Kendall - Private Detective - Box Set

by John Holt

  “You say that you actually saw Eve Simmonds go to the front door, and deliberately unlock it?” Kendall asked.

  “Yes sir that’s right,” Mary replied. “I saw her quite clearly, and I heard the bolts being withdrawn.”

  Kendall shook his head in disbelief. “Why would she do that?” he asked.

  Mary started to laugh. “Oh that’s very simple sir,” she replied. She looked at Kendall, and grinned. “I’m sure that you don’t really need me to say anything. a clever man like yourself, sir, would easily know the answer to that one.”

  Kendall gave a little groan. “Maybe I do know the answer, Mary,” he replied. “The thing is I want to know whether you know.” He turned his head to one side, and smiled at her. “Now could you please just answer the question?”

  She looked at Kendall and sighed loudly. “Why to allow someone to come in and steal the Ruby of course.”

  Was this some of the famous Irish blarney she was giving him, or was it genuine. Was it more lies, or worthwhile information? Kendall had no way of telling, not at the present time. Take it with a pinch of salt for now. “What time was this?” he asked.

  She thought for a few moments. “About three o’clock I think,” she replied. “Or, maybe it was shortly before. I remember hearing the hall clock strike the quarter to sometime earlier.” She thought for a moment more. “I can’t actually remember whether the clock had actually struck three o’clock or not.”

  Kendall started to make a few notes in his notepad. He suddenly looked up and noticed her watching him carefully. He stopped writing and looked at her. “You don’t mind do you?” he asked. “I mean, me making notes like this. I have to you know, the old memory isn’t that good.”

  “Oh no, sir,” she said shaking her head. “That’s fine, no problem.”

  Kendall went back to his writing. A few moments later he looked at her again. “Can you tell me anything else about that night?” he asked. Mary opened her mouth as if to speak, but then changed her mind. Kendall gently placed his hand on her arm. “Mary if there is anything, anything at all, you must tell me,” he said.

  “Well there was something else,” she said reluctantly. “It was strange really. Odd, you know.”

  No, Kendall didn’t know, not without actually being told that is. “Go on,” he said. “What was so odd?”

  “Well it was some time afterwards,” she said. “I don’t know when exactly. I must have fallen asleep eventually, when I was awoken by a loud bang, I didn’t know what it was. For a moment I thought it was thunder, and then I thought it sounded like something heavy falling down. I don’t know.” She shook her head again. “I thought that maybe some roof tiles had come down, or something.”

  “Yes, go on,” said Kendall wondering where this was all leading, if anywhere.

  “I got up, and put on my dressing gown. I went over to the door, and I opened it,” she said. “I could hear people moving around. There was a lot of noise, people talking, and a lot of shouting, you know. I went out on to the landing, and over to the balustrade and I looked down into the entrance hall. I was surprised to see that the entrance door was wide open. Stranger still, Miss Evie was standing in the open doorway looking out into the darkness.”

  Kendall scribbled something into his notepad. “She was just standing there?” he asked. “Anything else?”

  “Yes sir,” Mary replied. “She stood there for a few minutes. Then she suddenly raised her hand and gave a little wave, and then she came back in, closing the door behind her.”

  “You actually saw her wave?” said Kendall.

  “Well I thought she did,” Mary replied. “I was some distance behind her at the time, you understand. I was halfway up the stairs. But it certainly looked like she was waving to someone.”

  “She just waved to someone, out in the darkness,” Kendall said. “Is that what you are saying?” She nodded her head in confirmation. Kendall scribbled something into his notepad. “Do you know who she waved to?”

  Mary shook her head. “Oh, no I don’t know, sir,” she replied. “Maybe it was her accomplice, perhaps it was Mr. Wheeler, or perhaps it was someone else. I don’t really know I’m very sorry.”

  “And you never said anything to her at that time?” Kendall asked. “Miss Simmonds I mean?” Mary shook her head. “Did you not think it was odd?”

  “Oh yes sir, I thought it was very strange,” Mary replied. “But it was not my place to question the Mistress.”

