A Hundred Thousand Dragons

by Dolores Gordon-Smith

  ‘And at quarter to six p.m., as he would say, Constable Marsh stopped a bearded bloke driving what we assume is Vaughan’s Rolls-Royce in Lower Haverly. Right?’

  ‘Right. Our next definite time is ten to seven, when Brough realized the car was gone. Almost immediately afterwards he saw both Vaughan and Mr Madison, so they were on the spot for sure. Now I know Mr Madison walked to the station, but Vaughan was definitely around for the rest of the evening, until he went off to the Stuckleys’. And we know there’s nothing dodgy about that, because Brough drove him there.’ Ashley sighed. ‘I know there’s been some jiggery-pokery, but it’s hard to see what. To be honest, I’m inclined to believe Mr Vaughan is telling the truth as he saw it. It fits in with what I gathered about Craig’s character.’

  ‘Yes, it does,’ said Jack. ‘There was one thing that struck me, though. Brough told us he filled the car up yesterday. Now the fire happened about half ten, and judging from what I saw, the car must have been full of juice. So, granted that Craig nicked the Rolls, what the dickens did he do with it? I’m absolutely certain sure that he didn’t do what he was supposed to have done, which is smash it into a tree at half past ten. He can’t have driven round aimlessly, otherwise he’d be low on juice.’

  ‘Could he have driven to the Hammer Valley and left the car there? Vaughan could’ve mentioned the party, which could be why Craig chose the Hammer Valley to hide the car.’ He snapped his fingers. ‘How about this? Say this mysterious couple are friends of Craig’s. What if Craig swiped the car, telephoned them from a public call box and asked them to meet him in the Hammer Valley? Although it obviously went wrong, the idea was that they’d take him back to London or wherever.’

  ‘By jingo, Ashley, that’d work!’ exclaimed Jack. ‘My word, that’d really work. It doesn’t explain the footprints and the car tyres at Vaughan’s, but it explains a dickens of a lot.’ The speed of the Spyker, which had increased in a direct index to his mood, slowed again. ‘Actually, that opens up another possibility, doesn’t it? There’s a dead body to account for and Craig had a lousy temper. It could be the other man who died.’ He shuddered. ‘I hope it’s not the woman.’

  Ashley let his breath out slowly. ‘That’s something I hadn’t thought of. We’ll know more tomorrow,’ he said, brightening. ‘Dr Wilcott will have done the post-mortem by then and we’ll know if it’s a man or a woman, if nothing else. If it is a woman, Craig’s got some questions to answer.’

  ‘There’s another possibility,’ said Jack, after a pause. ‘I know we talked about it earlier, but what if Vaughan drove the car? Again, I’m not sure who on earth this man and woman can be, but he’d have to have some sort of confederate and they’re as good as any. If Vaughan was the driver, he’d have to leave the house as soon as he’d spoken to Doris Tiverton at half five and we know the car was in Lower Haverly at quarter to six.’ He glanced at Ashley. ‘What d’you think? I bet I could get from Vaughan’s house to Lower Haverly in quarter of an hour or so.’

  ‘I bet you could,’ said Ashley with a grin. ‘Whether Vaughan could is a different matter, wouldn’t you say? We’re back to the idea that Vaughan murdered Craig, aren’t we? What about this Madison chap? He’d have to be in on it, too.’

  ‘Maybe Doris Tiverton was right when she called him a gangster. Madison seems to have put the wind up everyone, so let’s say he is in on it. Is that an overwhelming objection?’

  ‘Not overwhelming,’ said Ashley, after a few moments’ thought. ‘I’d say it made it unlikely, though. And there’s another thing. If this Madison bloke doesn’t blink at murder, why bring in this mysterious couple? Why didn’t he simply follow Vaughan in the two-seater and bring him back from the Hammer Valley afterwards?’

  ‘Maybe he can’t drive,’ said Haldean with a shrug.

  ‘Maybe,’ agreed Ashley dubiously. ‘Yes, that’s the obvious answer. At least it explains why they were both in the Hammer Valley and at Vaughan’s. Vaughan would have to drive like a bat out of hell, though, to be back at his house for ten to seven. I don’t know if it’s possible.’

  ‘Let’s work it out. First of all, I’m assuming that Craig’s tetchiness got too much for everyone and he was bumped off. Now what do you do with a corpse? It’s a nasty thing to have cluttering up your study, so Vaughan and Madison decide to dispose of it. Madison can’t drive, so Vaughan rings up A. N. Others and asks for a helping hand.’

