Original Sin (22 page)

Dalgliesh asked: 'Wasn't it dark in the Anderson shelter?'

'We had our torches, didn't we? And when the raids weren't actually on you could go outside and watch the searchlights. Lovely crisscross patterns they made in the sky. And talk about noise! Those anti-aircraft guns, well it was like a giant tearing up corrugated iron.

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Well, as Mum said, if you give your kids a happy childhood there's not much life can do to them after that.'

Dalgliesh felt that it would be unproductive to argue this sanguine view of child rearing. He was about tactfully to suggest that it was time they got down to business when Mrs Demery forestalled him.

%qell, that's enough about the good old days. You'll be wanting to ask me about this murder.'

'So that's how it strikes you, Mrs Demery?'

'Stands to reason. He didn't put that snake around his own neck. Strangled, was he?'

'We shan't know how he died until we get the result of the PM.' Nell, he looked strangled to me, with his face all pink and that snake's head stuffed in his mouth. Mind you, I've never seen a healthier-looking corpse. Looked better dead than he did alive, and he looked pretty good alive. He was a good looker all right. I always thought he looked a bit like the young Gregory Peck.'

DalgLiesh asked her to describe exactly what had happened since her arrival at Innocent House.

'I come in every weekday except Wednesday from nine until five. On Wednesdays they're supposed to have the whole place thor-oughly cleaned by the Superior Office Cleaning Company. At least that's what they call themselves. Inferior Cleaning Company would be more like it. I suppose they do the best they can, but it's not like taking a personal interest in the place. George comes thirty minutes

early and lets them in. They're usually through by ten.'

'Who lets you in, Mrs Demery? Do you have keys?'

'No. Old Mr Etienne suggested I did but I didn't want the responsibility. Too many keys in my life already. George usually opens up. Or it could be Mr Dauntsey or Miss Frances. Just depends who's earlier. This morning Miss Peverell and Mr Dauntsey weren't here, but George was and he let me in. Well, I got on quietly enough with my cleaning back in the kitchen. Nothing happened until just before nine, then this Lord Stilgoe turned up, saying he'd got an appointment with Mr Gerard.'

'Were you there at the time?'

'I was as it happened. I was having a bit of a chat with George. Lord Stilgoe was none too pleased to find no one there but the receptionist and me. George had rung round the office trying to find Mr Gerard, and he was sggesting that Lord Stilgoe should wait in

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the reception area when Miss Etienne arrived. She asked George if Mr Gerard was in his office and George said he'd rung but there was no reply. So she went across the hall to the office and Lord Stilgoe and I followed her. Mr Gerard's jacket was over his chair and the chair was pulled back from the desk, which seemed a bit odd. Then she put her hand in the right-hand drawer and found his keys. Mr Gerard always kept his keys there when he was in his office. The bunch was rather heavy and he hated it dragging on his jacket pocket. Miss Claudia said, "He must be here somewhere. Perhaps he's in number ten with Mr Bartrum.' So we went back to the reception room and George said he'd rung number ten. Mr Bartrum had arrived but he hadn't seen Mr Gerard though his Jag was there. Mr Gerard always parked his car in Innocent Passage because it was safer. So Miss Claudia said, "He must be here somewhere. We'd better start looking for him." By then the

first boat had arrived and then Miss Frances and Mr Dauntsey.'

'Did Miss Etienne sound worried?'

'More puzzled, if you know what I mean. I said, well I've been through most of the back of the house and on the ground floor, so he isn't in the kitchen. And Miss Claudia said something about well he'd hardly likely to be would he, and started up the stairs with me and MissBlackett just behind her.'

'You didn't say that Miss Blackett was there.'

'Didn't I? Well she'd arrived all right with the launch. Of course you tend to overlook her now that old Mr Peverell's dead. Anyway she was there, although she was still wearing her coat, and she came up the stairs with us.'

qhree of you to search for one man?'

'Well, that's how it was. I suppose I went out of curiosity. It was a kind of instinct really. I don't know why Miss Blackett went. You'll have to ask her. Miss Claudia said, ''We'll start searching at the top of the house", so that's what we did.'

'So she went straight to the archive room?'

Fhat's right, and then on to the little room beyond. The door wasn't locked.'

'How did she open it, Mrs Demery?'

'How do you mean? She opened it same way you always open a door.'

'Did she fling it wide? Open it gently? Did she seem at all apprehensive?'

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'Not that I noticed. She just opened it. And, well, there he was. Lying on his back with his face all pink and that snake wound round his neck with the head stuffed in his mouth. His eyes were open and staring. Horrible they was! Mind you, I could see he was dead at once, though, like I said, I've never seen him looking better. Miss Claudia went over and knelt beside him. She said, "Go and phone the police. And get out of here, both of you." Kind of sharp, she was. Still, it was her brother. I know when I'm not wanted so I got out. I wasn't that anxious to stay.'

