‘Surely a valet’s loyalty is to his employer? A jury of Delville’s peers will certainly think so. Besides, he’s hardly likely to say anything to convict Delville? Quite apart from any other consideration he would be out of work and never be employed as a valet again.’
‘I think the valet is ready to quit his job with Delville anyway, sir,’ This from Tom, ‘Delville is always threatening to dismiss him because he can’t afford to keep him on and I don’t believe he has received any pay for quite some time.’
‘Then why on earth does the valet stay with him?’
‘I think he’s been hoping that Delville will one day have enough money to pay him what he’s owed. If he left he’d have nothing and never be able to get his back pay. At least by staying with Delville he gets board and lodging and if he’s not called to give evidence against him should have no difficulty in finding another post. A valet who stays with an employer who can’t afford to pay him could be considered more loyal than most.’
‘That’s true,’ mused Gilbert, ‘By all means sound him out . . . but be discreet. We need to concentrate on persuading Lord Hogg that a post mortem on his late father is to everyone’s advantage. We don’t want to antagonise him by arresting his step-brother at this point. If it is proved the late Lord Hogg was poisoned it will be to everyone’s advantage to have his murderer dealt with according to the law . . . but we will not speculate on that until we are in possession of all the facts.’
When the party reached Laneglos, Tom was sent off to seek out Flora and make inquiries about the Honourable Charles Delville’s valet, while Amos and Chief Constable Gilbert met with Lord Hogg in the peer’s study. The meeting went very much as both policemen thought it might.
At first, Lord Hogg was horrified that they should even consider removing the body of his father from the family vault and carry out a post mortem on it. He objected very strongly to such a procedure, but eventually Amos and Gilbert were able to convince him that however distasteful such a course of action was, if a poisoner remained at large in the Laneglos household there were likely to be other victims - even the present Lord Hogg himself.
It was finally agreed that the body of the late Lord Hogg could be removed from the vault in the family’s church but with as much secrecy as was possible and it was to be returned to its resting place when the result of the autopsy was known, but this time with the family’s chaplain present to lay him to rest once more in accordance with the rites of the Church.
It seemed the object of their visit had been achieved, however Amos still feared the Laneglos viscount might change his mind. As they were leaving, he asked after Lady Hogg and her stepson replied that her health seemed to have improved, adding, ‘No doubt it has something to do with the nurse that Doctor Hollis obtained to take care of her. She is frighteningly efficient and has taken complete charge of the sick room and all that goes on there. ‘I understand she learned her business with Florence Nightingale, nursing in the hospital at Scutari during the Crimean War.’
Amos was interested immediately, ‘I wonder if I have met her? I was in the hospital there for a while, when I was wounded’
‘I’ll send for her and we can find out . . . if I can persuade her to leave the sick room for a few minutes.’
The nurse, Priscilla Goodman, was a small, brisk woman, who exuded confident efficiency. She thought she could recollect seeing Amos at Scutari, but in view of the many thousands of soldiers who passed through the hospital, she could not be certain.
However they spoke of a number of doctors and nurses who were known to them both . . . and then Amos mentioned Harvey Halloran. The nurse became suddenly animated. ‘You know Harvey? How is he, did he make a full recovery from his wounds? We never thought he would live when he first arrived at Scutari, but he was a determined and strong man and when he was up and about again he became one of the hospital’s stalwarts. He was a wonderful man!’
‘He still is,’ Amos said, ‘For a while he was my second-in-command in the Crimea and is now one of the stalwarts of the Cornwall constabulary, stationed very close to here, in Bodmini as the force’s sergeant major. Perhaps Lord Hogg will allow him to visit you while you are here?’
‘Of course!’ Lord Hogg had been listening to the conversation between Amos and Priscilla Goodman with great interest. ‘I am fascinated with all aspects of the war. I had two cousins who fought there, one was sadly killed. The other, a Lancer, was in the famous charge of the Light Brigade, at Balaclava. Fortunately he was one of those who survived. He occasionally visits Laneglow. You must come here and meet him, Superintendent. In the meantime, please inform Sergeant Major Halloran he is welcome to call on Miss Goodman whenever he wishes.’