  ‘He’d have to phrase that phone call pretty carefully.’

  ‘So he would,’ agreed Haldean. ‘He probably wouldn’t Reveal All on the phone. I know I wouldn’t, knowing that the exchange were sitting there with ears flapping. He might simply ask for help with a problem. That would cover it. Okey-doke, what now? I noticed that when Oxley served tea at four o’clock, Craig was sitting with his back to the room. He was still sitting with his back to the room when Oxley came back at half four. I wonder if he was dead.’

  Ashley choked. ‘What! He can’t have been. Oxley heard another quarrel break out as he left the room.’

  Jack looked at him quickly. ‘So?’

  ‘So the quarrel could’ve been have staged for Oxley’s benefit,’ said Ashley slowly.

  ‘I’ll tell you something else, too. Vaughan told us there’d been an argument and Oxley said they’d been going at it hammer and tongs. Now, does anyone, in those circumstances, break off and calmly have afternoon tea? We know they were all supposed to have had tea, because there were three lots of dishes used, but from what we’ve heard, it seems a lot more likely that Craig would have thrown his cup at Madison, not sat there placidly asking the man to pass him another cucumber sandwich.’

  ‘I’m not so sure,’ said Ashley. ‘Lots of people like a cup of tea if they’ve been under a strain.’

  Jack grinned. ‘There speaks the spirit of England. I still think it’s unlikely. The other thing I noticed was that Vaughan made a point of asking if Brough was repointing the wall. You see what I’m getting at? For Vaughan’s plan to work, he’d have to be certain that Brough didn’t go near the garage.’

  ‘So that’s why you were asking about the garden wall! I wondered why you were so interested.’

  ‘You see where this leads, don’t you? As soon as Oxley’s cleared away the tea things at half four, Vaughan and Madison put the body in the car, knowing the servants are all busy with their tea. It’s easy enough to get out of the French windows and the study’s on the same side of the house as the garage. Then, come half five, Vaughan rings for Doris Tiverton, staging Craig’s supposed departure by slamming a door. As soon as Doris is out of the way, Vaughan, who’s been waiting like a greyhound in the slips, grabs his false beard and shoots off to the Hammer Valley, meeting PC Marsh on the way. He places the car artistically against a tree, hops into A.N. Others’ car, and is back in the study for ten to seven, prepared to be thunderstruck when Brough tells him the Rolls has been pinched. How about that?’

  ‘Hold on,’ said Ashley. ‘I want to jot down these times. As I see it,’ he said, after a pause, ‘Vaughan has from just after half-five until ten to seven, which is,’ he said, adding up the times in his notebook, ‘an hour and a quarter. I think he’d be pretty lucky to do it,’ he said dubiously. ‘I don’t know if it’s possible.’

  ‘An hour and a quarter?’ repeated Jack. He made a dissatisfied noise. ‘He’d be cutting it fine, I agree. It’s about sixteen miles in all. Half of an hour and a quarter is thirty-seven-and-a-half minutes. Thirty-seven minutes isn’t much time, and that’s leaving no margin to sort things out at the other end.’

  ‘And he was stopped by PC Marsh,’ put in Ashley.

  ‘And he stopped to chew the fat with PC Marsh,’ agreed Haldean.

  ‘Why didn’t Vaughan set off at half four? Granted that Craig was dead by then, that is? After all, he could have summoned Doris Tiverton into the room at any time he liked. He didn’t have to call her at half five.’

  Jack shrugged. ‘Vaughan and Madison would have to have some time to plan what t
hey were going to do. And, if the A.N. Others really were involved, they’d have to get hold of them somehow or other. No, it’s not that which bothers me, it’s the lack of time. I wonder, granted how desperate the circumstances were, if it’s possible. Somebody set fire to that car and that somebody could so easily be Vaughan. If Vaughan drove over and arranged the body, he had to do it between half-past five and quarter to seven. He can’t have done it earlier because both he and Craig were seen by Oxley and he can’t have done it later because he was seen by Oxley and the other servants, too.’

  ‘It’s not impossible, though, is it, Haldean?’ said Ashley. ‘I quite like the idea. It explains things, you see.’ He gestured at the road. ‘We’re doing much the same journey now and I grant it’s going to take longer than thirty-seven minutes, but you’re not pushing it, are you?’

