Murder at Downton (The Ralph Chalmers Mysteries Book 6)

by P. J. Thurbin

  “I’m Sergeant Jones said the fresh faced officer who came down to take Ralph to the Inspector’s office. “The Inspector’s expecting you.”

  Ralph followed Sergeant Jones to the Inspector’s office upstairs. After the introductions, Inspector Roberts apologized for the inconvenience and asked Ralph to accompany him to the forensics laboratory.

  As he went through the swing doors he was struck by a familiar smell. It reminded him of the specimens preserved in formaldehyde from his school days biology class. He was just as glad that he had skipped his usual ‘full English’ for breakfast that morning.

  For a bright morning, the room felt distinctly cold. Inspector Roberts shook hands and introduced himself. Then he took Ralph over and introduced him to a tall blonde woman in a white coat that he said was the medical examiner. Ralph noticed the distinctly clinical environment of the laboratory as Doctor Emily Mason led them over to a stainless steel table obviously used for her examinations. Ralph could see the outline of a body. Doctor Mason leant over and pulled back the sheet.

  “Can you confirm that this is Mr. Liam Wilkes, sir?”

  “Yes, that’s him Inspector.” Ralph looked at the white face and exposed neck. “He wore a pendant, Inspector. It was blue enamel with a gold eagle’s beak in the middle.” Ralph made a circle with his thumb and index finger to indicate the approximate size. He didn’t know why he said anything about it, the words just came out. Afterwards he thought it must have been his way of saying that this really was Liam. The pendant had become his talisman. Emily Mason pulled the sheet back over the body and gave Ralph a sympathetic smile. She must have done this hundreds of times, thought Ralph.

  They were soon sitting in the Inspector’s office with the requisite English restorative, a cup of tea.

  “What was that you said about a pendant, Professor Chalmers?” Inspector Roberts was now on high alert. He had just finished a report to his boss on Egyptian pendants and reckoned that he was a world expert.

  “Yes. Liam always wore it. I know he was wearing it the last time I saw him, and that was just yesterday at midday. It must have been with him.”

  “I’m afraid not, sir.”

  The Inspector listened politely as Ralph explained about the story that Liam had told them. The Inspector had his own theories, but he decided to keep them to himself, at least for the time being.

  “Well, Professor Chalmers, I can assure you that he was not wearing any jewelry when we found him. It’s possible that he was robbed, of course. It could have been either before or after he died. If it was before, then that could put a question mark around our first thoughts that he died of a heart attack. Although people have been known to die of shock after an event like a robbery, even if they weren’t physically injured in the attack.”

  “I noticed a wound across his right eye,” Ralph said. He suddenly remembered seeing it when the cloth had been pulled back.

  “Yes. The pathologist commented on that. She seemed to think he could have hit himself on a branch or something, as he fell. We’ll know more about that later today after she’s run all the tests. And we routinely carry out toxicology tests in case there is any evidence of drugs or even prescription medicine in the tissue or blood. Do you know if he was on any medication?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. I’m afraid that I didn’t know him that well. But I do know that he has a brother out in America who might be able to answer those sorts of questions. His luggage and personal belongings are at the hotel, if you wanted to check that.”

  Ralph could see that he was in danger of telling the Inspector his job.

  “The person who telephoned the police when Mr. Wilkes failed to return to the hotel said that there had been a search made to find him. Can you remember who was involved in that?”

  “There four or five of us. We went in Justin Edington’s Land Rover as it was more likely to get through the muddy lanes.” Ralph gave the Inspector the names of those involved in the search party.

  “Do you know who last saw him alive?” The Inspector asked. Ralph explained that he had left Liam and Justin at the Carpenter’s Arms. So it would probably have been Justin and Silas and anyone else who might have come in after Ralph left. He said he couldn’t be sure because he had left before lunch was served to go on his hike.

