The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy (17 page)

'The drawback being the very fact that Batchev's men are holding his sister hostage.'

'Precisely. Would he risk harming Batchev, knowing what might happen to her?'

'He might. If he was a particularly fanatical patriot. Or if his sister means very much less to him than he makes out. Perhaps he hates her.'

Deveraux chuckled. 'You are the most dyed-in-the-wool cynic I've ever met. Here am I, a member of what's supposed to be a hard, tough, sophisticated service, and that possibility had never crossed my mind.'

'Got to think of everything,' Wilkins said. 'I don't think he did it, mind you.'

'Who do you fancy, then?'

'Oh, I'm baffled. I've had a good long talk with everyone here and I still can't see any way out.'

They were silent for a few seconds. Then Deveraux said: 'Anything on the Baroness yet?'

'Very little. She had no criminal record either in this country or France. After the Baron died she travelled a lot, all over Europe and America. Her home address was officially Geneva, but she'd only got a tiny flat there and she didn't spend much time in it. She arrived in this country ten days ago, and she's been staying at the Ritz.'

'What did she live on?'

'Her wits, I imagine. The late Baron didn't die a poor man; but nor did he leave her enough to pay for the amount of travelling she's been doing.'

'Did you get anything out of Saunders yesterday?'

'Not much. He knew her in France during the war, but he hadn't seen her since 1917. He thought she was dead. Apparently a house where she was staying was destroyed by a bomb when he believed she was in it. He says it was a tremendous shock when she turned up here. He had no reason to think her story wasn't genuine. She told him very little about her recent life. They spent most of their time together after she arrived reminiscing.'

'What did you think of his reaction when he heard of her body being found?'

'Natural enough. Perhaps a little too natural.'

'Rehearsed, you mean?'

'I don't know. Politicians do learn to react in proper, set ways; perhaps it would be wrong to read anything into it.'

'Do you think he was hiding something?'

'Of course. Everybody hides something.'

'I mean, something really significant?'

'Yes.'

'Do you think you can get it out of him?'

'Ooh, I doubt it. He's a skilled politician. It would be too much to expect a simple country bobby—'

'Wilkins, you're a humbug. I think you're dying to have another go at him. And I think you should - now.'

'Do you really? Well, if you say so, I'll give it a try. But don't expect too much. I'm not sanguine, not sanguine at all.'

'Well, before you see him, I've got something else to tell you. It might be useful.'

He took out his notebook and, almost word for word, related the story Gerry had told him. When he'd finished he said: 'No conclusions from me - you don't need 'em. I'll leave you to draw your own.'

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Cross-Questioning of a Minister

Richard came into the music room where Wilkins was waiting. Sergeant Leather, armed with a shorthand book, sat unobtrusively in the corner.

'Well, Inspector, what is it?'

'I thought you ought to know straightaway, sir, that the Baroness was murdered.'

Richard closed his eyes. 'No - no possibility of suicide?'

'No, sir; not unless someone found her body with the gun lying by it and deliberately replaced the pistol with another.' He explained what the ballistics examination had shown.

Richard looked dazed. 'It's unbelievable,' he said.

'Have you got any idea of who might have wanted to harm her?'

'None at all. I cannot believe anybody in this house could have done it. What motive could anyone have?'

'There you might be able to help, sir. Did the Baroness drop any hint that she might have met one of the other guests before?'

'No.'

'That any of them looked familiar to her - or reminded her of someone else?'

'No.'

'Did she refer to the other ladies and gentlemen at all?'

'Hardly. She said she was delighted to meet my closest relatives; how kind my sister-in-law was; things like that.'

'She didn't mention Batchev?'

Richard shook his head.

'And you never saw them together?'

'Never.'

'What would be your explanation of the Baroness having made a telephone call on Saturday afternoon, during which she said: "I don't want a certain party to see us together again now. I'm going to ask him to come to my room late tonight, about two-fifteen or two-thirty"?'

Richard's eyes widened and for a second he stopped breathing. Then he said: 'How extraordinary. To whom was the call made?'

'I would guess to her driver - the man she called Roberts. He was staying at the Rose & Crown, but he left shortly after the Baroness made the call, and took the five-forty-two to town.'

