03 - Murder at Sedgwick Court (20 page)

‘Who
knows what the aristocracy get up to,’ grunted the inspector. ‘And as to what
people get up to on holiday abroad, I wouldn’t know. Mrs Bramwell and I, we
always take our holidays in Eastbourne. A lovely little seaside town that, if
you don’t know it, Sergeant.’

‘I can’t
say I do, sir, although I’ve heard it has quite an impressive pier. But what
about the diamonds, sir? Is that what the constable came in to tell you about?’

‘It was, Sergeant.
The men made a search of the rooms when we first gathered everyone into the
drawing room, and they couldn’t find Miss Montacute’s diamonds, that we’d heard
so much about. Despite being local fellows, they had enough gumption about them
to check with Lord Belvedere that the diamonds had not been placed in his
personal safe for safekeeping like.’

‘And they
hadn’t? So that’s when you wondered whether Count Fernand had stolen them,
given the interest he’d shown in the diamonds?’

‘Yes. It
was something of a wild shot, of course, to ask him outright like that.’

‘Well, I
think it certainly hit home, sir. Did you see the look on his face when you
asked if he was a jewel thief? He looked as if he’d seen a ghost.’

‘Yes, but
there’s more to it than that, Sergeant. I already knew about the missing
jewels. What the constable came hurrying in to tell me was that they’d found a
jewel box hidden away on the landing.’

‘Was it
Miss Montacute’s? Were the diamonds still inside it, sir?’ Sergeant Lane held
his breath.

‘Yes,
they were. That surprised you, didn’t it, Sergeant?’ said the inspector
chuckling. ‘You thought I was going to say they were missing.’

‘Well,
yes I did, sir.’

‘The lock
had been forced, though.’

‘Oh, had
it? And yet the diamonds were still there? That’s a bit of a rum do, isn’t it,
sir? But perhaps the count panicked. He could have been afraid that we’d
discover what he was up to. Decided to hide the diamonds at the first
opportunity. Or at least remove them from his person or out of his room. Though
the landing doesn’t seem much of a hiding place to me. He’d have done better to
bury them in the grounds somewhere.’ The sergeant tapped the side of his head
with his pencil. ‘I say, sir, I take it no fingerprints were found on the box?
No, what am I thinking? Of course there wouldn’t have been. The count would
never have been as stupid as all that.’

‘Now,
that’s where you’re wrong,’ said the inspector with the air of a man who had
left the best bit of his story to last. ‘As it happens we did find fingerprints
on the box … but they weren’t the count’s.’

‘Weren’t
they? Then who’s were they, sir?’  

In reply
the inspector did not say a name out loud but wrote it instead on a piece of
paper and passed it to the policeman. He awaited with interest his
subordinate’s reaction to the identity of the thief. He wasn’t disappointed and
chuckled to himself.

‘Well, I
never!’ exclaimed Sergeant Lane. ‘I say, sir, now that’s a surprise, isn’t it? Shall
I go and ask the constable to get – ’

‘All in
good time, Sergeant. There’s no rush. The thief doesn’t know that we’re on to
them. And I’d like to establish first, if I can, whether the theft of the
jewels has anything to do with the murder of Miss Montacute. That’s our primary
concern, Sergeant. The issue of theft is secondary.’

‘But it
must be connected, mustn’t it, sir? It’s too much of a coincidence for it not
to be. What are the odds of both a murder and a theft having occurred here within
a few hours of each other? And the jewels belonged to the victim, didn’t they?
We oughtn’t to forget that.’

‘Even so,
Sergeant,’ Inspector Bramwell said firmly. ‘I’d like our thief to be left
wondering for a little while longer as to whether or not we’ve found the diamonds.’

‘Who
would you like to interview next, sir?’ enquired the sergeant, trying to hide
his disappointment.

‘I think
it’s high time we interviewed your Miss Simpson, don’t you? Let’s see what she
has to say for herself. And by the way, Sergeant … you never did tell me what
she was doing upstairs. I thought I’d left instructions that no one was to
leave the drawing room until they’d been interviewed.’

