Mystery by the Sea: An utterly addictive English cozy mystery (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Book 5)

by Verity Bright

  She eyed him, half of her angry and half sad. ‘So you killed him and ransacked his room. But you didn’t find the diamond, did you? He’d already hidden it.’

  He nodded, bitterness written over his face. ‘When I couldn’t find it in his room, I found out from the other clerk he’d sent a letter to you, so I figured he must have told you. Then you turned up at the hotel and I knew it couldn’t be coincidence. You’d come to get the diamond.’

  She opened her mouth to correct him, but then closed it. What was the point? He’d never believe her. ‘And when you realised he hadn’t, Thomas, you pretended you recognised me as an American film star you adored. And you used that as cover to feed Clifford and I false information as well as to find out what we were doing. Bravo! But I think we’ve probably heard enough.’

  She nodded to Seldon, who produced a pair of handcuffs. Thomas shook his head.

  ‘Oh, no. You can’t arrest me? On what grounds? I didn’t kill anyone. You’ve no evidence.’

  Seldon’s lip curled. ‘How about how you just confessed to murdering Mr Eden and Mr Blunt in front of us all?’

  Thomas looked at him mockingly. ‘You mean just now? When I was forced to make a false confession under duress with a gun in my back?’ He pointed at de Meyer’s pistol. ‘You think any court’s going to convict me on that?’

  Eleanor waved her hand at the rifle Seldon had wrestled off him. ‘So what exactly were you doing up here with this?’

  Thomas shrugged. ‘My brother was murdered by Rex Franklin and him.’ He pointed to de Meyer. ‘I followed him up here to capture him and hand him over to the police.’ He grinned and winked at Seldon.

  De Meyer smiled lazily at Thomas, but his eyes were deadly. ‘So, you were going to frame me for murder as you’d done with Mr Franklin?’

  ‘And what about Blunt?’ Eleanor said. ‘Why did you kill him? Did he discover you were Hilary’s brother and put two and two together?’

  He didn’t reply, but she could see from the look in his eyes that she’d hit the mark.

  She shook her head sadly. ‘You’re right, you know, Thomas. There probably isn’t enough evidence to convict you of either murder.’

  She looked questioningly at Seldon, who shook his head.

  Thomas grinned smugly.

  She turned to de Meyer. ‘Mr de Meyer, we had an agreement. I believe I’ve fulfilled my side?’

  He patted his pocket. ‘Agreed, Lady Swift.’

  ‘Then you’re happy to fulfil yours?’

  He nodded, eyeing Thomas like a snake eyes a rabbit.

  Thomas’ smug grin faded. He looked from one to the other in confusion. ‘What’s going on? What agreement?’

  Eleanor eyed him dispassionately. What little sympathy she’d had for him had been eroded by his callous attitude. ‘You see, Thomas, I’m usually really rather impetuous. I try not to be, however…’ She shrugged. ‘But this time I decided to think ahead. Earlier today I took Clifford’s advice and made a plan before coming here.’ She glanced at Clifford, who inclined his head. ‘I told Mr de Meyer that I would guarantee he’d have his employer’s property in his possession this evening, if he also guaranteed that my husband’s killer would be handed over. To justice.’

  She glanced at Seldon this time, who nodded briefly. In the last few minutes the wind had finally abated and they no longer needed to raise their voices to be heard. Suddenly all she wanted was to be back home at Henley Hall with her staff. No, her family, because that’s what they’d become.

  ‘So, Thomas,’ she said quietly, fixing him with a tired look. ‘It’s your choice.’

  Thomas was still looking wildly from one to the other, but the confusion in his eyes had been replaced by fear. ‘Wha-what choice?’

  ‘You can confess to Detective Inspector Seldon here and take your chance with British justice. Or…’

  ‘Or what?’

  ‘Or you can stay here with the man you just confessed you were going to frame for murder. And take your chance with his kind of justice. I’m no expert, but I’d say a mercenary like him is going to do far worse things to you than that gang ever did.’

  De Meyer said nothing, but the look in his eyes was chilling.

  Thomas seemed close to hysteria. ‘I’m… I’m not afraid of him.’

