“Do I have to go, Mother?” Dermot asked.
“Yes, Dermot. They’re all waiting to meet you. It’s not every day that people in Meadowford get to meet my son, the detective,” she said proudly.
As they entered the vicarage garden, Dermot was greeted by the sweet and heady scents of roses, hyacinths and rhododendrons. The dazzling colours of the flowers framed the evenly mown and lush-green lawn upon which large white marquees had been erected ready for the day’s festivities. Laughter and chattering filled the air as the guests took their places at the garden tables or gathered refreshments from the elaborate buffet and bar in one of the marquees.
Edna Carlyle introduced Dermot to the people around him. They questioned him about the case and asked when it would be solved. A group of women, who looked like the village gossips, wondered aloud whether they were going to be the next victims, because the murderer could be lurking amongst them.
Dermot sat down to eat while his parents spoke to the people around them. Henrietta Howard came by and greeted them. She was very loquacious and gathered the attention of some of the people seated at Dermot’s table and also the next. She told them that she missed Lady Fitzhugh because she always attended her annual garden party and the two of them would reminisce about the days when Lady Fitzhugh taught her at the village school.
“We would talk about Lily Anderson, a classmate of mine, who was the class clown. She had a knack for making things up just to avoid getting into trouble with the teachers. I remember…”
Dermot was lost in thought. Something that Henrietta had just said had got him thinking. He had always suspected that someone was not being entirely honest with him. He sat for a few minutes, deep in thought, and then suddenly got up. Dermot realised that everyone’s eyes were on him.
“What is it, Dermot?” asked Edmund, baffled.
“Sorry, Father… but thank you, Mrs. Howard, for telling me what I need to take a closer look at. I have to get going…”
Dermot left with everyone staring at him.
“Duty calls, I’m sure,” said Edna, embarrassed, as she sipped her tea to avoid the many pairs of eyes on her.
Dermot ran to his car and drove home. He picked up the phone and asked for the operator to connect him to the London Library. After a few minutes, he heard a familiar voice on the phone.
“Miss Cartwright,” Dermot interrupted. “Sorry to disturb you, but I need a favour from you…”
Dermot packed a few clothes and left a note for his parents. Then he drove to the London Library. Miss Cartwright smiled when she saw him.
“You were right,” she said. “I’ve found what you wanted…”
Dermot then drove to King’s Cross Station, bought a ticket, and had just enough time to catch the train as it pulled away. He returned home the next day, satisfied that his hunch was correct.
— — —
Edna called out to Dermot, telling him that four telegrams had been delivered. Dermot went down the stairs and Edna pointed to the telegrams on the table and continued dusting. Three telegrams were from Mr. Griffin in South Africa and one was from Gerard Argyle. Dermot opened and read them. Then he re-read them and thought for a second.
A few hours later, Inspector Enderby and Dermot were standing in front of Major Havelock’s door. Gerda Havelock opened the door and was surprised to see them.
“Whatever is the matter, Gentlemen?”
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Havelock. Is the major at home?” asked Inspector Enderby.
“Yes, he’s reading the newspaper.”
“Good, we’d like a word with him.”
The ageing major looked surprised as the two men went into the living room.
“Major Havelock, we need to talk to you about what really happened when you rejoined your unit after convalescing in Pretoria,” said Dermot.
“Whatever for? I was wounded in my right leg and have the scar to show you.” He bent down, fighting against the rotund stomach that prevented him from bending any further.
“No need to, Major Havelock, we know about your injury. However, you were not completely honest with me when I came here for dinner…”
Major Havelock was silent. Dermot handed over two of the telegrams from South Africa and Major Havelock read them. Beads of perspiration appeared on the major’s brow.
“When I came here for dinner, you told me that Slattery was very loyal to Lord Fitzhugh.”
Major Havelock nodded slowly.