‘It
appears, sir, Lady Lavinia had a bit of a turn. I suppose it all caught up with
her, finding the body and all. She went up to her room for a lie down and Miss
Simpson went with her to see she didn’t come to any harm on her way up the
stairs.’ The sergeant saw that the inspector was regarding him cynically. ‘The constable
assured me Miss Simpson came straight down again.’

‘Did he
indeed? I very much doubt that she did.’ The inspector gave a snort. ‘That’s
the trouble with these amateur sleuth types. Always trying to find ways to poke
their noses in and interview people behind our backs. Well, let’s have her in, Sergeant.’
 

‘Rose.
Oh, there you are, darling. It’s seems simply ages since I last spoke to you.
Are you all right? Where’s Lavinia?’

Cedric
was by her side as soon as she entered the drawing room, closing out the world
behind her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, and together they
walked hand in hand over to the far end of the room. 

‘Cedric.
Oh thank goodness you’re here. I was afraid that it was just going to be the
others. I’ve hardly seen anything of you all day. And when I have, you’ve been
with Theo.’

‘I know.
I’m worried about him, Rose. He’s hardly said a word since all this happened. I
jolly well wish the inspector would hurry up and interview him. Although I have
to say I’m rather afraid what Theo might say. Hello … they’ve opened the
windows. Let’s go outside, shall we?’

As soon
as they stepped outside the cold hit them. It did not occur to either of them
to go back for a hat and coat. Instead Rose snuggled up closely to Cedric, and
he put an arm around her, drawing her to him protectively. She breathed in the
fresh winter air. The murder seemed very far away as they stood in the feeble
sunlight with eyes only for each other.

‘That’s
better,’ said Cedric. ‘I suppose it wouldn’t do if I were to kiss you, would
it? Not the thing at all at a time like this. But I do want to so badly, Rose.’
He sighed. ‘If only this damned murder business was all over and done with. It
could be just you and me here and to hell with the rest of the world.’

‘Oh,
Cedric ...’

Rose
leaned back against him and felt his arm supporting her reassuringly. I don’t
want this to end, she thought. I certainly don’t want to go back into that
room. I want to stay in the gardens and forget about the murder and the fearful
Inspector Bramwell. Aloud she said: ‘They’ll find us here, won’t they? When
they want to come out and interview us, they’ll find us?’

‘Yes,
they’re certain to. I expect they’re spying on us now from the windows.’ He
paused. ‘Oh, dash it all, the others are coming out. Can’t they leave us alone
for one minute?’

‘It’s
only Jemima,’ said Rose, turning to see who had followed them out. ‘And she’s
walking in the other direction. I think she wants to be alone as much as we do.
Oh … that’s good, Theo and Vera appear to be staying inside.’

‘I’m not
sure that it’s a good idea leaving them alone together,’ sighed Cedric. ‘But
I’m tired of playing nanny, and they’ll have to work things out themselves one
way or the other. Hello … what’s he doing out here?’    

Cedric’s
last remark was occasioned by the figure of Felix coming out of the French
windows of the library and striding purposefully over towards Jemima.

 ‘Jemima,
I must talk with you.’

The girl had
turned with alarm at the sound of the approaching footsteps on the gravel.

‘You
shouldn’t be here, Felix. The police haven’t interviewed me yet, and they are
certain to see you from the window.’

‘Damn the
police!’ said Felix, with feeling. ‘I had to speak to you.’

‘I wish
you’d go away.’

She
turned away from him, and he thought how very dejected she looked.

‘I wish
everyone would go away and leave me alone.’

‘Even
me?’

Felix
held his breath, waiting for her answer.

Jemima
heard the urgency and hurt in his voice.

‘I’m
sorry,’ she said, more gently. ‘I just want to be by myself. I need to think. I
need to think about what to do.’

‘That’s
why I had to see you.’

He gently
held the girl by her shoulders and turned her to face him. Jemima did not
resist, although her natural inclination was to turn away.

‘I wanted
to tell you it’s all right. Everything’s all right.’

‘What on
earth do you mean by that?’ demanded Jemima. ‘How can everything possibly be
all right? She’s dead. My friend is dead!’