  Kendall nodded. That was understandable he supposed. “You mentioned her accomplice?” he said. “Are you seriously suggesting that it was Eve Simmonds who actually carried out the robbery? With Wheeler’s help?” Mary said nothing, but slowly nodded her head. “But why would she want to steal the jewels,” Kendall asked. “She hardly needed the money did she? I mean she wasn’t short of a dollar or two was she?”

  Mary started to laugh. “Oh no sir,” she replied. “She certainly didn’t need the money. That’s for sure.”

  “Then why would she do it?” asked Kendall impatiently. “Why take the risk?”

  Mary shook her head. “I don’t know, sir,” she replied. “But I certainly saw her opening the door, and I certainly saw her waving. There’s no mistaking that.”

  Kendall looked puzzled. That would hardly stand up in court, of that he was certain. Great, I’m sure that it will be very useful, thanks Mary.

  Kendall started to tap on the desk. “Mary I’m afraid that is of no help to me, it isn’t evidence. It is purely circumstantial, hearsay, nothing conclusive, and it proves nothing.”

  Mary looked at him hard. “Mr. Kendall, make no mistake, Miss Evie carried out that robbery, aided by an accomplice.”

  Kendall sighed and shook his head. This was getting nowhere. “No Mary I’m afraid that’s no good enough. It’s not evidence, and it’s all unsubstantiated. Worse still it’s four years old,” he said. “Both Wheeler, and Miss Simmonds are dead. There is no way to prove any of it. Besides why didn’t the police investigate it at that time?”

  “There were two reasons mainly, Mr. Kendall,” Mary replied. “Firstly I never told them. As I told you I was protecting my little Evie. And secondly they did not see the need for further investigations.”

  “Why not?” Kendall asked.

  “Because they already knew the culprit, it was Charles Wheeler. They had a signed confession, they had the earrings and he had committed suicide,” Mary replied. “They knew nothing about Miss Evie opening the door, or waving to someone. As far as they were concerned the case was solved.”

  Kendall had to admit that part at least was true. But as for everything else, he wasn’t sure if any of it was true. And even if it was, what value did it have, if any. “And you never mentioned any of this to anyone. In all the four years. You said nothing to the police. You said nothing to Mr. Bradley.”

  Mary shook her head. “Oh no sir, I would never say anything against my Miss Evie, not while she lived.” She looked down at the desk, sighing loudly. “Mr. Bradley would never have believed me anyway. He wouldn’t hear a wrong word said against her. Not his little girl.” She looked across the room once again. Then she looked back at Kendall. “That’s what he called her, you know, his little girl. Even in her mid twenties, she was still his little girl.”

  Kendall looked at Mollie, and raised his eyebrows. He thought back to the day when he had first seen Eve Simmonds. He tried very hard to imagine her as a little girl. He failed. He took a deep breath. Such loyalty, he thought. He wondered if it had been misplaced, or was it perfectly justified? He cynically thought that it was probably the former. “So what else can you tell me about that night?” he asked.

  Mary thought for a moment or two. “You know, sir, I never did believe that it was poor Mr. Wheeler. I mean committing the robbery like that,” she said. “I always felt that there was someone else.”

  Kendall was puzzled. “But you’ve just said that the police knew that he was the culprit,” he said. “They had the conf
ession, and they had the earrings and he had committed suicide. Now you say that it wasn’t him. I don’t understand.”

  “There’s no way that he could have done it,” Mary replied. “No way at all.”

  Kendall looked at her. “Go on,” he coaxed. He looked at Mollie and pointed at his visitor.

  Mollie moved forward and placed her hand on to Mary’s arm. “Mary,” she whispered. “Mary, are you alright?”

  Mary suddenly looked up, startled. She shrugged her shoulders and began rubbing her hands together. “Sorry, I was miles away.”

  “That’s alright, Mary,” Mollie said gently. “Go on with your story.”

  “You were saying that you didn’t think that Mr. Wheeler had committed the robbery,” Kendall continued. “Is that right?” Mary said nothing but merely nodded her head. “Have you any thoughts as to who did do it then?” he asked.