“I assume that you too have that same loyalty to Lord Fitzhugh. It’s because of his recommendation that you had a distinguished military career and a promotion from a Private to Lance Corporal after the war. You also got those medals because of his recommendation. That’s why you’re still loyal, am I right?”
The major’s silence was deafening.
“Percival,” said Gerda from the door. “You don’t have to be loyal to his Lordship any more. He’s dead… Inspector Enderby can arrest you for thwarting a murder investigation. You’ve got to tell him what happened, my dear. Tell them the truth and I will see you through this.”
Gerda sat down next to the major and took his hand. He looked into her eyes and then slowly began to speak. “After I arrived from Pretoria…”
— — —
That night, Dermot sat at the table in his bedroom, looking at his notes. He had two suspects, but he couldn’t determine their motives or whether they had any accomplices. There were so many unanswered questions; if he could only glean the answers from the evidence he had before him! Frustrated, he decided to go to bed. As he cleared out his pockets, he found a folded piece of paper in his coat. It was the list of the constables that Inspector Enderby had placed to guard Fitzhugh Manor. There was one name that stood out again. Two hunches came to Dermot’s mind; he had to see if they were correct.
The next morning, Dermot placed two calls: one to Miss Cartwright at the London Library and one to Oswald Gardner in Scotland Yard. He needed them to check out his two hunches. While he waited, he re-read the two wills, his notes, and the telegrams. He looked at the photograph of Lord Fitzhugh and Christiaan and remembered what Flora Ainsworth had told him. Another idea flashed across his mind. After Dermot got confirmation from Miss Cartwright and Oswald Gardner, he made arrangements with Oswald Gardner to take the next step. He then drove to Meadowford Police Station with the photo of Lord Fitzhugh and Christiaan, and spoke to Inspector Enderby about putting his theory to the test.
— — —
Argyle Village – That same day
As evening approached, Inspector Sean McDonald and his team of men entered the graveyard of St. Drostan’s Church in Argyle Village equipped with shovels. Inspector McDonald had received a phone call from Chief Inspector Oswald Gardner asking him to exhume the body of one of the denizens of the graveyard. It had taken a few hours to obtain the exhumation order from the judge, but now they were ready to begin. Inspector McDonald cleared the overgrowth from the relatively new five-year-old headstone and read the engraving.
“All right, men, this is it. Start digging!”
— — —
Meadowford Village – The next day
After dropping Inspector Enderby at the Meadowford Train Station, Dermot went to the Meadowford Inn with two constables. He asked the receptionist for Cora Fitzhugh’s room and then they climbed the staircase. Dermot knocked on Room 26 and Cora opened the door.
“Is Miss Pippa Fitzhugh here?” asked Dermot.
“Yes… she has come to say goodbye. Hector and I are about to travel to Liverpool to catch the boat to Canada. Why are you here?”
“To arrest Pippa,” said Dermot curtly.
&
nbsp; “Why? What has she done?”
“She and her lover, Francis Abernathy, who owns the theatrical company where she acts, planned the murder of Lady Fitzhugh and also the attempted murder of Hector so that she could inherit the estate.”
“No, Pippa would never hurt Hector,” said Cora tearfully.
“Please step aside, Mrs. Fitzhugh. We have a warrant for Pippa’s arrest,” said Constable Blackwood abruptly.
Cora stepped aside reluctantly and the three men went in. They found Pippa sitting at the desk. She was taken aback when she saw them.
“Wha… what… is it?”
“Miss Pippa Fitzhugh, you are under arrest on suspicion of the murders of Lady Fitzhugh and Mr. James Slattery, and also for the attempted murder of your brother, Master Hector Fitzhugh. We have also arrested your accomplice, Mr. Francis Abernathy. Please come with us.”
Stunned, Pippa slowly got up. “Mother, this isn’t true,” she said with a quivering voice.
“I know, Pippa. I will find a lawyer who will get you out of this mess.”
“Where’s Hector?” asked Dermot.