'What about Miss Blackett?'

'She was just behind me. I thought she was going to scream but instead of that she made a kind of high waffing noise. I put my arms round her shoulders. She was shaking something terrible. I said, "Come on dearie, come on, there's nothing you can do here." So we went down the stairs. I thought it would be quicker than the lift, which is always getting stuck. But maybe the lift would've been better. I had some trouble getting her down the stairs, she was shaking so much. And once or twice her legs almost gave way. Once I thought I'd just have to dump her and go for help. When we got to the bottom flight there was Lord Stilgoe and Mr de Witt and the rest of them standing there looking up at us. I suppose they saw from my face and the state Miss Blackett was in that something awful had happened. So then I told them. Seemed like they couldn't take it in for a moment, and then Mr de Witt started running up the stairs with

Lord Stilgoe and Mr Dauntsey behind him.'

'What happened then, Mrs Demery?'

'I helped Miss Blackett to her chair and went off to find her some water.'

You didn't ring the police?'

'I thought I'd leave that to the rest of them. The body wasn't going to go away, was it? What was the hurry? Anyway, if I had rung I'd only have done the wrong thing. Lord Stilgoe came back. He went straight to the reception desk and said to George, "Get me New Scotland Yard. I want the Commissioner. Fa'fflng him, Commander Adam Dalgliesh.' Straight to the top for him, of course. Then Miss Claudia asked me to go and make some strong coffee, so that's what I did. White as a sheet she was. Well, you couldn't wonder, could you?'

Dalgliesh said: 'Mr Gerard Etienne took over as chairman and managing director fairly recently, didn't he? Was he well-liked?'

'Well he wouldn't have been carried out of here in a body bag if he was a little ray of sunshine about the place. Someone didn't like him, that's for sure. Of course, it wasn't easy for him taking over from old Mr Peverell. Everyone respected Mr Peverell. He was a lovely man. But I got on all fight with Mr Gerard. I didn't worry him and he didn't worry me. I don't reckon, though, that many about the place will be crying for him. Still, murder is murder and it'll be a shock, no doubt about it. Won't do much good for the firm either, I shouldn't wonder. Now here's an idea. See how this grabs you. Maybe he did it himself, then this joker we've got about the place put the snake round his neck afterwards to show what they thought of him. Might be worth thinking about.'

Dalgliesh didn't say that it had been thought about. He asked: 'Would it surprise you to hear that he had killed himself?'

'Well it would, to tell you the truth. Too pleased with himself for that, I'd have said. Anyway, why should he? OK, so the firm's in a bit of trouble, but what firm isn't? He'd have come through all fight. I can't see Mr Gerard doing a Robert Maxwell. Still, who'd have thought it of Robert Maxwell, so there's no knowing really, is there? Mysterious, that's what people are, mysterious. I could tell you a thing or two about the mysteriousness of people.'

Kate broke in: 'Miss Etienne must have been terribly distressed finding him like that. Her own brother.'

Mrs Demery transferred her attention to Kate but seemed none too pleased at this intrusion of a third person into her tte--tte. 'Ask a straight question and you'll get a straight answer, Inspector. How distressed was Miss Claudia? That's what you want to know, isn't it? You'll have to ask her. I don't know. She was at the side of the body bending over it and she never turned her face all the time Miss Blackett and I were in the room, which wasn't long. I don't know

what she was feeling. I only know what she said.' '"Get out of here both of you." Rather harsh.' 'Shock, maybe. You work it out for yourselves.' � eaving her alone with the body.'

'That's the way she wanted it seemingly. Anyway, I couldn't have stayed. Someone had to help Miss Blackett down the stairs.'

Dalgliesh asked: 'Is it a good place to work, Mrs Demery? Are you happy here?'

'As good as I'm likely to get. Look, Mr Dalgliesh, I'm sixty-three.

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OK, that's no great age and I've still got my eyes and legs, and I'm a damned sight better worker than some I could name. But you don't start looking for a new job at sixty-three, and I like work. I'd die of boredom stuck at home. And I'm used to this place, been here nigh on twenty years. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but it suits me. And it's handy - well, more or less. I'm still in Whitechapel. Got a nice little modern flat now.'

'How do you get here?'

Fube to Wapping, then wall. It's no distance. I'm not afraid of London streets. Been walking London streets before you was thought of. Old Mr Peverell said that he'd send a taxi for me any morning if the journey worried me. He would have too. He was a very special gentleman, was Mr Peverell. That showed what he thought of me. It's nice to be appreciated.'

