Murdered by Nature (7 page)

‘Ain't seen anyone like that.'

‘Who works in the house?'

‘What's it to you?'

‘I'll have to ask them questions similar to those I've asked you, and it's polite to know their names.'

‘Same as you knew mine?'

‘Is there a big staff?'

‘The señor didn't like too many people around. He'd often come out here and sit in the shade, not doing anything but enjoying what was around him. Said the greatest luxury was peace and quiet.'

‘Tell me the names of the staff.'

‘Manuel, Beatriz, Inés, and a couple who come on alternative days to help clean.'

‘Manuel who?'

‘Benavides. Comes from Valladolid. Calls himself the butler.' García hawked and spat an unspoken comment on social delusions.

‘And Beatriz?'

‘Does the cooking.'

‘Is she good at it?'

‘The señor liked his grub so he wouldn't have had her if she weren't. Not that I've ever said to the wife how good she is. Nothing starts a cat-row faster than telling a wife she ain't the sharpest cook.'

‘How right you are! I ought to move.'

‘Don't reckon to stop you.'

Alvarez walked slowly. A pattern was beginning to emerge. He went around the house to the back door and, since this was ‘Mallorquin territory', did not bother to knock, but opened it and entered a small square, off which were three inner doors. He called out. Benavides entered, was momentarily surprised to see him.

Alvarez introduced himself. ‘I've come to have a word with you. It's been a tiring day, so is there somewhere we can sit?'

‘If you will kindly follow me, inspector, we will go into the staff sitting-room.'

They walked along a corridor, past the kitchen from which came evocative culinary scents, turned into a small room, reasonably furnished.

‘Please sit where you would like.'

Alvarez was disturbed by Benavides' obsequious manner, but accepted that someone from Valladolid could not be expected to enjoy the same sense of equality as a Mallorquin. ‘I'm hoping you will be able to help me over one or two matters.'

‘If that is possible, I shall be happy to do so.'

‘I need to find out more about Kerr, the man who drowned in the bay. You'll have read or heard he had a noticeable scar on his neck below the right ear and this was large enough to make for easy identification. Did he come here before he died?'

‘Had he done so, inspector, in view of all the publicity, I would have immediately reported the matter.'

‘It's heartening to hear that.' And unusual. The islanders would denounce each other without hesitation, but saw little need to inform the police about something which did not concern themselves. ‘I've looked through the possessions of the dead man, left in the villa he was renting, and amongst them was a notebook in which was written this address. I had a word with Felipe before coming to the house and asked if he'd seen someone resembling Colin Kerr wandering about the estate. He hadn't. So I thought Kerr might have come directly to the house. You tell me he didn't. To your knowledge, was Kerr a friend or acquaintance of the señor?'

‘I have no reason to believe so.'

‘He never called at the house?'

‘Again, I fear I cannot help you.'

‘Then likely Felipe was right.'

‘In what respect?'

‘Kerr probably read about the gardens in a travel guide, made a note to look at them, never did so.'

‘That sounds reasonable.'

‘I'd better have a word with Inés and Beatriz now, to make certain I've spoken to everyone.'

‘I can assure you they will agree with what I have said.'

‘My boss will cast doubts on anything not told directly to me; there are times when he finds reason even to doubt what I say.'

‘You have an unfortunate superior?'

‘Doesn't everyone?'

‘Those of us lucky enough to work here would disagree.'

‘D'you know who'll inherit the estate?'

‘No. But it is the wish of us all that Señora Ashton does.'

‘She couldn't enjoy a better recommendation.'

‘An opinion, inspector. An employee does not recommend.'

‘Not even to a would-be employee?'

Benavides managed a cramped, brief smile.

‘Did the señor and señora get on well together?'

‘Yes.'

‘Roca Nesca promotes perfect relationships.'

‘Marriage, in their case.'

‘Even a marriage made in heaven has its downsides. They could hardly be human and not have had a row or two.'

‘If that had been the case, the discussion would have been in private. The señor always behaved as a man in his position is expected to.'

‘You never heard so much as a spat?'

‘The señora would sometimes disagree with him, but she always expressed herself in a gentlewomanly manner.'

‘A marriage not only made in heaven, but spent there.'

‘You will excuse my saying that it is a shame to disparage the happiness of others.'

‘It was awe, not disparagement. When the señora did quietly express her opinion, what was it likely to be about?'

‘Domestic matters.'

‘Who was likely to win?'

‘They would come to a happy agreement. Indeed, I can recall only the one instance in which one might say it was obvious they strongly disagreed.'

‘Tell me about it.'

‘The señor had to return to England for three weeks, and since he would be in Manchester, said they'd travel together and she could visit her old friends. She did not wish to go, and that upset the señor.'

‘She had a reason for staying here?'

‘I cannot answer.'

‘A young, male friend?'

Benavides' tone became very butlerish. ‘She has friends, all of whom remained just friends.'

‘No honey buttering?'

‘I do not understand.'

‘Secret smiles, furtive touches.'

‘You completely mistake the señora.'

‘No young male friends ever stay here?'

‘I can recall only Señor Browyer, and it may disappoint you to know that neither the señor nor the señora enjoyed his company.'

‘Then what was his attraction?'

‘He was a nephew of the señor.'

‘And what was wrong with him?'

‘It is not my place to comment.'

‘Move on until it is.'

‘The señor was of a generous nature, yet I inadvertently heard him say to the señora that he had more than once lent money to Señor Browyer, none of which had been repaid, so he was not going to lend him any more.'

‘Browyer is a sponger?'

Benavides did not answer.

‘Where does he live?'

‘In England.'

‘When did he last stay here?'

‘In May.'

‘There has been no word from him since then?'

‘I cannot be certain.'

‘Why not?'

