Call for the Baron

by John Creasey

  ‘Which means,’ mused Mannering, ‘that there were two of them in the grounds at the same time. They may have been working together, or they may have been independent of each other.’

  ‘Do you have to be a criminologist to get to that?’ demanded Tommy, with a grin.

  ‘Now that the situation’s grown serious,’ said Mannering, ‘we’ll have it on record that I’m nothing of the kind, but while we’re at it, we may as well check what we can, eh sergeant?’ He gave the man no time to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but went on: ‘You seemed a little uncertain about your answer when Anderson asked you whether anyone had come out of the front door.’

  ‘Oh, that,’ said Armitage, ‘Well, I had a vague kind of impression just before I was hit that I saw another light. That dull kind of glow when a door’s opened and a shaded light shows. It’s possible someone might have come out while I was hunting around for my bang on the head.’

  ‘You can’t be any more sure than that?’ asked Anderson.

  ‘Fraid not,’ said Armitage, regretfully. ‘The only thing I can really swear to – and at – is the bang on the head. What do we do next?’

  ‘If you’re wise,’ said Mannering, ‘you go to bed and stay there at least until after breakfast tomorrow. As far as it’s possible we’re keeping the robbery quiet.’ He shrugged. ‘An Inspector’s coming down from the Yard.’

  ‘A hush-hush affair, eh?’ said Armitage with a grin. ‘Well, what else can Di expect if she will have distinguished relatives? That all you want, sergeant?’

  ‘Yes, sir, thank you.’ Anderson went off, and Mannering felt relief that there was no need for him to concern himself further. It was now a matter for the police.

  As the door closed, Armitage looked up ruefully.

  ‘Here’s a go,’ he said. ‘What do you make of it?’

  Mannering said dryly: ‘If you want a bald opinion, someone in the house stole the jewels and you were in the way of getting them out. One of the couple you saw is probably miles away with them now, and the other comfortably in his or her room.’

  ‘Cheerful, aren’t you,’ said Armitage.

  Mannering laughed. ‘You go to sleep, old chap, and let the police do all the worrying.’

  ‘All right, doctor! But for a so-called crime detective, you’re showing a deplorable lack of enthusiasm. Determined not to get mixed up in anything where you could get a kick in the pants, I suppose?’ Armitage went on. ‘Politics and people in high places wouldn’t appreciate an amateur. Is that it?’

  ‘We’ll say that’s it,’ agreed Mannering.

  He was pondering Armitage’s words as he went downstairs. It was like the man to talk nonsense and then to make a shrewd observation that was very near the mark. Mannering smiled a little, and then forgot Armitage as a bell peeled through the house.

  Chapter Seven

  Logan to the Fore

  Ransome was opening the front door as Mannering came down the stairs. The butler stood aside, and with delight and a stupendous relief, Mannering saw Lorna. He strode towards her.

  ‘You see, I’m practically waiting on the doorstep,’ he said laughing. Lorna’s eyes lighted up as they gripped hands.

  ‘Hallo, darling! It’s been a foul drive.’

  ‘You can’t say I didn’t warn you,’ said Mannering. ‘When did you eat?’

  ‘In town, but I don’t need more than a snack.’

  ‘I’ll bring some sandwiches, Miss,’ said Ransome promptly. ‘To which room, please?’

  ‘Mine will do,’ said Mannering.

  He led the way to the drawing room. It was empty, but a shout of laughter from the card-room suggested that Vere’s guests were getting all the fun they wanted out of poker, and also that they had no inkling of the trouble. The longer they were in ignorance the better, although again it passed through Mannering’s mind as strange that no one had heard Lady Usk’s cry when the door had been opened and Tommy had run up the stairs.

  ‘Where is everyone?’ Lorna looked surprised at the empty room.

  ‘Out and about,’ said Mannering. ‘We’ll be able to talk in my room, darling. Many mysterious things have been happening,’ he added with a chuckle, but Lorna stopped short and faced him squarely, suddenly unsmiling.

  ‘What do you mean, John?’

  ‘What you’re thinking,’ said Mannering more soberly.

  ‘I do walk into trouble, don’t I? But it won’t take long in telling, and we can look for the Veres afterwards.’

  Without further speech they went up to his room.

  The door shut, Lorna turned and regarded Mannering steadily.