  “If you could let me have the names of everyone in your party that would be helpful,” the Inspector said. “Oh and anyone else that may have seen him yesterday. Roberts had recently interviewed Justin Edington in connection with the death of his brother, Charles.

  Ralph took a slip of paper from the notepad on the Inspector’s desk and wrote the list of names.

  “Thank you, sir. We know the landlord of the Carpenter’s. Naturally we’ll want to speak with him. And if you could be so kind as to ask your party to remain in the area until I’ve had the chance to interview them, it would be much appreciated. I can understand that they are probably anxious to continue their tour of England or return home and we won’t detain them any longer than is necessary. We should be able to give the all clear within the next 48 hours. Once we have Mr. Wilkes passport we will, of course, inform the American Embassy.”

  He showed Ralph out and asked one of his constables to drive him back to the hotel. Ralph was soon busy trying to sort things out and put everyone in the picture. He also expected Katie to get back around lunchtime.

  After Ralph left, Inspector Roberts called in his Sergeant.

  “Jones, this could be our worst nightmare.”

  Jones knew when to keep quiet. He waited for the Inspector to continue.

  “It’s possible that our escaped prisoner has killed an American tourist not 10 minutes away from one of the most publicized attractions in the UK. Some bloody newspaper Johnny is going to treat this as the scoop of the century. I can just see the headlines.

  Murder at Downton – police fail to find escaped prisoner – tourist killed and then robbed of gold amulet. Possible links to robbery at Tutankhamun exhibition. British aristocracy up in arms. Heads will roll.

  Jones was transfixed. He had never seen his boss in such a rage.

  “And if it turns out to be true, Jones, then it’s my bloody head that will be served up on a bloody platter. Apple in the bloody mouth if I know those buggers.”

  ***

  True to his word, Inspector Roberts interviewed everyone the next day. Ralph was relieved when Katie got back and told her what had happened in the short spate of time since she left. He had been surprised to see that she was genuinely upset about Liam’s death. She was angry that someone might attack him and take his pendant and said that even if it was gold, it wasn’t worth killing someone for. She felt that if he was robbed as he lay dead of a heart attack that, in some ways that was even worse. She repeated what Ralph had heard already from everyone else, that Liam was such a likeable chap and what a great loss his death would be.

  Ralph and Katie sat out in the Hotel gardens and she updated him on what she had found out about Charles Edington from her friend at Reading University.

  “It seems our Professor Edington was a lot more complicated than it appeared in the papers. For a start, he had been on three months sick leave and had been seeing a psychiatrist. It was common knowledge among the staff that he had become obsessed with finding the twin of the amulet in the British Museum. A year ago his wife left him and he devoted himself to discovering the mystery behind the amulets and how they could lead to the location of the remaining tomb, and its treasures.”

  “The papers said he was on sabbatical.”

  “You and I know that is just a euphemism the universities use when they want to avoid bad publicity,” Katie said. “They’re hardly going to admit that one of their top professors was a basket case or that he was seeing a shrink. It’s not good PR for the University. Evidently no one at the University was aware that he had gone to Egypt. The rumour was that when he read about the robbery at the Tutankhamun exhibition, he flipped. He just walked out. The next t
hing they heard was that he had been murdered in a hotel room in Luxor.”

  “But it doesn’t make sense. Why would just hearing about a robbery cause him to take off like that?”

  “Well I think that our Mr Meckler is involved in all of this. The other night down at the Carpenter’s they were saying how close Anton was with Justin and Charles. They grew up together, didn’t they. My guess is that Anton knew what Charles was going through and how he was working too hard and making himself ill trying to solve the mystery of the amulets. Charles must have said something about going to Luxor and Anton did his pal a favour.”

  “What. You think he faked a break-in and stole the amulet just to help his friend?” Ralph asked. “For a start, Edington must have had some principles, and besides, even if he accepted that kind of help, what good what it do? He already had access to the photos of the amulet. The British Museum is certain to have taken some.”

