'And while it's going on, they put a hole in Sir Jasper. The noise masks the shot and there's a houseful of suspects they can hide behind.'
'Perhaps,' said Felix. 'I'm not so sure it's as simple as that. For one thing, he'd hear the rumpus too. Would he calmly continue looking for a book to read, or whatever it was he was doing, when people are hacking at each other down below? He'd want to know what was going on. At the least, he'd be on the alert, which would make him hard to surprise.' He looked up at a knock on the door. 'Yes what is it Constable? Oh it's you, Evans. Just arrived?'
'Yes, sir. Sergeant Yardley suggested I station myself in the hall. Pierce has gone up to relieve the local chap. I have a Mrs FitzGreville here. She asks if she might see you.'
'All right, wheel her in. And you might as well hitch up the tumbril and bring us the others when we call for them. You'll probably find most of them in the drawing room across the way.'
'What did my husband say to you?' demanded Elizabeth, sitting down uninvited. 'A load of nonsense, I expect. No thanks, I don't smoke, and neither should he. He was gassed, you know.'
'I'm afraid I can't tell you what he said, Mrs FitzGreville,' said Felix, pocketing his cigarette case. 'I have, for obvious reasons, to conduct my interviews in confidence. There is nothing to prevent you from asking Mr FitzGreville yourself what he said to me, or from him telling you, should he wish to do so. I will, of course, extend the same courtesy to you. Would you care to give me an account of the night's events, from your point of view?'
'From what time?' asked Elizabeth huffily
'Shall we say from after dinner?'
'We were in the library, working on that ridiculous quiz. Why we allowed ourselves to be taken in by such nonsense I can't imagine. Mass hysteria very likely. Tony turned in at about ten-thirty but I carried on for another hour or so. I don't like to be beaten.'
'And did you find what you were looking for?'
'Yes, I did. Enough to have a stab at the hiding place of the token, much good it did me.'
'Did you find it?'
'Humph! Who did not?'
'I see. Was anyone else in the library with you?'
'Yes, I was coming to that. That ridiculous couple were there: Egg FitzGreville and Charlotte Beaufort-Smyth as they call themselves. Making out they were working, but joined at the lips whenever I passed them, and goodness knows what else besides. Disgusting!'
'Why do you say, "as they call themselves"? Don't you think they're who they say they are?'
'Oh, I daresay they are, but what are they doing here? No-one knows anything about them; their backgrounds, I mean. Why were they invited? As for that ridiculous engagement, which they insist on shoving in our faces, they'd scarcely met! Hardly the right occasion for it anyway. And they spent last night together, very likely. Not that they were the only ones.'
'What do you mean by that?'
'I saw them go into her room. And earlier it was Roger into Vanda Beaufort-Smyth's room.'
'It's not illegal, you know.'
'No, but it tells you the sort of women they are.'
'What about the men?'
'Oh well, men are men aren't they?'
'How true. Do you suspect any of them of murdering Sir Jasper, Mrs FitzGreville?'
Elizabeth drew her chin in. 'I wouldn't go as far as that. The point is, one doesn't know, does one?'
'Indeed one doesn't. You saw Charlotte Beaufort-Smyth and her fiancé enter her room as you were leaving the library, presumably. Can you say at what time that might have been?'
'It was getting on for twelve.'
'Did you see or hear anyone else at that time?'
'Only Nanny Matthews. She'd just looked in on my son, Emmett.'
'Did you speak?'
'Yes, briefly. She said he was asleep.'
'Was there some doubt about that?'
'Joan FitzGreville claimed he got into her bathroom and goosed her, but that was later.'
'Did you believe her?'
'God knows! She's soft in the head.'
'And then you went to your own room? Was your husband there?'
'Yes, asleep. But later I woke and found him gone. Then I heard them fighting.'
'At what time was this?'
'About one o'clock or so. I rushed down and found him on the floor bleeding. All because of that nasty, vicious note. He's not a well man; he could have been killed.'
'How did you learn about the note?'
'He told me, eventually. We don't have secrets from each other.'
'He must have thought you did,' said Felix. 'Did you murder Sir Jasper?'
