Damsel in Distress (16 page)
Read Damsel in Distress Online
Authors: Carola Dunn
“Frolics!” Daisy easily suppressed her guilt at having taken advantage of her cousins as she recalled the exhausting, uncomfortable, and at times frightening events of the past twentyfour hours. “Of course, you couldn't guess, but everything we've done has had an extremely serious purpose.”
“What?” Geraldine asked bluntly, but Edgar looked thoughtful, perhaps remembering the condition in which he had found Phillip.
“I can't tell you the details.”
“Indeed!”
In the face of Geraldine's justifiable scepticism, Daisy decided the moment had come to blow the gaff, at least in part. Sooner or later they would find out that Alec was a police detective, so she might as well make use of him.
She cast a deliberately exaggerated glance at the door, then leaned forward and said in a low, mysterious voice, “You mustn't tell anyone, but we're helping the police. Mr. Fletcher is from Scotland Yard, a Detective Chief Inspector
incognito
, and we came here to act as camouflage for him when he arrived. Last night he asked the chaps to do something more for him, I don't know quite what. I do know it's absolutely vital to keep his profession secret.”
incognito
, and we came here to act as camouflage for him when he arrived. Last night he asked the chaps to do something more for him, I don't know quite what. I do know it's absolutely vital to keep his profession secret.”
“Gosh, yes,” said Madge solemnly.
Lucy, the abominable Painted Lady, prudently opened her mouth only to insert a forkful of kedgeree.
“So, please,” Daisy continued, “if you don't believe me, ask to see his warrant card, but do it discreetly. I'm truly sorry we've upset you. We felt it was our duty to do what we could to uphold law and order.”
Geraldine's face was a study in doubt.
“My dear,” said Edgar, “perhaps I should have mentioned to you that when I came across young Petrie the other morning, he had clearly not been injured in a motor accident. As a matter of fact, his wrists and ankles were bound.”
“Really, Edgar, you might have told me!”
“I do beg your pardon, dear. I didn't want to alarm you, but I must also confess my mind was distracted by wondering whether it was remiss of me not to have secured the blood vein.”
The four ladies gaped at him. “Phillip wasn't badly injured,” Daisy said uncertainly.
“Do you mean to say, Edgar, that there was another victim of whatever nefarious business is afoot, and that you let him expire from loss of blood?”
“No, no, good heavens no! The Blood Vein moth,
Calothysanis amata.
Mr. Petrie had an excellent specimen of the larva crawling up his neck when I found him.”
Calothysanis amata.
Mr. Petrie had an excellent specimen of the larva crawling up his neck when I found him.”
Madge and Daisy burst out laughing, and Lucy smiled.
Geraldine shook her head in despair. “I should have guessed. Well, I cannot pretend I find it anything but distasteful to be involved in a police matter, however peripherally, but I suppose it is our duty to aid the authorities.”
“I'm sorry,” said Daisy. She was saved from further grovelling as the butler came in.
“Mr. Arbuckle is here, my lady.”
“Good gracious, what ails the man to call at this time in the morning!”
“He asked for Mr. Fletcher, my lady,” Lowecroft informed her with a hint of sympathy.
In response to Geraldine's glance of exasperated enquiry, Daisy nodded.
“Show Mr. Arbuckle in, please, Lowecroft,” said Geraldine, sighing, “and you had better inform Mr. Fletcher of his arrival. Well, Daisy, we shall take ourselves off. I only hope you know what you are about!”
“So do I,” said Daisy.
“Q
uick,” said Daisy, as the butler followed her cousins from the room, “what happened last night? I take it Tommy told you, Madge?”
uick,” said Daisy, as the butler followed her cousins from the room, “what happened last night? I take it Tommy told you, Madge?”
“The birds had flown. They went upstairs and saw the hole in the roof, which I gather you made? Tommy was frightfully impressed.”
“A fat lot of good it did in the end. We're back where we started, with no idea where Gloria is.”
