by Sonia Parin
“I agree.”
“You do?” A wave of relief swept through Evie. “So, where do we go from here?”
“Ordinarily, the police would work out a strategy and collect information about everyone involved. You appear to have singled out a couple of people.”
“Three if we count Ruth Charles. I’m willing to bet she is somehow involved. As we have only now learned of Mr. Addington’s visit to Findon, I have not had the time to come up with a story. However, I am prepared to suspend any idea of Mr. Addington visiting her to offer his condolences. The fact he and Mr. Prentiss exchanged a look that struck Caro as being one of agreement, means there is something peculiar happening.”
“The Countess has a few theories on the matter,” Tom said.
The detective brushed a hand across his chin. “It might be a good idea to work out some sort of timeline and place everyone you think is involved.”
Evie produced a small leather-bound notebook. “I have already noted down a few names.”
The detective looked around. “We could do with a flat surface. It would help to have all the information in one place.”
The butler cleared his throat. “I have been instructed to provide you with everything you might need, including the use of the house.”
Everyone expressed their surprise and appreciation.
“Perfect. That means we won’t have to sneak around or meet in my room.” Turning to the detective, Evie asked, “Does this mean you will stay on and investigate the matter?”
“In an unofficial capacity. Yes. After all, Tom has gone to some trouble to organize accommodation for me.”
“Oh, where will you be staying?”
“Right here, I believe.”
The butler nodded.
Just how well did Tom know the owner of the house?
A footman appeared and assisted the butler in clearing a table.
They spent the next hour going through everything they had put together while the detective took notes, spreading some pages out on the table.
“I think it might be a good idea to contact your man of business and tell him to direct his telephone calls here,” Tom suggested.
“Yes,” Evie agreed. “That will be a relief. I’m sure the hotel manager is beginning to suspect we are really up to no good. Also, I haven’t actually stopped suspecting the hotel manager or the owner. They would both benefit if the police didn’t look into this death and dismissed it as an accident.”
She watched the detective studying the notes he’d taken. He tapped one of the pieces of paper. “You say Edmonds saw the victim fall to her death.”
“Oh, yes,” Evie exclaimed. “In fact, I’ve been meaning to ask him a few questions about that.” She saw Caro nudging Edmonds to attention. “Edmonds, I’m sorry if this upsets you, but can you describe exactly what you saw?”
When he finished, Evie shivered. She would hate to have to live with the memory. “Again, I’m sorry to ask, but… did she flail her arms? It seems to me that’s just what I would do if I fell by accident. In fact, that is precisely what I did once. Back home, we have a lake with trees close to the shoreline. I had clambered onto an overhanging branch because I wanted to dangle my feet over the water. I lost my balance and fell in. I recall that moment when I tried to grab hold of a branch. My arms flailed about. In the end, I fell in.”
They all turned toward Edmonds. After a moment, he shook his head.
“I didn’t see her arms move.”
“At all?” the detective asked.
Again, Edmonds gave it some thought. “Her arms almost looked stiff.”
The detective’s eyebrows curved up.
Evie thought she heard him murmur something. “Did you say rigor mortis?”
He nodded. “It usually sets in two to six hours after a person dies.”
Evie shifted and looked from Tom to the detective. “Are you suggesting she might have already been dead when she fell from the balcony?”
The detective gave a small, noncommittal nod.
Evie surged to her feet and strode around the sitting room. Stopping by the fireplace, she tapped her finger against her chin.
“Milady,” Caro said. “Remember what we talked about earlier?”
Evie sighed. “Yes.” Did she dare share the information with the detective? Deciding she had nothing to lose, she said, “I heard noises. They were loud enough to wake me up.” She filled in the details and then strode back to her chair and sat down.
“Are you suggesting she might have been killed at around midday?” the detective asked.
“Possibly closer to one in the afternoon. I’m sure I fell into a deep sleep straightaway. I’m guessing the noises stirred me awake between one and two in the afternoon. When Caro woke me up at two, I felt as if I hadn’t slept at all.”
The detective stepped away from the table and turned to look at the sea. “She fell to her death at five.”
“Someone might have thrown her over the balcony,” Evie suggested. “We have been having the most dreadful time trying to figure out what happened between the time May Fields went into Mr. Prentiss’ room to replace the soap and the time she died, several hours later. I am convinced she did not come out of the room. Caro has spoken with all the staff working at the hotel and no one saw her after midday. Of course, we have to assume they are all innocent.” Evie sighed. She had given little thought to anyone else being involved. “I seem to have become fixated with pointing the finger of suspicion at Mr. Prentiss and, now, Mr. Addington.”
The detective brushed his fingers along his chin in such a manner, Evie assumed he had, at one time, sported a beard.
“Motive.” Turning, he looked at Evie. “I believe you were right to focus on Mr. Prentiss. After all, the death took place in his room. Then, there is the information discovered by your man of business which led you to visit Findon where you learned of Mr. Prentiss’ interest in May Fields. Somehow, we must discover the precise time he left the tea room and returned to the hotel. Someone is bound to have seen him.”