'Don't be ridiculous!'
'"Nor Hell a fury like a woman scorn'd,"' chuckled Felix when she'd gone.
'I think Professor Freud would have something to say about that lady,' said Rattigan. 'Do you reckon they were at it then, she and her brother-in-law?'
'Oh yes. No doubt in my mind. I can see her appeal, she's like a coiled spring, but she's never going to out-vamp Vanda and probably knows it. That must hurt. Not likely to be pertinent to the case, except it reinforces my view that the leaver of the note knew about it, or strongly suspected.'
Chapter Ten
'Good afternoon, Colonel,' said Felix, rising to shake hands. 'Thank you for coming to see me. Do sit down. Smoke?'
George waved his pipe at him by way of refusing a cigarette and heavily seating himself proceeded to pack it with tobacco. 'Bit inadequate this for an office, ain't it? Damned hard chairs. Can't we offer you something better? We're all in the drawing room, so the great hall is free.'
'Thank you, I might consider that. The great hall was the scene of a fight, I understand; which I believe you witnessed.'
George chuckled. 'Only the last few blows. Couldn't find me confounded slippers. Both survived, fortunately. The combatants, I mean, not the slippers. We heard it going on, of course.'
'Did you happen to check the time? I'd like to ascertain when it started and when the various folk arrived and left. You'll realise why, no doubt.'
George gave it his consideration. 'I think I first became aware of them at one o'clock or so. My wife might be able to be more accurate; she claims to have been awake throughout. Most of us were down there by about one-fifteen I think, plus Fudge and Nanny Matthews. Hang on a minute.' Rising with a slight wince of pain, George went to the door and without ceremony shouted, 'Janet! You're wanted. Women are better at this sort of thing, I find. Ah, there you are, my dear. The Inspector wants to know who witnessed the Battle of Knapperton Manor. Can you remember when it began?'
Janet, accepted a chair. 'Well I fancied I heard someone go past our room rather before one o'clock. By ten past or thereabouts they were bashing away at each other. Then we got up ourselves.'
'Have you any idea where they came from?'
'One assumes from their bedroom, whoever it was.'
'Both of them?'
'No, I only heard one go by, although I could easily have missed someone. Also someone went to the bathroom just after. I don't know if it was the same person.'
'Can you remind me where the bathroom is?'
'Yes, it's next to us, unfortunately, facing the stairs. The one who went in there probably didn't come past again, so I think must have gone straight down; although they could have gone the other way, I suppose.'
'Towards the new wing, do you mean?'
'Yes, or the other people's rooms. It all rather relies on the various creaks of course. If anyone had walked carefully I mightn't have heard them.'
'And the arguing and fighting began when?'
'Soon after whoever it was used the bathroom. I couldn't hear the arguing but I certainly did the fighting. It was about five minutes after, I should think.'
'Are all your bedrooms on the same landing?'
'Yes, it's L-shaped. From the far end, it goes: the Austens, Emmett, the Tony FitzGrevilles, Roger FitzGreville, me and George, the bathroom, our niece Vanda, Egg FitzGreville and Charlotte Beaufort-Smyth. I'm no
t quite sure about the order of them beyond Roger's as I've never been down there. The room next to us is empty, I think. Then there's a door to some backstairs, opposite the minstrels' gallery. I've seen Miss Mathews and the maids using it. I think they get to their own rooms that way, in the attic.'
'Thank you Mrs Beaufort-Smyth, that's extremely helpful. Did you get all that, Sergeant?'
'May I have it again, sir?'
Janet repeated it while Rattigan, who had sketched a little map, made a couple of corrections before passing it over.
'Looks about right,' said Felix. 'So the FitzGreville brothers would both have had to come past your door?'
'If they'd been in their rooms, yes.'
'But only one did?'
'I only heard one person come past. It may not have been either brother, of course.'
'What happened when you got up?'
'We went onto the minstrel's gallery and George told them to stop,' said Janet. 'He was very fierce.'
'Also, too late,' said George. 'I think they'd frightened themselves by then. I got the impression that Tony FitzGreville had run onto his opponent's sword.'