  Mary shook her head. “Not at all, sir,” she replied. “I haven’t any idea.” She looked directly at Kendall, and heaved a sigh. “You know I couldn’t say why, but I really don’t think Mr. Wheeler did it. It’s just a feeling I have I suppose. I just know that it was someone else that’s all.”

  Kendall looked at Mollie, and shrugged his shoulders. It was just a feeling, I just know. It was hardly hard evidence. He looked back at Mary. “Can I change the subject slightly,” he said. “What can you tell me about Carl Simmonds?” he asked. “Did you know him well?”

  Mary remained silent for a moment or two, thinking. “No sir,” she said. “I wouldn’t say that I knew him well.” She looked down at the ground. Then she looked up. It was not a nice look, Kendall noticed. There was something about the eyes. She appeared to be angry.

  “I met him about six months before he married Miss Evie.” She started to clench her fists, tapping them on the desk. “He was a nasty piece of work.” She looked up and started to cry. She quickly brushed a tear away, hoping that Kendall would not notice. “I tried to warn Miss Evie about him. I told her over and over. I begged her not to marry him, but she wouldn’t listen. Headstrong just like her father, and his father before him.”

  Surprisingly enough Kendall wasn’t really that interested in Eve Simmonds’ family history. “Mary, do you know if Mrs. Simmonds had been planning on leaving her husband?”

  Mary nodded. “Yes, she was planning on divorcing him,” she replied.

  “What effect would that have had on Mr. Simmonds?” Kendall asked.

  “Mr. Kendall, he would have been financially ruined,” she replied. She smiled at the thought. “He would be completely broke.” She paused and started to grin. “I’m sure that you realize that the money was all hers, he had nothing. Not a penny, not a cent, except for a small allowance that she gave him every month.”

  “What about you Mary, how do you spend your free time?” Kendall asked. “I mean you must get time off, to see your friends, or go to the cinema perhaps.” He paused. “Maybe you have a boyfriend.”

  She looked up at Kendall, and said quite simply “No, there’s no boyfriend.” She looked down for a few moments, and then she looked back up. “Not now.” She paused and brushed away a tear that was running down her cheek. “I was going to get married to Jack Warner.”

  Kendall was startled by the tone of her answer. “Jack Warner,” he repeated. “What happened?” he asked.

  “He was killed, in a car crash.”

  “Oh I am sorry, Mary,” said Mollie. She stood up and walked over to where Mary was sitting. She put her arm around her. “That must have been dreadful for you.”

  Kendall watched for a few moments. “I’m sorry too,” he said. He suddenly felt uncomfortable. He took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. “What about other friends then?” he asked.

  Mary gave a sigh and took a deep breath. “I get every Tuesday afternoon off, Wednesday evenings, and all day Saturday.” She paused and shook her head. “Mr. Bradley is really quite flexible, and if I needed more time off, there wouldn’t be a problem.”

  Kendall nodded. “All right, so what do you do with yourself?” She said nothing. “I mean do you like the cinema, or maybe the theatre?”

  “That really depends,” she replied. “I don’t really like a lot of the modern stars.” Kendall knew exactly what she meant. “And I’m not really a theatre person.” She looked down and started to rub her hands together. “Usually we just go to Jerry’s bar. It’s at the corner of Sunset Street, and Forest. Do you know it?”

  Kendall had never been there, but he knew it. It appealed to a slightly younger group. It wasn’t really his kind of place.

  “There’s usually six or seven of us there,” she continued. “We have a few drinks that’s all, nothing too exciting.”

  It sounded anything but exciting to Kendall. He wasn’t entirely convinced by her answer, but it would suffice, for the time being. “Mary there’s one more thing you might be able to help me on. The night of the party you went out quite late I understand. Why was that?”

  Mary looked down at her hands once again. Then she looked back up. She looked suddenly angry. “Who told you that?” she asked.

  Kendall shook his head. “It doesn’t matter who told me Mary,” he replied. “You did go out late didn’t you? Could you tell me why?”

  “It was Dave wasn’t it?” she said. “He promised not to say a word. It was to be our little secret, that’s what we said.” She brushed away another tear that had started to form. Suddenly the angry look disappeared. “It doesn’t matter anyway, not now.”