When they left the great House, Chief Constable Gilbert said to Amos, ‘Talking of the Crimea certainly thawed our relations with Lord Hogg. Until then I was still unsure that we would be able to go ahead with the autopsy on his father without him raising some objection. Well done, Amos.’
‘I think we succeeded in doing more than thaw relations, sir.’ Amos said. ‘By visiting the efficient Miss Goodman, Halloran will be able to find out about the household routine and who had access to Lady Hogg and the food and drink that came to the room. It could prove important to our investigations - especially if Doctor Sullivan finds that the late Lord Hogg was poisoned.’
They had left the house now and coming around one of the wings of the house they saw Tom and Flora coming towards them talking so intently to each other that they did not immediately notice the two senior policemen standing outside the front entrance.
‘Who is that with Churchyard.’ the chief constable queried.
‘It’s Flora Wicks, the Laneglos housekeeper.’ Amos replied.
‘She is rather an attractive girl - and very young to have such a responsibility. She and Churchyard seem to be getting along very well.’
Amos smiled, ‘Yes, my wife has high hopes for the two of them.’
‘Good, they could both do far worse. Churchyard has a future in the force and I like my senior officers to be happily married . . . like you and Mrs Hawke.’
CHAPTER 36
While the two senior policemen were being received by Lord Hogg, Tom had found Flora. Her expression of delight when she saw him was a fleeting one, but it gave him an unexpected thrill of pleasure.
‘What are you doing at Laneglos?’ she queried, ‘None of the maids told me you were here.’
‘I came with Amos and the chief constable,’ he explained. ‘They are here for a meeting with Lord Hogg. Amos asked me to find you and ask some questions about the Honourable Charles Delville’s valet.’
‘Why, what has he done?’
‘I don’t think he’s done anything wrong . . . unless you know of something that we don’t.’
‘I don’t, in fact he has always been politeness itself in my dealings with him, but to be perfectly honest I wouldn’t be surprised at anything that was done by someone associated with the Honourable Charles.’
‘I know you don’t like him, Flora, but has he done anything in particular lately to upset you?’
They were talking in a passageway that led to the kitchen and a maid wielding a feather duster on the end of a long bamboo pole was within hearing. Glancing towards her, Flora said ‘Everyone seems to have upset me today, but come along to my lounge, we can talk there.’
Once in the housekeeper’s lounge, Flora motioned for Tom to sit in an armchair, then sitting down heavily on another, she asked. ‘Now, what is it you want to know about Robson Chalmers, the Honourable Charles’s valet?’
‘I’d like to speak to him . . . but, first, what’s troubling you, Flora? Who’s been upsetting you.’
‘Well, actually it’s my employer, Lord Hogg . . . or, to be more accurate the future Lady Hogg.’
‘Is she here at Laneglos already?’
‘No, but she is beginning to make her future status felt. I suppose I have always known that I am very young to be housekeeper of a
grand home like this, but I feel I have carried out my duties quite as well as my predecessor.’
‘You mean . . . she is having you dismissed?’ Tom was dismayed at the thought of Flora going away from the area.
‘Not exactly, but she wants to appoint her long-term lady’s maid as housekeeper at Laneglos. Lord Hogg was very nice about it, he said there was no question of my being dismissed. I would simply revert to being the assistant housekeeper but retaining the salary I am being paid now.’
‘Will you accept that?’
Flora shook her head. ‘However generous the offer might be, I could not remain here as assistant to someone who has taken my place. It would not only be humiliating, but very difficult. As housekeeper I have needed to be firm with some of the servants on occasions, that is what the position calls for. With that authority taken away I would become one of them and I don’t think I would have a happy time.’