“We know he left the tea room at four forty-five.” Evie explained to the detective how they had come by that information. She turned to Caro. “Did you ask around the tea rooms and premises in the immediate area?”
“I did, milady. No one remembers the couple and he did not present his card anywhere else.”
“Tom and I believe that had been Mr. Prentiss’ way of establishing his whereabouts in case anyone questioned him. I keep saying that because I believe it is one of the most significant discoveries we have come up with. As to what time he returned to the hotel… The afternoons are quite busy. Most guests tend to return at about five in the afternoon to prepare for the evening. Some of them linger downstairs.” Evie looked at Tom. “Others use the library or the bar. We only know what time he left the tea room. We have no idea if he went straight to his room or if he lingered downstairs.” Or, she thought, they might both have gone upstairs, seen May Fields and… pushed her off the balcony. Evie shook her head and revisited the latest theory.
Tom cleared his throat. “We have been playing around with the idea Mr. Prentiss killed May Fields before leaving the hotel and then threw her over the balcony when he returned to the hotel.”
Evie surged to her feet. “We need to place him at the hotel just after five in the afternoon.” Evie clicked her fingers. “He kills May Fields at midday. Goes out with his wife for afternoon tea. Returns to the hotel…” She swung away and paced about the room. “Since he went to the trouble of placing himself at the front desk when he left and at the tea room shortly before leaving, he would have taken great care to avoid being seen going up the stairs. If he did go up, we would need to find a reliable witness, otherwise, how will we know he returned to his room to do the deed?”
“Locard’s principle,” the detective said. “Every contact leaves a trace.”
Evie and Tom exchanged a puzzled look.
The detective went on to explain, “Locard’s princi
ple holds that the perpetrator of a crime will bring something into the crime scene and leave with something from it.”
“Finding something that will incriminate Mr. Prentiss will be problematic, inspector. The crime took place in his room. The bottle is likely to have his fingerprints on it. Assuming, that is, that the empty bottle hasn’t been disposed of. Either the police took it as evidence or they dismissed it as inconsequential.” Evie crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “Tell me more about that principle.”
Brushing his hand across his chin, the detective said, “Everything the perpetrator does bears mute witness against him. Where he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves or takes with him… Physical evidence carries greater weight than the word of witnesses.”
“I assume you are trying to make a point,” Evie said, “by, understandably, explaining police procedures because you don’t wish to undermine your colleague’s efforts. You are to be commended for your loyalty. Let’s say the local police did everything according to the book and actually found no reason to open an investigation. Do you believe there is reason to suspect foul play even without physical proof?”
He did not answer straightaway. In fact, he appeared to be unwilling to commit to anything.
Evie added, “I understand this must be difficult for you.”
“I will have to proceed with care.” He straightened. “But I will look into it, in an unofficial capacity.”
“Where do we go from here?” Evie asked.
“I would like to know more about Mr. Prentiss and Mr. Addington. If we can connect the two gentlemen, we might be able to confirm one of your theories.”
“The one about them plotting together?”
He nodded.
“But what if my man of business isn’t able to find anything else of value?”
“We’ll deal with that problem when we come to it.”
“Couldn’t we just set a trap for them?” Caro asked.
They all turned toward Caro, their expressions surprised.
Caro’s cheeks colored. “I mean… We could slip a note under their door asking why they killed May Fields.”
“That is a genius idea, Caro.”
Chapter 19
“Let’s not be so hasty.” The detective pointed at his notes on the table. “I would prefer to sift through what we have and then we can set something into motion.”
Tom cleared his throat. “If it comes to that, I will insist on the Countess staying right out of it. In fact, it would be better if we all moved out of the hotel.”
Evie’s eyes widened. “You will rob me of the experience?”
“I would rather deal with your backlash than your grandmother’s wrath.”
“In that case, be prepared for my cold shoulder.” Evie lifted her chin and turned to the detective. “Detective. You said physical evidence carries tremendous weight. What sort of physical evidence would the police look for in the scene of a crime?”
“Fibers,” he said, his tone pensive. “Hair. Fingerprints.”
“If there had been a struggle, there might be hair fibers on his clothes,” Evie suggested. “Someone will need to go into his room and inspect his wardrobe.”
“Since we don’t know if the hotel manager is clear of suspicion,” the detective explained, “it would be difficult for me to request access to the room without alerting him. Also, keep in mind, I am here in an unofficial capacity.”
“I could ask one of the maids,” Caro piped in.
Tom and the detective exchanged a look that spoke of concern.
Evie nodded. “I know. I know. You both want to wait for my man of business to come through with more information. In any case, do we even know what May Fields looked like? If Caro finds a stray hair on Mr. Prentiss’ coat, how will we know if it belonged to May Fields?” She turned toward Tom. “Oh, I just remembered. We saw a photograph of her. I think she might have had brown hair. But then, so does his wife.”
Caro sighed. “I doubt we could even rely on length since, nowadays, we all have short hair.”
“Who identified the body? That’s something we haven’t considered.” Evie wondered if anyone would have been able to make a positive identification. After all, she had fallen face down.
The detective looked down at his shoes.
“Is there something you know?” Evie asked.
When he hesitated, Evie encouraged him. “I think we can bear to hear a few gory details.”
