‘And, if you don’t mind my asking,’ said the inspector, rather apologetically, ‘now she is gone?’
‘I expect my life will go along very much on the same lines as before. I doubt whether anything will very much change, Inspector, other than that my children might come home to Sedgwick more often.’
‘I see. I’d now like to ask you what may seem like a rather strange question. Are you aware that your son appears to have formed a certain attachment to Miss Simpson?’ enquired Deacon. ‘Suppose, just hypothetically you understand, they intended to marry, what would your thoughts be on that?’
‘If you suppose that I’d be shocked or that I’d do everything in my power to try and put a stop to it, then I’m afraid I must disappoint you, Inspector,’ replied the earl, firmly. ‘Miss Simpson appears, from what little I have seen of her, a very personable young woman. True, she does not come from the class of woman I would be expecting the wife of my son to come from, but her head appears firmly screwed on and I think she is probably likely to make Cedric as happy as any woman can. And thanks to my wife’s family there is no need for my son to marry into money as I was obliged to do.’
‘I see, thank you. Just two more questions, if I may. Firstly, as a formality you’ll understand, we are of course asking for everyone’s movements this morning. So I would be grateful if you could oblige me by telling me where you were this morning, between say nine thirty and ten thirty?’
‘That’s easy, Inspector, I was in the library. I breakfasted early as usual and retired there to have one last go at Sir William’s books before we left for Sedgwick. And before you ask, there is no-one to my knowledge who can vouch for me and say that I was there all that time. I am most insistent that I am never to be disturbed when I’m cataloguing books. And unfortunately I did not open the door once so did not see anyone go into the study to return the gun, and I also had no idea that my wife intended to go for a walk with Miss Simpson this morning.’
‘Thank you. Now just one last question, if you please. Whose idea was it to come to Ashgrove this weekend?’
‘My wife’s, Inspector. She’d got wind somehow that Lavinia would be here and she insisted that we come down and that I accompany her; she wouldn’t take no for an answer in fact.’
‘He’s a bit of a cold fish,’ said Lane as soon as the earl had departed and the sergeant had closed the door firmly behind him. ‘He didn’t show any emotion at all; strange if you ask me, not natural. His wife’s just been bumped off and he acts as if nothing untoward has happened.’
‘He’s been brought up to keep his emotions bottled up, Lane, stiff upper lip and all that. And he admitted himself that he and his wife weren’t particularly close. Although he didn’t say so in as many words, I would hazard a guess that he didn’t like her very much and that her death comes as a bit of a relief.’
‘Disliked her enough to kill her, do you think, sir?’
‘I wouldn’t go so far as to say that, Sergeant. I’m minded to believe him when he says that they muddled along quite happily with each doing their own thing and seldom the twain meeting, so to speak. Unless he’s got some woman stashed away, I can’t see what he’d particularly have to gain by getting rid of his wife.’
‘Pity,’ said the sergeant, looking despondent, ‘nine times out of ten it’s the spouse that’s done it.’
‘Well, it looks likely that he’ll be the one out of ten that didn’t. But it’s not all doom and gloom, Lane, at least your Miss Simpson’s in the clear.’
‘How do you make that out, sir?’ asked the sergeant clearly interested.
‘Well, now that we as good as know that Sir William’s shotgun is the murder weapon, Miss Simpson can’t possibly be the murderer.’ The sergeant still looked in the dark. ’Think, man. She would have had to bring the gun back to the house and return it to the study before the maid discovered that the gun cabinet had been broken into. Unless she had an accomplice who brought the gun back for her, she couldn’t have done it. She wasn’t carrying a gun with her when young Sid escorted her back to the house, was she? And anyway, she had no opportunity to put the gun back in the study because she was never left alone. First she was attended to by the servants and then Mrs Torrington sat with her. From what we’ve been told, nobody thought she was in a fit state to be left by herself.’
‘You’re right, sir,’ said Lane, brightening considerably. ‘She couldn’t have done it. Well, I thought as much, didn’t I, sir, a nice girl like her.’