  ‘What’s happened, John?’

  ‘The Usk has lost some jewels,’ said Mannering.

  Lorna gripped the arm of her chair. It was some seconds before she replied, and then: ‘Just how did it happen?’

  ‘I—’ began Mannering, and broke off at a tap on the door. Ransome entered, with a plate of sandwiches and coffee on a tray. Mannering waited until he had gone, and then continued: ‘There are numerous complications, but the bare facts are that she lost her jewels, including – she wants it to be believed – the Deverell necklace.’

  ‘Oh,’ said Lorna, wrinkling her forehead. ‘I saw Tony Deverell yesterday. He wasn’t too pleased with Lady Usk.’

  ‘Did he say so?’

  ‘Under pressure,’ said Lorna. ‘Mother or I – I forget which – mentioned the diamonds and then, well, he let himself go. It appears Lady Usk forced him down in price, knowing that he needed the money so badly that he couldn’t wait to sell abroad. And now they’re stolen,’ she added thoughtfully.

  Mannering poured her a cup of coffee, talking while he did so. She was a good listener, interrupting only once or twice on a point she wanted clarified. At the end, she said thoughtfully: ‘So Bristow is coming down, and there’s no way you can avoid him. I wish it hadn’t happened, but – well, now that it has, what do you propose to do?’

  ‘At the moment, nothing,’ said Mannering. ‘If it weren’t for a nagging feeling that Diana’s worried about something she hasn’t talked about yet, I’d wash my hands of the whole business. However – we’ll make some kind of progress, and you can help there. Cecilie is sure to talk to you.’

  ‘And what good will that do?’

  Mannering said: ‘Now listen, Bristow won’t run true to form if he doesn’t want to know just where I was at the time of the robbery. Until the thief is found, I’m bound to be Possibility Number One on his list. Always provided Bristow doesn’t prove that Lady Usk staged the act.’

  ‘That’s wishful thinking,’ said Lorna. ‘It’s absurd to think she would try – or need – to swindle an insurance company.’

  ‘Nothing’s beyond her,’ said Mannering, ‘if she’s made up her mind to it. But at the moment I’m more interested in the reason for her fears. She did have a note. I saw it. Someone threatened her life, there’s no doubt of that. How long ago,’ he added thoughtfully, ‘did she buy the necklace?’

  ‘Five or six weeks.’

  ‘I’ve not reached the point of “suspecting” anyone yet,’ said Mannering easily, ‘but it remains a fact that Tommy Armitage voiced the hope that she would be murdered. And Deverell, you say, is nursing a grievance.’

  Lorna said slowly: ‘He certainly said that he’d like to see her dead.’

  ‘Hmm,’ said Mannering, ‘a pretty list of suspects.’ He stepped to the telephone, but there was some delay before he put through a Marylebone number. Lorna frowned.

  ‘Why are you calling Plender?’

  ‘Because a solicitor is the only man to get what I want easily,’ said Mannering, ‘and Tony’s the only one who won’t ask a lot of questions, or charge a fee.’ He smiled as he replaced the receiver after being told that there was a ten minutes’ delay on London calls. ‘It’s a pity, darling, it promised to be a good weekend. As it is we’ve a jewel robbery, plus the complications of Morency, plus Diana’s secret, or my imagination. We know that there were several
men in the grounds tonight, and there’s reason to suspect that the chauffeur-detective was in touch with a man who might – I say might – have hit Tommy Armitage. You could call it an interesting setup, sweet.’

  Lorna looked at him narrowly.

  ‘Interesting from whose point of view? I’m beginning to think you’re enjoying it.’

  ‘Maybe I am,’ Mannering said, his eyes dancing. ‘I can hear Bristow telling me that I’m one of the half-dozen men in England who could have opened that combination safe without the numbers.’

  Lorna said quietly: ‘John, you didn’t decide to give Lady Usk a shock, did you? It must have been tempting.’

  She broke off, for Mannering’s expression had hardened. He gripped her shoulders.

  ‘I almost thought you meant it,’ he said lightly. ‘But no, darling, I wasn’t practising the Baron’s old methods. It would simplify matters if I had. And now I think we’d better find the Veres.’