  “Look, you’re the sleuth Ralph. All I’m telling you is that I think the two of them are involved in the break-in at the exhibition. Perhaps Edington thought he would have more credibility trying to raise funds for an excavation at Luxor if he had at least one of the amulets in his possession. We don’t know how these people work. From what I’ve heard, business in Egypt, particularly now the Muslim Brotherhood have some power, is very different than in the West. But enough of my theories about Edington. More to the point, do you think poor Liam was murdered?”

  Ralph had been thinking of little else for the last 24 hours.

  “I don’t know. Right now they think it was a heart attack, but I have my doubts. I think those toxicology reports might provide some evidence that he didn’t die of natural causes.”

  “But who would want to kill Liam? He seemed like such a nice guy. One of life’s innocents, in a way.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. And also who might not have been present and accounted for when Liam disappeared.”

  “I thought you said all your crew was off to see chapels and festivals and have picnics in the bucolic setting of Watership Down.”

  “Almost everyone was with the group, but not all. Jim dropped Ethan Detchner off in Newbury to go shopping. It would have been possible for him to double back to the Carpenter’s, find Liam in the woods, and attack him in order to get the amulet. I know it’s a tall order, but it is possible. But I can’t think of a motive.”

  “What about his passion for returning relics to their ancestral home? Maybe they quarreled over it and he accidentally killed Liam in a fight. Or maybe they argued and it brought on the heart attack,” said Katie.

  “But it is pretty unlikely,” Ralph noted.

  “So who else do you have in the frame, Sherlock?”

  “Well, there’s Justin. He was probably the last to see Liam. I know they had lunch together because I left them waiting for it at the Carpenter’s. And I know Liam showed him the amulet. And we know that Justin was always short of cash in spite of pulling all those punters in for their clay pigeon shoots and whiskies by the squire’s fireside. But I can’t see him killing someone for something worth a few thousand pounds. It seems unlikely. Unless Justin knew it was worth a lot more. He might have thought it was the twin of the one stolen from the Tutankhamun exhibition that would lead to the lost tomb.”

  “Hey, Ralph what about this. Suppose Justin had arranged with Anton to steal the one from the exhibition. Then if he got hold of the one Liam had he would really be in a strong position to sell them on as a pair.”

  “But how would he even have known about the pendant that Liam had until a day or two before Liam died? No I don’t see Justin as being that sophisticated. He’s more interested in drinking with his pals and running those weekend shoots. I can’t see him as the mastermind in this one.”

  “You know, I’m still suspicious of Anton Meckler. He must have known the twin amulet story. If he did steal the one from the exhibition, then once he heard that Liam had the twin to it he would have wanted the pair. That way they would be worth a lot more money to the right buyer.”

  “But would it be worth killing for? It seems unlikely. And don’t forget, he was unwell. I think it’s more likely he’s at home nursing that infected eye.”

  “What about that Barry Marston?” said Katie? “He seems nice, even if he is a bit sleazy. But just suppose he had wanted the amulet to help support himself between engagements. And we know he’s good at disguises, what with all of those theatrical props at his disposal. What if he dressed up as a WW2 American soldier and tried to freak Liam out while he was wandering in the woods so he could get him to hand over the amulet?”

  “That really is too bizarre, Ralph said. “I think our imaginations are starting to get the best of us. Anyhow, what about Silas Archer?”

  “What about him,” Katie said.

  “Suppose he wanted to buy the amulet and when Liam refused to sell it to him, they argued about it, got into a fight and Liam got killed.”

  “Now that really is farfetched. Besides, he’s too fat, not fit and probably has no gumption.” They agreed that Silas was not the type.

  “Well that’s everyone,” said Katie with a sigh. “Oh, but what about that Omar Naser?”

  “Where did that come from?” Ralph asked. “The guy has hardly been around. He keeps going off to the races and up to London to see his academic contacts at SOAS.”

