A Murder Is Announced mm-5

by Agatha Christie

  'Nobody questioned it? The person who accepted it didn't think it odd?'

  'The adenoidal blonde who receives the advertisements is quite incapable of thinking, I should say, sir. She just counted the words and took the money.'

  'What was the idea?' asked Sir Henry.

  'Get a lot of the locals curious,' suggested Rydesdale. 'Get them all together at a particular place at a particular time, then hold them up and relieve them of their spare cash and valuables. As an idea, it's not without originality.'

  'What sort of a place is Chipping Cleghorn?' asked Sir Henry.

  'A large sprawling picturesque village. Butcher, baker, grocer, quite a good antique shop—two tea-shops. Self-consciously a beauty spot. Caters for the motoring tourist. Also highly residential. Cottages formerly lived in by agricultural labourers now converted and lived in by elderly spinsters and retired couples. A certain amount of building done round about in Victorian times.'

  'I know,' said Sir Henry. 'Nice old Pussies and retired Colonels. Yes, if they noticed that advertisement they'd all come sniffing round at 6.30 to see what was up. Lord, I wish I had my own particular old Pussy here. Wouldn't she like to get her nice ladylike teeth into this. Right up her street it would be.'

  'Who's your own particular Pussy, Henry? An aunt?'

  'No,' Sir Henry sighed. 'She's no relation.' He said reverently: 'She's just the finest detective God ever made. Natural genius cultivated in a suitable soil.'

  He turned upon Craddock.

  'Don't you despise the old Pussies in this village of yours, my boy,' he said. 'In case this turns out to be a high-powered mystery, which I don't suppose for a moment it will, remember that an elderly unmarried woman who knits and gardens is streets ahead of any detective sergeant. She can tell you what might have happened and what ought to have happened and even what actually did happen! And she can tell you why it happened!'

  'I'll bear that in mind, sir,' said Detective-Inspector Craddock in his most formal manner, and nobody would have guessed that Dermot Eric Craddock was actually Sir Henry's godson and was on easy and intimate terms with his godfather.

  Rydesdale gave a quick outline of the case to his friend.

  'They'd all turn up at 6.30, I grant you that,' he said. 'But would that Swiss fellow know they would? And another thing, would they be likely to have much loot on them to be worth the taking?'

  'A couple of old-fashioned brooches, a string of seed pearls—a little loose change, perhaps a note or two—not more,' said Sir Henry, thoughtfully. 'Did this Miss Blacklock keep much money in the house?'

  'She says not, sir. Five pounds odd, I understand.'

  'Mere chicken feed,' said Rydesdale.

  'What you're getting at,' said Sir Henry, 'is that this fellow liked to play—act—it wasn't the loot, it was the fun of playing and acting the hold-up. Cinema stuff? Eh? It's quite possible. How did he manage to shoot himself?'

  Rydesdale drew a paper towards him.

  'Preliminary medical report. The revolver was discharged at close range—singeing? h'm? nothing to show whether accident or suicide. Could have been done deliberately, or he could have tripped and fallen and the revolver which he was holding close to him could have gone off? Probably the latter.' He looked at Craddock. 'You'll have to question the witnesses very carefully and make them say exactly what they saw.'

  Detective-Inspector Craddock said sadly: 'They'll all have seen something different.'

  'It's always interested me,' said Sir Henry, 'what people do see at a moment of intense excitement and nervous strain. What they do see and, even more interesting, what they don't see.'

  'Where's the report on the revolver?'

  'Foreign make—(fairly common on the Continent)—Scherz did not hold a permit for it—and did not declare it on coming into England.'

  'Bad lad,' said Sir Henry.

  'Unsatisfactory character all round. Well, Craddock, go and see what you can find out about him at the Royal Spa Hotel.'

  ***

  At the Royal Spa Hotel, Inspector Craddock was taken straight to the Manager's office.

  The Manager, Mr Rowlandson, a tall florid man with a hearty manner, greeted Inspector Craddock with expansive geniality.

  'Glad to help you in any way we can, Inspector,' he said. 'Really a most surprising business. I'd never have credited it—never. Scherz seemed a very ordinary, pleasant young chap—not at all my idea of a hold-up man.'