  She shrugged. ‘Well, you should be. I think he’s even more ruthless, and merciless, than the people he works for.’

  Thomas pointed at Seldon with a shaky finger. ‘But you’re a policeman. You… you can’t leave me here with him!’

  Seldon shook his head. ‘Actually I’m on holiday and way out of my jurisdiction. If you confess to me now, I’d have the devil of paperwork and explaining to do. I’d rather you went with Mr de Meyer. At least then, I’ll still get some of my holiday.’

  Eleanor spread her hands. ‘Your choice, Thomas.’

  Forty-Four

  ‘I wasn’t sure you’d speak to me. Not after, well, everything.’

  ‘Likewise, Grace.’ Eleanor smiled and ordered two of the rather over-decorative cocktails Grace Summers had been drinking at their first meeting.

  Settled in a quiet corner, the women stared at each other. Eleanor broke the silence. ‘Did you know it was the desk clerk, Thomas, who killed Hilary and Blunt?’

  ‘No, not at all,’ Grace replied wide-eyed. ‘I thought it was de Meyer. I knew he’d been sent by the mine owners and of course I knew of his ruthless reputation.’ She hesitated. ‘Lady Swift, I—’

  ‘Eleanor, please.’

  ‘Eleanor, Hilary and I, we…’ Grace bit her lip. Eleanor’s throat clammed up. ‘Forgive my frankness, but I loved Hilary. I loved him from the day I met him all those years ago.’

  Eleanor felt her heart twist. ‘I see.’

  Grace rushed on. ‘But he… he never cared for me.’ Her eyes filled up. ‘He broke off our business partnership a few weeks after he met you because he feared you would jump to the wrong conclusion. That he and I were together as… lovers. The truth is… he only loved you.’

  Eleanor shook her head to keep back the hot prickle that threatened to herald a rush of her own tears. Tears of relief. ‘You must have hated me before you even met me.’

  Grace nodded, and they both laughed.

  ‘I’m not proud to admit it, Eleanor, but I knew Hilary came to England to try and win you back. And… and yet I followed him to try and finally turn his head before it was too late. That’s what we were arguing about in his room that night.’ Her cheeks coloured. ‘He was horrified when he realised I’d followed him. He told me in no uncertain terms once and for all that he was not, and never had been, interested in me. I was so humiliated, I only went back to his room later that night to apologise. But he was dead. Oh, it was so awful.’

  That’s why none of the others pursued Grace for the diamond, Ellie, because they knew Hilary would never have given it to her.

  She squeezed Grace’s hand. ‘What are you going to do now?’

  Grace shook her head. ‘I don’t know. I think I really will stay in England and look for a job. There’s nothing for me back in South Africa.’

  Eleanor raised her glass. ‘Here’s to a new start.’

  ‘Lady Swift?’ a voice called from across the room. Rex Franklin, suitcase in hand, strode up to them. ‘I owe you an enormous debt.’

  He put the suitcase down and she shook his hand warmly.

  ‘As I do you for saving Hilary’s life six years ago.’

  He smiled. ‘Well, I saved your husband from the firing squad and you’ve saved me from the hangman. I’d say Hilary’s debt is repaid. How about that?’

  ‘Sounds perfect. So what’s next for you, Mr Franklin?’

  ‘I’m taking de Meyer up on his offer of a job.’

  She tried to hide her surprise. ‘Then I sincerely hope it works out for you. Do you know if Mr Longley has checked out yet?’

  He nodded. ‘He left about half an hour ago. Said there was nothing for him back in South Africa, so he was going
to head to East London. Apparently, he’s still got family there.’

  See, Ellie, he was from East London, I thought so all along!

  Franklin picked up his suitcase. ‘See you around, Lady Swift. And you, Miss Summers.’

  Eleanor watched him stride off, whistling. She turned back to Grace, but caught sight of Grimsdale beckoning to her, pointing towards the manager’s office.

  Grace laughed. ‘It seems there’s no rest for the wicked.’

  Inside the office, Grimsdale took the chair behind the desk and waved Eleanor into the other. Clearing his throat, he scanned the pages of his notebook.

