  ‘How exactly have I been very clever?’

  ‘You and your snooping around. Did you think that we wouldn’t notice? Did you think that you’re cleverer than us?’

  ‘Tell me, how were you going to explain Lily death away?’ Jen asked,

  ‘A little accident, most unfortunate.’

  ‘But not very clever of you. Surely, you must realise that killing Lily would make people think about her ghost story.’

  ‘I think you overrate the interest that people would take in the death of a servant girl and how clever they are. That inspector isn’t very clever.’ Then she looked beyond Jen and added, ‘Isn’t that right, Larry?’

  Jen looked over her shoulder. Lorenzo Spinoza was standing there behind her, smiling.