  'How long has he been with you, Mr Rowlandson?'

  'I was looking that up just before you came. A little over three months. Quite good credentials, the usual permits, etc.'

  'And you found him satisfactory?'

  Without seeming to do so, Craddock marked the infinitesimal pause before Rowlandson replied.

  'Quite satisfactory.'

  Craddock made use of a technique he had found efficacious before now.

  'No, no, Mr Rowlandson,' he said, gently shaking his head. 'That's not really quite the case, is it?'

  'We—ll—' The Manager seemed slightly taken aback.

  'Come now, there was something wrong. What was it?'

  'That's just it. I don't know.'

  'But you thought there was something wrong?'

  'Well—yes—I did?But I've nothing really to go upon. I shouldn't like my conjectures to be written down and quoted against me.'

  Craddock smiled pleasantly.

  'I know just what you mean. You needn't worry. But I've got to get some idea of what this fellow, Scherz, was like. You suspected him of—what?'

  Rowlandson said, rather reluctantly:

  'Well, there was trouble, once or twice, about the bills. Items charged that oughtn't to have been there.'

  'You mean you suspected that he charged up certain items which didn't appear in the hotel records, and that he pocketed the difference when the bill was paid?'

  'Something like that?Put it at the best, there was gross carelessness on his part. Once or twice quite a big sum was involved. Frankly, I got our accountant to go over his books suspecting that he was—well, a wrong 'un, but though there were various mistakes and a good deal of slipshod method, the actual cash was quite correct. So I came to the conclusion that I must be mistaken.'

  'Supposing you hadn't been wrong? Supposing Scherz had been helping himself to various small sums here and there, he could have covered himself, I suppose, by making good the money?'

  'Yes, if he had the money. But people who help themselves to "small sums" as you put it—are usually hard up for those sums and spend them offhand.'

  'So, if he wanted money to replace missing sums, he would have had to get money—by a hold—up or other means?'

  'Yes. I wonder if this is his first attempt?'

  'Might be. It was certainly a very amateurish one. Is there anyone else he could have got money from? Any women in his life?'

  'One of the waitresses in the Grill. Her name's Myrna Harris.'

  'I'd better have a talk with her.'

  ***

  Myrna Harris was a pretty girl with a glorious head of red hair and a pert nose.

  She was alarmed and wary, and deeply conscious of the indignity of being interviewed by the police.

  'I don't know a thing about it, sir. Not a thing,' she protested. 'If I'd known what he was like I'd never have gone out with Rudi at all. Naturally, seeing as he worked in Reception here, I thought he was all right. Naturally I did. What I say is the hotel ought to be more careful when they employ people—especially foreigners. Because you never know where you are with foreigners. I suppose he might have been in with one of these gangs you read about?'

  'We think,' said Craddock, 'that he was working quite on his own.'

  'Fancy—and him so quiet and respectable. You'd never think. Though there have been things missed—now I come to think of it. A diamond brooch—and a little gold locket, I believe. But I never dreamed that it could have been Rudi.'

  'I'm sure you didn't,' said Craddock. 'Anyone might have been take
n in. You knew him fairly well?'

  'I don't know that I'd say well.'

  'But you were friendly?'

  'Oh, we were friendly—that's all, just friendly. Nothing serious at all. I'm always on my guard with foreigners, anyway. They've often got a way with them, but you never know, do you? Some of those Poles during the war! And even some of the Americans! Never let on they're married men until it's too late. Rudi talked big and all that—but I always took it with a grain of salt.'

  Craddock seized on the phrase.

  'Talked big, did he? That's very interesting, Miss Harris. I can see you're going to be a lot of help to us. In what way did he talk big?'

  'Well, about how rich his people were in Switzerland—and how important. But that didn't go with his being as short of money as he was. He always said that because of the money regulation he couldn't get money from Switzerland over here. That might be, I suppose, but his things weren't expensive. His clothes, I mean. They weren't really class. I think, too, that a lot of the stories he used to tell me were so much hot air. About climbing in the Alps, and saving people's lives on the edge of a glacier. Why, he turned quite giddy just going along the edge of Boulter's Gorge. Alps, indeed!'

