Murder at the Seaside Hotel: A 1920's Historical Cozy Mystery (An Evie Parker Mystery Book 5)

by Sonia Parin

  “Yes. Absolutely. Do you think Detective O’Neill is aware of the fact?”

  “I fear he might be trying to avoid tackling the subject. It must be difficult for a policeman to suspect a fellow officer of negligence or, worse, some sort of wrongdoing or even collusion. Remember, you have also suspected the police of being somehow involved in a cover-up.”

  “Yes, well… I only said that because I was still cross with the local detective.”

  Tom leaned back and closed his eyes. “Picture it. A new hotel is opened. Disaster strikes. Someone dies. The hotel owner wants to avoid bad publicity. What would it take to make this problem go away?”

  Bribery and corruption, Evie thought. “The detective will not like your theory, Tom.”

  “No, but he’ll eventually come to realize there might be some truth to the story. Either that, or the local police is quite incompetent or guilty of overlooking the circumstances of a death because the victim was a mere maid.”

  “For his sake,” Evie said, “I hope the local detective turns out to be incompetent. Overlooking details such as rigor mortis setting in on someone who has presumably only just jumped to her death won’t look as bad as him taking a bribe for keeping everything quiet.”

  The door to the sitting room opened and the detective walked in, his manner preoccupied.

  “Detective? Are you about to deliver bad news?”

  He looked up. “Yes, I’m afraid so, my lady.” He shook his head and raked his fingers through his hair. “The mortuary needed the extra room. As there had not been a case opened, they decided to go ahead with a cremation.”

  Evie gaped. “Impossible.”

  “I’m afraid it’s all too true.”

  “But who gave the permission? I mean… I gave the detective my card. I told him I would take care of the arrangements…”

  “He didn’t see the need to impose on your generosity. Also, a close friend of the victim contacted him to collect May Fields’ possessions and showed him a written statement signed by the victim stating she wished to be cremated because she didn’t have any relatives who would visit a grave.”

  “A statement? I suppose the person who delivered this message was none other than Ruth Charles.”

  “I believe so. Yes.”

  Evie swung toward Tom. “Do you think that is the reason why Mr. Addington visited Ruth Charles?”

  “It would seem like it.”

  Evie rubbed her fingers along her temple. “I’m going to telephone my man of business and tell him to place all calls to this number.”

  Cremated.

  Even with her limited knowledge of police procedures, she knew the body could have revealed secrets…

  Had it been cremated on purpose?

  Chapter 20

  “This salmon mousse is exquisite, Richards.”

  “Thank you, my lady. I shall pass on the compliments to the chef.”

  Everyone else had also offered their appreciation of the meal and had then fallen silent.

  The thought of someone inspecting the body for clues had given Evie hope. And now those hopes had been dashed. So far, they hadn’t been able to make any real progress and now they faced more uncertainties than they had before.

  The detective spoke about his desire to spend a vacation fishing. He shared his enthusiasm with Edmonds who originally hailed from a small fishing village. This intrigued Caro because, before coming to Worthing, she had never once set foot on a beach.

  “I should like to walk barefoot along the sand,” Caro declared.

  “I think I might join you, Caro. And then I might build a sand castle. I will at least return home with some quaint stories to tell.”

  “You will have to have some stories at hand even if you don’t walk barefoot on the sand,” Tom said. “Unless, of course, you plan on sharing all this with the dowager.”

  “She’s bound to have heard about it all by now.” Evie had no trouble picturing Henrietta shaking her head in amusement and concern.

  Evie had felt dismayed by the news of May Fields’ body being cremated. Then, after her telephone conversation with her man of business, Mr. Matthew Keys, Evie had fallen into a state of despondency. Despite spending the entire day trying to find a connection between Mr. Prentiss and Mr. Addington, he hadn’t been able to convey any new information. The private clubs the gentlemen in question frequented had not been easy to infiltrate. But he remained hopeful.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Caro said. “Instead of slipping a note under Mr. Prentiss’ door, we could send a note to Ruth Charles saying something to prompt her, or rather, taunt her into taking action.”