“Oh no, darling,” said Lucy, “your disappearance persuaded Mr. Arbuckle to confide in your pet copper, and we have a suspect.”
Madge nodded. “Phillip told Tommy Mr. Fletcher suspects Mr. Arbuckle's chauffeur.”
“Chauffeur?” Daisy asked eagerly. “You mean Crawford, his engineer? I thought there was something fishy about him, but I've never met him. I have no sense of his character.”
“Phillip doesn't like him, I gather,” Lucy informed her.
“Phillip's no judge of character. But he takes people at face value, and tends to like them, all things being equal, so if he dislikes Crawford there must be a reason. And if Alec thinks there's
good reason to suspect him, we must follow him, in case he contacts ⦠.” She stopped as Lowecroft showed Arbuckle in.
good reason to suspect him, we must follow him, in case he contacts ⦠.” She stopped as Lowecroft showed Arbuckle in.
The American's face brightened as he caught sight of Daisy. Only greetings and offers of breakfast could be voiced until the butler left again, but the moment the door shut, Daisy jumped up and demanded, “Where is Crawford?”
“My dear Miss Dalrymple!” Arbuckle took her hands in his. “I'm mighty happy to see you safe. I was ⦔
“Thanks, but never mind that. Is it true AlecâMr. Fletcherâsuspects your Mr. Crawford? Someone must follow him!”
“Jeez, of course. He's supposed to go to Oxford today, to Morris's factory. Cowley, that is. I guess it's a little town near Oxford.”
“Had he left the hotel when you did?”
“No, he hadn't come down yet. He's nearly finished up over at Morris's, figures a few more hours is all he needs to give me a recommendation.”
“We'll go,” announced Madge, “Tommy and I. There's not much I can do to help, but I can sit in the car and keep an eye out for Crawford while Tommy drives. I'll go and get him up, poor dear. They didn't get in till after three.”
She dashed out. Lucy poured a cup of coffee for Arbuckle, and Daisy asked him what Alec had concluded about Crawford. He explained, reiteratingâthough without much conviction, Daisy thoughtâhis belief in his employee's innocence.
Arbuckle was eager to hear why Daisy had gone missing yesterday evening. She did not want to tell him about seeing Gloria until Alec was there to describe the abortive midnight raid on the witch's cottage. He came in sooner than she expected, remarkably alert after so little sleep, if a bit bristly about the chin.
She had never seen him in flannels and a tweed jacket before, since he had always been on duty and thus formally dressed
when they met in the country. He looked simply spiffingâor would when he'd had time to shave. Mother would never be able to guess he was a policeman if she wasn't told.
when they met in the country. He looked simply spiffingâor would when he'd had time to shave. Mother would never be able to guess he was a policeman if she wasn't told.
With an apologetic glance at her and Lucy, he stroked his chin. “Your pardon, ladies. I didn't want to keep Mr. Arbuckle waiting. You've heard about last night, sir?”
“No, sir, I have not,” Arbuckle said anxiously. “I was just asking.”
Daisy and Alec between them were breaking the news of her capture and escape and Gloria's new disappearance when Madge and Tommy arrived.
“I gather we're off”âTommy yawned enormouslyâ“Sorry ⦠to Oxford?”
Alec looked at Daisy, his dark, thick eyebrows raised, obviously jumping to the instant conclusion that this was her doing.
“To follow Crawford,” she explained.
“Good thought!”
“Cowley, not Oxford. Mr. Arbuckle, what car does he drive?” Daisy asked, delighted by Alec's approval.
“He has a maroon A.C. Six.”
“Right-oh.” Taking off his glasses, Tommy blinked at the lenses, then took out his handkerchief to polish them. “We'll try to pick him up in Great Malvern. If the A.C. isn't parked at the hotel, we'll just tootle off towards Oxford, hoping to spot it on the way. And failing that, we'll look around for it in Cowley.”
“The Morris motor-car works,” said Arbuckle, “that's where he's supposed to be.”
