Devious Murder (6 page)

‘Yes. There's one room between them on the same corridor.'

‘And about your own schedule. You were going to tell us what you did between nine and midnight.'

Cairncross passed his record book across to Cromwell.

‘You might as well look at it yourself.…'

There were details of Cairncross's visits to the house during the day. The itineraries were very thorough and involved several full inspections. At six o'clock, Mrs. Morgan had told him which articles of jewellery her mistress wished to wear that evening and he had handed them to her from the safe. She had initialled the book for them. He had also recorded the arrival of the Steinbergs and then the departure of the party for the theatre. He had again inspected the house and then returned to his quarters. At nine, the return of Mrs. Havenith and Leo were noted. Then the replacement of the valuables in the safe. A check of the burglar alarms and another routine promenade of the house and grounds at midnight.

‘So that, roughly, between ten and midnight, you were in your room?'

‘Yes. All the alarms were switched on. I was up at seven and began my daily routine.'

‘It must be a bit of a bore and very trying for you.…'

‘It's what I'm paid for and I might have worse jobs to do elsewhere. I like it.'

Cromwell handed back the book.

‘Thanks, Cairncross. We'll see you after lunch.'

Cairncross looked at his half-cooked chops and shrugged his shoulders.

After lunch, the two detectives returned to
The Limes
, where Cairncross was waiting for them in his flat.

‘I've arranged it all. I've explained to Morgan and his wife about the murder of Blunt and that it will assist you in your inquiries to take a look over the house.…'

Cromwell looked nettled at Cairncross's patronising manner.

‘Very enterprising of you, Cairncross. We can resort to a search warrant if we wish, but this will avoid delay and we can take out the warrant later if we need it.'

‘If you're taking it that way, I'm sorry I interfered.'

‘Shall we get on then.'

Cairncross, now on his dignity, amused Cromwell by taking them in by the tradesmen's entrance.

‘Where's the entrance hall?' Cromwell said. ‘We'll start there.'

‘You're not going to search the rooms, are you?'

‘Not at present. That may come later.'

Cairncross grew red in the face.

‘I'm taking a considerable risk in letting you in this place
at all. I don't know what Mrs. Havenith will say when she knows.'

‘For God's sake stop arguing, Cairncross. We'll see that you don't get the sack for helping us.'

The altercation was interrupted by the entry of Morgan, a stocky dark Welshman with bright eyes like shoe-buttons and an ingratiating manner. Cairncross introduced him.

‘Very pleased to meet you and help you, gentlemen, I'm sure. There's been a murder next door, I believe.'

‘Yes. The murdered man's flat overlooks this house and we'd like to see the rooms which face it.'

‘Would you like a tour of the place?'

‘Not at present. Just the rooms I mentioned.'

Cromwell was very amiable about it and as he and Morgan were getting on well together Littlejohn left it to him. Meanwhile, Cairncross seemed to have lost the initiative and Morgan was going to do all the talking.

Morgan, who was probably professionally described as the butler, had spruced himself up to receive the police. He wore his black jacket and striped grey trousers and his shoes were highly polished.

A door to the left opened and a woman, obviously Mrs. Morgan, appeared. She was tall and well-built and seemed to tower above her husband, with whom she exchanged a few words in Welsh.

‘Sorry, we don't speak Welsh,' said Cromwell right away. ‘Do you mind …?'

‘I beg pardon. I was simply greeting my husband.'

She was taking advantage of the absence of her mistress, for she wore black slacks and a purple jumper. Morgan introduced her. She was the dominant partner and took over from her husband right away.

‘You wish to see over the house, Mr. Cairncross says.'

‘Not exactly, at present. Just to take a look at the rooms that overlook the flats next door.'

‘Mr. Cairncross tells me there's been a murder there. Very sad and awkward. I don't know what Mrs. Havenith will have to say about this. She's a very sensitive lady.…'

She looked at the assembled party.

‘Shall we proceed then?'

Cairncross intervened.