  The London call came through before they went downstairs. Tony Plender told him that Lady Usk’s first husband had left his money to his wife, but half of it – a half represented nearly three-quarters of a million pounds – was tied-up so that on Lady Usk’s death it reverted to Cecilie. The older woman, however, had sole right to the interest, although she could not touch that part of the capital.

  ‘No one seems to treat Cecilie too generously,’ Lorna said. ‘She’s reason enough to be bitter,’ said Mannering, ‘but I think attempts to get her married off worry her more than a shortage of money. Pay particular attention to Diana,’ he added as he opened the door. ‘I’d like to know whether you get the same impression that I do.’

  They found the Veres together in the study. Morency had gone to bed, and Di and Martin were about to go downstairs. They greeted Lorna warmly, and after a few minutes of general conversation, Martin said: ‘Er—sorry this has happened to mar your weekend, Lorna, but we’re hoping John will get somewhere soon.’

  It was a direct challenge, and Mannering smiled.

  ‘I’m not sure that I can, old man. The police will be watching everything carefully, you know, and it isn’t easy to move independently. Has Anderson talked to the servants?’

  Diana nodded. ‘Yes, only two maids were away from the servants’ hall at the time of the burglary. Or robbery.’ She smiled, but there was no humour in her eyes. ‘They were turning the beds down. The rest of them were listening to a Variety broadcast.’

  ‘Your staff only?’

  ‘No, all of them,’ said Diana. ‘The only one here apart from our staff is Logan, Lady Usk’s chauffeur.’ She looked at Mannering intently, but his expression was unaltered. ‘That’s before Vic’s people came, of course.’

  ‘Oh, we can rule them out,’ Vere said.

  ‘I hope we can,’ smiled Mannering. ‘Where are the police? I think I’ll have a word with them.’

  Anderson and Bennett shared a room on the second floor. Mannering found Anderson on his own. The sergeant was friendly enough, although reserved.

  ‘There’s one thing I can’t miss,’ Mannering said. ‘If the thief is still in the house, Anderson, we might have more trouble.’

  ‘I’ve thought of that, sir,’ said Anderson worriedly. ‘Mr Morency insists that we don’t ask for local help, though, and we can’t do much. We have to take it in turns to watch Mr Morency’s room,’ he added. ‘I’m just going to bed for a few hours.’

  ‘Isn’t there an agency man here?’ Mannering said. ‘He might be roped in.’

  ‘I shouldn’t care to ask for assistance from anyone without full authority, sir,’ said Anderson firmly.

  ‘I suppose not,’ said Mannering. ‘Do you know Logan?’

  ‘Slightly, sir.’ Anderson was not disposed to talk, and Mannering soon left him. His chief object was achieved, however. The police were keeping a watch by night, and with one man sleeping and the other on guard outside Morency’s door there was no possibility of them extending their activities.

  In truth, Mannering saw little need for them to do so, but he wanted to know where he might expect to find them.

  Back in his room, he pondered on Logan’s position.

  The fact that the man had been in the servants’ hall with plenty of witnesses, gave him a complete alibi. But Logan would have reasonable access to Lady Usk’s room, and if her story of leaving her purse there was true, Logan could have made a copy of the cypher and passed it on to someone else – for instance, the thin-faced man.

  There was one objection to that theory.

  If Logan and the other had conspired together over the robbery, why had the thin-faced man been in the grounds an hour or more after the jewels had gone?

  A tap on the door interrupted him. It was Ransome. Could Mr Mannering spare Mr Vere a few minutes in the study. Mannering nodded and stood up.

  ‘Oh, Ransome – have any of the servants been out tonight?’

  ‘Not to my knowledge, sir, were you thinking of anyone in particular?’

  ‘I thought I heard a car a few minutes ago,’ said Mannering.

  ‘That would be Miss Mabel’s, sir. Logan had just taken it round to the front of the house for her. He obliged,’ added Ransome, discreetly, ‘as Mr Vere’s chauffeur was—er—engaged. Logan has been playing cards most of the evening, sir, and was glad of a chance to stretch his legs.’

  ‘I see,’ said Mannering.

  He found Vere and Mabel in the study, Mabel with a cloak over her evening gown.

  Vere turned to him at once.

  ‘Oh, John, something Mabel has told me rather—er—struck me as being of interest.’ He glanced at his sister’s homely face.