‘Appearances can be deceptive, as you well know, Lane,’ cautioned the inspector. ‘Well, I suppose we’d better get the next one in; Lord Sedgwick, I think, and then his sister.
‘You’re not inclined to bring in this Mrs Torrington first, sir, given what Miss Simpson said about her trying to stop her from coming to talk to us?’
‘No, I think we’ll let her stew a bit, don’t you?’
The Earl of Belvedere returned to the dining room looking tired but composed. Lavinia immediately ran to him and he gave her a brief hug before moving on to Cedric.
‘Your turn, old man,’ he said. ‘That inspector seems a jolly decent sort, nothing to worry about. Just answer his questions and you’ll be back here in no time.’ He turned back to his daughter. ‘And then I expect he’ll want to talk to you, my dear. As I’ve just said to Cedric, there’s nothing to worry about, he’s quite the gentleman. I’m sure he’ll treat you gently, he appreciates what a dreadful shock this has all been for all of us.’
‘Lord Sedgwick, do take a seat. I appreciate that this is an awful time for you, but I’m afraid that I must still ask you a few questions.’
‘Yes, thank you, Inspector,’ Cedric sank heavily into the chair. He has no concerns about slouching, thought Deacon, and his mother’s death has clearly left him very shaken.
‘What you said in the dining room, Inspector. Is it true? Was my mother really murdered? Uncle William seemed to think it was an awful accident, you know, a poacher or something.’
‘I’m sorry, my lord, but that’s quite out of the question. Your mother was quite deliberately murdered. Someone broke into Sir William’s gun cabinet and used his shotgun to do the deed. It was returned to the cabinet after it had been used.’ The inspector waited a moment for the significance of his words to sink in. ‘I understand, my lord, that the majority of you went to Sir William’s study last night to see a couple of antique duelling pistols that he had recently acquired?’
‘Yes, but I already knew where my uncle kept his guns, if that’s what you’re getting at, Inspector. We all did. Well perhaps not Mrs Torrington, although she has stayed here often enough so she might have been aware of where they were stored, and of course Miss Simpson wouldn’t have known before she was shown the pistols. But no-one could possibly think that a girl like her would –.’
‘What about your sister, my lord?’
‘Lavinia?’ Cedric was clearly shocked at the suggestion. ‘Well she’d have known where the guns were kept, of course, and she’s a mighty good shot although you wouldn’t think it to look at her. But absolutely not, Inspector. She and I may not have got on that well with our mother, in fact we may even have gone so far as to actively avoid her if at all possible. But my sister would certainly never dream of doing such a horrendous thing, as indeed I would not.’
‘I wasn’t suggesting that, sir, I was just trying to ascertain how familiar she was with the guns Sir William had and where they were stored. Now, I’m afraid that I need to ask you where you were this morning between half past nine and half past ten. Just a formality, you understand; we will be asking everyone the same question.’
‘That’s easy, Inspector, I was with Lord Sneddon. And,’ Cedric took a deep breath, ‘I might as well tell you before someone else does, that I was reiterating what I had said to him the night before. I was telling him in no uncertain terms to pack his bags and go.’
‘I see, sir. I take it that this relates to his propositioning of Miss Simpson on the staircase l
ast night?’
‘He did more than that, Inspector. He threatened her. He was prepared to take her by force. If I hadn’t been there, I dread to think what would have happened. Anyway, I didn’t want someone like that in my aunt and uncle’s house, I can tell you. He was supposed to be my friend. The sooner he leaves the better, and I hope never to set eyes on him again.’
‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible, not for the time being anyway. I’ll be asking you all to stay on here at Ashgrove for a day or two, until we’re further on with our investigation. Now, tell me, were you with Lord Sneddon all that time?’