  Evie lowered her fork. “You have our full attention, Caro.”

  “Well, if she is somehow involved, and I don’t actually see how or why she would be, after all, she is supposed to be May Fields’ best friend, I think she might go running to warn the people she is scheming with. Or she might try to make a run for it.” Caro took a deep swallow. “Thereby implicating herself.”

  They all murmured in agreement.

  “Also, I’ve been thinking about the body being cremated. If we are to assume the killer wanted to get rid of the evidence… What would May Fields’ body have revealed? I suppose it’s not a suitable subject for the dinner table. My apologies, milady.”

  “No need to apologize, Caro. We are all rather obsessed with the subject and eager to get to the bottom of it all.” Evie savored some more of the salmon mousse and tried to focus on appreciating it.

  She turned to the detective. “If the body is no longer available to reveal its secrets, can the room where she died be scrutinized. I know we have considered the possibility of looking for fibers or hair, but that is no longer an option as we have nothing to compare them to, even if anything is found. Is it possible the room itself might yield other information?”

  The detective took a sip of his wine. Setting the glass down, he said, “In 1869, a French detective named Gustave Macé worked a case where he struggled to find traces of blood in a room where he knew a victim had died a brutal death. He had the bright idea of pouring water on the floor tiles. When the tiles were removed, the under-surface was found to be caked with blood. This led to a confession from the prime suspect. So, in answer to your question, yes. If we consider your theory about the victim being killed before being thrown off the balcony, there would be reason to believe the killer used something in the room as a weapon to commit the murder. A careful inspection of table lamps or statues could provide a valuable lead. It would definitely give us a starting point.”

  Meaning, he would have enough proof to demand the local police open an investigation.

  “Perhaps we’re thinking too much about the details,” Evie said.

  “What do you mean?” Caro asked.

  What did she mean? Evie took a moment to think through her statement. It had simply occurred to her, surfacing from a mind muddled with facts and suppositions.

  “Well, with the body gone, there is simply no way to know for sure if that was May Fields.” Again, she stopped and mulled over the statement. It seemed so simple. All along, they had accepted the fact the person who had fallen or been thrown to her death was May Fields. “We have been assuming it was the maid because that’s what we were told.” She didn’t want to say it out loud, but the local police had come under suspicion. Their negligence put everything they did or said into question. She turned to Tom. “Remember my surprise when you said the police had already spoken with the staff working at the hotel and would not be questioning the guests? I still maintain the police were rather swift in declaring it was the maid.”

  Everyone set their forks down and stared at Evie.

  “Did I say something wrong?” Evie asked.

  “I think this is the first time Edmonds has sat with the gentlemen to drink port and smoke cigars,” Caro observed as she stirred some sugar into her coffee.

  Evie gave a pensive nod. “They were all so surprised by my remark, I expected them
to forego the tradition.”

  “I’m sure they wished to spend some time in private praising you.”

  “Are you teasing me, Caro?”

  “Not at all, milady. Men don’t always enjoy admitting a woman can match their wits.”

  “True. But, surely, they would know by now. I am quite witty.” Evie grinned. “Look at me, now I’m teasing myself.”

  Caro leaned forward and inspected the cakes displayed on a dainty platter. “If the victim was not May Fields, who could it be?”

  Evie rose to her feet and strode over to the table to examine the notes the detective had made. “To think, we might already have observed the truth without even knowing it.”

  “Pardon?”

  Evie shrugged. “Oh, you know the saying, it’s right under your nose. What if the truth has been staring us in the face all along, only we were too distracted to notice?”