'I see. And what's your explanation?'

'My first thought, sir, was that the "certain party" she mentioned must be you. But who, I wondered, would that make the man she was going to invite to her room?' He paused, then waited, almost forcing Richard to answer the question for him.

'Well, presumably, since she does seem to have had some connection with him of which I knew nothing, it would be Adler - Batchev, I should say.'

'Exactly how my mind worked, sir. But unfortunately, there's a snag to that.'

'Oh?'

'Yes. The Baroness-said: "I don't want a certain party to see us together again now." That means the certain party had seen her and this other man together at some time. But you said you never had seen Batchev and her together. Do you follow me, sir?'

Stiff-faced, Richard said: 'I follow you.'

'I then wondered if you had seen her talking privately or in a clandestine or furtive manner to any of the other guests. Er, had you?'

'Definitely not.'

'It doesn't look as though you could have been the certain party at all, does it, sir?'

Richard didn't reply.

'Do you suppose Batchev could have been the certain party?'

'It's patently possible.'

'Then the obvious assumption would be that, er, you were the . . .' Wilkins broke off, looking embarrassed. 'I suppose the lady didn't by any chance invite you to her room that night, sir?'

Richard looked straight at him. 'Actually, she did.'

'Oh? Did she?' Wilkins nodded very slowly. 'I see.'

'I'm sorry, Inspector. I wasn't attempting to mislead you. Please note that I told you as soon as you asked me. Frankly, earlier I couldn't see that her invitation was germane to your enquiry.'

'Because you didn't go, sir?'

'I - I did go. But I didn't see her. She wasn't in her room.'

'Oh, really? What time was that?'

'Two-thirty struck while I was on my way along the corridor.' Again Wilkins gave his slow nod. 'You may have cleared up one mystery, at least. Mr. Deveraux heard someone crossing the landing going towards the west wing at just about that time. That would have been you, I take it?'

'I imagine so.'

'That was seconds before he was struck on the head from behind. You didn't hear any sound at all?'

'I did hear an indeterminate sort of scuffling noise, and a sound like somebody tripping. Certainly nothing to indicate a man had been attacked or was in any kind of trouble. Had I done so, I would naturally have switched the light on and gone to his aid.'

'What in fact did you do, sir?'

'I went on to the Baroness's room.'

'In the dark?'

'Yes.'

'Forgive my asking, sir; I'm sure you were preoccupied at the time, but didn't it strike you as odd that somebody was moving about behind you in the corridor in the dark? Didn't it occur to you to investigate?'

'Well, no. You see, the Baroness had been very insistent that nobody at all should see us again together that night. She made me promise not to mention it to anybody, and to come in the dark.'

'May I ask what your reaction was to that request, sir?'

'I thought it was a trifle strange. I imagined she was ultra-sensitive about her reputation.'

'Yes, of course. Very natural. And you were prepared to abide by her wishes even to the extent of refusing to risk being seen merely walking along the corridor - even though this entailed ignoring the fact that someone was prowling about in complete darkness in a house full of priceless jewellery and objects d'art? I'd like to say, if I may make so bold, that it's a real privilege to meet such a gallant gentleman.'

He didn't give Richard time to answer, but went on: 'Did you have any idea what she wanted to see you about?'

'No.'

'What exactly had she said?'

'Simply that it was very important she speak to me, and would I come to her room late, after everyone was in bed.'

'I'm sure you had a good reason, sir, but would you mind telling me why you didn't suggest to her that you talked down here - in this room or the library? That could not have damaged the reputation of the most susceptible lady.'

Richard didn't answer. Seconds passed. Then he seemed to sag. 'All right, Inspector. I give in. I had guessed there was a link between her and one of the other people in this house and it was this person she wanted kept in ignorance of our meeting.'

'Batchev - Adler as you knew him?'

'I thought it had to be him - or just conceivably Felman.'

'I know you can't tell me what took place at the talks, but was it something that happened during them that made you think this?'

Richard nodded.

