Authors: Caroline Dunford

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A Death in the Loch (16 page)

BOOK: A Death in the Loch

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‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ said Fairchild again, but the colour had gone from his face.

‘The satchel wasn’t all I found. Miss Flowers seems to have been a little indiscreet. Or maybe she was hoping to protect herself.’

Fairchild got up. ‘I don’t need to listen to any more of this nonsense.’ He moved towards the door and began to fumble for the key.

‘She kept a journal. A pretty little flowery book. It smells of roses. I assume that was her favourite scent. Perhaps you even bought it for her.’ I gave what I hoped was a dramatic pause and then said, ‘She wrote about your affair in some detail.’

At this every line in Fairchild’s body stiffened. He stayed frozen for a moment. Then slowly he turned around. The look on his face was a mixture of fear and anger. He reminded me of nothing more than a cornered animal. Now I was in danger. His eyes flickered towards the gun cabinets. ‘Give it to me,’ he said in a low measured voice.

‘No,’ I said.

Colour rushed back into his face. ‘Damn you, what do you want? How much?’

‘I don’t want your money. I want you to confess to Inspector Walker.’

‘You’re mad!’

‘Perhaps, but if you have not made your confession to the police by mid-morning tomorrow I will hand over Miss Flowers’s diary. Inspector Walker seems like an intelligent man to me and I am sure he will see fit to ask some searching questions. At the very least your career will be ruined when it comes to light that you were duped by your secretary, who was committing treason under your very nose.’

Fairchild lunged for a gun cabinet. The doors rattled, but did not open.

I did my best to pretend I had known this all along. Perspiration dripped down my back. My heart hammered in my chest. I felt curiously light-headed. He turned and darted towards me, but I was quicker. I overturned an occasional table in front of him. He stumbled and fell. ‘Do you think I would approach you alone like this if I had not taken precautions?’ I said. ‘As you guessed, I am not the only member of security here. My colleague has the diary. If anything happens to me it will still be handed to Inspector Walker and you will be charged with two counts of murder.’

‘You bloody witch! Damn you!’ He got to his feet, brushing down his trousers. ‘You think you’ve got everything covered, don’t you? Well, if I go down, I can tell you I’ll take this project with me.’

‘It’s already been compromised,’ I said, ‘but it would be better for all concerned if you confessed to murdering Miss Flowers in a fit of jealousy.’

‘Why would I do that?’

‘Mr Leech,’ I said calmly.

Fairchild clutched his head. ‘I have to think. I have to think. There has to be a way out.’

I didn’t know if he was talking to himself or me, but I said, ‘You have until tomorrow. 11 a.m.’

He stumbled to the door like a sleepwalker and after dropping the key three times finally managed to let himself out. I waited a good ten minutes before I followed him. I knew that desperate men were liable to desperate actions. Accordingly, I made my way to the kitchen as fast as I could and determined to keep in company with one or more of the servants until tomorrow morning.

I hoped that morning would bring sense and clarity to the situation. However Merry and I were awoken early by a banging on our door.

‘Get up!’ said Susan. ‘We’ve been robbed.’ I rushed to the door, but she was gone before I could get it open. Merry and I scrambled into our uniforms and headed to the kitchen. We found Rory pacing back and forwards in front of the range and Jock clutching his cleaver.

‘Did either of you unbolt the front door?’ he barked.

Merry and I both denied this categorically, but my heart sunk. Rory, as ever, was far too perceptive. ‘You’re looking guilty, Euphemia. What have you done?’

‘I was asleep in my bed all night,’ I said honestly.

Rory gave me a hard look. ‘I know you’re behind this,’ he said.

Susan hurried into the kitchen, breathless and red-faced. I can’t see anything missing in the main rooms,’ she said. ‘The gentlemen are all still abed. Should I wake them?’

‘Not yet,’ said Rory. ‘We will now search the Lodge from top to bottom for signs of disturbance, so we can give a full report to our masters when they wake.’

‘Should we do it in pairs,’ said Merry, wide-eyed. ‘I mean, they might still be ’ere.’

‘If they are you lead me to them, lassie,’ said Jock, waving his cleaver menacingly.

‘I have no doubt they will be long gone,’ said Rory, ‘but you may search with Euphemia if you wish. Where do you think we should look, Euphemia?’ he asked.

My mouth was dry, but I managed to say, ‘The gun room.’

‘But all the guns are locked away,’ said Susan.

‘You haven’t been in there yet?’ asked Rory. ‘Then let us all go and look. Euphemia has a way of knowing about these things.’ The latter was said more as an accusation than as a compliment.

We all trooped down there and, as I had feared, one of the cabinets had been shattered and a gun removed.

‘What now, Euphemia?’ asked Rory.

‘We should check if any of the gentlemen is missing,’ I said softly.

And of course, Mr Fairchild was gone. The men searched for him without even pausing to take breakfast. With awful irony they found him at eleven o’clock, floating in the loch, his head shattered by a blast from a shotgun.

Epilogue

Of course the police launched a full investigation, but it had hardly begun before it was shut down. The official verdict was death by persons unknown, but it was also unofficially allowed to be known that Fairchild had killed himself and that the verdict was to save his children and young wife further embarrassment. Miss Flowers’s demise was recorded as death by misadventure. The Kiel Canal project vanished overnight.

Bertram told me that Rory claimed to have tracked down the mysterious forest-dwelling man during the search and reassured me that whatever he was, he wasn’t German.

It was a sorry party that headed back to Stapleford Hall. We were barely through the door when Richenda rushed up to me.

‘Oh, thank goodness you’re back,’ she cried. ‘We have so much shopping to do! Hans is taking me on a world tour for my honeymoon and you’re coming too. He’s trying to get tickets for that new ship, the
Titanic
. It’s going to be wonderful.’ She embraced me.

Behind her I saw Rory delivering a letter to Richard Stapleford and the reaction it provoked. ‘He really has resigned,’ I said.

‘Who?’ asked Richenda.

‘Rory.’

‘Well, he’s got the experience now. He can go anywhere he wants. I think he’s got the right idea. I can’t wait to get away from this place. Come on. The automobile’s waiting for us outside. We’re off back to the Mullers’ house.’

Bertram gave me a little wave as I was ushered out the door. He mouthed, ‘See you soon.’ I wasn’t so sure. It felt like my little world was coming apart all over again.

A DEATH IN THE LOCH
A Euphemia Martins Mystery

Published by Accent Press Ltd – 2014

ISBN 9781783755264

The right of Caroline Dunford to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

The story contained within this book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers: Accent Press Ltd, Ty Cynon House, Navigation Park, Abercynon, CF45 4SN

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