  ‘I don’t know what all this mystery’s about,’ she said, looking from one to the other. ‘I happened to mention to Martin that I’d seen Lady Usk’s man in Winchester once or twice – I’ve a flat there, you know – and he thought I ought to tell you. What is it all about?’

  Mannering said easily: ‘There have been one or two little thefts, Mabel, since Logan came here.’

  ‘If that’s all, why make such a fuss and mystery over it! Well, if it helps, I’ve seen him go into the White Angel Hotel several times.’

  ‘Could be interesting,’ said Mannering thoughtfully. ‘Is he driving you back?’

  ‘Oh, Lord, no! I’m going myself – I can’t waste petrol on two-way journeys these days. I won’t be here tomorrow,’ she added, ‘but I’ll see you on Sunday.’

  When she had gone, Vere said quickly: ‘It’s queer, isn’t it, John? The Angel isn’t a place a man like that would frequent.’

  ‘Could be,’ Mannering shrugged. ‘And now I’m going downstairs for a while, old man – don’t be surprised if I’m missing for half-an-hour.’

  Vere nodded, and Mannering slipped along to his room. He put on a mackintosh and a hat, and changed into rubber-soled shoes. Within five minutes of leaving the study he was in the grounds, but he had left by a side door; at the front Diana, Lorna, and two of the others were seeing Mabel off.

  He dismissed a thought that Mabel might be implicated but the news of Logan’s movements intrigued him. Logan, he knew, would wait with the car until Mabel took over.

  In the faint light from the hall he saw the chauffeur opening the door for Vere’s sister. Then the front door closed, and the car moved slowly down the drive.

  Logan’s footsteps echoed clearly as the man walked without hesitating to the servants’ door, which opened and closed behind him.

  In the darkness, Mannering smiled wryly. Logan’s actions were beyond reproach, and there was little object in staying in the grounds. He did stay for twenty minutes, however, making four complete circuits of the house: he saw nothing to indicate that anyone was outside, and he went back without wasting further time.

  The possibility of Bristow coming kept him from making fuller inquiries: it was essential that he did nothing to cause Bristow grounds for suspicion. He was frowning when he entered his room, slipped off his coat and hat, and changed his shoes. Th
en he opened a dressing table drawer for a handkerchief.

  For a moment he stood staring down, his face quite expressionless, his mind reeling under the unexpectedness of what he saw. Then slowly he put his hand into the drawer and drew out the thing that was lying there – a rope of diamonds, or what looked like diamonds.

  The necklace Lady Usk had shown him!

  Slowly, his mind still numb from the shock of the discovery, he held the necklace closer to his eyes. There was no doubt that it was the faked one, and that it had been deliberately placed in the drawer as damning evidence against him. His eyes were narrow and the expression on his face was gaunt.

  Then, abruptly, came a tap on the door, and its almost simultaneous opening.

  He pushed the hand holding the necklace quickly in his pocket, but he was too late to entirely hide it. He had no doubt of this, as he met the apparently startled eyes of Logan.

  Chapter Eight

  Visit by Night

  Mannering’s expression hardened.

  ‘What does this—mean?’ His voice was sharp.

  ‘I—I beg pardon, sorr,’ Logan had a faint Irish brogue, and his eyes, brown and close-set, avoided Mannering’s. ‘I thought it was Miss Cecilie’s room, sorr.’

  ‘Whoever’s room it is, you shouldn’t barge in like that,’ Mannering said acidly. ‘Who are you?’

  ‘Logan, sorr, Lady Usk’s chauffeur. Lady Usk sent me to Miss Cecilie’s room for some—eau-de-cologne.’

  Mannering felt cold with the shock and surprise of the encounter, and the possibilities it presented.

  The man’s story was reasonable enough, and he was not likely to have invented one which could be disproved by his employer. His eyes had dropped towards Mannering’s pocket, as if fascinated. Mannering was acutely conscious of a slight bulge where the diamonds pressed against his side.

  His mind was working swiftly now, attuned to an emergency which might lead to disastrous complications: and what he saw of Logan’s heavy, ugly face and small eyes he disliked.

  He kept his voice sharp and cold.

  ‘I see. Make sure you go to the right room next time, and make equally sure the room is not occupied. All right, you can go.’ He struck a match and appeared to pay full attention to lighting his cigarette, but he was observing Logan out of the corner of his eyes.