by Sonia Parin
When they exited the hotel, Tom said, “You’re about to enlighten me and share the joke.”
“Oh, I was pretending to be like everyone else. You know, faking my joie de vivre.”
“Faking. Why?”
“So no one could see I’m actually up to something.”
“And… Are you up to something?”
Evie made him wait until they reached the end of the pier.
Tom leaned against the railing and looked out to sea. “Since we appear to be trying to avoid detection, I’m pretending to be admiring the sea and trying to avoid thinking about your state of mind.”
Evie looked around to make sure there was no one standing close enough to overhear their conversation. “You’re not going to like this.”
“You have my attention.”
“Well, yesterday I kept thinking about the detective’s advice to retrace May Fields’ day.” But then Tom had distracted her, Evie thought.
“And?”
“No one saw her in the afternoon. In fact, the moment she went into the Prentiss room, she might as well have disappeared in a puff of smoke.”
Tom turned around and crossed his arms. “Isn’t that where we left off? No one saw her because she stayed in that room to drink the contents of a bottle of… what was it? Brandy?”
“We can use that information to our advantage. Since we have been led to believe May Fields spend the afternoon in Mr. Prentiss’ hotel room getting drunk, we know Mr. Prentiss was not in the hotel. At least, not until five in the afternoon. Today, we are going to find out where he and his wife were. Even if we have to approach them and get the information from them ourselves.”
“But we already know they were in the tea room.”
“Aha! But only until we left.”
Tom tipped his hat back. “You sound determined.”
“That’s because I am.” Lowering her voice, she said, “I have saved the best information until last. Earlier, I spoke with my man of business. Mr. Matthew Keys has more than earned his keep. He has traced Mr. Prentiss’ steps and you will never guess which village he visited earlier in the year.”
“Findon.”
“Oh, you guessed.”
“What took him there?”
“He had a legitimate reason. He went there alone to settle an estate matter.” Evie waited for the information to sink in.
“And?”
“Brace yourself.”
Tom leaned back against the railing. “I’m as ready as I will ever be.”
Evie counted to three. “Earlier in the year, May Fields was still working and living in Findon.”
“Are you sure?”
“Well… No. But I have charged Caro with the task of finding out when May came to work at the hotel and I know the information she will provide will match my suspicions. May Fields met Mr. Prentiss in Findon earlier in the year.”
“I see. You have made a link without verifying your information.”
“That’s only a minor detail soon to be rectified.”
“At the risk of repeating myself… And?”
“Don’t you see? It’s our first solid link. My man of business is continuing his investigation. I asked him to focus on finding a connection between Mr. Prentiss and Mr. Addington. There’s bound to be one.”
“Even though we haven’t seen them together? You would think if they knew each other, they’d spend time together.”
Evie gave a firm nod. “Unless they didn’t want anyone to know they are acquainted.” Evie folded her arms and tapped her foot. “I think this is the sort of information we should share with the police but I fear they will not be interested. Certainly not until we can provide solid proof of wrongdoing.”
“So, how do you wish to proceed? I take it you have already made plans for us today.”
“We need to visit the tea room.”
They made their way there. Despite their eagerness to learn more, they took their time to appreciate the day. Out of curiosity, Evie searched for straw hats with fruit on them while Tom whistled a soft tune.
Halfway there, he asked, “What makes you think anyone will remember Mr. and Mrs. Prentiss? If we hadn’t recognized them from the hotel, I doubt we would have noticed them at all.”
Evie didn’t want to admit it, but Tom had made a good point. She would not have noticed them. “How would you have described them if we’d seen them anywhere else, under different circumstances?”
“Nondescript. Apart from the fact they both look lifeless, they have no features that stand out.”
“And yet, the first time I saw him in the hotel lobby, when he sat by himself, I recall thinking he looked like a bon vivant. Perhaps he looks better when he is alone,” Evie said. “What if his appearance looked different because he hadn’t yet killed the maid?”
“Maybe he’d been happy about something else. We haven’t been able to find out if the woman with him is his wife. I’ve asked the concierge but he couldn’t confirm it. Remember, there is some doubt about their status, which would explain something.”
“Would it?” Evie gave him a brisk smile. “Let me guess. He is now unhappy with his paramour. If he is having some sort of affair, you’d think he would be with someone he wanted to be with. Unless, the initial attraction has now faded and he has come to realize he has made a mistake but he is stuck with her.”
“Oh, yes.” Tom laughed under his breath. “Now that almost explains their obvious unhappiness.”
“Only if they are not involved in some sort of evil deed.”
Tom agreed with a pensive nod. “Let’s hope someone at the tea room noticed them.” Cupping Evie’s elbow, he guided them across the street. “What do you have planned for the rest of the day?”
“You’ll be pleased to hear I wish to drive back to Findon. The way you are bound to drive, we should arrive there well before lunch. After the tea room, we’ll return to the hotel where I will contact my man of business for an update and then we shall set off. Is that agreeable with you?” Seeing Tom’s surprise, Evie laughed. “You didn’t expect me to ask. Anyone would think I pull the strings.”
