The Affair of the Thirty-Nine Cufflinks (17 page)

Wilkins made a sympathetic clucking sound. 'Who would have thought it would be so complicated? Rather like the allocation of beats to constables, which I had to deal with when I was in the uniformed branch. Certain routes are very much more popular than others, and some of the lads can get quite disgruntled if they're put on the less favoured ones too often. It requires a fair amount of diplomacy. Police constables can be as touchy as prima donnas sometimes.'

'So can barristers and Members of Parliament, believe me, Wilkins,' said Lord Burford.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Wilkins got to his feet. 'Better get a move on, I suppose. And if I could kindly be informed when Miss Dorothy wakes, or her sister arrives . . .'

'I'll let you know,' said Gerry.

'Thank you. Now, is there a room where I could interview the witnesses? We used the small music room last time, if that would be convenient.'

'By all means,' said the Earl. 'Can't imagine anyone's goin' to want to play the piano today.'

'I'll take you,' Gerry said.

They went out. 'I remember where it is, Lady Geraldine,' Wilkins said, 'but if you could lend me one of your servants to fetch each of the witnesses when I'm ready for them.'

'I'll do it.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, I'd like to. Who do you want to see first?'

'Miss Mackenzie, please.'

'Really? Why her? In my book, she's the least likely - sorry. Nothing to do with me.'

'Miss Mackenzie has something she badly wants to tell me. She nearly came out with it twice last night, in the drawing- room, but couldn't quite bring herself to. I think she will this morning.'

'OK, I'll fetch her.'

She hurried away, meeting Sergeant Leather in the great hall. 'He's in the music room,' she said, pointing.

'Well?' Wilkins asked when Leather entered.

'I've spoken to all the servants, sir. Started with Janet, but, as you thought, she couldn't tell me anything. She took Mrs Saunders cocoa and biscuits in her room at around quarter to eleven. The lady was sitting in a chair, reading. Looked quite normal, no sign of fright or agitation. Janet just put down the tray, said goodnight and left. She wasn't in the room fifteen seconds. And none of the others saw or heard anything. Most of them were in bed by then, and all were by the time the body was discovered. Albert, the footman, says he and young Lambert both went right into the gallery and had a good look round. He's willing to swear that then there was nobody hidden behind the sofa or anywhere else.'

'Well done, Jack. Did they give you coffee?'

'Yes, and a very nice slice of rich fruit cake.'

'Oh, I didn't get any of that.'

'Something to be said for life below stairs. Oh, and Smithy's arrived. He's started fingerprinting the servants.'

The door opened and Gerry entered. 'I've brought Miss Mackenzie.'

Jean Mackenzie, looking even more anxious than usual, came in, her eyes darting around the room, as if expecting to see some assailant waiting to pounce.

'And she says she would like me to sit in, if that's all right with you,' Gerry added.

'Certainly, Lady Geraldine. Please sit down, Miss Mackenzie.'

'Oh, thank you.'

As she was doing so, Wilkins looked at Gerry, put his finger to his lips and then pointed at her. Gerry grinned and gave a nod.

The others sat down, Leather taking out a shorthand notebook and pencil.

'So, Miss Mackenzie, what do you want to tell me?' Wilkins asked.

She gave a gulp. 'I have a confession to make.'

'I see. Confession to what, exactly?'

'I have done something terrible. Really wicked.'

'Really? So, why did you kill Mrs Saunders?'

She gave a shriek of horror. 'Kill? I didn't kill her.'

'Oh, I do beg your pardon, miss. When you said you'd done something really wicked, I assumed it had to be murder.'

'Well, it wasn't quite as bad as that, but the fact is I told a lie. And Mr Bradley passed it on - in all good faith, I must emphasise - to Lord and Lady Burford. I do not think Florrie would have minded. She had no strong feelings either way. And I have been worrying in case she had said as much to Agatha, and that Agatha passed it on to Clara, so she would know I had lied. But I only did it because it did seem to be the Great Opportunity that I had been promised. Marion had said I would recognise it when it came. Well, of course, I had been wishing so strongly for just such a chance, and it seemed quite amazing that the opportunity should have presented itself in this way. I had thought at first that it was something quite different that was being suggested, but I soon decided that that would have involved spying in a quite underhand way, so it couldn't be that. I should, though, have realised that when it actually came it would never involve telling a lie, either. And the terrible thing is that if I had not sinned in this way, Mrs Saunders - Mrs Clara Saunders, that is, not Mrs Florence Saunders - would be alive today.'

