The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy (10 page)

Gerry started to explain. Suddenly Evans went pale. He said: 'The alarm's out of action - and a man's got out of the house?'

'Yes, we don't—'

'Holy smoke!' Uncharacteristically, Evans interrupted. 'Mrs. Peabody's diamonds! The Wraith!'

And he spun round and dashed from the room, leaving the rest staring at each other blankly.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Robbery

Evans shook Peabody's shoulder and whispered urgently. 'HS, wake up, sir.'

Peabody opened his eyes and blinked. 'John? What's the matter?'

'There's been something going on here, sir. An intruder. He slugged Deveraux and got away. The alarm was set off. I think we ought to check on the diamonds.'

'Jumping jehosophat, yes.' Peabody sat up and got out of bed, switching on the bedside lamp as he did so. Mrs. Peabody murmured in her sleep and turned over, but didn't open her eyes.

Peabody padded barefooted across the room to the dressing table, and opened a drawer. He lifted out his wife's jewel-case. 'She's left the key in the lock,' he said. He turned the key, lifted the lid - and drew his breath in sharply. They've gone!'

'What?'

'And look.'

He pointed into the box. Lying inside was an oblong of glossy white cardboard bearing a picture of a sheeted ghost.

* * *

'Well, that settles it,' Lord Burford said. 'We've got to call the police. Rich - will you?'

Richard, who had joined them during Evans' absence, nodded. 'Right away.' He left the room. Lady Burford, pale and shocked, murmured something about getting dressed and followed him.

Lord Burford said helplessly: 'I just don't know what I ought to do while we wait for them.' He looked hopefully at Deveraux.

'I suggest we have a look for Adler and the Baroness,' Deveraux said.

'Do you think there's much point?' Gerry asked. 'Alderley's pretty big.'

'I know. Obviously if either of them is deliberately hiding we wouldn't have much chance of finding them. I'm only suggesting a quick look in each unoccupied room upstairs, as we did down here, just to make sure neither of them is lying unconscious anywhere. After all, we know there was someone in the house prepared to use violence.'

'Very well,' Lord Burford said, 'we'll do it.'

'You could get some of the servants to do it, if you prefer?'

'No, no. Quicker to do it ourselves. Besides, I want to be doing something - not just sitting around twiddlin' me thumbs. Come on, let's start. You'll lend a hand, Evans?'

Evans, who had come back down to break the news of the robbery, leaving Peabody to rouse and inform Carrie, gave a nod. 'Of course.'

'Good. Geraldine - we ought to get the doctor for Fotheringay. Will you see to it after Richard has 'phoned the police?'

Gerry nodded, and Lord Burford led the way out, Deveraux, Evans, and Jane following. They started up the stairs. Lord Burford suddenly noticed Jane. 'Oh, I don't know whether you ought to come, my dear. The intruder might still be in the house. Could be dangerous.'

Deveraux said: 'With respect, Lord Burford, I doubt very much if there's any intruder here now.'

'But only one man escaped through the window. You said yourself three people were involved. We don't know there was only one outsider here.'

'I agree; but after the breakfast room window was broken and the alarm set off, anyone could have left the house by any other window or door.'

'My word, I didn't think of that.'

'In fact, afterwards it would be advisable to examine all the downstairs windows and doors to see if any of them are unlocked.'

They went up to the top floor. Lord Burford paused irresolutely. 'Don't quite know how we should set about this.' He glanced at Deveraux, on whom he was every minute coming to place more reliance.

'I think in the same way as the young ladies and I tackled the ground floor - go to the end and work our way back. Only now we can split into two pairs and meet back here. I suggest one of each pair should be someone familiar with the house.'

'Jane knows the house as well as the family, so you go with her and take the west wing; Evans can do the east with me.'

'Right. Nobody sleeps up here, do they?'

'No. There are some empty bedrooms, a couple of bathrooms, and the rest store rooms. My family's acquired quite a bit of junk over nearly three hundred years. We'll see you back here. Come along, my boy.' And Lord Burford trotted off, Evans at his heels.

'At the double b squad,' Deveraux said, and started off in the opposite direction. Jane hurried after him.

'Mr. Deveraux, may I ask a question?'

'Certainly, Miss Clifton.'

'How was it you came to be involved in this business in the first place?'

'I was hit on the head.'

'But why were you hit on the head? I mean, what were you doing up and about?'