  “Oh, I see,” Caro said. “We should be able to access the room while the Prentiss couple is out and about. If there’s some sort of evidence in there, I’m sure we’ll find it. I mean… we suspect they cremated the body to hide the truth. Well, they can’t possibly burn down the hotel to cover all their tracks…”

  “Heavens. I do hope it doesn’t come to that.” They would have to take care. If the killer still resided in the hotel, he might be on the lookout. In fact, he might already have noticed someone making inquiries. Evie tipped her head back and imagined the waiter they’d spoken with at the tea room remarking to Mr. Prentiss about the couple who had been asking questions… “I’m now thinking it might be safer for us to end our stay at the hotel.”

  “But wouldn’t that raise suspicions?” Caro asked. “The hotel management knows you are there for the week and we still haven’t crossed them off the list of suspects.”

  Evie went to stand by the window. The sunny day had ended. The sun had set. Not that she’d had time to enjoy it or appreciate it. “It might force the killer to take action and, possibly, make a mistake. Our main suspects, Mr. Prentiss and Mr. Addington, have been going about their business. They have set a routine. We need to do something to prompt them into taking action.”

  The door to the sitting room opened, the butler walked in, followed by the others.

  Exchanging a look of mutual understanding with Caro, Evie murmured, “This should be interesting.”

  The detective drew in a breath and smiled at Evie. “Lady Woodridge.”

  Oh, heavens.

  “In all my years working as a detective, I have tried to maintain an open mind and, on occasion, suspend my disbelief. After all, in my line of work, we tend to rely on physical evidence but that doesn’t always provide results.”

  “Heavens! I feel I am about to be reprimanded.”

  “On the contrary, my lady. I am trying to lead up to my praise. You have displayed a unique way of looking at things.”

  Evie smiled. “Oh, thank you. I hope it serves well.”

  “I believe so. Yes, indeed. I have taken the liberty of contacting a colleague. He will be making his way to Findon and keeping an eye on Miss Ruth Charles. The fact the victim has been cremated at her request suggests a possible awareness of the risks involved. The killer might suspect someone is taking an interest in the incident and is, as we speak, trying to cover his tracks.”

  “I take it you have used your cigar and port time to discuss my suggestion,” Evie said.

  “Oh, yes. Yes, indeed, we have. Tomorrow morning, we will organize ourselves for the first task at hand. If Caro is willing…” the detective looked at Caro who promptly nodded. “Then, as she suggested, she could make contact with the maid in charge of cleaning Mr. Prentiss’ room and gain access. Edmonds will accompany her. I suggest using a damp white handkerchief to sweep through the solid objects which might have been used as a weapon.”

  Caro gave a firm nod. “I will be as thorough as if I were cleaning her ladyship’s room. Not everyone knows this, but I actually started out as a maid.” She looked at the detective. “I take it I will be looking for blood.”

  “Yes. Even the minutest amount might provide proof May Fields died in that room. Also, take a close look at the floors. There might be scuffle marks.” Looking about the room, he added, “We shouldn’t get our hopes up. For all we know, the victim might have been strangulated.”

  “That would have left marks on her neck,” Evie mused.

  “Yes, and now that the body is no longer available, we cannot confirm that.” The detective shook his head. “Again, I don’t wish to give you false hope…”

  He stopped for a moment and Evie imagined him measuring his words.

  “In the absence of a body, we might quite possibly have an alternative, another way of viewing the body.” He looked up. “Some mortuaries make a practice of photographing corpses for their records.”

  The detective went on to explain he couldn’t contact his counterpart at Worthing because it would suggest he was still taking an interest.

  “I am trying to find someone who can contact someone already employed at the mortuary.” He glanced at Evie. “I’m sure your man of business will come through before then.”

  Evie sat back and wondered about people who committed murder. “This has to be about gain.”

  Everyone agreed.

  “So, who has the most to gain?”

  Chapter 21

  “Who has the most to gain?” Caro echoed.

  “This is going to be a long night.” The detective helped himself to some coffee. “In my line of work, we have to consider both the rational and the irrational.”