'Well, I'm not so concerned about the fight, you know. I'm more interested in who was there and between what times.'
'Because while they were in the Great Hall, they couldn't have been murdering Sir Jasper?' said Janet.
'Yes, that's exactly right,' smiled Felix. 'First of all, was anyone else on the landing, when you came out of your room?'
'No,' said George.'
'Yes,' said Janet simultaneously. 'Sorry, George, I saw Nanny Matthews coming. I expect she'd been to check on Emmett. He wanders, apparently.'
'So I understand. What happened then?'
'People started to come out,' said Janet. 'Vanda and Charlotte were there and we all went down together. Tony had collapsed to the floor and then Elizabeth, his wife, appeared. She was very upset.'
'Elizabeth FitzGreville came from upstairs?'
'Yes. Well, I suppose so; I wasn't looking.
'But the others came from their bedrooms? Can you be sure of that?'
Janet looked thoughtful. 'Charlotte came from the bathroom, I think. I didn't actually see Vanda come out but she must have done because she was there. Anyway, we all got downstairs and then Nanny arrived with a first-aid kit, which she must have gone and fetched from somewhere, and set about treating Tony.'
'Fudge was there,' said George. 'I think he must have seen or heard the fight from downstairs, because we didn't see him until we got down. I didn't anyway. He just appeared and announced he'd called the doctor. And then came Joan FitzGreville, of course.'
'Why of course?'
'Dramatic entrance,' explained Janet. 'She accused little Emmett of goosing her. She's terribly silly, I'm afraid.'
'Very volubly,' added George. 'Dominated the proceedings as usual.'
'So she arrived a bit later than the rest of you?'
'Yes,' said George. 'Perhaps five minutes. Her rooms are next door to the library, the first you come to in the new wing. Shouldn't be surprised if she heard the shot.'
'She didn't say so,' said Janet.
'Doesn't mean she didn't. She's totally self-absorbed, worse even than Jasper. If something doesn't affect her personally she ignores it.'
'I take it you didn't like Sir Jasper?'
'Odious man — no I didn't.'
'Did you kill him?'
The Colonel shook his head. 'Did you ever meet a man my age who killed out of hate?'
'I can't recall one,' admitted Felix.
'Doubt you will.'
'Do you think that's why he was killed?'
'I don't know. You asked me if I'd killed him, which I didn't. If I had done, that would have been why.'
'Fair enough. Was there anyone missing from this gathering?'
'The Austens,' said Janet. 'They slept through it all. I think everyone else was there. They've no children, of course,' she added gnomically.
'Young Egg,' said George. 'We've forgotten him.'
'Oh yes, he came limping down behind Joan. He seemed half-asleep. He's a cripple, you know.'
'Nice young fellah, though.'
'Yes, he is.'
'And in what order did people leave?'
With occasional hesitation, Janet told him. 'They went in dribs and drabs over a few minutes.'
'How many minutes?'
'Five or so?'
'Who was last?'
Janet looked at her husband. 'I'm not quite sure.'
'I think Vanda and Roger were behind us,' said George. And Felix thought he saw the ghost of a smile.
The two men puffed thoughtfully at their pipes.
'So they mostly arrive in the great hall at about one-fifteen, joining the FitzGreville brothers who are already there,' mused Felix. 'No eyewitness to the arrival of the brothers but noises-off suggest it was just before one o'clock, at least for one of them. Joan and Egbert FitzGreville arrive, presumably severally, a little later than the rest. All very well described by Mrs Beaufort-Smyth and probably nothing left out. Everyone, so it seems, was then downstairs, apart from the Austens and one or two servants. At about two-thirty they all go up again, ostensibly to their beds, by which time, of course, it's getting a bit late for the murder. I agree it's tempting to imagine someone using the general noise and rumpus of the fight or its aftermath to mask the shot, but if they did, who on earth was left upstairs to do it? Perhaps we're making too much of that. As Roger said, It's a big house.'
'Would anyone have noticed someone leave early though, given the general confusion?'
'They might not. But if they went up the main stairs they'd be in plain sight until they reached the top. They'd be taking a heck of a chance.'
