Chapter 14 #2
Piper followed her out. As the door closed behind him, Tom said, “Can’t sleep for his snoring, won’t take pills: if you ask me, she likes being a martyr.”
“A larcenous martyr.”
“Holds it over him, I shouldn’t wonder. Not that I believe she didn’t sleep a wink, and I bet he could have slipped out for a while.”
“Very likely. What do you make of her otherwise?”
“Sounds to me like Mrs. Fletcher got one wrong for once, Chief. Maybe Sir James lets himself be hen-pecked but he keeps the whip hand.”
“Yes, the hand that holds the purse-strings rules the roost.” Which sounded like a line from Little Buttercup’s song in “that infernal nonsense, Pinafore.”
“Lady Devenish is all bluff and bluster. Besides, I’d be surprised if she had the strength to do in Lady Eva, even if she had confronted her about the larceny, and I don’t think she had.”
“I’m inclined to agree. Perhaps Lady Eva was saving the confrontation for after the wedding. She had already called Teddy to heel. She might not have wanted another disgruntled face at the feast.”
“Poor Miss Lucy!” said Tom unexpectedly. “I’m glad at least we’ve knocked her and Lord Gerald off the list.”
“Yes, she’s having a thin time of it.”
“If you ask me, Chief, young Master Teddy’s the one we’re after for the strangling. Creeping in in the middle of the night like that, with a grudge against his grandma. His ma could’ve poisoned Lord Fotheringay, to protect him. You going to bring him in again after his pa?”
“No, he can wait till after dinner. A little more stewing won’t hurt him, especially as he’ll be wondering what his parents are saying. We’ve all the rest of Lady Eva’s list to go through.”
“That’s going to put the cat among the pigeons! I mean, everyone’ll know she had something on those people.”
“Can’t be helped. We’ll interview everyone in the end, but with so many people here, the obvious suspects must come first.”
“It was bad luck we couldn’t write any of them off for the poisoned tea. Not what I’d call a proper tea-time, everyone popping in and out and turning up when they feel like it.”
“Shockingly lax,” Alec agreed with a grin.
“At least Lady Haverhill, Lady Fotheringay, and Mrs. Walsdorf stayed put pouring tea. But we really must speak to absolutely everyone this evening before they forget who they saw and talked to in the drawing room and when. Here’s our next suspect.
If I don’t ask about the finances, Tom, you ask about the London house. ”
“Right, Chief,” Tom agreed as Piper ushered in Sir James.
The baronet strode across the room with the long pace of a countryman and offered Alec his hand.
“How do, Fletcher.” His resounding voice also was that of an outdoorsman, used to hallooing to hounds.
“Hope you’re gettin’ near to arrestin’ the bastard who killed my poor mother. Anything I can do to help!”
“Allow me to express my sympathy, Sir James. Do take a seat. Let’s clear up the formalities first.”
“By Jove, yes, must do everything all right and proper.”
“Good. First, I should remind you that what you say will be written down and you’ll be asked to sign a statement which may be used in evidence. Your name and address, just for the record.”
“Sir James Devenish,” said Sir James solemnly, “Sixth Baronet, of Saxonfield, Leicestershire. Master of Fox Hounds. Used to be Justice of the Peace, but I had a bit of a dust-up with one of my tenants and they asked me to resign. Thought I’d better tell you.
Your wife—demmed fine young woman, Mrs. Fletcher—she advised us to
tell the whole truth right away and I quite see you won’t find the bastard who killed my poor mother if people keep things from you.”
“Very true, sir. Tell me a bit about this ‘dust-up.’”
The Baronet’s ruddy face grew redder. “Silly business, dare say I went too far. Fact is, the fellow shot a vixen, demmed bad form. Said she raided his hen-house. Fact is, the fellow’s been complainin’ about the hunt tramplin’ his corn or I shouldn’t have lost my temper.
Can’t have it both ways, what? Don’t like us huntin’ across his fields, naturally foxes are going to get out of control.
Shouldn’t have horsewhipped the fellow, though, I realize that.
A pretty penny in damages it cost me, I can tell you. ”
“Did your mother know about this incident?”
“Gad, yes! She has … had the local paper sent to her every week and they put the case on the front page. Demmed scribblers! She saw a paragraph about it in the Times, too. Gave me a proper tickin’ off.”
“When was that?”
“Oh, a month ago or so.”
“How did you feel about the scolding?”
“Made me realize I’d made a demmed fool of myself. I mean, gettin’ in the papers, demmed bad form, what?”
“Were you angry with Lady Eva?”
“Gad, no! She was angry with me, don’t you see.”
“Would you say you have a violent temper, Sir James?”