‘Yes, he was being jolly difficult. Refusing to go and all that. He accused me of trying to scupper his chances with my sister. As if I’d stand back and watch her marry someone like him. I will do everything in my power to make sure that she is left in no doubt as to the sort of man he is. She won’t want to touch him with a bargepole once I’ve finished speaking to her, I can tell you. And he was being very insulting about Miss Simpson too, Inspector. I hardly want to tell you but he pretty much said that she was doing all the running, had led him on, would you believe, was toying with both of us. As if a girl like Miss Simpson would do that, she’s an absolute angel, Inspector, a jewel. He went so far as to say that he was saving me from her, showing me what sort of girl she really was.’
‘What were your mother’s feelings about your fondness for Miss Simpson?’
‘She was not very pleased, Inspector. She wanted me to concentrate on my studies and then marry someone from the aristocracy. She tried to warn me off Miss Simpson, said she was only interested in my money and position, but I was having none of it. Although I suppose she only had my best interests at heart,’ he added rather wistfully, ‘but it didn’t seem like that at the time, I can tell you.’
‘Indeed?’ Deacon looked at Cedric sharply and Sergeant Lane stopped writing for a moment.
‘I meant, Inspector that I had made up my mind to marry Miss Simpson and had no intention of listening to my mother’s arguments on the matter.’
‘Is that what she wanted to talk to you about yesterday afternoon?’
‘Yes, she called us all in to see her one by one, me, Lavinia and Sneddon, although why she wanted to speak to him, I can’t imagine, unless she wanted to find out his intentions towards my sister.’
‘Was there anything she could do to stop you marrying Miss Simpson?’
‘No, I don’t think I was about to be disinherited, if that’s what you think; my father would never have stood for that. But my mother could have made things pretty awkward, particularly for Miss Simpson. She had a great knack for humiliating people and making them feel inadequate. She regarded me as her golden boy and had great plans for me. And, of course, Miss Simpson didn’t feature in those plans.’
‘Were you aware that your mother intended on going for a walk with Miss Simpson this morning to warn her off, so to speak?’
‘No, of course not,’ Cedric looked slightly uncomfortable. Deacon looked up and caught his sergeant’s eye. Good, he had not imagined it, there had been the briefest of pauses before Lord Sedgwick had uttered his denial and Lane had picked up on it too.
‘Do you really think, Inspector, that if I had any idea that my mother intended interrogating poor Miss Simpson in such a way I would just have stood back and let her get on with it?’
‘No, I don’t, my lord. I think you would have tried to put a stop to it.’ Cedric looked the inspector in the eye for a few seconds before he looked away. Deacon noticed that the young man had the grace to blush slightly. He’s not used to lying, he thought, I hope he doesn’t play poker.
‘According to Miss Simpson, your mother spoke to her very loudly last night after dinner about going for a walk this morning. She was quite sure that your mother must have been overheard by a lot of the people present. In fact she thought that was her intention. But you say that you didn’t overhear her yourself?’
‘No I didn’t, Inspector, I can’t have been standing near her at the time.’ Strange, Deacon thought, he could have sworn the young man was speaking the truth. But if he didn’t hear about the walk then, then when did he?
‘You didn’t go down to breakfast this morning?’
‘No. I breakfasted in my room and then, as I told you, I went to speak to Lord Sneddon about his leaving.’ Cedric looked slightly shameful. ‘If you must know, Inspector, I wanted to see Hugh’s face. I punched him rather hard last night. It occurred to me this morning that I might even have broken his nose.’
‘And had you?’
‘No, although you’ll see his face is quite badly bruised.’
‘Well, it sounds to me that it’s no more than he deserved, my lord, and I’m sure that you’ll have gone up in Miss Simpson’s estimations. Right, just one last question if you please; can you think of anyone that might have wished your mother ill?’
‘No, I can’t, Inspector. I may not have got on that well with my mother, or even liked her that much as a person, but she certainly didn’t deserve to die the way she did, and I can’t imagine that there’s anyone who can think she did. Please, inspector, I beg you. Find out who murdered my mother, I want them to pay for their crime.’
‘Don’t worry, my lord,’ Deacon said, ‘we will, I assure you.’
‘Well, Lane,’ said Deacon, as soon as the door had closed behind Viscount Sedgwick, ‘what do you reckon? Is Lord Sedgwick our man?’