  ‘Having to follow Brough is cramping my style somewhat. Besides that, with one of the leading lights of the Sussex Constabulary sitting beside me, it wouldn’t be tactful.’

  ‘What if you did push it?’

  Jack turned the idea over for a few moments. ‘I’ll tell you what. This car’s as fast as a Rolls-Royce. Would you do the journey with me to see if the shot’s on the board? I’d like you there, not only to verify the time but to bail me out if I get nabbed for speeding.’

  ‘All right,’ said Ashley. ‘It’d be nice to know if it is possible. We should set off at half five, to try and stay as close to Vaughan’s supposed times as much as possible. I’ll be busy for the rest of the day, but we could do it tomorrow, perhaps.’

  ‘OK,’ agreed Haldean. He reached out and patted the dashboard of the Spyker. ‘Can you believe it? An excuse to put this old girl through her paces and all in the name of the public good. This is my sort of detection.’

  SIX

  Jack looked up as Ashley came out of Market Breeden police station and down the steps to where the Spyker was drawn up by the side of the road. It was five o’clock on a fine spring evening.

  ‘I very nearly had Isabelle and Arthur along for the ride,’ said Jack, opening the passenger door for Ashley. ‘Belle’s convinced Vaughan’s guilty, you know.’

  He caught Ashley’s look and held up his hands pacifically. ‘Don’t blame me. I didn’t say a dicky-bird. Brough told Doris Tiverton that it was their car, so to speak, that had gone up in smoke and she immediately told her young man, whose mother keeps the fishmongers in Market Breeden, who gave the news free to anyone who brought six penn’orth of cod or a nice piece of haddock. The Stuckleys got the news with an order of hake and Marjorie was on the phone to Isabelle right away. As Isabelle knew I thought there was something dodgy about the crash, it took her about two ticks to decide that as it was Vaughan’s car, Vaughan must have bumped someone off and incinerated him, together with the Rolls-Royce. She says she can see it in his eyes, although exactly when she got to stare into Vaughan’s eyes is something that beats me. Anyway,’ he added, climbing into the car, ‘I’ve asked everyone to keep the gossip under their collective hat for the time being.’

  Ashley laughed ruefully. ‘It’ll take a bit more than a look in someone’s eyes to convict them, thank goodness. The fact it was Vaughan’s car in the fire will be in the papers tomorrow, in any event. Do they know Craig’s involved?’

  Jack nodded without speaking. It was odd, this shrinking reluctance he had to say Craig’s name. Odd, but Isabelle understood, and so did Aunt Alice.

  ‘It can’t be helped, I suppose, but for the time being, we’re keeping quiet about Craig. I don’t like the idea of Vaughan being talked about as a possible murderer, either. At the moment it’s a tragic accident.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Jack. ‘I argued the toss with Isabelle, you know, because although I think it’s possible that Vaughan’s guilty, that’s all I think, and Arthur . . .’ He hesitated. ‘Arthur thinks Craig’s a far more likely murderer than Vaughan. Who he murdered is another question, of course.’

  Ashley looked at him sharply. ‘What does Captain Stanton know about Craig?’

  ‘He was with me in Claridge’s when Craig took exception to my presence.’ He smiled reflectively. ‘He’s a good sort, Arthur. He didn’t demand to know what it was about.’

  Ashley, who had been about to not demand, but at least ask, what was behind the encounter in Claridge’s, took a leaf out of the absent Arthur Stanton’s book. ‘I’ve been on to the Travellers’ Club, by the way,’ he said after a pause. ‘The secretary was very helpful. They haven’t seen Craig since Saturday morning, but it’s not unusual for him to disappear without mentioning it. He told me a few details, most of which we know. Craig’s got no family and no close friends, not in this country, at any rate. He can drive, though. Apparently some of the members have heard him mention it, but he doesn’t like motor cars much.’

  ‘If he doesn’t like cars, he’s probably not much of a driver,’ said Jack thoughtfully. ‘That might or might not be important. By the way, have you got the results of the post-mortem, yet?’ he asked, as the car picked up speed.

  ‘Yes, as far as they go. Dr Wilcott apologized for how little information he’d been able to gather, but the body was badly affected by the fire.’

  ‘Is it a man or woman?’