  Evie glanced at Tom and smiled. “I believe I’m quite good at coming up with irrational reasons.”

  “Yes, and I have acquired an appreciation for it,” the detective offered.

  “This case might require a more outlandish approach,” Evie mused. “Money is a great motivator for murder… Assuming we were correct in focusing on Mr. Prentiss and Mr. Addington, it stands to reason they would both have an interest in money. I wish we could discover what Mr. Prentiss offered May Fields. Tom, do you think you could have a chat with the concierge? Find out how May Fields came to work for the hotel. Did she answer an advertisement, did she apply for the job through an agency, or did someone recommend her?”

  The detective set his cup down and sat back. “Apart from monetary gain as a reason for murder, we might also consider elimination. As you suggested, May Fields might have known something that made her a liability. But you came up with another interesting idea, which I would like to revisit. You said, we have been assuming the victim was the maid because that’s what we were told.”

  “You want to know if I have anything else to add?” Evie smiled. “I wish I did. I’m afraid it was nothing but a stray thought. Who knows? Something else might come to me in the middle of the night. I might need to let the idea simmer in my mind. Does anyone else have any suggestions?”

  “I’m afraid it sounds too far-fetched for me, milady.”

  Evie laughed. “At the risk of sounding foolish, we have talked about something happening to May Fields between the time she lived and worked at Findon and the time she came to work at the hotel. What if whatever happened to her was such a momentous event, she had to disappear.” Evie jumped to her feet. “Heavens!”

  “I believe her ladyship has been struck by another idea,” Caro said.

  “We were told the victim was May Fields. Tom and I have also been provided with information about May Fields. She was a hard worker and a dreamer. She enjoyed spending her free time daydreaming and pretending to be a grand lady.” She strolled across the room, swung around and returned. “We used that information to establish her character. In fact, we have been championing her cause and doing all we can to find justice for her. However…” She stopped again and took a moment to regain her momentum. “What if she found a way to make her dreams come true? We were told she was happy with her circumstances, but what if she wasn’t? What if she did something to change her life
dramatically? An opportunity presented itself and she could not resist it.”

  Caro pressed her hands to her cheeks. “She stole a fortune in jewels and money, killed the owner of the fortune, dressed her as a maid and threw her body over the balcony.” When Caro finished, she sounded breathless.

  Evie lowered herself onto a chair and curled her fingers around the armrest. “She didn’t kill someone in the hotel. Otherwise, their absence would have been noted.”

  “You said it yourself, milady, no one saw her after she entered Mr. Prentiss’ room. Working as a maid, she would have known a great deal about the room occupants. She found her prey. A single woman. A wealthy single woman staying at the hotel alone. After May Fields went into the room to replace the soap, she waited a few minutes for the coast to clear. Then, she rushed to another room, most likely a room on the same floor.” Caro’s voice lowered and became pensive. “She had come to know the woman staying in that room. As I said, a single woman of great wealth. During the night, May Fields killed the woman and hid her body in the wardrobe. Moments after midday when everyone assumed she had taken her half day off, she went into the room which had already been cleaned. She knew she wouldn’t be interrupted because the guest staying there was alone. She exchanged her clothes with her and dragged her back to Mr. Prentiss’ room. She took her time. By then, she had come to know the Prentiss’ routine. They would not return until five in the afternoon. She dragged the body to the room. That’s the noise you heard. Then, she used a hose to pour the contents of the brandy into the woman. She then grabbed a brass lamp and smashed her face. Being a maid, she knew how to set the room right. She waited patiently until the right time came. Finally, she positioned the body against the railing and pushed the unfortunate woman off. Then she rushed to the woman’s room and assumed her identity. She did this with ease. Remember, Ruth Charles said May Fields enjoyed pretending she was a great lady. To cover her tracks, she wrote a note expressing her wish to be cremated, she sent it to Ruth Charles, her accomplice, who then took care of tying up loose ends…”