The Layton Court Mystery

by Anthony Berkeley

  Jefferson looked slightly surprised.

  ‘Questions? All right, fire away. What can I tell you?’

  ‘Well, the first thing I want to ask you,’ Roger shot out, ‘is – where were you at the time that Stanworth died?’

  A look of blank astonishment was followed in Jefferson’s face by an angry flush.

  ‘And what the devil has that got to do with you?’ he asked abruptly.

  ‘Never mind for the moment what it has to do with me,’ Roger replied, his heart beating a little faster than usual. ‘I want you to answer that question.’

  Jefferson rose slowly to his feet, his eyes glittering ominously. ‘Do you want me to kick you out of the room?’ he said in a strangely quiet voice.

  Roger leaned back in his chair and watched him unmoved.

  ‘Do I understand that you refuse to answer?’ he said evenly. ‘You refuse to tell me where you were between, say, one and three o’clock on the morning that Stanworth died?’

  ‘Most decidedly I do. And I want to know what the hell you think that has to do with you?’

  ‘It may have nothing and it may have everything,’ Roger said calmly. ‘But I advise you to tell me, if not for your own sake at least for the lady’s.’

  If this was a chance shot, it had certainly got home. Jefferson’s face took on a deeper tinge and his eyes widened in sheer fury. He clenched his fists till the knuckles showed up white and menacing.

  ‘Damn you, Sheringham, that’s about enough!’ he muttered, advancing towards the other. ‘I don’t know what the devil you think you’re playing at, but – ’

  A sudden bluff darted into Roger’s mind. After all, what was a man like Jefferson doing as secretary to a man like Stanworth? He decided to risk it.

  ‘Before you do anything rash, Jefferson,’ he said quickly, ‘I’d like to ask you another question. What was Stanworth blackmailing you for?’

  There are times when bluff pays. This was one of them. Jefferson stopped short in his stride, his hands fell limply to his sides and his jaw drooped open. It was as if he had been struck by a sudden and unexpected bullet.

  ‘Sit down and let’s talk things over quietly,’ Roger advised, and Jefferson resumed his seat without a word.

  Roger reviewed the situation rapidly in his mind.

  ‘You see,’ he began in conversational tones, ‘I know quite a lot of what’s been going on here, and in the circumstances I really have no alternative but to find out the rest. I admit that it places me in rather an awkward situation, but I can’t see that I can very well do anything else. Now what I suggest, Jefferson, is that we both put our cards on the table and talk the thing over as two men of the world. Do you agree?’

  Jefferson frowned. ‘You don’t appear to give me much option, do you? Though what it has to do with you, I’m really hanged if I can see.’

  It was on Roger’s lips to retort that Jefferson would very probably be hanged if he didn’t, but fortunately he was able to control himself.

  ‘I should have thought that would have been obvious,’ he said smoothly. ‘I can hardly leave things as they are, can I? Still, we’ll pass over that for the present. Now Stanworth was, as I know, a blackmailer, and there can be no doubt as to that affecting the situation in no small degree.’

  ‘What situation?’ Jefferson asked in puzzled tones.

  Roger glanced at him shrewdly. ‘The situation,’ he said firmly. ‘I think we both understand to what I am referring.’

  ‘I’m blessed if I do,’ Jefferson retorted.

  ‘Of course if you take up that attitude–!’ Roger said tentatively. ‘Still, perhaps it’s a little early to get down to brass tacks,’ he added, after a moment’s pause. ‘We’ll confine ourselves to the other aspect for a time, shall we? Now Stanworth, I take it, had some definite hold over you. Would you mind telling me exactly what that was?’

  ‘Is this necessary?’ Jefferson demanded shortly. ‘My private affair, you know. Why the deuce should you want to concern yourself in it?’

  ‘Don’t talk like that, Jefferson, please. You must see what course you’ll force on me if you do.’

  ‘Damned if I do! What course?’

  ‘To put the whole thing in the hands of the police, naturally.’

  Jefferson started violently. ‘Good God, you wouldn’t do that, Sheringham!’

  ‘I don’t want to do so, of course. But you really must be frank with me. Now please tell me all about your relations with Stanworth. I may tell you, to save you trouble, that I am already in full possession of all the similar facts with regard to – well, the lady in the case.’