  Kendall placed his hand gently on her shoulder. “Mary, why did you go out so late?” he coaxed.

  Mary looked up, her eyes now quite red. “It was to see my boyfriend,” she said tearfully. “To see Jack.”

  “Yes I understand that, but why did you go out so late?” replied Kendall. “I understand that it was almost midnight. Why didn’t you go much earlier in the evening?”

  “Oh I see,” she replied. “That’s simple. I just couldn’t get away any earlier. What with the party, and everything, there was just too much to do.”

  “I see,” replied Kendall. “But Mr. Bradley had actually given you the evening off, so why were you there anyway?”

  Mary shook her head. “I already told you, I just had to be there,” she replied. “Why they were like second parents to me, another mother and father, to replace the ones that I had lost.” She paused once more. Her eyes were glazed, and a tear started to run down her cheek. “I just couldn’t let them down. You understand I’m sure.”

  “Yes I can,” Kendall replied. “I still have a problem though, I’m afraid.” Mary looked at him. “You weren’t out very long were you? I mean you were back at the house very soon afterwards. No more than forty, or forty-five minutes later I’m told.”

  Mary shook her head and looked down at the ground. “We had an argument, that’s all, a stupid argument.”

  Kendall nodded. It happens, he thought. “What was it about?”

  Mary looked up and shook her head. “I really can’t remember not now. It was a long while ago,” she said. “Something really petty I expect.” She started to cry once more.

  “Incidentally you were seen when you came back,” Kendall said. “Mr. Chambers saw you.” Mary said nothing but nodded her head. “It was at about a quarter to one.”

  Mary nodded once again. “That’s about the right time. You can ask Dave, he would have noted the time in the log.”

  Kendall nodded. “Dave has already told me when you returned,” he said. “The thing is Mr. Chambers saw your car stopped over by the woods. Why was that?”

  Mary looked puzzled. “What do you mean?” she asked.

  Kendall shrugged. “It’s simple enough,” he said. “I just wondered why you had stopped your car over by the woods. I mean why didn’t you just continue directly into the yard area where you usually parked? Had you seen something perhaps? Something that might have been connected to the robbery?”

  “Oh I see what you mean now, sorry,” Mary rep
lied, shaking her head. “No, I don’t recall actually seeing anything. Of course it was four years ago.” She thought for a few moments. “From memory I think I probably just stalled. It wouldn’t surprise me. My car had been playing up at that time. It was always stalling, or something.”

  Kendall knew the feeling well. His old Ford was forever being repaired. “That’s what we thought,” he said, as he started to look though his notes. “Oh there is just one other thing. What about the blanket?” he asked casually without looking up.

  “Blanket?” she repeated. “What blanket?”

  “A woollen tartan blanket was found at the edge of the driveway close to the woods,” Kendall explained. He looked up. “I understand that the blanket belonged to you.”

  Mary looked puzzled and shook her head. “I’m sorry sir,” she said. “I really have no idea what you are talking about.”

  “The blanket was seen earlier that evening, on the front passenger seat of your car,” Kendall explained.

  Mary suddenly smiled. “Oh that blanket,” she said. “That’s right. I usually carry one with me at night, just in case I break down, and it gets cold. You understand.”

  Kendall understood perfectly. It was certainly a good idea, very wise. Several times he had that same problem with his old car breaking down late at night, miles from anywhere, in the cold. A warm blanket could prove very useful.

  “Yes I can understand that,” he said. “That blanket was found the day after the party, just by the spot where your car had stopped.” He stopped for a moment waiting for a response. Mary said nothing. “It was found by Ann Wheeler,” he continued. “Apparently she mentioned it to you at the time, but you denied all knowledge of it.”

  Mary looked puzzled for a moment. “Is that what she told you?” she asked. Kendall nodded. “Well I really don’t know where she got that from. Child’s fantasy I suppose.” She paused, and took a deep breath. Kendall noticed that her hands were beginning to shake. “She never spoke to me at all,” she continued, and then she started to smile. “So she had it all the time. Funny I was wondering where it had gone to.”