'It is indeed. Tell me, Mrs Demery, about the cleaning of the archives room, the large one and the small office where Mr Etienne was found. Is that your responsibility, or does the cleaning company do it?'

'I do. The outside cleaners never go as high as the top floor. That started with old Mr Peverell. There's all that paper up there, you see, and he was afraid of them smoking and starting a fire. Besides, those files are confidential. Don't ask me why. I've had a peek at one or two and they're only full of a lot of old letters and manuscripts as far as I can see. It's not as if they keep the staff records there, or anything private like that. Still, Mr Peverell set great store by the archives. Anyway, he agreed I'd be responsible for those two rooms. No one hardly ever goes up there, except Mr Dauntsey, so I don't bother overmuch. No point in it. I usually go up once a month on a Monday and give it a quick dust.'

'Do you vacuum the floor?'

'Might give it a quick go round if it looked as if it needed it. Might not. As I said, there's only Mr Dauntsey uses it and he doesn't make much mess. There's enough to do in the rest of the house without lugging the vacuum cleaner all the way up there and spending time where it isn't needed.'

'I can see that. When did you last clean the little room?'

'I gave it a quick dust three weeks ago last Monday. I'll be up there again next Monday. Leastwise that's what I normally do, but I expect you'll be keeping the door locked.'

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'For the time being, Mrs Demery. Shall we go up?'

They took the lift which was slow but smooth enough. The door of the small archives office was open: The gas company en*gineer hadn't yet arrived but the two scene-of-crime officers and the photographers were still there. At a sign from Dalgliesh they slipped past him and stood waiting.

Dalgliesh said: 'Don't go in, Mrs Demery. Just stand at the door and tell me if you see any change.'

Mrs Demery surveyed the room slowly. Her eyes rested briefly on the white chalked outline of the absent body but she made no comment. With only a few seconds' pause, she said: Your chaps been giving it a clean up then, have they?'

'We've done no cleaning, Mrs Demery.'

'Someone has. There's not three weeks' dust here. Look at that mantelpiece and the floor. That floor's been vacuumed. Bloody hell! So he cleaned the room before he did his killing, and with my Hoover!'

She turned to Dalgliesh and he saw in her eyes a dawning mixture of outrage, horror and superstitious awe. Nothing so far about Etienne's death had affected her so deeply as this cleaned and prepared death cell.

'How do you know, Mrs Demery?' q'he Hoover's kept in the utility room on the ground floor, next to the kitchen. When I went to take it out this morning I said to myself,

"Someone's been using this."'

'How could you tell?'

'Because it was set for cleaning a smooth floor, not a carpet. There's two settings, you see. When I put it away it was set for cleaning the carpet. The last job I'd done was those carpets in the boardroom.'

'Are you sure, Mrs Demery?'

'Not to swear in a court of law. There are things you can swear to and things you can't. I suppose I could have changed the setting accidentally like. All I know is that when I took it out this morning I said to myself, "Someone's been using this."'

'Did you ask anyone if they had been using it?'

'No one here to ask then was there? Besides, it wouldn't be any of the staff here. Why would any of them be wanting the Hoover? That's my job not theirs. I thought it might be someone from the cleaning

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company, but that would be odd too. They bring all their own equipment.' 'Was the vacuum cleaner in its usual place?' es it was. And the flex wound round crossed, just like I left it. But the setting wasn't the same.' 'Is there anything else about this room that strikes you?' 'Well the window cord's gone, hasn't it? I suppose you chaps have taken that away. It was getting a bit old and frayed. I said to Mr Dauntsey when I put my head round the door on Monday that it ought to be replaced and he said he'd have a word with George. George does all the odd jobs around here. Very handy is George. Mr Dauntsey had the window half open at the time. He usually keeps it like that. He didn't seem much worried but, like I said, he was going to have a word with George about it. And that table's been moved. I never move the table when I dust up here. Look for yourself. It's a couple of inches to the right. You can see by that faint line of dirt on the wall where it usually was. And Mr Dauntsey's tape recorder's gone. There used to be a bed here once, but they took that away after Miss Clements killed herself. A nice thing that was too. Two deaths we've had in this room Mr Dalgliesh. I reckon it's time they locked it up for good.' Before they had finished with Mrs Demery, Dalgliesh asked her to say nothing to anyone about the possible use made of her vacuum cleaner, but with little hope that she would keep the news to herself for long. After she had left, Daniel said: 'How reliable is that piece of evidence, sir? Could she really tell if the room has been recently cleaned? It could be her imagination.' 'She's the expert, Daniel. And Miss Etienne remarked on the cleanness of the room. On Mrs Demery's admission she doesn't usually bother with the floor. This floor is dustless, even in the corners . Someone has cleaned it recently and it wasn't Mrs Demery.'