‘If . . . if you leave, when will you go?’
‘Not immediately, Lord Hogg will not be marrying until sometime early next year. A date has not been fixed yet.’
‘But . . . what will you do if you leave Laneglos?’ Tom was still stunned by her revelation. There were so many plans he had begun to formulate in recent weeks . . . and all of them included Flora. But she was speaking again.
‘. . . Lord Hogg said I must think about it and not decide immediately. He said he will understand if I feel I must leave and that I will go with excellent references. He said there was also an opportunity of going to the dower house as the Dowager Lady Hogg’s housekeeper but I don’t think I could bear the thought of seeing more of the Honourable Charles.’
‘I don’t know what to say, Flora. I was hoping . . .’ Tom broke off, unable to find words for what he wanted to say.
‘What were you hoping, Tom?’ Flora urged.
‘Well . . . you and me . . . We have been getting along so well . . . I thought . . . .’ Words failed him but Flora came to his rescue.
‘It’s something I have been thinking a lot about too, Tom, but we haven’t known each other for very long. Perhaps when we have known each other for a little longer . . .’
‘Hopefully we will by the time you need to make up your mind about leaving Laneglos.’
‘I think we might, Tom. I hope so.’ Aware of where their conversation was going and that the housekeeper’s lounge at Laneglos was not the right place to take the conversation any farther, she said, ‘. . . but we came here to talk about Robson Chalmers - and it’s fortunate that you came to see him today. He will be leaving Laneglos tomorrow and I don’t think we will be seeing him again. The Honourable Charles has told him he cannot afford to keep him on and he is packing up Charles’s things and taking them up to London tomorrow, where he will be paid off. Charles has already gone there.’
Realising that Amos would not know this news, Tom asked! ‘Was going to London a sudden decision by the Honourable Charles?’
‘Probably, there was certainly another big argument yesterday between him and Lord Hogg. No doubt that had something to do with it.’
‘Do you know what the argument was about this time?’
‘I do, but I seem to be doing what I tell the servants they must never do . . . gossip about their employers.’
‘You know we are investigating a murder and a burglary, Flora. Any scrap of information we can get about what goes on at Laneglos helps us build up a picture of life here - and one day something is going to fit in with what we already know and enable us to arrest whoever is responsible for one, or both crimes.’
‘I am aware of that, Tom, and I wish I could tell you something about the Honourable Charles that would mean he would never be seen at Laneglos again, life here would be much easier. Unfortunately, although what he has done is quite despicable, he has not broken the law - but Lord Hogg has told him he will never be a welcome guest here again, so I suppose that is something.’
‘What has he done?’ Tom prompted.
‘He persuaded Lady Hogg to part with some of her jewellery in order that he can sell it to pay off some of his many debts. We all know she has been so ill that she probably doesn’t fully realize what she’s done, but she has confirmed she did give them to him. The trouble was caused because a number of the pieces are considered by Lord Hogg to be family heirlooms - including the tiara worn by all Hogg viscountesses at their weddings since the title first came into the family. Lord Hogg was furious and I think the two step-brothers came very close to blows. Anyway, Charles has gone now and if he ever comes back it will be to the dower-house that Lady Hogg is moving to, and not to Laneglos.’
‘How is Lady Hogg?’ Tom asked, aware of the reason for the visit of the chief constable and Amos to the house, something of which Flora would not be aware.
‘She seemed to be much brighter this morning - it might have something to do with the very efficient nurse who has been brought in to take care of her while she is ill. She has already stamped her authority on the servants and made it clear to them - and to me - that she is in sole charge of the sick room and what she says goes. If there is something she needs then there is to be no argument, it must be provided.’
‘Perhaps that’s another reason why the Honourable Charles decided to leave Laneglos.’ Tom was only half-joking about it, ‘They would probably have clashed head-on - and it sounds as though she might have won.’