  'You went out with him a good deal?'

  'Yes—well—yes, I did. He had awfully good manners and he knew how to—to look after a girl. The best seats at the pictures always. And even flowers he'd buy me, sometimes. And he was just a lovely dancer—lovely.'

  'Did he mention this Miss Blacklock to you at all?'

  'She comes in and lunches here sometimes, doesn't she? And she's stayed here once. No, I don't think Rudi ever mentioned her. I didn't know he knew her.'

  'Did he mention Chipping Cleghorn?'

  He thought a faintly wary look came into Myrna Harris's eyes but he couldn't be sure.

  'I don't think so?I think he did once ask about buses—what time they went—but I can't remember if that was Chipping Cleghorn or somewhere else. It wasn't just lately.'

  He couldn't get more out of her. Rudi Scherz had seemed just as usual. She hadn't seen him the evening before. She'd no idea—no idea at all —she stressed the point, that Rudi Scherz was a crook.

  And probably, Craddock thought, that was quite true.

  Chapter 5. Miss Blacklock and Miss Bunner

  Little Paddocks was very much as Detective—Inspector Craddock had imagined it to be. He noted ducks and chickens and what had been until lately an attractive herbaceous border and in which a few late Michaelmas daisies showed a last dying splash of purple beauty. The lawn and the paths showed signs of neglect.

  Summing up, Detective—Inspector Craddock thought: 'Probably not much money to spend on gardeners—fond of flowers and a good eye for planning and massing a border. House needs painting. Most houses do, nowadays. Pleasant little property.'

  As Craddock's car stopped before the front door, Sergeant Fletcher came round the side of the house. Sergeant Fletcher looked like a guardsman, with an erect military bearing, and was able to impart several different meanings to the one monosyllable: 'Sir.'

  'So there you are, Fletcher.'

  'Sir,' said Sergeant Fletcher.

  'Anything to report?'

  'We've finished going over the house, sir. Scherz doesn't seem to have left any fingerprints anywhere. He wore gloves, of course. No signs of any of the doors or windows being forced to effect an entrance. He seems to have come out from Medenham on the bus, arriving here at six o'clock. Side door of the house was locked at 5.30, I understand. Looks as though he must have walked in through the front door. Miss Blacklock states that that door isn't usually locked until the house is shut up for the night. The maid, on the other hand, states that the front door was locked all the afternoon—but she'd say anything. Very temperamental you'll find her. Mittel Europa refugee of some kind.'

  'Difficult, is she?'

  'Sir!' said Sergeant Fletcher, with intense feeling.

  Craddock smiled.

  Fletcher resumed his report.

  'Lighting system is quite in order everywhere. We haven't spotted yet how he operated the lights. It was just the one circuit went. Drawing—room and hall. Of course, nowadays the wall brackets and lamps wouldn't all be on one fuse—but this is an old—fashioned installation and wiring. Don't see how he could have tampered with the fusebox because it's out by the scullery and he'd have had to go through the kitchen, so the maid would have seen him.'

  'Unless she was in it with him?'

  'That's very possible. Both foreigners—and I wouldn't trust her a yard—not a yard.'

  Craddock noticed two enormous frightened black eyes peering out of a window by the front door. The face, flattened against the pane, was hardly visible.

  'That her there?'

  'That's right, sir.'

  The face disappeared.

  Craddock rang the front—door bell.

  After a long wait the door was opened by a good—looking young woman with chestnut hair and a bored expression.

  'Detective—Inspector Craddock,' said Craddock.

  They young woman gave him a cool stare out of very attractive hazel eyes and said:

  'Come in. Miss Blacklock is expecting you.'

  The hall, Craddock noted, was long and narrow and seemed almost incredibly full of doors.

  The young woman threw open a door on the left, and said: 'Inspector Craddock, Aunt Letty. Mitzi wouldn't go to the door. She's shut herself up in the kitchen and she's making the most marvellous moaning noises. I shouldn't think we'll get any lunch.'

  She added in an explanatory manner to Craddock: 'She doesn't like the police,' and withdrew, shutting the door behind her.

  Craddock advanced to meet the owner of Little Paddocks.