“Do you happen to know which route he generally takes?” Tommy asked. Arbuckle shook his head. “Never mind. If we miss him, we'll do Cheltenham and the A40. It's fastest.”
“If you're stopped for exceeding the speed limit, I'll pay the fine,” Arbuckle assured him.
“Telephone from Cowley,” Alec put in, “whether you find him or not.”
“Right-oh. Thanks, darling,” he said to Madge as she presented him with a large roll, hastily buttered and stuffed with bacon. “We'll buzz off, then. Toodle-oo.”
As they left, Daisy followed her example and went to the sideboard to fill a plate for Alec. On the way, she said to him, “The men will be bound to contact Crawford after last night, don't you think? And he'll want to see where they've taken Gloria.”
“It seems likely, always assuming he's our manâand we have no better prospects. Mr. Arbuckle, where else has your business taken Crawford?”
“Since we came to Malvern, to Austin's at Longbridge, Sunbeam in Wolverhampton, and a whole bunch of factories in Coventry: Swift, Lea & Francis, Hotchkiss, Humber, Daimler, and Hillman, I think. I guess that's the centre of your auto business, like Detroit.”
Alec groaned. “So he might have found a place anywhere in the central Midlands, or on the way there, as an alternative hiding place.”
“He wouldn't want them to be too far away,” Daisy argued, setting a heaped plate before Alec, “or he would have chosen somewhere farther away for the first hidey-hole. He must need to be within reasonably easy reach of both them and Mr. Arbuckle. And he can't move his own base from Malvern without arousing suspicion.”
“Not that it helps how close they are,” Lucy pointed out. “Wherever it is, we'll never find it unless he leads us to it. So your brain-wave about following him was a work of absolute genius, darling.”
Daisy tried to look modest.
Alec grinned at her, swallowed a mouthful of scrambled egg, then turned to Arbuckle to ask what he had told Crawford about the kidnapping.
“Mighty little, as little as I could get away with, just because
I figured the less anyone knew the better. I couldn't keep the kidnapping secret, what with Gloria vanishing without notice and me having the willies, and him getting dumped. Like I told Petrie, he was real mad at being left to walk home. He acted mad enough to fool me, at any rate. He asked was I going to contact the police and I told him no sirree.”
I figured the less anyone knew the better. I couldn't keep the kidnapping secret, what with Gloria vanishing without notice and me having the willies, and him getting dumped. Like I told Petrie, he was real mad at being left to walk home. He acted mad enough to fool me, at any rate. He asked was I going to contact the police and I told him no sirree.”
“Do you recall his response?”
“He approved.”
“Did he!” Alec exclaimed.
“No big deal,” Arbuckle insisted. “He thought I was right for Gloria's sake, and he advised me not to mention it to anyone at all because things have a way of getting out.”
“True enough. Did you follow his advice? You didn't tell him Petrie had turned up again, or about his friends searching for your daughter?”
“Not a word.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“Lessee.” Arbuckle pondered, then said in dismay, “Rats, yes, I almost forgot. He offered to deliver the ransom for me. If you're right, Mr. Fletcher, that would be handing it to him on a plate!”
“Did you agree?”
“Nah. I said if anyone but me turned up with the dough, it could mess things up but good. I told him to go on same as usual, like nothing had happened, so's not to make anyone nervous.”
“How did he react to that? Did he seem relieved?”
“Not so I noticed. Why?”
“Oh, you might have wanted him to stick close to you, which would have cramped his style. As it is, he's been free to meet his henchmen whenever he wants. He knows you're off to town today to fetch the ransom?”
“I mentioned a coupla days ago I'd have it by today.”
“All right. Just one thing more, unless you have any questions, Daisy? Miss Fotheringay?”
“Yes,” said Daisy. “Mr. Arbuckle, I realize it goes against the grain to think a trusted employee might have turned on you like this. But it's better than if it was someone out for revenge, isn't it? I mean, at least Gloria's safe? You haven't actually done anything to make Crawford hate you, whatever he may fear for the future.”