“He’s having tea with another boy he met here… Please don’t let him see Pippa getting arrested,” pleaded Cora tearfully.
Dermot nodded and told Cora to take Hector to the manor, where they would be safe from the reporters.
Constable Blackwood handcuffed Pippa and led her away.
— — —
Inspector Enderby was on a train heading to Argyle Village. He was reading a newspaper that had been left behind by a previous passenger. The front page had pictures of Lady Argyle lying in state at Argyle Castle and of her funeral cortege with the hearse flanked by her grandson. He felt the train slowing down and when he looked out at the people on the approaching platform he saw two men wearing trench coats. When the train finally stopped, he alighted and walked towards them.
“Inspector Enderby, I presume,” said one of the men, holding his hand out.
“Yes, you must be Inspector McDonald,” said Inspector Enderby, shaking the man’s hand.
“Right y’are, chum. Sorry about the wee bit of rain. This is Sergeant Mackenzie.”
Inspector Enderby shook the other man’s hand. “It’s a relief from the heat back in Meadowford to be honest.”
“Dae ye have the documents?” asked Inspector McDonald.
“Yes, I will show them to you on the way.”
They got into the car and Inspector Enderby handed Inspector McDonald the papers as they headed towards Argyle Castle.
“Och aye,” said Inspector McDonald. “These will ensure that they come with ye tae London.”
When they reached the castle, Inspector McDonald rang the doorbell. Nancy opened the door wearing a black dress, showing that she was still in mourning.
“Mrs. Nancy Maude Argyle?”
“How… how did ye know? What’s this about?” she asked, taken aback.
“You and Lord Argyle are required tae accompany Inspector Enderby tae London. These documents signed by a judge in London behooves you tae comply without further delay.”
— — —
That same evening, just before eight, a police car stopped in front of Fitzhugh Manor. Arthur Endecott got out of the car with a look of relief on his face. The murder charge against him had been dropped. He walked up the steps and rang the doorbell. Miss Carter was taken aback when she opened the door and expressed how nice it was to see him. He went to the living room where his mother and aunt were reading the newspaper. They were both astonished to see him.
Arthur explained that since Pippa and her accomplice had been arrested, the murder charge against him was dropped. However, he was still being charged for tampering with evidence and for the theft of the earrings. Arthur was just about to say something more when Alice came in and greeted him. She announced that dinner was ready and that she had set a plate for Arthur at the table. They went to the dining table and sat down, and Alice and Miss Carter started serving the soup from a tureen.
Arthur told them that the police had evidence that Bertram Kerr had found out about Pippa being an actress and informed Lady Fitzhugh during the party. Lady Fitzhugh privately told Pippa that she suspected her of being an actress and of having an affair with Francis Abernathy. She asked Richard and Pippa to meet her the day after the party. The police suspect that she wanted to give Pippa an ultimatum to marry Richard and give up being an actress and her lover or be disinherited. That is why Pippa murdered her and also then attempted to murder Hector for the estate. She knew the contents of both Lady Fitzhugh’s and Lord Fitzhugh’s wills.
“It was that actress thing, I tell you. Just as bad as what I thought she was when she came home with make-up on her face. That’s what loose women get into and then they lose boundaries. I always knew that no good comes from being an actress. If Father or Allan were alive, they would’ve set Pippa straight,” said Lilian.
Arthur tasted the soup. “Good to taste Mrs. Withers’ cooking again. Too bad Pippa will never taste her cooking again after I give my statement to the police that I saw Pippa and her suitor in London and I saw her enter Aunt Doris’ room that night. Oh, that’s what I was going to tell you before Alice announced that dinner was ready. I’ve made a deal with the police to get the other two charges dropped in exchange for my statement.”
“You mean that you actually saw her?” asked Lilian.
Arthur explained that he was not asleep the whole night, like he told the police. He woke up when he heard his bedroom door open. He saw Pippa enter and take something from his suitcase. After she left, Arthur opened his bedroom door a little and saw Pippa entering Lady Fitzhugh’s room.