‘Excuse me. Would you two gentlemen care to see the safe first. It's in the study and you were interested in it, I think.'

His aggressiveness had disappeared and, if he didn't adopt a very respectful attitude towards the police, he certainly regarded Mrs. Morgan with deference.

‘That will be all right,' she said.

The hall was large and panelled in oak. Numerous doors led from it and Mrs. Morgan opened one and led the party inside. The walls were lined on three sides with batteries of books and there was a cosy informal look about the room. There was a huge fireplace, converted to electricity, with a large mirror overmantel. On either side of it the wall was decorated with framed autographed portraits of celebrities and portrait miniatures. There was a winged arm-chair on each side and a variety of smaller chairs scattered here and there.

‘Shall I …?' said Cairncross addressing Mrs. Morgan.

She nodded.

He crossed to one of the set of bookshelves, almost furtively manipulated a catch on one side, and four shelves of books swivelled away from the rest and revealed a cavity in which a safe door was visible.

Cairncross stood aside and with a gesture of his hand invited the detectives to inspect the safe.

‘No need to open it, is there?'

‘Not for the present. How many people know of the existence of this safe?'

Mrs. Morgan answered.

‘Most of the staff, I expect. Although, in engaging them, I always insist on the need for discretion and that there must be no discussion outside the house of what goes on here. All the same, there is no way of stopping them from gossiping and as the secret of the safe is unusual they doubtless talk about it and even investigate it when we are not about.'

‘I gather that you and your husband constitute the permanent staff and that when Mrs. Havenith is not in residence you are here alone,' said Cromwell.

‘Not exactly. Three women, daily helps, are, in a way, on the permanent staff and come every day to clean the place. They live in the village. For the rest, we employ three or four maids from a registry when the mistress and guests are about the house.'

‘Do they supply the same maids every time?'

‘No. They can hardly hold them unemployed in reserve until we need them. Sometimes we get a girl who has been here before, but we can't depend on it.'

If Mrs. Morgan had herself been mistress of the house she could not have been more authoritative. She spoke as if she owned the place. Her husband stood mutely by with Cairncross. The pair of them were evidently content to allow Mrs. Morgan to do the talking.

‘How long was Mrs. Havenith. recently in residence?'

‘Almost a month. She had business in London and took the opportunity to hold a number of social gatherings here.'

‘And during that time were the same maids here?'

‘Yes. May I ask exactly why you are questioning me in this way? Surely you don't think that the recent crime in
Orchard Court
had any connection with this establishment.'

‘I made that point before we came here.…'

Cairncross seemed to be excusing himself. Mrs. Morgan ignored the interruption.

‘We have our reasons, Mrs. Morgan,' said Cromwell. ‘Could you give me the names of the maids you engaged … names and addresses if you don't mind?'

Mrs. Morgan looked extremely nettled. Her lips tightened and she seemed ready to refuse. Then she apparently thought better of it.

‘I have them in my desk. Please excuse me.'

She strode from the room without another word.

Morgan took the opportunity to express his feelings about the inquiry.

‘A police inquiry here, sir, with the mistress absent is a little embarrassing. How will we explain it to Mrs. Havenith? She will be very upset, I'm sure.'

Cromwell answered him with emphatic patience.

‘There is nothing exceptional in this. We only wish to know, in view of the murder of the man next door, if anybody saw anything unusual recently happening.'

Morgan dried up as his wife entered, carrying in her hand a small notebook. He lamely tried to pacify his wife.

‘The Superintendent is making these inquiries purely to find out if anyone in
The Limes
saw something unusual lately, in view of the crime committed next door, Beulah.'

She gave him a disgusted look.

‘I was well aware of that. Here are the names and addresses. Two of the maids live locally, I know; the others at a distance. You had better consult the agency if you need their addresses. Morgan apparently forgot to obtain them. It is immaterial. The agency will have them.'

Morgan, who had received the implied rebuke like a blow in the face, looked very relieved.