  ‘The devil you are!’ Jefferson exclaimed in undisguised astonishment. ‘Oh, well, if I’ve got to tell you, I suppose I must. Though what in the name of goodness it can have to – However!’

  He leaned back in his chair and began to fiddle abstractedly with the papers in front of him.

  ‘It was this way. My regiment was in India. Pal of mine and I were both in love with the same girl. No bad blood or anything like that. Good friends all the time. He got her. Wanted to get married at once, but very hard up, of course. We all were. He’d got a lot of debts, too. Damned fool went and drew a check on another man’s account. Forged it, if you like. Absurd thing to do; bound to come out. There was a hell of a row, but we managed to keep it confined to a few of us. Chap came and confessed to me; asked what on earth he’d better do. They hadn’t found out who’d done it yet, but when they did it would be all up with him. Lose the girl and everything; she was fond enough of him, but straight as a die herself. Couldn’t have stood the disgrace. Well, what could I do? Couldn’t stand by and see all this happen. Went to the colonel and told him I’d done the blessed thing. Only thing to do.’

  ‘By Jove, you sportsman!’ Roger exclaimed involuntarily.

  ‘Sportsman be damned! Wouldn’t have done it for him alone. I was thinking of the girl.’

  ‘And what happened?’

  ‘Oh, it was hushed up as much as possible. I had to send in my papers, of course, but the fellow didn’t prosecute. Then that hound Stanworth got wind of the story somehow and managed to lay his hands on the check, which had never been destroyed. Perfect godsend to him, of course. Gave me choice of taking on this job with him or letting the whole thing be passed on to the police. No alternative. I had to take on the job.’

  ‘But why on earth did he want you as his secretary? That’s what I can’t understand.’

  ‘Simple enough. He wanted to push his way in among the sort of people I knew. I was a sort of social sponsor for him. Damned unpleasant job, of course, but what could I do? Besides, when I took the job on I didn’t know anything about him. Thought he was just a new-rich merchant and I was his only victim in the threatening line. Soon found out, of course; but too late to back out then. That’s all. Satisfied?’

  ‘Perfectly. Sorry I had to ask you, but you see how it is. Well, I’m dashed if I can blame you. I’d have done the same thing myself. But I’d like to have the story of it from your own lips.’

  ‘Just told you the story.’

  ‘No, the other one, I mean.’

  ‘What other one?’

  ‘Oh, don’t beat about the bush like this. You know perfectly well what I’m driving at. I’ll put it in the original form, if you like. Where were you during the night that Stanworth died?’

  Jefferson’s angry flush returned.

  ‘Now look here, Sheringham, that’s too much. I’ve told you things I never dreamed I’d have to tell anyone, and I’m not going to have you probing any farther into my business. That’s final.’

  Roger rose to his feet. ‘I’m sorry you take it like that, Jefferson,’ he said quietly. ‘You leave me no alternative.’

  ‘What are you going to do then?’

  ‘Tell the police the whole story.’

  ‘Are you mad, Sheringham?’ Jefferson burst out angrily.

  ‘No, but I think you are, not to trust me,’ Roger retorted, hardly less so.
‘You don’t think I want to tell them, do you? It’s you who are forcing me to do so.’

  ‘What, through not telling you what – what I was doing that night?’

  ‘Of course.’

  There was a short pause, while the two glared at each other.

  ‘Come back in a quarter of an hour,’ Jefferson said abruptly. ‘I’ll think it over. Have to consult her, of course, first.’

  Roger nodded acquiescence to this proposal and hurried out of the room. Exultantly he sought Alec.

  ‘I told you so, Alexander,’ he cried triumphantly, as soon as he was fairly inside the room. ‘Jefferson’s on the point of confession!’

  ‘He’s not!’ Alec exclaimed incredulously.

  ‘He is indeed. And there’s a lot more to it than that. I’ve bluffed him into believing that I know a lot more than I do really, and he’s going to tell me all sorts of other things as well. He’s let one cat out of the bag already. I can tell you. Mrs Plant is in it, after all!’

  ‘Oh, rot!’ Alec replied with decision. ‘That’s out of the question. I know she isn’t.’