  ‘Please excuse me imposing on you again, Lady Swift, but there are some elements relating to the events of this case which are not clear from your statement.’ She blinked at his polite tone. ‘First of all, how did you realise Thomas Williams killed Mr Eden?’

  So that was Thomas’ supposed surname? She gathered her thoughts. ‘Almost to the end, I had assumed all, or at least most, of the people Clifford and I had identified as suspects were lying. However, having reached a dead end in our investigation, I remembered something Clifford said in passing. That even liars sometimes tell the truth. So I started again with the premise that all the suspects had indeed been telling the truth.’

  Grimsdale laughed mirthlessly. ‘That would be a first. Go on.’

  ‘Well, Miss Summers said she left Hilary’s room around nine forty-five in the evening on the night he died and he was still alive. Longley, Franklin and de Meyer, however, all stated that Hilary was dead when they went to his room. And Miss Summers also insisted he was dead when she returned to his room around midnight. So, if they were all telling the truth, it meant that Hilary actually died between nine forty-five and eleven twenty-five. That was the time Longley told me he and Blunt had found Hilary dead.’

  Grimsdale grunted. ‘So how did you narrow Mr Eden’s time of death to…’ He consulted his notebook. ‘Between ten twenty and ten thirty?’

  ‘Again I assumed all the suspects were telling the truth. Franklin told me he’d heard Hilary and Miss Summers arguing in Hilary’s room around nine forty-five, something Miss Summers later confessed.’

  ‘No to me,’ Grimsdale muttered.

  Eleanor ignored the interruption. ‘Hilary had a row with Miss Summers and told her when she left his room at nine forty-five that he was going for a walk for half an hour to clear his head. That meant he would have been back somewhere around ten fifteen or thereabouts, certainly well before ten forty-five. Which meant that if all of our suspects were telling the truth, who could be lying?’

  Grimsdale nodded. ‘Thomas. Very impressive.’

  She hid a smile at the unexpected compliment. ‘Thank you, but what was less impressive was when we looked back over the other information Thomas had given us. It was only a theory that it might be Thomas at this stage, but we soon realised a lot of the information we’d amassed had been second-hand. We’d simply taken Thomas’ word for it, rather than gone to the actual source. He was the one who asked the staff on our behalf each time. Anyway, from all this, we concluded if Thomas was the most likely suspect, then Hilary had probably returned to the Grand around ten fifteen and gone to his room. Thomas must have noted that no one saw Hilary return and decided it was his opportunity to act. So he went to Hilary’s room and killed him around ten twenty—’

  ‘The statement he gave to Chief Inspector Seldon agrees with that.’

  ‘Good. Then Thomas made sure he was on reception duty at ten thirty and waited until no one was in the lobby, which happened to be ten forty-five. The night porter was in the hotel by then, but he was in the kitchen for a few minutes getting a Thermos for the evening. Anyway, Thomas then told you that was the time when Hilary had returned.’

  ‘When, in fact, he was already dead.’ Grimsdale scribbled something in his notebook.

  She nodded sadly. ‘Yes, but I was really only sure it was Thomas once Clifford and I had worked through all this last night before we traipsed up to the Chattri.’

  Grimsdale stopped writing and looked up. ‘And when did you realise Thomas was your husband’s brother?’

  ‘Ah, well, that was when my suspicions in the Metropole bar were confirmed. You see, Clifford and I realised we’d been jumping to other false conclusions.’

  ‘Such as?’

  ‘After Longley said it all made sense when he knew Hilary was going to Brighton, we seized on the notion it was because of Brighton’s diamond connections. But then I thought, suppose it wasn’t? Why else would he come to Brighton? De Meyer had already told me Hilary was brought up here, not London as I’d thought. So why would he go back to his home town?’ She looked at Grimsdale.

  ‘Because he had someone here who would help him,’ Grimsdale replied thoughtfully.

  ‘Exactly. When you’re in trouble, it’s not a case of where do you go, but who do you go to.’

  Grimsdale nodded. ‘Family, of course. If you have any.’

  Eleanor nodded. ‘And then I saw two men greeting each other like long-lost brothers in the Metropole bar last night and it struck me that Thomas might be Hilary’s brother. But I wasn’t sure until I remembered something Clifford had said, this time about a dye that some chap had created while actually trying to make a synthetic form of quinine.’