  “Ralph you never listen. You’ve heard that story of the conductor who stopped the orchestra in middle of a rehearsal. He tapped his baton on the rostrum. “The second horn is playing too loudly” he shouted. “But he hasn’t arrived yet, maestro”. “Then when he comes tell him he’s playing too loudly,” shouted the conductor.”

  Ralph shrugged his shoulders. Katie continued.

  “I think that Omar character’s been fishing around all the time we’ve been here. What if he chatted up Ethan and they plotted to find some way of getting that pendant of Liam’s back to Egypt? What if Omar took a photo of the pendant when we were at the pub the other night and sent a copy back to the museum in Egypt? Or he might even have a contact at the British Museum. What if he found out it was the twin everyone has been looking for and decided to get it at all costs.”

  “Even if you’re right, it’s no good without the twin. And that was stolen, don’t forget.”

  “But what if he’s the one who stole the one from the Tutankhamun exhibition in the first place. Then once he got Liam’s, game set and match.”

  “It’s a nice theory but do you have any idea how we prove it? And if it was Omar, then wouldn’t he be long gone by now?”

  “Maybe he is. Why don’t we check with the hotel?”

  “Mr. Naser is booked in for another 6 days,” the day clerk told them when they checked at the desk.

  “Maybe he’s just lying low,” said Katie. “Maybe he’s relying on Ethan to take it back to America for him and then he can send it from there on to Cairo.”

  “I’ll say this about you Katie. Your logic may be a bit suspect, but you certainly have a vivid imagination.”

  ***

  The police had three alternative theories: That it was a straightforward case of someone who had gone for a strenuous walk after eating too much lunch and then suffered a heart attack. But that did not explain the stolen pendant; that he met a tramp out in the woods who attacked him and robbed him of the pendant, and in the process Liam fell, hit his head and had a heart attack; or, it was the escaped prisoner from Bullingdon. He’d already killed once.

  Hopefully the toxicology tests and the full post mortem would eliminate one or more of their theories. Roberts knew that he was no nearer to finding either the amulet or the escaped prisoner, but in his mind the two were definitely linked.

  Inspector Roberts could find no reason to detain the party from Michigan. He told them they were free to go.

  ___________________

  Chapter 7

  It was a rather sad parting at Heathrow with lots of promises to keep in touch. Ralph was soon back
at Gypsy Hill giving Granger an update on the police enquiry. He was pleasantly surprised at Granger’s reaction. He had expected some blame to fall his way, but for once the Dean was supportive.

  “I know it must have been difficult to hold things together, Ralph, but from what I hear, Roy Lenners, apart from his obvious grief, is pleased with the way you looked after his staff. I want you to stay with this one if you don’t mind. If you need to go back down to see the police, then take all the time you need. I want everyone to see that we care about our American colleagues.”

  Ralph was taken aback by Granger’s approach, but if he was to be given free reign he would take it. After a chat about departmental matters, he went back to his office and phoned Katie. He was still convinced that whoever had killed Liam knew about the twin amulets and the link to an undiscovered tomb. Katie was one step ahead. She had arranged a meeting at the British Museum with Cynthia and her friend Michelle who had written about the wedjat eye.

  Michelle Willows was obviously sufficiently important to have been allocated a large if

  somewhat sparsely furnished office. It was reminiscent of an age where the size of your office indicated rank and importance. Michelle stood up to greet her visitors.

  “Welcome to the Museum. Cynthia, it’s so good to see you.” Cynthia introduced Katie and Ralph to her friend.

  “I can only offer you tea I’m afraid, unless you would like me to get you some coffee from downstairs? There’s one of those franchise places for the visitors.”

  “Tea will be fine,” said Cynthia. Michelle pulled up chairs for Cynthia and Katie and pointed to a side chair for Ralph. Interesting, thought Ralph. He reckoned he was seen as the odd one out.