All of this was said at a breathless pace and Leather's pencil had been flying across the paper. Wilkins waited for a moment for him to catch up, before asking: 'But what precisely was this lie?'

'Oh, didn't I mention that? It's this. I told Mr Bradley that Florrie had expressed a wish to be buried at Alderley. She hadn't. She hadn't said anything about where she wanted to be buried.'

'And you said that because you believed this was the great opportunity you'd been told about? Why were you so sure of that?'

'Don't you see that even before last night there had been three murders here in the past twelve months? It is a well- known fact that souls who are murdered are often restless - unquiet. They are unable to Pass On. They remain confined to the site of their murder. They sometimes Walk. Of course, one would need to be a Sensitive actually to be aware of them. I'm sure, for instance, that were Mr Hawthorne here, he would experience a Manifestation. I, to my great sadness, am not a Sensitive, but for so long I had been desperately wishing for a chance to come here and try an experiment, though it seemed totally impossible. Then Marion told me I was going to be given a great opportunity. A chance that is vouchsafed to few. "You must seize the moment when it comes," she said. "Be resolute. Do not be afraid." '

Wilkins broke in. 'Just for the sergeant's record, could you tell us Marion's surname?'

'The same as mine, Mackenzie. She never married.'

'So how did your - ' he paused momentarily before guessing ' - sister know about this great opportunity?'

'Well, they do, don't they? Know things, I mean, that we don't.'

'Who do?'

'Yes, I'm afraid that may well be true.'

Wilkins took a deep breath. 'What may be true?'

'That there was a hoodoo on my whole enterprise.'

'No, I mean who know things that we don't?'

'Those who are no longer in the body.'

Light dawned in Wilkins' eyes. He nodded sapiently. 'Yes, I suppose they do. When did your sister die, Miss Mackenzie?'

'We prefer not to use that word, Mr Wilkins. My sister passed on nearly eight years ago. And in all that time she has never communicated before, which was what made it so exciting.'

'And this was at a séance with Mr Hawthorne, the medium?'

'A public meeting, really. He's truly wonderful. And the message was so direct: from Marion, for Jean. I couldn't think what it could mean, though I puzzled about it for days. Then Florrie passed on and that of course put it out of my head. But when I was talking to Mr Bradley, he actually asked me if Florrie had ever said anything about where she wanted to be buried. And it suddenly hit me. If the funeral were held at Alderley, I felt sure, knowing how kind and hospitable they are, that the Earl and Countess would invite the mourners back to the house, and there just might be a chance, even if we were only here for an hour or so. So that's when I told my lie. Then we were actually invited to stay here overnight. It seemed to be working out so wonderfully and I honestly believed that I would be able to achieve a really important Communication with the Unquiet Spirits - or at least one of them.'

'But what exactly were you planning to do? You said yourself that you're not a sensitive.'

'No, but I had the next best thing: a ouija board. I've had really remarkable results with it in the past.'

'But you didn't actually go ahead with your plan?'

'Oh, but I did. Last night.'

'You did? When?'

'After everybody, except Lady Geraldine and Dorry, had gone to bed.'

'In your room?'

'No, no. I wanted to get as close as possible to the actual site of one of the murders, and I knew that one had taken place in the room which houses the gun collection. Of course, I couldn't get in there, but the art gallery is very close to it. I went in there yesterday before the reading of the will, and I felt a definite coldness about half way along to the right as you go in - often a sign of a spirit's presence. And, remarkably, I'd actually been allocated a room across the corridor, which made everything very easy. It really seemed as though it were all part of some great Plan.'

Wilkins stared at her. 'You were actually in the picture gallery last night? What time?'

'It was just a minute or two before twelve when I went in.'

'So it was you who knocked the suit of armour over?'

'Oh dear me, no. But I was there when it happened. It was terrible, really terrible—'

'Miss Mackenzie, just tell me precisely what you did and what occurred.'