“Who, me? Peace at any price, that’s my motto. Ask anyone! This business was a … a thing with a berry in it.”
“Aberration?”
“That’s it! I mean, stands to reason, if I was always taking a whack at fellows, Mother wouldn’t bother to rake me over the coals.
She’d know there was no point. Good gad, man, I never even raised a hand to the children.
Though, mind you, it might’ve been a good thing if I’d taken a cane to the boy now and then.
Let his mother raise him and she’s spoilt him.
” Sir James shook his head sadly. “Useless sort of
chap, shies at a fence, even caught him spoutin’ poetry once, though he don’t write it, thank God.”
“Were you surprised this morning when you found out he’d arrived in the night?”
“Can’t say I thought about it. Other things to think about, you know. My mother, and all that. Quite fond of her.”
“Yes, I’m sorry. If I tell you that we have evidence that she forced him to come, by threatening to tell you something that might well cause you to withdraw his allowance …”
“What the devil has the boy been up to?” Sir James demanded.
“I see no need to tell you, as Lady Eva effectively put a stop to it. Of course, it’s possible it may come out in court …”
“You think Teddy killed his grandmother? Gad no, the boy wouldn’t have the guts!
Fact is, Angie, his older sister, she’s got more spunk in her little finger.
Mind you, we don’t always see eye to eye, Angie and I.
She doesn’t like me hunting, or cubbing, or shooting or even fishing.
But demme if she isn’t willing to fight for what she believes in. ”
“Fight?”
“Not with her fists! Angie wouldn’t hurt a fly.
Not unless it was bitin’ a horse, that is.
” He grinned at his own wit, then remembered the situation and sobered.
“Veronica, my other girl, she’d want my mother to live forever if only so Angela wouldn’t get her inheritance.
Spiteful. And Peter Bancroft, her husband, he’s a wet dishrag.
I’ve two more daughters, one in Australia, t’other in the North Country, can’t get away for the wedding.
No sense wastin’ your time suspectin’ any of them, any more than Angie or Teddy.
” Standing up, he leant on the desk with two massive fists.
Alec saw Tom—who had two massive fists of his own—preparing for intervention and gave a tiny shake of the head.
Staring down at Alec, Sir James said earnestly, “Whoever killed my poor mother, it wasn’t one of my family.”
“I hope not.”
“Well, I just hope you catch the bastard, that’s all. I just hope you catch him.”
“We’ll do our best, sir. I promise you that. Just a couple more questions, if you please. I understand from the butler that you were among the last guests to go to bed, shortly before midnight.”
“That’s right. It was just midnight when I climbed into bed. We had the window open and I heard the tower clock chime. Our room’s up on the second floor and sometimes it sounds as if the demmed clock is in the room with us.”
“After that, did you leave your room for any reason before seven o’clock this morning?”
To Alec’s surprise, once again the baronet’s brick red face turned a brighter shade.
“Er-hem,” he said, sitting down. “Well, er, yes, matter of fact I did. Twice, or maybe three times. Had to …” He glanced at Piper, diligently taking down his words, and went on in a hoarse whisper, “You know, go to the you-know-what. Sawbones says it happens as you get older. Demmed nuisance, what?”
Tom’s moustache twitched. With difficulty, Alec managed to preserve his countenance at this evidence of a prudery worthy of a Victorian spinster of uncertain years. “Did you, on any of these … visits, see anyone or see or hear anything out of the ordinary? Footsteps, a door closing?”
“Gad, no! I’d have told you right away.”
“You didn’t even see Miss Angela and her brother? See a light in the bathroom or hear water running?”
“No, nothing.”
“Pity. Can you pinpoint the times of your … excursions?”
“‘Fraid not. Fact is, I only wake up halfway, just enough to … er …”
“To get you there and back. Sergeant, did you have a question for Sir James?”
“Yes, sir. What are your plans for the London house, sir, now that Lady Eva is no longer in residence?”
“Good gad, man,” Sir James exploded, “my mother was horribly killed this morning and you want to know about the London house? I haven’t given it a thought! Well, Fletcher, if that’s all, I’ll be off.”
“Yes, thank you, Sir James.” Rising, Alec offered his hand, which the baronet shook. “I appreciate your cooperation.”
“Just find the bastard who killed my mother.” With a glare at Tom, Sir James departed.
“The Bancrofts next, Piper. We’ll take them together. Thank you for drawing his fire, Tom.”
“Under orders!”
Alec grinned. “Since he appears to be cooperative, I don’t want him angry with me. What do you think?”
“I dunno, Chief. He certainly doesn’t have any illusions about his kids. Seems like a straightforward kind of chap, but there’s that temper to consider, and you can’t overlook killing being as you might say his way of life.”