  Grimsdale’s eyebrows rose. ‘And the relevance to Thomas being Hilary’s brother?’

  She shook her head. ‘You have to understand, I was under immense stress. I really wasn’t noticing things I’d normally notice.’

  ‘Of course.’ Grimsdale fiddled with the top of his pen. ‘Lady Swift, I… I am sorry for the way I… I questioned you about your husband’s death. You must also understand it did look very incriminating, you turning up here as you did. However, it was… insensitive of me.’

  Eleanor blinked in surprise. Not only at his apology, but at how much it meant to her.

  ‘I do understand, Inspector. And thank you. Now, where was I?’

  ‘This dye?’

  ‘Oh, yes. Clifford told me that it has since been used for many things, including hair dye. And that’s when it hit me after seeing those two men in the Metropole. Thomas dyed his hair. Black. Once I’d pictured him with Hilary’s much fairer colouring and added six or seven years, I could see the resemblance. As I said, I might have noticed it earlier, but I was not myself. Also Hilary never said he had a sibling.’

  ‘Naturally.’ Grimsdale scribbled a few more notes and closed his notebook. ‘Thank you, once again, Lady Swift. I shall ensure all of Mr Eden’s effects are packaged in line with the instructions given by Mr Cliff—’

  She held up a hand. ‘Actually, if you will note my new instructions regarding Hilary’s effects? Please donate any you can to a good cause and do as you will with the others.’

  ‘As you wish.’ He coughed. ‘I will, however, need—’

  ‘My half of the wedding photograph,’ she said quietly. ‘Of course you do.’ She pulled it out of her pocket and placed it on the desk.

  Grimsdale put it in a folder. ‘I do understand that the item is of sentimental value to you, Lady Swift. I will make sure both halves are returned immediately the trial is over, if possible.’

  She shook her head. ‘I do not need it returned, thank you, Inspector.’ Her hand went to her other pocket, where the note she’d found at the Chattri was safely stowed. ‘I have all I need.’

  Grimsdale nodded. ‘As you wish. The coroner’s office has released the body, I mean Mr Eden. You might wish to make the funeral arrangements before you leave Brighton?’

  ‘Oh gracious. Yes. Thank you.’

  As she left the manager’s office, Clifford gestured her towards one of the private sitting rooms leading off the lobby.

  ‘Perhaps a moment to gather your thoughts, my lady?’

  She sunk into a deeply upholstered wingback chair as the waiter appeared with two glasses of brandy. Clifford nodded and took the tray. ‘A little fortification?’

  She t
ook the drink gladly. ‘A glass of warm comfort, thank you. I’m pleased to see you’re going to join me too. It’s been a rough ride of a week for you as well.’

  ‘Actually, my lady, if you feel sufficiently composed, I will take my leave for a moment?’ Without further explanation, he left, closing the door behind him.

  She was staring into her glass, distractedly swirling the amber liquid round when she heard the door open. Without looking up, she sighed. ‘I’d like to make the funeral arrangements swiftly. Hilary deserves to be allowed to rest in peace as soon as possible, Clifford.’

  ‘Most understandable, of course.’

  She jerked her head up. ‘Hugh!’ The sight of his familiar blue wool overcoat and the matching scarf made her wish she could curl up in his arms, just for a moment. Her cheeks coloured. ‘I mean, Chief Inspector Seldon. You probably only meant for it to be first-name terms while you were on holiday.’

  He smiled warmly, turning his bowler hat in his hand. ‘I’m not sure I did, actually. Besides, “Hugh” still has two more days’ leave.’

  She gestured for him to take the other chair.

  ‘Thank you, Hugh. For everything you’ve done.’ She bit her lip. ‘But I don’t want you to waste the rest of your holiday listening to me gushing on. Really, you’ve done enough.’

  He smiled. ‘Perhaps I will take you up on your offer to borrow Clifford’s meticulous planning and organisation skills.’

  She laughed. ‘Just know that he is fiendish and more dogged about a schedule than a Jack Russell with a rat.’