Her voice
had risen hysterically. Jemima looked across at the others, and caught Rose’s
eye. The girl was looking at her quizzically, although Jemima felt certain that
her words would not have carried given the distance between them. Even so she
must try and compose herself and speak more quietly, she must …    

‘Shh!’
Felix too was looking around anxiously. ‘Listen to me, Jemima. It’s awful, I
know. A frightful tragedy and all that, but you have to be strong. What I meant
before, when I said everything was all right, is that the police don’t suspect
you. They don’t think you killed her.’

‘Think I
killed her?’ Jemima’s eyes had gone very wide. ‘What do you mean? Why ever
should they think that I killed Emmeline?’

‘Because
you had a motive. But I didn’t tell them about it, Jemima, I promise I didn’t.’

‘What
motive, Felix? What possible motive could I have had for wishing Emmeline
dead?’  

‘Shh! I
said keep your voice down. Do you want everyone to hear? As to motive, well, money
of course, my dear. You said so yourself when we were in the garden yesterday.
Don’t you remember? It seems so long ago after everything that’s happened, but
we were saying how awful it was going to be for us having to be apart until I
made enough money to keep us.’ He held her by the shoulders. ‘Don’t you
remember? You asked me what if you were able to get hold of some money.’

‘I don’t
understand what you’re saying, Felix. Are you saying I killed Emmeline for her
money?’ Jemima looked horrified.

‘How else
would you get hold of any money, Jemima? We both know you’re as poor as a
church mouse. I didn’t understand what you meant at the time, but I do now. Jemima
will have left a will, won’t she? I’m sure she’s left you something in it,
hasn’t she?’

‘Yes, as
it happens, Felix, she’s left me a great deal of money.’ Her voice sounded
devoid of all emotion.

‘There
you are. I don’t say I blame you. Emmeline treated you awfully.’

‘Did she?
I can’t say that I noticed. She was my best friend.’ Her voice fell to little
more than a whisper. ‘My only friend.’

She had
withdrawn from him now, determined to put some distance between them.

‘Nonsense.
What am I to you, then?’ retorted Felix, pulling her to him. ‘I love you
Jemima, you know I do. I would have waited for you, you know I would have done.
But what’s happened has happened. It’s no use crying over spilt milk.’

‘How can
you be so heartless?’ cried Jemima, fighting back her tears. ‘Losing Emmeline
is bad enough, but to have you talking as if it doesn’t matter, as if we will
profit by her death, it’s too frightful. I can’t bear it, I tell you. I can’t
bear it.’

‘Shh! Do
you want everyone to hear? What is wrong with you, Jemima? I mind terribly that
Emmeline’s dead, of course I do. But there is nothing we can do about it now. I
wanted to see you to say that I will stand by you. I won’t say anything to the
police, I promise I won’t. But you’ve got to pull yourself together.’

‘I don’t
understand. If you love me half as much as you say you do, how can you be so
willing to believe I killed Emmeline?’ Jemima said, trying very hard not to
cry.

‘Because
it’s the only thing that makes any sense. I don’t want to believe it of you. It
goes without saying I don’t want to.’

There was
a pause as Felix passed a hand through his hair looking miserable and confused.

‘I say,
Jemima,’ he said suddenly, holding her away from him and searching her face for
some sign or other. ‘Are you really telling me that you didn’t do it? Please
tell me the truth, not just what you think I want to hear.’

‘Of
course I didn’t do it.’ Jemima had all but pushed him away from her. A moment
later she was clutching at his arm so hard that her nails dug into his flesh
and he almost winced with the pain.

 ‘It’s
funny isn’t it? You see, Felix, all this time I’ve been wondering whether you
did it. I’ve been wondering whether it wasn’t you who killed Emmeline.’

‘Theo.
Theo. Didn’t you hear me?’

As soon
as Jemima had left the drawing room on the heels of Cedric and Rose, Vera had run
over to Theo, a look of consternation on her plain face. It was her first
opportunity to be alone with him since the search party had returned with its woeful
tidings. Up to now the others had thwarted any attempt made by her to speak to him.
Although she acknowledged that their efforts had been well-meaning, done with
the best of intentions, it was a relief to know that she could now accomplish
what she had been longing to do all day. She could approach the doctor and talk
to him without fear of being intercepted or disturbed.   