“What about this chap of hers?” enquired Flora.
“I didn’t see him, but the police are sure that Pippa let him into the manor at some point. Pippa is also suspected of increasing the arsenic dosage in Hector’s tonic. The police say that the station master saw Francis at the Meadowford Train Station on the days that Abigail and Kerr were murdered. He was acting very suspiciously. He probably killed Abigail because she was blackmailing Pippa for not seeing her in front of the library door at four-thirty and Mr. Kerr because he threatened to tell the police that they had a motive to commit the murders. Detective Carlyle speculates that Francis was the one who cut Hector’s saddle strap and that Pippa summoned Charles through the indicator board so that Francis could enter the stables. She used the opportunity of Richard spilling the tea to carry out her plan.”
“What about the diamond that the detective found in the room where Kerr was murdered?” asked Lilian.
“It seems that Kerr took those diamonds from Lady Argyle. You know how intimidating he could be. The police think that Francis took them after killing Kerr, although he’s not admitting it.”
“I’m not surprised, Mr. Kerr was a horrible beast,” said Lilian.
“Why didn’t you tell the police about Pippa after poor Doris’ body was discovered?” asked Flora.
“I was afraid of what it would do to Cora. When Slattery was murdered, I knew that it was Pippa. However, I was afraid of a scandal. I knew that grandfather wouldn’t want the family name dragged through the mud. He was all about keeping up appearances. After the indignity of Uncle Allan allegedly spying for Germany, we didn’t need the family name tarnished again.”
“Very good, Arthur. Father would’ve been proud of you for thinking of the family name,” said Lilian.
“Where’s Cora?” asked Arthur.
“She and Hector returned to the manor after Pippa was arrested. She’s too upset to eat with us and so wanted to eat in her room. Hector is with her,” said Flora.
“
Poor Cora, the shock must be hard for her. She’ll be upset when she learns that I’ve to make a statement to the police that will convict Pippa.”
“Arthur, you mustn’t feel guilty. If only Cora had taken some control over Pippa then she wouldn’t have got involved with that awful man. Cora isn’t strict enough and doesn’t give a tuppence about how she raises either of them. Even as a child of six or seven, Hector would piddle all over the house…”
Flora snorted into her soup. “Lilian!”
“Don’t worry,” said Lilian, “he soon stopped when I gave him a walloping on his bum.”
Flora picked up her napkin and then dabbed at the soup that she’d spilt on her chin. “I feel sorry for Richard,” she said. “Pippa was using him while she was carrying on with that other chap. We all thought badly of him and we felt that he wasn’t good enough for our Pippa, but it turns out it was the other way around.”
“I have to be up early in the morning, Mother. Detective Carlyle will be picking me up at eight.” Arthur looked at Miss Carter who was standing next to the table. “Miss Carter, can you please have a pot of chamomile tea sent to my room? It will help me sleep.”
“Yes, Mr. Endecott. I will make it especially for you and place it right next to your bed.”
“Thank you, Miss Carter. Aunt Doris was right; you are a wonderful housekeeper and we’re glad to have you. She would be proud of how you’ve continued taking care of us.”
Miss Carter thanked him and left.
After dinner, Arthur went to his bedroom and locked the door. After a bath, he poured himself a cup of chamomile tea and waited for it to cool.
— — —
As the clock struck eight, Dermot arrived and parked his car in front of the manor. He honked his horn and when nobody came out Dermot walked to the front door and knocked. Alice opened the door and greeted him. Dermot asked her about Arthur. She said that she hadn’t seen him and that he had not yet had his coffee and toast that she had kept for him in the drawing room. Miss Carter appeared and she too found it strange that Arthur was not yet awake. Dermot suggested going to his bedroom to wake him. As they were about to go, Miss Carter sternly told Alice to go ahead with her chores. Alice paused to protest but then turned and walked away.
A Bloody Hot Summer Page 20