  He saw a tall active—looking woman of about sixty. Her grey hair had a slight natural wave and made a distinguished setting for an intelligent, resolute face. She had keen grey eyes and a square determined chin. There was a surgical dressing on her left ear. She wore no make—up and was plainly dressed in a well—cut tweed coat and skirt and pullover. Round the neck of the latter she wore, rather unexpectedly, a set of old—fashioned cameos—a Victorian touch which seemed to hint at a sentimental streak not otherwise apparent.

  Close beside her, with an eager round face and untidy hair escaping from a hair net, was a woman of about the same age whom Craddock had no difficulty in recognizing as the 'Dora Bunner—companion' of Constable Legg's notes—to which the latter had added an off—the—record commentary of 'Scatty!'

  Miss Blacklock spoke in a pleasant well—bred voice.

  'Good morning, Inspector Craddock. This is my friend, Miss Bunner, who helps me run the house. Won't you sit down? You won't smoke, I suppose?'

  'Not on duty, I'm afraid, Miss Blacklock.'

  'What a shame!'

  Craddock's eyes took in the room with a quick, practised glance. Typical Victorian double drawing—room. Two long windows in this room, built—out bay window in the other—chairs—sofa—centre table with a big bowl of chrysanthemums—another bowl in window—all fresh and pleasant without much originality. The only incongruous note was a small silver vase with dead violets in it on a table near the archway into the further room. Since he could not imagine Miss Blacklock tolerating dead flowers in a room, he imagined it to be the only indication that something out of the way had occurred to distract the routine of a well-run household.

  He said:

  'I take it, Miss Blacklock, that this is the room in which the—incident occurred?'

  'Yes.'

  'And you should have seen it last night,' Miss Bunner exclaimed. 'Such a mess. Two little tables knocked over, and the leg off one—people barging about in the dark—and someone put down a lighted cigarette and burnt one of the best bits of furniture. People—young people especially—are so careless about these things? Luckily none of the china got broken—'

  Miss Blacklock interrupted gently but firmly:

  'Dora, all these things, vexatious a
s they may be, are only trifles. It will be best, I think, if we just answer Inspector Craddock's questions.'

  'Thank you, Miss Blacklock. I shall come to what happened last night, presently. First of all I want you to tell me when you first saw the dead man—Rudi Scherz.'

  'Rudi Scherz?' Miss Blacklock looked slightly surprised. 'Is that his name? Somehow, I thought?Oh, well, it doesn't matter. My first encounter with him was when I was in Medenham Spa for a day's shopping about—let me see, about three weeks ago. We—Miss Bunner and I—were having lunch at the Royal Spa Hotel. As we were just leaving after lunch, I heard my name spoken. It was this young man. He said: "It is Miss Blacklock, is it not?" And went on to say that perhaps I did not remember him, but that he was the son of the proprietor of the Hotel des Alpes at Montreux where my sister and I had stayed for nearly a year during the war.'

  'The Hotel des Alpes, Montreux,' noted Craddock. 'And did you remember him, Miss Blacklock?'

  'No, I didn't. Actually I had no recollection of ever having seen him before. These boys at hotel reception desks all look exactly alike. We had had a very pleasant time at Montreux and the proprietor there had been extremely obliging, so I tried to be as civil as possible and said I hoped he was enjoying being in England, and he said, yes, that his father had sent him over for six months to learn the hotel business. It all seemed quite natural.'

  'And your next encounter?'

  'About—yes, it must have been ten days ago, he suddenly turned up here. I was very surprised to see him. He apologized for troubling me, but said I was the only person he knew in England. He told me that he urgently needed money to return to Switzerland as his mother was dangerously ill.'

  'But Letty didn't give it to him,' Miss Bunner put in breathlessly.

  'It was a thoroughly fishy story,' said Miss Blacklock, with vigour. 'I made up my mind that he was definitely a wrong 'un. That story about wanting the money to return to Switzerland was nonsense. His father could easily have wired for arrangements to have been made in this country. These hotel people are all in with each other. I suspected that he'd been embezzling money or something of that kind.' She paused and said dryly: 'In case you think I'm hardhearted, I was secretary for many years to a big financier and one becomes wary about appeals for money. I know simply all the hard-luck stories there are.