‘I wouldn’t say so, sir,’ said the sergeant, getting up from his seat to stretch his legs. ‘Seems like a thoroughly nice chap to me, not the sort of person at all to bump off his mother, I’d say. He obviously didn’t like the woman, but we’ve yet to find anyone who did. It seems to me though, that he didn’t even have much motive. Lady Belvedere couldn’t stop him from marrying Miss Simpson and she must have known that when he inherited the earldom, if she was still alive, she would be dependent on his generosity. It seems to me that, although she huffed and puffed a bit about it, there was nothing she could actually do.’
‘You’re right, of course, Lane, but Lord Sedgwick may have been worried about what she might say to Miss Simpson. It seems to me that the countess would not be above using a little emotional blackmail and he might have been worried that she would play on Miss Simpson’s feelings for him. You know, say what a social disaster it would be for him to marry her and did she really feel so little for him that she was prepared to stand by and watch him ruin his life over her. I think he would have been concerned that his mother would change Miss Simpson’s mind, that she would make her feel that the only right thing to do was to end all contact with him.’
‘You may be right, sir,’ said Lane. ‘Although I don’t think Miss Simpson would have been so easily swayed by what Lady Belvedere said.’
‘No, but Lord Sedgwick was not to know that, was he? And there is something else that is worrying me, Sergeant.’
‘What’s that, sir?’ enquired Lane, looking interested.
‘He lied to us, Lane. Deliberately lied to us about not knowing that his mother had requested that Miss Simpson go on a walk with her this morning. I believe him when he says that he didn’t know anything about it last night, insomuch as I don’t think he overheard his mother telling her. But that’s what worries me most, Lane.’
‘How so, sir?’
‘I think he only found out this morning about the walk, and that wouldn’t have given him much time to stop and think what to do before he did it. He seems to me just the sort of young man who might be persuaded to do something on impulse and then only afterwards think about the consequences of his actions. Look how heavily he’s fallen in love with Miss Simpson. He only met her for the first time two days ago and already he’s set his mind on marrying her. Suppose he finds out about the walk only when he knows that they’re already on it. He has no time to waste as far as he’s concerned before his mother turns Rose against the idea of marrying him. What’s he to do? I doubt whether he even thinks straight. He goes to Sir William�
�s study, breaks the lock on the gun cabinet, snatches the gun and loads it and then sets off. Perhaps he’s thinking of only giving his mother a shock. He takes aim, probably at something only a little way from his mother so that he can give her the necessary fright to put a stop to her conversation with Miss Simpson.’
‘So what went wrong, sir? It seems to me that a man like Lord Sedgwick would be a good shot. He’s probably gone out shooting regularly since he was a boy. Do you think he may have changed his mind, decided when it came to the crunch that it might be a good idea to remove his mother from the equation for good?’
‘No, I don’t, Lane, I think it was a mistake. The moment he raised his gun to fire, Miss Simpson stumbled and fell. He was distracted for a moment wondering whether she was alright, but unfortunately he had already pulled the trigger and so the damage was done.’
‘Yes,’ agreed the sergeant, ‘it could have happened that way.’
Chapter Twenty-eight
‘Lady Lavinia, please sit down. I appreciate this will be something of an ordeal for you, so I’ll try and keep it as brief as I can. Firstly, can I say how sorry I am for your loss; it must have been a great shock.’
‘Thank you, Inspector. Yes, it was rather.’ Despite everything, the awfulness of her mother’s death, the realisation among them all that one of them must be the murderer, from the moment Cedric had returned to the dining room and blurted out the news that the gun that had shot their mother had come from Sir William’s collection, Lavinia could not help but notice how good looking the inspector was. Not her usual sort of man, of course, but even so quite handsome, probably due to that air of authority that he had about him associated with his job. Awful really for her to be thinking like that when her mother lay cold on a mortuary slab, a bullet through her chest. But there it was, she couldn’t help it, it must be the shock ….
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