‘Who are the agents, please?'

‘The Binder Domestic Agency, 43a Well Lane, Bond
Street, London. Mr. Binder himself attends to our requirements. Will that be all?'

‘We would now like to see the rooms from which the flat in question is visible.'

‘Very well.…'

She turned to Morgan and Cairncross.

‘There is no sense in all of us going. Will you two please remain here until we return?'

Cairncross and Morgan looked at each other and Cairncross shrugged his shoulders. Morgan apparently didn't even dare do that.

‘You'll find us somewhere about the place,' said Cairncross, as a parting gesture of independence.

Mrs. Morgan led the way up the broad staircase, lined with the striking portraits of anonymous gentility, bought at auction sales. Having disposed of the two men whom she seemed to regard as underlings she grew more genial.

‘All the rooms on the front of the house have a view across to the
Orchard Court
flats. I can assure you that the occupants of those rooms saw nothing sinister going on last night.'

‘Did you, at any time, see or hear if the occupant of the end flat on the second floor seemed to be keeping this place under observation?'

Mrs. Morgan halted in her stride.

‘Certainly not Why should anyone do that? I can imagine them taking a casual look through the window at us, but to conduct a persistent observation sounds very unpleasant.…'

‘You must be aware, Mrs. Morgan, that this would be a good place to rob.'

‘That is obvious. Mrs. Havenith is well known as a collector of very valuable jewellery and does not seem to mind the press or periodicals making the fact known. Who am I
to interfere in the matter? But to attempt to steal her valuables … that is another matter. This house is as safe as a bank. Burglar alarms absolutely up-to-date, a very modern safe, Cairncross continually on the prowl and maintaining a routine check on all that goes on. A burglar would have a very warm reception. Here we are. This is the mistress's suite.'

She led them in. The suite consisted of a bedroom, a bathroom, and a boudoir. All of them sumptuous. The bedroom was furnished in light Adam style, with a thick Aubusson carpet, but the whole was spoiled by a huge bed, said to have been occupied by royalty, and hence insisted upon by Mrs. Havenith. The boudoir was dominated by a large dressing-table littered with cosmetics, and held many small tables and chairs, as though the tenant could entertain friends and provide refreshments at the same time. The whole was in pink. The bathroom came as a shock after the classical efforts of the other two; it was in white marble, with a huge sunken bath and the most modern plumbing.

Littlejohn and Cromwell were interested most in the windows and the views they gave of the adjacent flats. The bedroom window was large, wide, and heavily curtained. Obviously Charles Blunt had had an almost full view of the room, including the well-lighted interior, when the curtains were not drawn. The same applied to the boudoir, the window of which was smaller, yet admitted an almost full sight of the dressing-table on which, normally, Mrs. Havenith's jewellery must often have lain.

The police were in no position to search the house. All they needed for the time being was to obtain a preliminary glance of the arrangement of rooms and furniture.

There were two more suites on the corridor, one of which was occupied by Mr. Havenith when he visited the place. There was no connecting door between the suites. The other one,
according to Mrs. Morgan, was that of Mr. Leo Havenith when he was in residence. The detectives made a cursory tour of all the rooms. The suites, other than Mrs. Havenith's, were not so favourably placed for inspection from the
Orchard Court
flats, to which they stood at an angle which cut off half the view.

Throughout Mrs. Morgan watched the operation silently, tight-lipped, disapproving, as though they were violating some sacred retreat.

‘You will, of course, tell Mrs. Havenith that we've been here and let her know the reason for our visit.…'

‘I certainly will. I don't know what she will say. She is a sensitive lady and will not like the idea of her rooms being visited by strangers.'

‘I will call to see her as soon as she returns,' said Littlejohn.

They all descended to the ground floor, where Cairncross and Morgan were still waiting for them, in spite of Cairncross's truculence when they left them.

‘And now for the burglar alarms; then we'll leave you in peace,' said Cromwell.

Mrs. Morgan seemed relieved.