  ‘Don’t be so absurd, Alexander,’ Roger retorted somewhat nettled, ‘How can you possibly know?’

  ‘Well, anyhow, I’m sure she isn’t,’ Alec replied obstinately.

  ‘But my dear chap, friend Jefferson has just gone off to consult her as to whether he shall tell me the whole story or not. I threatened him with the police, you see, if he didn’t.’

  ‘I suppose you taxed him outright with the murder, did you?’

  ‘No, Alexander, I didn’t,’ Roger answered wearily. ‘The word murder was never so much as mentioned. I simply put it that I wanted to know what he was doing on the night of Stanworth’s death.’

  ‘And he wouldn’t tell you?’ Alec asked, somewhat surprisedly.

  ‘He certainly would not. But he told me a lot of other things. He was in Stanworth’s power all right. I haven’t got time to tell you the whole story, but there’s motive enough for him to kill Stanworth himself, even without the introduction of Mrs Plant’s side of it. Oh, the whole thing’s as plain as a pikestaff. I can’t understand why you’re so sceptical about it all.’

  ‘Perhaps I make a better detective than you do, Roger,’ Alec laughed, a trifle constrainedly.

  ‘Perhaps,’ Roger said without very much conviction. He glanced at his watch. ‘Well, I’d better be getting back. I wonder if you’d believe it if I showed you Jefferson’s confession in writing! Would you?’

  ‘I very much doubt it,’ Alec smiled.

  Jefferson was no longer alone in the morning room when Roger returned to it. To the latter’s surprise Lady Stanworth was also there. She was standing with her back to the window and did not look round at his entrance. Roger shut the door carefully behind him and looked inquiringly at Jefferson.

  That gentleman did not waste time.

  ‘We’ve talked the matter over,’ he said curtly, ‘and decided to tell you what you want to know.’

  Roger could hardly repress an exclamation of surprise. Why should Jefferson have imported Lady Stanworth into the matter? Obviously she must be involved, and deeply, too. Could it be that Jefferson had taken her into his confidence with regard to Mrs Plant? How much did she know, if that were the case? Presumably everything. Roger felt that the situation was about to prove not a little awkward.

  ‘I’m glad,’ he murmured, half apologetically.

  Jefferson was carrying the thing off well. Not only did he appear to be feeling no fear at all, but his manner was not even that of defiance. The attitude he had adopted and which sat perfectly naturally upon him was rather one of dignified condescension.

  ‘But before I answer you, Sheringham,’ he said stiffly, ‘I should like to say, both on behalf of this lady and myself, that we consider – ’

  Lady Stanworth turned to him. ‘Please!’ she said quietly. ‘I don’t think we need go into that. If Mr Sheringham is incapable of understanding the position into which he has forced us, there can hardly be any need to labour the point.’

  ‘Quite, quite,’ Roger murmured still more apologetically, and feeling unaccountably small. Lady Stanworth was perhaps the only person in the world who consistently had that effect upon him.

  ‘Very well,’ Jefferson bowed. He turned to Roger. ‘You wanted to know where I was on the night that Stanworth shot himself?’

  ‘On the night of Stanworth’s death,’ Roger corrected, with a slight smile.

  ‘On the night of Stanworth’s death then,’ Jefferson said impatiently. ‘Same thing. As I said before, I fail entirely to see how it can concern you, but we have decided under the circumstances to tell you. After all, the fact will be common knowledge soon enough now. I was with my wife.’

  ‘Your wife?’ Roger echoed, scarcely able to believe his ears.

  ‘That is what I said,’ Jefferson replied coldly. ‘Lady Stanworth and I were married secretly nearly six months ago.’

  chapter twenty – six

  Mr Grierson Tries His Hand

  For some moments Roger was incapable of speech. This disclosure was so totally unexpected, so entirely the reverse of anything that he had ever imagined, that at first it literally took his breath away. He could only stand and stare, as if his eyes were about to pop out of his head, at the two entirely unmoved persons who had sprung this overwhelming surprise upon him.

  ‘Is that what you wished to know?’ Jefferson asked courteously. ‘Or would you wish my wife to confirm it?’

  ‘Oh, no; no need at all,’ Roger gasped, doing his best to pull himself together. ‘I – I should like to apologise to you for the apparent impertinence of my questions and to – to congratulate you, if you will allow me to do so.’