“I have not, Miss Dalrymple, not consciously,” Arbuckle said heavily, “though, like Mr. Fletcher said, it maybe sticks in his craw that I've made more from his know-how than he can ever hope to. Butâand believe me, I lay awake half the night thinking about thisâif I'm right that he's carrying a torch for my girl, and he knows she prefers young Petrie, waal, that opens up a whole new can of worms.”
Even as she wrinkled her nose at the graphic idiom, Daisy acknowledged the validity of his fears. The rejected lover, the mutation of love into hate, had been the basis of uncountable tales of rape, murder, and mayhem throughout the ages.
Lucy had lost her usual blase expression, and Alec's grave face showed his concurrence.
“I'm afraid you're right,” he said, “which may make you look more kindly on my last point. I most strongly advise calling in the local force and setting up a proper search for Miss Arbuckle.”
Arbuckle stood up, impressive despite his lack of inches as he leaned forward with both fists planted on the table. “Nope,” he said inflexibly. “I don't believe they'd find her, and it just might be what sends the guy over the edge. I can't risk it.” He held up one hand as Alec opened his mouth to argue. “You tell 'em and I'll deny it. I'll say Gloria's gone back to the States. No, sir, we have to play it his way, whether it's Crawford or some other bastard. I'm going to fetch the ransom.”
His resolute march towards the door turned to a tired trudge before he reached it, but he left, nevertheless.
Alec watched him go, sighed, and turned back to his almost untouched breakfast. Cutting into a sausage, he said, part sour, part admiring, “Obstinate old so-and-so. I do feel for him, poor chap, but ⦠!”
“What are you going to do?” Daisy asked. “Phillip and I are eyewitnesses to the kidnapping, so his denial won't carry much weight.”
“None, even if Petrie won't cooperate. But I'm caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.” He glanced at Lucy.
“I shan't tell tales out of school, Mr. Fletcher,” she said dryly.
“Thank you.” He gave her a wry smile. “You see, I have to agree with Arbuckle on several points. For a start, he's correct in saying the British police are not well versed in handling kidnappings. We have very few, whereas I gather there's quite an epidemic in America. In the second place, a search is not likely to succeed when the area to be covered is so enormous.”
Daisy feelingly agreed. “It was pretty hopeless when we could be fairly sure she was nearby. I only found her by sheer luck.”
“Exactly. And the associated problem is that she may very well not be in Worcestershire any longer. The Met doesn't have the manpower or the local knowledge to mount a detailed search, and I haven't the authority to call out the forces of half a dozen counties!”
“Who does?” Lucy asked. “Your superiors?”
“Only the Home Secretary,” Alec told her bluntly. “Even the Commissioner would have to try persuasion, and before that I'd have to talk the Assistant Commissioner, the head of the C.I.D., into ⦠. Well, suffice it to say it's a long chain of persuasion, and all in the face of Arbuckle's denials. By the time anything was done, the chances are the ransom would be paid and the whole thing over.”
Lucy nodded. “More than likely. Too, too maddening!”
“There's another thing.” Alec hesitated. “I hope I'm not letting it influence my decision. The fact is, whenever I report the kidnapping, I'm going to face some awkward questions about why I didn't report it sooner. Especially after last night. The only thing which can save my bacon is a successful outcome.”
“You only found out about it late last night!” cried Daisy, outraged on his behalf. “I don't see what else you could do when I came in and told you where Gloria was but go and see if she was still there! Any delay would have been madness.”
“So your delinquency only begins this morning, Mr. Fletcher,” Lucy observed. “Which means the prospect of awkward questions actually weighs on the other side, that is,
for
reporting in now.”
for
reporting in now.”
“Confound it, Lucy!” Phillip burst into the room, his usual diffidence towards her in abeyance. “You're not trying to persuade him to spill the beans!”
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