‘I answered the phone not long before the señor died. The caller asked to speak to the señor. I answered that he was not at home and asked the caller for his name. He rang off. His voice had been muffled, but it reminded me of Señor Browyer's. I did not express the possibility to the señor, but I did later hear him speaking very angrily on the telephone when there was another call from the same man.'

‘Browyer asking for more money?'

‘I cannot answer.'

‘And you've no idea where the call came from?'

‘When I answered, I could just hear a voice speaking Mallorquin in the background.'

‘If it was Browyer, he was phoning from somewhere on the island?'

‘It would seem very likely.'

‘Is there anything more you can tell me?'

‘I think not.'

‘Thank you for your help. And will you ask Inés to come along and have a word?'

‘Inspector, permit me to say that she is young for her age and of a simple nature due to the conditions under which she lives. She will be very worried and probably frightened by you questioning her.'

‘Why are you telling me this?'

‘I hope it might persuade you to allow me to be here while you speak to her, then she will not become scared.'

‘I prefer her to be on her own.'

‘Then . . . if she is very nervous and becomes confused, perhaps you will understand?'

‘I am used to confusion. And if it'll make you less worried, I question
any
young woman with restraint.'

Alvarez watched Benavides, clearly less than happy, leave. Perhaps he doubted an inspector could speak to anyone, young or old, with restraint.

There was a knock on the door. He called out and Inés entered, clearly nervous and uneasy. He thanked her for coming and assured her he would be as brief as possible; if she became upset, she should tell him and they'd have a break. ‘You know why I'm here?'

She nodded as she stared down at the floor.

‘I have to find out why the unfortunate man drowned. Of course, you've no idea why he was swimming in the bay, so all I have to ask is if, before then, you ever saw a man with a large scar on his neck who came to the house?'

She looked quickly at him, then back at the floor.

He waited before he said: ‘Can you remember if you did?'

She said nothing.

He stood, crossed to the door, now watched by her, opened it and called out. Benavides quickly appeared. Alvarez explained the problem and asked Benavides to return with him.

Benavides spoke to her quietly in a tone which contained no hint of butlership.

She said: ‘I only . . .' then stopped.

‘Inés, inspector, only opens the front door to a caller if I am unavailable and Beatriz is too busy in the kitchen to leave it.'

‘And she has not done so and faced a man with a scar?'

‘Have you?' Benavides asked her.

She shook her head.

‘Then we don't need to bother you any more, Inés,' Alvarez said.

She hurried out of the room, and Benavides began to follow her until stopped.

‘Will you ask Beatriz to come along?' Alvarez said.

‘I think she will be very reluctant to do so, inspector.'

‘Why?'

‘I understand the señora has eaten so little recently that Beatriz is cooking her favourite dish in the hope it will tempt her. Beatriz will want it to be perfect, and any interruption might prevent this.'

‘What's the dish?'

‘Oblades amb bolets.'

‘I'm not prepared to take the risk of spoiling that. I'll speak to her at some other time.'

‘I will tell her.'

‘Do you get a chance to have a taste?'

‘The señora said we were always to eat the same as she and the señor did.'

‘You must be enjoying haute cuisine!'

As he drove away, Alvarez wondered if there was an à la carte or a fixed menu in heaven?
Oblades amb bolets
. Turbot, mushrooms, onion, olive oil, white wine, lemon, parsley, fennel, salt, pepper . . . Surely they would serve that, since the dish must have originated in heaven.

‘Yes?' Ángela Torres asked, for some reason less sharpishly than usual.

‘Inspector Alvarez speaking. Is the superior chief there?'

‘No.'

‘Will you tell him I have spoken to the staff at Son Dragó, with the exception of the cook, and they testify Kerr did not call at the house, nor was he seen in the gardens.'

‘Is that all?'

‘I think so.'

She did not say goodbye; he had not expected her to. He checked the time, decided it should be all right to leave the office in ten minutes. The phone rang. He swore as he lifted the receiver. ‘Inspector Alvarez . . .'

‘What the devil are you doing, disobeying my orders?' Salas asked.

‘I have not disobeyed them, señor.'

‘You have just informed my secretary that you spoke to the staff at Son Dragó.'

‘To Benavides and Inés . . .'

‘You would like to explain why that was not flagrant disobedience?'

‘You forbade me to speak to Señora Ashton, for a reason you did not state . . .'

‘Nothing could have been clearer.'

‘You did not say I must not question the staff.'

‘Because I forgot you were incapable of understanding a negative is not an indirect positive.'

‘If it were, mathematics as we know it would be upset.'

‘A subject which at present is not of the slightest relevance and of which you are likely to have little knowledge.'

‘I was thinking of the supposition that two negatives make a positive.'

‘It is fact, not a supposition.'

‘That I do not understand what I am not to do, means I must understand even when I don't?'

‘It doesn't need a double negative to cause you to ignore the simplest instruction. Have you interviewed all the staff?'

‘As I informed Señorita Torres, not yet.'

‘Why not?'

‘Beatriz was cooking, and had I interrupted her, this might easily have ruined a golden dish.'

‘Was the intended consumer Midas?'

‘I don't think there was anyone but the señora.'

‘Can you give a valid reason for not questioning a witness solely because she was cooking?'

‘But it was
Oblades amb bolets
.'

‘You fail to understand it matters not a damn if it was dried cod?'

‘It would to the señora.'

‘You will question the cook this afternoon, whatever she is doing, and report immediately. You will not excuse failure on the grounds she was preparing the golden calf. You understand?'

‘Yes, señor. I have learned something interesting.'

‘By your judgement?'

‘The señor's nephew, Browyer, visited Son Dragó more than once. He kept bumming the señor for money.'

‘It pleases you to use the language of an indigent peon? Explain why it is significant.'