  ‘Very kind,’ Jefferson muttered. Lady Stanworth, or Lady Jefferson as she was now, bowed slightly.

  ‘If you don’t want me any more, Harry,’ she said to her husband, ‘there are one or two things I have to do.’

  ‘Certainly,’ Jefferson said, opening the door for her.

  She passed out without another glance at Roger.

  ‘Look here, Jefferson,’ exclaimed the latter impulsively, as soon as the door was closed again, ‘I know you must be thinking me the most appalling bounder, but you must believe that I shouldn’t have tackled you in that way if I hadn’t got very solid and serious reasons for doing so. As things have turned out, I can’t tell you at present what those reasons are; but really it’s something of the greatest possible importance.’

  ‘Oh, that’s all right, Sheringham,’ Jefferson returned with gruff amiability. ‘Guessed you must have something up your sleeve. Bit awkward, though. Ladies, and all that, y’know,’ he added vaguely.

  ‘Beastly,’ Roger said sympathetically. ‘As a matter of fact, that’s a development that had never occurred to me at all, you and Lady Stanworth being married. If anything, it makes things very much more complicated than before.’

  ‘Bit of a mystery or something on hand, eh?’ Jefferson asked with interest.

  ‘Very much so,’ Roger replied, gazing thoughtfully out of the window. ‘Connected with Stanworth, and – and his activities, you understand,’ he added.

  ‘Ah!’ Jefferson observed comprehendingly. ‘Then I’d better not ask any questions. Don’t want to learn anything more about that side of things. Seen too many poor devils going through it already.’

  ‘No, but I tell you what,’ Roger said, wheeling suddenly about. ‘If you could answer a few more questions for me, I should be more than grateful. Only as a favour, of course, and if you refuse I shall understand perfectly. But you might be able to help me clear up a very tricky state of affairs.’

  ‘If it’s anything to do with helping somebody Stanworth got hold of, I’ll answer questions all night,’ Jefferson replied with vigour. ‘Go ahead.’

  ‘Thanks, very much. Well, then, in the first place, will you tell me some details regarding your wife’s relations with

  Stanworth? It doesn’t matter if y
ou object, but I should be very glad if you could see your way to do so.’

  ‘But I thought you said you knew that story?’

  Roger did not think it necessary to explain that the lady to whom he had been referring was not Lady Jefferson. ‘Oh, I know most of it, I think,’ he said airily, ‘but I should like to hear it all from you, if I could. I know that she was in Stanworth’s power, of course,’ he added, making a shot in the twilight, ‘but I’m not quite clear as to the precise way.’

  Jefferson shrugged his shoulders. ‘Oh, well, as you seem to know so much, you’d better have the whole lot straight. Stanworth nosed out something about her father. His brother was in love with her, and Stanworth gave her the option of marrying him or having her father shown up. He could have had the old earl put in the dock, I believe. Naturally she chose the brother, who, by the way, didn’t know anything about Stanworth’s activities, so I understand. Quite an amiable, rather weak sort of a fellow.’

  ‘And since then, of course, Stanworth had the whip hand over her?’

  Jefferson winced. ‘Yes,’ he said shortly. ‘Even after her father died, she wouldn’t want the family shown up.’

  ‘I see,’ said Roger thoughtfully. So Lady Stanworth had little enough reason to love her brother-in-law. And since Jefferson fell in love with her, her cause would naturally become his. Truly he had motive and to spare for ridding the world of such a man. Yet, although Jefferson and his wife might easily have concocted the story of his whereabouts that night, Roger already felt just as convinced of the former’s innocence as he was before of his guilt. The man’s manner seemed somehow to preclude altogether the idea of subterfuge. Had he really killed Stanworth, Roger was sure that he would have said so by the time that matters had reached this length, bluntly and simply, just as he had told the story of his own downfall.

  But in spite of his convictions, Roger was not such a fool as not to put the obvious questions that occurred to him.

  ‘Why was your marriage secret?’ he asked. ‘Did Stanworth know about it?’

  ‘No; he wouldn’t have allowed it. It would have looked like a combination against him. He wanted us separate, for his own ends.’