'The storm kept me awake. I decided to go down to the library and get a book.'

'A highly conventional reason. But why dress first?'

'Now I have to let you into a guilty secret. You see, Miss Clifton, I am not a gentleman by birth.'

'Really? I would never have guessed. How wonderful our education system is!'

'For a member of the lower orders, a stay at a place like Alderley is a somewhat daunting experience. I have been anxious to do nothing infra dig. Now it seemed to me that to go downstairs in one's dressing gown might be considered not the action of a pukka sahib. I pondered the problem for some time, and although I thought it unlikely I'd meet anyone, I decided to play safe. Hence the slacks and sweater. I was not quite happy, even then, and seriously considered putting my dress suit back on - after all, it was still nearer evening than morning. Eventually, however, I decided that would be going too far. Right, this seems to be the end of the corridor. Will you take the doors on the right or the left?'

Five minutes after starting the search they were joined by Gerry, who told them the doctor was on his way. They met Lord Burford and Evans as arranged, and went down to the first floor where they met Thornton. The situation was explained to him and he helped with the remainder of the search.

The result of it all was negative.

'Do you think we ought to wake Felman and tell him his boss has disappeared?' Lord Burford said. 'He might be able to throw some light on it.'

Deveraux nodded. 'Yes. I'll go and do it now.' He hurried off.

Jane said: 'I wish someone else would have a look at Algy. I'm a bit worried about the poor mutt.'

Thornton, Evans, and Gerry went with her. They found Algy still sleeping soundly. They lifted him onto the bed, removed his shoes and jacket, covered him with an eiderdown and left him.

Lord Burford meanwhile had gone to dress. The others met Deveraux again at the head of the stairs. 'I've told Felman everything we know,' he said. 'He can't throw any light on it.'

Deveraux and Thornton then went downstairs, while Jane and Gerry retired to their rooms to throw on a few clothes, and Evans went to report to Peabody. The girls joined Deveraux and Thornton a few minutes later for a check of the ground floor windows and doors. None was unlocked.

'Not that that proves much,' Deveraux said. 'Anybody wanting to get out and leave no trace could have heard the window breaking and gone through it after we left.'

The storm had now passed, the rain had stopped, and while they were making their tour of the ground floor windows they saw the clouds dispersing and the moon beginning to break through.

They went then to the drawing room. Gerry rang for Merryweather and ordered coffee. 'Bring lots, Merry,' she told him.

Ten minutes later Richard came in again. He looked pale and drawn. Jane hesitated for a few moments, then went to speak to him. She found him bewildered, almost dazed, quite different from his usual decisive self. While she was talking to him, Felman entered the room and came across. Richard seemed to pull himself together. He said: 'My dear fellow, this is a most incredible business. I just don't know what to say.'

Felman shook his head. 'It doesn't make sense, sir. I must say, I wish I'd been woken before.'

'Yes, you should have been. I realise that now. I ought to have called you immediately my niece roused me. But, of course, until we knew for certain that Adler was not in the house there seemed little point.'

Jane said: 'Mr. Deveraux did look in your room a couple of minutes after we found Mr. Adler's room empty, just to see if perhaps he'd gone to you for assistance. But you were asleep and there didn't seem to be any real reason to wake you.'

Thornton, who had approached the group, touched Richard on the sleeve and drew him aside. 'Minister, may I ask if you've notified the PM?'

'Not yet. Frankly, I don't know whether I would be justified in waking him at 4 a.m. with the information I have at present. If Adler's disappearance is voluntary, it may not necessarily be a matter of great concern for the British government. If he's gone off on his own for some private reason, it will be more your government's worry, Felman. Should it turn out he's been kidnapped, by anarchists or Bolsheviks for instance, it'll be a different matter.'

'I'm just wondering whether I should contact my Embassy immediately,' Felman said.

'It's up to you, of course. If you want my advice, however, I should wait a little longer and hope to find out something definite. It's not as if they could do anything at the moment.'

'No doubt you're right.' But Felman's voice and expression made it clear that actually he had grave doubts.

'While they had been talking, Lord and Lady Burford, Mr. and Mrs. Peabody, and Evans had come into the room. Mrs. Peabody's eyes were red with weeping. The atmosphere in the room was very grim, with nobody feeling in the mood to keep the conversation alive. Algy Fotheringay's incessant drawl would for once have been welcome.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Enter Inspector Wilkins

It was not long before there came the sound of cars pulling up outside. Lord Burford got to his feet. 'The police. I'll see 'em in the library. You'd better come too, Rich.'