But now
that she found herself standing right in front of the man she might as well
have been invisible for all the notice that he gave her. He was staring beyond
her into the fire, the light from the flames flickering on his face so that his
features alternated from being spectacularly lit up to being half hidden and obscured
by shadow. The effect was rather grotesque when coupled with the first signs of
dusk, which was fast approaching, and which accentuated in stark contrast the artificial
brightness of the room.

Involuntarily
Vera shuddered and turned to look out of the window. Her eye was drawn to the
other couples, particularly to Cedric and Rose, and she wished that they were
Theo and herself, strolling as they often had through the grounds of Sedgwick
Court in a companionable silence. Although, in their case, she noticed that
Cedric and Rose appeared to be talking nineteen to the dozen, stopping every
now and then to touch or discreetly embrace. It occurred to her that she and
Theo had never behaved like that, even in the early days of their courtship.
And then all at once, unbidden, she saw again the image that had so haunted her
during the night. Theo and Emmeline laughing and embracing in the gardens. What
had hurt her most, she realised now, was that she had never seen Theo look so
happy or appear so young.  

Vera bit
her lip and stifled a sob. She mustn’t let herself dwell on that awful image or
what awful act it had compelled her to do. It didn’t do any good to look back
on the past and consider how one might have behaved differently. One could not
undo what had been done. But it was easier said than accomplished. Now though,
she must look to the future and try her utmost to restore things to the way
they had been before Emmeline had come in their midst and caused such
destruction. She must be strong for both of them, Theo and herself. But it was
almost too much to bear, to stand in front of the man she loved so desperately,
while all the time having him ignore her. Even worse than that, she thought he
was not even conscious of her presence.

The next
time his features were lit up by the flames she scrutinised his face closely, and
noticed lines around his eyes that had not been there before. His skin, despite
the yellow glow cast by the fire, looked grey and taut. She felt his deep
unhappiness as if it were her own. Indeed it mirrored the misery she felt at
the collapse and ruin of their relationship. Despite their shared feelings of
desolation, she was aware of the gulf between them and wondered whether it
could ever be bridged.   

‘Theo.
Please.’ This time she raised her voice slightly and accompanied her words by
pulling at his elbow, an impatient, desperate gesture to make him aware of her.
‘Let’s go outside. Let’s join the others. You’ve being sitting here staring at
the fire far too long. It won’t do you any good, you know, brooding like this.’

‘Leave me
alone, Vera.’

Theo’s
voice sounded weary and as if it came from a long way away. The doctor passed a
hand over his eyes. She could not decide whether he did so because he did not
wish to look at her or because he was tired.

‘Theo – ’

‘For
goodness sake leave me alone, Vera.’

He pushed
her hand away with such force that she almost lost her balance. She wondered
what he would have done if she had toppled backwards into the fire.

‘Go away!
How many times do I have to tell you? I’ve never hit a woman before, but heaven
help me, Vera, I’ll strike you if you don’t leave me alone.’

For a
moment she was so taken aback that she felt unable to move or do anything but
gape, her mouth open, her eyes wide. Theo had never spoken to her like that
before. On no occasion had she heard such venom in his voice. Indeed she had
not known that he was capable of such anger. She could not have been more
shocked if he had carried out his threat and struck her. If it were possible, she
felt more wretched than before. Even so, a part of her longed to stand her
ground and cling on to him. The others had been right to be concerned, to stop
her from undertaking her self-destructive path. But she didn’t want to let go.
She was not prepared to lose after all that she had done. She desperately
wanted to continue her attempts, no matter how futile, to reclaim him to her
and banish all contemplation of Emmeline from his mind. But, even as these
thoughts passed through her mind, she discovered that he had frightened her so
badly that her instinct for self-preservation had already resulted in her
recoiling from him, edging away towards the French windows where she stumbled into
Jemima, returning from her walk.