“You sort of do.”
As they came up to the tea room, they scanned the street.
“I don’t see them leaving or heading toward the tea room,” Tom said. “Now to see if they are inside.”
“And if they are, we have simply come for some refreshments and we will have to employ our outmost discretion when making inquiries about them,” Evie said.
A swift glance inside the tea room was enough to determine the couple were not there.
“Do you recognize any of the waiters?” Tom asked.
“Not even if my life depended on it. What does that say about me? I’m not the type of person to look down my nose at people in service. Considering how much effort I have been putting into noticing people, you would think I’d remember a face.”
“If it makes you feel any better, Countess, I don’t remember any of the waiters either. I think we will have to be creative.” He gestured toward a table. “At least we get to sit down for a cup of coffee.”
A waiter approached them, settled them down at their table and took their order.
As they placed their order, Evie made a point of making eye contact with him and smiling.
Tom laughed under his breath. “You’re overcompensating.”
“I am not. I’m merely being my usual, polite self. Fine, yes… I’m trying to make up for any past omissions. Although, I’m sure I’m always polite. Just not observant enough to remember a waiter’s face.”
“Here he comes,” Tom whispered.
“You’d think we’re trying to extricate a state secret.” Evie sat back and let Tom do the talking. Despite his precise description of Mr. and Mrs. Prentiss, he failed to trigger the waiter’s memory.
“Are waiters assigned to specific tables?” When the waiter nodded, Evie added, “Recently, Mr. and Mrs. Prentiss sat at the next table…”
“Oh, Ye
s. Mr. Prentiss.”
Evie and Tom exchanged a look of surprise.
“You have heard of him.”
“Certainly, but only because he left his business card.”
“When did this happen?” Evie asked.
The waiter looked up for a moment. “Oh, the day of the accident at a nearby hotel. That would be two days ago.”
“And do you remember what time they left?”
Unfortunately, the waiter couldn’t say for sure but he offered to ask around.
“Can you believe he left his business card? The man is on vacation and still thinking about work.” Or, she thought, he might have been trying to establish his whereabouts at a specific time. She didn’t get a chance to share her suspicion with Tom because he beat her to it.
“If he handed the card to someone close to five in the afternoon, he would have given himself a solid alibi.”
The waiter returned and said, “Four forty-five. The waiter who served them remembered the time because Mr. Prentiss actually asked him. Apparently, his watch was running slow.”
Evie thanked him. She poured the tea and took her time sipping it.
“Well,” Tom said.
“Yes. Well…”
“Are we both astonished?” Tom asked.
“We must be.”
“And yet, it is exactly the sort of information you wanted to hear.”
Evie set her teacup down. “If we ask around the nearby businesses, I am willing to bet Mr. Prentiss did not distribute his cards around.”
“I agree. Mr. Prentiss only wanted his precise whereabouts known on that day at that time. But I suppose we should be thorough and ask around. Remember, if you wish to approach the police, you will need to provide evidence of your suspicions.”
“It will take too long,” Evie mused. “We need to drive to Findon. I suggest waiting until we return or if we find Caro and Edmonds at the hotel we can ask them to look into it.”
Tom dug inside his coat and drew out a small pocket book.
She watched him write down a couple of names. “Are you taking notes?”
Tom nodded. “I think we should try to find out what time the Prentiss couple left the hotel. I only know it was after midday.”
It took a moment for the information to sink in. If Mr. Prentiss had a solid alibi, they were without a suspect. Which meant they had to look elsewhere…
Chapter 13
“Country clubs,” Evie mused as they made their way to Findon.
“Pardon? I missed that.”
“I’m not surprised. Your attention is on the road, as it should be.” Leaning in, Evie said, “There are no country clubs here. At least, none that I can think of. Back home, they seem to be everywhere. And, now that I think about it, I have already discussed this. So much for trying to keep myself entertained while the scenery whizzes by me.”
“I believe you had actually talked about resort towns.”
“Oh, yes. You’re right.”
“Do you want a country club?”
“No. I only noticed the absence of them.”
“Instead of country clubs, you have other people’s private estates to visit.”
Evie laughed. “Are you mocking our way of life?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it and I don’t really have a reason to. If I wanted to mock you, I would comment on the amount of luggage you insist on taking with you, but I’ve only ever seen you traveling light.”
“That’s because we haven’t been up north yet. I should plan a trip for the shooting season.”
“What should I look forward to seeing?”
“An entourage.” Evie laughed. “But nothing compared to what we would do back home. Caro would be mortified… Well, surprised, by the extravagance of what we refer to as a camping trip. When the J.P. Morgans of the world go camping, they take their entire household to the wilderness. I heard say a real estate millionaire from Brooklyn fenced off 8,600 acres and built a château and called it his camping ground. Granny told me in her last missive, Marjorie Meriweather Post set up the ultimate camping ground, with sixty-eight buildings and a staff of eighty plus. She had her guests ferried in by yachts and her own train.”