Shortly afterwards, the two were walking from the house towards the Chief Constable’s carriage. There was silence between them for a few moments before Flora asked, ‘What we were talking about a little earlier. About you and me. Did you mean . . . what I thought you meant when you spoke of the future?’
‘Yes, Flora . . . about a future together.’
‘I’m glad, Tom . . . there is still a lot we need to know about each other before we can take any decisions, but I am glad we are both thinking along the same lines. Will I see you on Sunday?’
‘I hope so . . . especially now we have had this little talk together.’
Looking up at him happily, she said, ‘Good, now I have something pleasant to look forward to . . . and thank you for making this turn out to be a nice day after all.’
At that moment Tom looked up and saw Amos and the chief constable looking at them and their moment was lost . . . at least, for that day.
CHAPTER 37
When the autopsy on the late Lord Hogg was carried out two days later, Doctor Sullivan found proof that the peer had died of arsenic poisoning. Not only had he apparently been poisoned over a period which Sullivan felt was days rather than weeks, but on the final day of his life he must have been given a massive dose which was sufficient to cause a rapid death.
The chief constable called Amos to his office for a meeting to discuss the case and their future course of action. It was agreed that Lady Hogg had been the victim of arsenic poisoning too because, since the family doctor had brought in a nurse to remain with her night and day and supervise her food and the visitors she received, the widowed peeress had shown a marked improvement in her health.
Amos also agreed with Gilbert that the overwhelming evidence pointed to only one suspect . . . the Honourable Charles Delville. He had motive, access to both Lord and Lady Hogg and was known to have been involved in the burglary of Laneglos by Alfie and Jimmy Banks.
Nevertheless, Amos felt they should apply for a warrant only on a burglary and conspiracy to burgle charge, arguing that they had a much stronger case against him for this, while there were still a number of weaknesses in the murder and attempted murder investigations that a clever defence barrister would seize upon.
‘What about the evidence of the valet?’ queried the chief constable, ‘He told Churchyard he had seen arsenic-based rat poison in Delville’s London home, surely that strengthens the evidence against him?’
Robson Chalmers had come to the Bodmin police station before catching a train to London with Delville’s personal belongings and had given a great deal of damning evidence against his e
mployer, including seeing rat poison in the basement of his London home - and of finding mud on his shoes when he cleaned them on the morning after the robbery indicating that he had been out somewhere between the time the valet went to bed and when he commenced his duties in the morning.
‘Not necessarily.’ Amos said, ‘Chalmers is very, very bitter about the way Delville has behaved towards him and a good barrister would make a great deal of that. If Delville has got rid of the rat poison it is his word against that of an aggrieved servant that there was any arsenic in his possession in the first place. If, when he is arrested, we search his house and find the poison we can re-assess the evidence against him. If we feel there is sufficient to convict him of the murder of Lord Hogg and the attempted murder of Lady Hogg we can go ahead and charge him, but that would still leave the murder of Enid Merryn outstanding . . . and I don’t like unsolved crimes.’
‘Very well, Amos, we will take it one step at a time. Obtain a warrant for Delville’s arrest on the burglary charge and arranged for you and Churchyard to go to London. I will telegraph Scotland Yard and have you met on your arrival, taken before a justice there to swear out a warrant and given all the assistance you require to arrest Delville and bring him back to Cornwall.’
Amos and Tom travelled to London early on the following Monday morning.
The previous day Tom had met with Flora and on a long walk together along the banks of the River Fowey they continued the conversation they had held on Tom’s last visit to Laneglos.
Here, in a quiet, secluded spot where willows overhung the gently flowing river Flora was able to point out the brilliant colours of a kingfisher on a hunting foray flying upstream, its brilliant hues mirrored in the unruffled water.
It was here too that a previously undiscovered passion entered their relationship and they were aware it marked the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in their lives. Perhaps for the first time, they both realized they had discovered something special that would last and grow with the years ahead. It was a happy day and they parted with an unspoken understanding that they faced a future together.
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