'I took my ouija board and a small glass, to use with it as a sort of pointer, into the gallery. Do you know how it is done?'

'I think so. You upturn the glass on the board, put your finger on the bottom, and it's supposed to move about of its own accord and point to the various letters.'

'Exactly. I went to the cold spot and sat down on one of the upright chairs. I said a short prayer, that I would be protected from any evil forces, and then waited, trying to prepare myself mentally. I must admit I found it difficult to start. I was a little nervous, being alone, and so close to where a murder had been committed. It must have been about fifteen or twenty minutes before I felt ready. At first I put the ouija board on my lap, but it kept sliding about. So I put it on the chair and knelt down by it. I put the glass on it, rested my fingers on the glass and said: "Is there anyone there?" And then . . .'

Miss Mackenzie, who seemed to be quite enjoying herself now, paused dramatically. 'Suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, the suit of armour just fell over. It made the most dreadful noise you can imagine. I literally jumped out of my skin. But I knew immediately what had happened. And it could hardly have been worse.'

'What do you mean?'

'I had obviously raised an evil spirit or a poltergeist. It is something I have heard of happening, but it had never happened to me. I have to admit I was absolutely terrified. I grabbed the board and the glass and positively ran to the door. I dropped the glass, but couldn't stop to pick up the pieces. I did turn the light off as I went out, but I left the door open. When I got back to my room I was shaking like a leaf, positively like a leaf. I realised, of course, that this was a punishment for me, and a warning that no good can ever come of telling lies. Very shortly, I heard footsteps and voices outside. I would have stayed in my room, but, frankly, I felt the need of human company, so I went out, and then learned the terrible news.'

Wilkins rubbed his chin. 'Did you hear Miss Simmons shouting?'

'Yes, as I crossed the corridor, though I did not know it was her. I thought perhaps that somebody else was experiencing poltergeist phenomena, but it seems not. I just pray that there will be no recurrence here and that the manifestation was aimed solely at me, not at the house.'

She turned to Gerry. 'Lady Geraldine, I can only offer my most heartfelt apologies. I shamelessly took advantage of your parents' known generosity and I feel most terribly guilty.'

'Miss Mackenzie, please don't reproach yourself too much. I think you're jolly plucky to have come out with it all like this. If you hadn't, no one would have ever known. And it was very suitable to have the funeral here. It was right that Florrie should have been buried at Alderley, as I know my parents both felt eventually.'

'But I'm responsible for the murder. Clara wouldn't have been here if it hadn't been for me.'

'You mustn't think that, Miss Mackenzie,' said Wilkins. 'This crime would have been committed somewhere. It arose out of that scene at the reading of the will - which would have occurred wherever the reading had taken place. What Mrs Saunders said frightened somebody very much. And that led directly to her death.'

'You do make me feel a little better, Mr Wilkins. Thank you.'

'Just one or two questions. Did you tell anyone in advance of your plans to hold a séance?'

'Yes, I told Tommy. He's always been most interested in psychic matters. I even invited him to take part with me, but he refused. I think he was a little nervous - and quite rightly, as it transpired. I have been warned that ouija boards are dangerous things, but I foolishly ignored the warnings.'

'And you told him afterwards what had occurred?'

'Yes, earlier this morning. He was very concerned.'

'Is there anything else you can tell us about last night?'

'No, nothing. I retired to my room quite early and stayed there, reading, until I went to the art gallery.'

'Finally, have you ever heard the name Miss Dora Lethbridge?'

'No, never.'

'Then that will be all for now. We may ask you to sign a statement later.'

'Very well.' She stood up.

'If you go with Sergeant Leather, he'll take you to our fingerprint man.'

'It's all right,' Gerry said, 'I'll take her. And afterwards, a glass of sherry, eh, Miss Mackenzie?'

'Well, it is a little early for me, but it does sound very tempting. Tell me, Lady Geraldine, is your rector here an experienced exorcist?'

'I really wouldn't know.'

'It might be advisable to find out. If not, I know a very good man.' Her voice faded as they went out. Then Gerry put her head back round the door. 'Who do you want to see next?'