Tom changed gears and slowed down.
During most of the drive to Findon, they had both been silent. Evie assumed Tom had been mulling over what they had learned.
Earlier, when they had returned to the hotel, Evie had rushed upstairs to change clothes, leaving Tom to talk with the concierge.
What he had discovered had left them both speechless.
On the day May Fields had died, Mr. Prentiss had talked with the concierge before leaving for lunch. He had specifically asked the time because, according to him, his watch had been running slow.
Either the man was fixated with time or he had made a deliberate effort to place himself in a specific place at a specific time. Not once, but twice.
Evie straightened her hat and said, “Since you’re not going to say it, I will. Mr. Prentiss is guilty of something. I’m just not sure what he might have done.”
“Killed the maid, of course.” Tom brought the roadster to a stop just outside the village.
“If he killed the maid, he must be confident no one will find out. Otherwise, he would have made his getaway. Heavens, he has even remained in the same room. In his place, I would have either returned home or requested another room.”
Tom gave her his hand and she stepped out of the roadster.
“If we are to uncover anything worthwhile, we will have to keep a closer eye on him.”
“Isn’t Caro following him around?”
“Yes. She says she is enjoying herself, but I can’t help thinking she would much rather be doing something else. She will also ask around and see if Mr. Prentiss left his business card anywhere else.”
When they reached the tea room, Evie pointed at the sign. “It’s also a guest house. I hadn’t noticed that before.”
“How did your man of business unearth the information about Mr. Prentiss visiting Findon?”
“He actually thought it would take longer but he is well connected. Also, he appears to know how to use his resources. First, he located the office Mr. Prentiss works at. Then, he sent his assistant to make an appointment to see Mr. Prentiss. In the process, he befriended Mr. Prentiss’ secretary. From what I understand, he is young and rather handsome. I told my man of business I wanted to find a link between Mr. Prentiss and May Fields who had once lived in Findon. His assistant used that to fish around for some relevant information.”
“In other words, you pointed him in the right direction.”
Evie shrugged. “I must have experienced a moment of clarity. If we’re to connect Mr. Prentiss to May Fields, I really don’t see the harm in creating the connection first.”
Tom tilted his head and studied her. “That is actually a practical way of approaching it. I cannot wait to hear you provide this information to the police.”
“Oh, do you really think we’ll have the opportunity?”
“If I didn’t believe it before, I certainly do so now. Shall we go in?”
The tea room appeared to be hosting a meeting of sorts. Several tables had been joined to form a larger area for nearly a dozen women.
The waitress approached them with a ready smile.
“I hope we are not intruding,” Evie said.
“Not at all. The local ladies are hosting their monthly committee meeting.”
Evie almost wished they could forgo the need to sit and order something and cut straight to the chase, but if they didn’t take the opportunity to eat something now they would miss out on lunch because they wouldn’t return to Worthing in time for lunch.
Evie had a brief glance at the menu and set it down. “I’ll have whatever you are having.”
Turning slightly, Evie studied the group of women. Assuming they had met to discuss some sort of serious matter, it appeared their lunch had taken precedence over it. Perhaps that had been the purpos
e of their meeting. Evie had attended far too many of them to know they were only ever about serious business but occasionally, the ladies liked to celebrate their achievements.
Hearing one of the ladies calling the waitress by her name, Evie used the information to her advantage. When the waitress brought their meal, Evie smiled. “Abigail. What a lovely name.”
“Thank you, milady.”
“Abigail, do you remember us from our last visit?” Evie asked.
“Yes, of course, milady.”
“You were extremely helpful.”
“I’m glad to hear that, milady.”
“I wonder if you might be able to help us again.”
The waitress nodded.
“You said May Fields had worked here. Was that before you took up your position here?”
Abigail smiled. “She worked through her notice and then she left, but she stayed around until I could find my way properly.”
“So, when did you start your employment here?”
“Six months ago, milady.”
“My traveling companion and I only now realized this establishment also serves as a guest house. Do you get many visitors to the area?”
Abigail nodded. “We have regular guests.”
Evie wondered if the young girl would be able to identify Mr. Prentiss but she couldn’t think how she would describe him. Her initial perception of him differed greatly to how she saw him now. She did, however, have the advantage of knowing when Mr. Prentiss had stayed here. Her man of business had been quite thorough. Or, rather, his assistant had been extremely resourceful and successful in retrieving the information from Mr. Prentiss’ secretary.
“Do you remember a Mr. Prentiss staying here?” Evie asked.
Abigail gave it some thought. “The name rings a bell. Mrs. Johnstone would be able to tell you. She’s the proprietress.”
“Oh, do you think we might be able to speak with her?”
“I’ll see if she is available.”
Tom nudged her. “This might be a good time to consider adopting an alter ego.”
“Pardon?”
“You can’t introduce yourself as… yourself. Do you want word to spread about the Countess of Woodridge? What if it gets back to Mr. Prentiss?”