'The backstairs, then?'
'Well it's a thought, isn't it? There's our route through the cellar, and also through the kitchens, I suppose. Hang on a jiffy.' He went and leaned out of the door. 'Get Janet Beaufort-Smyth back for me, will you Evans?'
'Sorry to drag you back, Mrs Beaufort-Smyth, but we've had a thought. Can you tell me if you noticed anyone leave the great hall and then come back, during the time you were down here? Either to go upstairs or from the great hall into the entrance hall.'
'Probably several of us went into the entrance hall, including me,' said Janet, 'To the cloakroom, you know. Charlotte was out there with Egg, when I went.'
'What were they doing?'
Janet smiled. 'I'm not absolutely sure, but I think Charlotte was having a fit of the giggles.'
'Why was that?'
'It was because of Joan,' said Janet. 'You had to be there really, to appreciate it. I came close to joining her. Terrible to think of it now, of course,' she added solemnly.
'I see. I suppose I can hardly expect you to notice whether they all came back?'
'Why, yes, they did. They must have done, because as I told you, we saw them all go upstairs. I can't tell you how long they were out of the room though, except for Egg and Charlotte. Charlotte went out just before me, and they came back with me.'
'Five minutes?'
'Barely that, I should have thought.'
'Can't catch her out, can you?' said Rattigan. 'The perfect witness. Reminds me of that young chap on the Isabella, the one with the Spanish wife.'
'Always provided we can trust her recall. How long to dash up the backstairs, shoot Jasper and come back, do you think?'
'You'd be doing well to manage it in less than five minutes. And he'd have to be uncommonly cooperative.'
Felix looked doubtful. 'Not really feasible, is it? Well, it's feasible, but somehow not probable. Unless, perhaps he'd been drugged before-hand?'
'There's a thought! Slip him a Micky Finn and nip back to shoot him during the fracas.'
'Hard to prove, though.' He went to the door. 'Grab one of my sergeants will you, Evans? Oh good, Yardley. Come in a minute. Have you got any clean sample bottles with you?'
'Three or four left, sir.'
Felix opened his case. 'All right, here are a couple more. Go up to Sir Jasper's flat and take samples of the water by his bed, the milk on his table and any opened or decanted booze you can find. Also collect up any capsized cups or glasses lying about. Yes, and some of his cornflakes.'
'D'you reckon he was drugged then, sir?'
'Just a precaution really. Better safe than sorry. Not much else we can do in that line at the moment. Who's next? This Egg fellow, I suppose. Short for Egbert, presumably.'
Yardley turned back, handing over a brown manilla envelope. 'Sorry sir, I came to give you this. It was down the side of Sir Jasper's sofa. I don't think it was lost or hidden, just tucked there. I think they're copies of the quiz.
'That looks interesting. Dabs?
'Indistinct, sir. No good for identification.'
'All right. Get Evans to grab Egbert FitzGreville for me, will you?'
'My name is Egbert John FitzGreville, I'm twenty-four and I'm a writer,' said Egg.
'What kind of writer?' asked Felix.
'I ghost, mostly.'
'Anyone interesting?'
'I'm not supposed to say.'
'No, I suppose not. Sorry. What is your relation to the deceased?'
'He was a third cousin, four times removed.'
'Bit obscure, isn't it?'
'Yes it is. There aren't many of us – FitzGrevilles, I mean – and he apparently wanted the lot. Same with the Beaufort-Smyths. It seemed to make sense when we thought the will was genuine. Now, I can only suppose he wanted the largest possible audience for his deception.'
'You don't think the will is genuine, then?'
'I'm assuming not. I'd rather hoped it was, as we thought we'd won the contest, but then we discovered that everyone had found a token. There were at least five. It was then we realised we'd been made fools of.'
'Who are "we"?'
'All of us, I suppose. But I was thinking of me and my fiancée, Charlotte Beaufort-Smyth. We met here, as a matter of fact, before the funeral.'
'A whirlwind romance?'
'Very much so. I'd rather have her than the Manor anyway, although both would have been nice.'
A Strange Manor of Death (The Inspector Felix Mysteries Book 3) Page 11