  ‘It was a man, which I must say I was relieved about, but that’s more or less all he could say. The body was so badly damaged, he couldn’t tell me the age or the height or anything much. The man had all his own teeth, but that was about it. One thing he could verify though, was that the victim was dead before the fire started. There was no smoke or soot in the lungs.’

  ‘Ah,’ said Jack in deep satisfaction.

  ‘As you say, Ah. Wilcott thinks he died as a result of that blow to the temple, but what caused it he can’t say. He couldn’t find anything in the car to account for it, so it looks as if your idea about the body being placed in the car after death is right.’

  ‘Everyone a winner,’ murmured Jack. ‘It’s a bit of a long shot, having seen the fire, to say nothing of the remains, but was there anything left on the body which could identify the bloke?’

  ‘Perhaps,’ said Ashley unexpectedly. ‘There’s a metal card case which might help, together with the remains of a wallet, some loose change, a watch, and a key. The key has a fob and looks as if it belongs to a club or hotel, rather than a private house. The wallet’s too charred to be any use but the card case is more hopeful. I got the report and the things from Wilcott just before I came out. Wilcott tried to open it but it was fused shut by the heat. It was in the man’s inside jacket pocket and had been sheltered by his arm to some extent. Wilcott had to cut it loose.’

  ‘That sounds pretty gruesome,’ said Jack with a shudder. ‘I know it’s sentimentality, but I’m glad it’s not a woman.’

  ‘So am I,’ agreed Ashley, as Jack negotiated a corner. ‘Anyway, come back to the station with me after we’ve finished. If all else fails we can have a crack at it with metal cutters. Something else has come up, though, that could kick all our ideas into touch. That Madison chap didn’t show up at the Savoy either last night or the night before.’

  Jack gave a low whistle of surprise. ‘Didn’t he, by Jove? Did he leave any message at the hotel?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘But . . .’ Jack let his breath out in an apprehensive sigh. ‘I don’t like the sound of that.’

  ‘Neither do I. I telephoned the Savoy to speak to Mr Madison, and they said they hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him since Saturday morning. I’m getting Scotland Yard to look into it. I’ve already spoken to your pal, Inspector Rackham, and agreed to go up to Town tomorrow. If Mr Madison is there, I need to interview him. If not, Rackham and I are going to take a look at his hotel room.’

  ‘The Savoy, eh? D’you know,’ said Jack with a significant glance, ‘it’s a pleasant place. Particularly good for lunches and afternoon tea and so on. Morning coffee, too. I’d like to have coffee at the Savoy,’ he added meaningfully.

  ‘Not at the ratepayers’
expense, you don’t,’ said Ashley. ‘However, there’s nothing to stop you buying a cup of tea and a currant bun off your own bat.’ He caught the question in Jack’s eyes and laughed. ‘And – I suppose I should have said this in the first place – Inspector Rackham did wonder if you’d be able to give Madison’s room the once-over with us.’

  ‘Good old Bill,’ said Jack with a delighted smile. ‘Thank you, Ashley, invitation accepted with pleasure. I’ll be there in my best bib and tucker, posh hotels and haunts of the rich for the use of. But what d’you think could have happened to Madison?’

  ‘I don’t know. We worked out that if Vaughan was guilty, Madison was involved, so he could have made a run for it, I suppose. I’ll tell you something else, though. After I drew a blank at the Savoy, I spoke to the ticket collector who was on duty at Market Breeden station on Saturday evening. Four people boarded the seven-thirty train to London and the ticket collector recognized them all as locals. So whatever train he did catch, it wasn’t the one he said he was going for.’

  ‘If he caught the train at all,’ said Jack softly.

  Ashley looked at him. ‘So that’s the way your are thoughts are going, is it? I must say it had crossed my mind too.’

  They drove on until they came to the turning for Two Bridges. Jack drew the car into the slanting shadows at the side of the road, turning it round so they were facing up the hill. They were, he realized, in the same spot where the diamond-tyred car had waited. It was a good spot to keep an eye on Vaughan’s. They were sheltered from the house by the trees but could easily see anyone coming or going. He looked at his watch. It was twenty-five past five. They had five minutes before they had to go.

  Jack switched off the engine and took out his cigarette case, offering it to Ashley. ‘I hope we manage to come up with some hard facts soon,’ he said after a while. ‘We’ve got too many theories buzzing around at the moment.’