'The Baroness had been blackmailing you, hadn't she, sir?' Richard buried his head in his hands. He said: 'I can't expect you to believe this. She'd threatened to blackmail me. She brought up something that happened many years ago and told me she was going to reveal it if I didn't make certain concessions in the talks.' He looked up. 'But she withdrew the threat, Inspector. She spoke to me after dinner on Saturday. She told me that she couldn't go through with it, that I didn't have to worry any more. She also said that if I went to her room late that night she would explain everything. It was her insistence that I should come secretly which made me realise she was frightened of somebody in the house; it followed logically that it was almost certainly Batchev.'

'You assumed it was he behind you in the corridor when you were on your way to her room?'

'Yes.'

'So you deliberately hurried on?'

'Yes, in case he switched on the light and saw me.'

'What did you do when you found she wasn't in her room?'

'It first occurred to me that as she was mixed up with a blackmailer, she might have come to harm. So I looked quickly round the bedroom - in the wardrobe and under the bed - in case she had been tied up or knocked out - or worse. Then I merely sat and waited.'

'Did you hear anything outside the room?'

'I thought at one time I heard a distant sort of bumping. It must have been my niece banging to be let out, but at the time I decided it was thunder.'

'You didn't hear the sound of the fight in Batchev's room?'

'No. You must remember that I was at almost the extreme end of the west wing and that sound does not carry easily through the doors and walls of Alderley. And then, of course, there was the storm.'

'How long did you wait there?'

'Six or seven minutes.'

'Then you returned to your own room?'

'Yes.'

'Arriving there at approximately two-thirty-eight?'

'About that.'

'You didn't see or hear anyone on your way back?'

'No.'

'Did you hear the burglar alarm?'

'No, but again I would not expect to. On the first floor it sounds only in my brother's bedroom. The first thing I knew about anything being amiss was when Gerry came to my room. I'd just that moment got back to bed.'

'Then you dressed again and went downstairs?'

'That's right.'

'But not for about twelve or fifteen minutes?'

'A little less I would think.'

'What did you do during that time?'

'After dressing, I just sat and thought - and worried.'

'I see.' Wilkins scanned his notes and tapped his teeth with his pencil. 'Just one more point, sir. On the telephone the Baroness referred to asking someone to come to her room between two-fifteen and two-thirty. You said simply that she asked you to come, er - when, Jack?'

' "Late, after everyone was in bed", sir.'

'That's it,' Wilkins said. 'Did she in fact mention the specific time, sir?'

'Yes, I remember now, she did. She must have thought he would be up until then.'

'You left it till the very last minute, sir, didn't you? In fact, you didn't actually arrive until a few seconds after two-thirty. I would have expected you to be more anxious than that to hear what she had to tell you.'

'I was. But I was sitting up in my room waiting for two-fifteen when I fell asleep in the chair. I didn't wake until nearly half-past two.'

'Ah.' Wilkins nodded in comprehension. 'Very understandable. You must have had a tiring day - with the negotiations and everything. Tell me, do you think Batchev could have known that the Baroness had backed out of the blackmail and that his scheme had failed?'

'Yes. He'd been asking for some quite unreasonable concessions. I played for time and told him I'd let him know later. He must have thought I was on the brink of caving in. Then on Saturday night, after she had told me her decision, I went to Batchev and informed him there was nothing doing. I think he was quite shaken.'

'Thank you, sir. I think that's everything. I appreciate your being so helpful.'

Richard stared. 'Don't you want to know about the blackmail?'

'Not unless you especially want to tell me.'

'I certainly do not.'

'Then I needn't keep you any longer, sir. If the sergeant types out an account of your movements during the early hours of the night of the murder, you'd have no objection to signing it, I suppose? I'll be asking everyone to do the same.'

'I've no objection.'

'Thank you, sir.'

Richard left the room. Wilkins watched him until the door closed, then turned hastily to Sergeant Leather. 'Quick, my lad - go and find Lady Geraldine. Bring her here, sharp as you can - my compliments, greatly obliged, all that sort of thing. But don't let her talk to Mr. Saunders first. If he should try to speak to her on the way, stop him somehow - tell her I said it's desperately important she conies quickly - anything. We don't want 'em getting together and changing their stories before we've had a chance to get signed statements.'