“According to my colleague, the fall caused significant damage to her face. She was identified by her clothing.”
“If I may be permitted to employ my imagination…” Evie found a chair and sat down. “What if someone caused the damage before she fell? Tom and I discussed this but we were only filling in the time. As I recall, we had run out of conversation.”
Tom lifted his eyebrow as if surprised.
The detective held up a finger but he remained silent. He turned toward the table and studied the notes he’d made. “We would need to look for a weapon in the room.”
“Meaning, someone needs to go inside Mr. Prentiss’ room.” Evie glanced at Caro. She wouldn’t feel comfortable sending her maid to snoop around. “Surely the killer would have disposed of a weapon.” Evie closed her eyes. “I’m trying to picture my room. I’m sure they are all alike. There’s a lamp on the writing desk. I’m guessing it’s made of brass, which is quite sensible as the desk sits against a window. There’s also a small statue on a side table. Oh, and the table lamp by the bed. I’m sure that is also made of brass.” Evie clicked her fingers. “The weapon might be in plain sight. The killer might have cleaned it, but as Detective O’Neill pointed out, according to Locard’s principle, the perpetrator will have left some evidence behind.”
Caro took a step forward. “I am quite willing to take a look around. Edmonds can be my lookout.”
Evie glanced at her watch. “It would be too risky now. We’ll need to wait until tomorrow morning when the maids go into the rooms to clean. In any case, I’m not entirely comfortable with you going in there alone.”
Caro looked at Edmonds and then at Tom. “Someone could dress as a waiter. I’ve become quite friendly with the maid. I’m sure she’ll help us to gain access to the room.”
The detective put his hands up. “Let’s go through everything we know first.”
“That won’t take long.” While the detective summarized everything Evie had told him, she strolled around the sitting room, taking her time to admire the various pieces on display.
To her surprise, the detective had even taken note of their most outrageous theories.
He checked his watch. “Perhaps we could use this time to discuss anything that comes to mind. Does anyone have any questions?”
Evie raised her hand. “What could drive a person to commit such a heinous crime?”
Tapping the table, the detective said, “The killer had something to lose.” He sifted through the pieces of paper. “Here. You came up with the idea.” He plucked a note from the table and held it up. “The maid overheard something.”
“So, Mr. Prentiss and Mr. Addington decided they needed to get rid of the maid. They came up with a plan and… Oh, this means the killer did not act on impulse.”
“That’s right.” The detective nodded. “He planned every detail, including the disposal of the body to make it look like an accident or an act of suicide.”
As relieved as Evie felt by the inspector’s presence, she couldn’t shake off the edginess she sensed as well as the sense of urgency. If they didn’t find solid proof, the killer would get away. “What is the process… or should that be procedure regarding the body? Is there a post mortem performed?”
“There wouldn’t be in this case because the police have not found any sign of foul play,” he said.
Evie gritted her back teeth together. “If I am correct and there was some sort of struggle…” She growled softly. “Give me a moment. I am trying to put myself in the place of the victim. Wh
at would I do? Punch. Claw. Scratch. I would definitely yell. I heard something but it sounded muffled. Perhaps the killer clamped his hand over her mouth.”
“Has anyone had a close look at Mr. Prentiss?” the detective asked. “Did anyone notice any fresh scars or scratches on his face, his neck or his hands?”
“Tom and I have spent a great deal of time glancing at him. I can’t say that I have noticed anything out of the ordinary. Then again, I hadn’t been looking for anything specific.”
Caro inspected her nails. “If she had tried to scratch her way out of the situation, it’s possible there might be broken fingernails.”
“Yes,” the detective exclaimed and gave a firm nod. “We will need to look at the body.” He brushed his hand across his face. “But it’s not going to be easy. I will have to make a few telephone calls and see if I can find a contact, someone who can gain access to the body without looking suspicious.”
The butler nodded. “You may use the telephone in the library.”
The detective followed Richards out of the sitting room, leaving everyone else to ponder their situation in silence.
Seeing Caro standing by the window gazing out to sea, Evie suggested she and Edmonds might want to go out for a stroll around the grounds. “There’s no point in you staying indoors. If anything happens, we’ll call you.”
The butler brought a fresh pot of coffee and informed them dinner was in the process of being prepared.
“That is wonderfully accommodating of you. Thank you.”
“You are very welcome, my lady. Mr. Knoblock has been away for over a month now and the house has been too quiet.”
Tom declined the offer of coffee so Evie poured herself a cup. “What do you make of all this, Tom?”
He sat down on a chair upholstered in turquoise with gold trimmings. “The detective finds himself in an awkward position but I’m sure he’ll find a way around it.” He looked pensive for a moment and then added, “I’m actually concerned about the failure to perform a post mortem. I know you have been annoyed with the lack of action from the police, but the omission to perform an autopsy makes their lack of action quite blatant. Almost deliberate. Thanks to Edmonds’ observations, as well as your conclusion, we now suspect May Fields had already been dead when she fell off the balcony. Surely, the fact her body had already entered rigor mortis should have come to the attention of the police. It should have been spotted straightaway.”