Richard followed him out to the hall just as the front door bell sounded. They waited while Merryweather emerged from his domain and opened the door to admit two men in plain clothes and two uniformed constables. The first man was something of a surprise to both Lord Burford and Richard. He was short, rather plump, had a drooping black moustache, and wore a worried expression. He spoke to Merryweather and came forward looking round him in a lost sort of way. Somehow he did not inspire confidence. The second plain-clothes man was a brown-skinned young giant with an amiable expression.

Merryweather, in a tone which both Lord Burford and Richard recognised as being one of deep dismay, said: 'Detective-Inspector Wilkins, my lord; and Detective-Sergeant Leather.'

Lord Burford went forward. 'Inspector, I can't say how glad I am to see you.' He held out his hand.

The outstretched hand seemed to disconcert Inspector Wilkins, who as Lord Burford advanced had started, quite noticeably, to bow. He stopped himself suddenly in mid-movement - without, however, fully straightening up. The result was that he shook hands in an awkward half-stoop, as though he were reaching forward as far as he could to prevent Lord Burford coming too close. 'My lord,' he said in a deep sepulchral voice.

'Will you come to the library?' Lord Burford said. 'We can talk there.'

Inspector Wilkins sprang upright. 'Certainly, my lord. Er, will your lordship be requiring the constables as well?'

Lord Burford looked blank. 'I don't know, my dear chap. That's up to you. Do you want 'em?'

'Oh no, your lordship.'

'Then I suggest they wait here.'

'As your lordship pleases.'

'Come along, then.'

'Yes, my lord. Come along, Leather.'

Lord Burford led the two detectives to the library; Richard brought up the rear. Inside, Lord Burford said: 'This is my brother, by the way. Now, as to what happened . . .' Prompted occasionally by Richard, the Earl, who had received accounts of their activities from Deveraux and the girls, then gave a rather rambling but comprehensive résumé of the events of the night.

When he'd finished, Wilkins sat silently for several moments. Then, very slowly, he started shaking his head from side to side, saying as he did so: 'Oh, dear, dear, dear, dear.'

Lord Burford stared. 'Think it's bad, do you, Inspector?'

'Bad from my point of view, your lordship. Too complicated for me to unravel - and too big. Foreign envoys. International jewel thieves. American millionaires. European aristocracy. It's a job for the Yard. And the Chief Constable won't like that at all. He likes his men to tackle anything and everything that comes along. He won't be happy.' And Inspector Wilkins sighed deeply.

Lord Burford was again looking somewhat blank. 'But you will tackle it, won't you? I mean, until Scotland Yard gets here. You're not going to just go away?'

'Oh no, your lordship. I'll keep the pot boiling. Go through the motions, as it were. But don't expect me to solve anything. I'm not sanguine, not sanguine at all.'

'Then what do you want to do first?'

'Well, sir, I'd better have more detailed descriptions of the two missing persons - and photographs, if they should be available.'

Richard said: 'It's possible their passports, carrying their photos, will be in their rooms. If not, I can probably give you as detailed a description of both of them as anybody. I can take the sergeant up to look, if you like.'

'Thank you, sir. While you're doing that, I suppose I ought to go and have a look at the jewel-case and this visiting card. And then at the broken window.' The prospect seemed to depress Inspector Wilkins still further.

'Very well, then, come along,' Lord Burford said, 'I'll show you.'

'As your lordship pleases.'

'Incidentally, my dear chap, I'm not a judge.'

'I'm so sorry, my lord. Force of habit, as it were, after spending so much time in court.'

They made for the door. Then Inspector Wilkins stopped short. 'No,' he said.

Lord Burford stared. 'What d'you mean - no?'

'I don't want to see them. There's no point. They wouldn't mean anything to me. Jack' - he spoke to Leather— 'after you've got the photos or the descriptions, give 'em to Smith. He'll know what to do. Afterwards go and have a squint round Mr. and Mrs. Peabody's rooms, and then at the broken window. Just see if anything strikes your eye. Don't touch anything. I may go and have a look later. But first, my lord,' he said to the Earl, 'I'd like to have a word with the rest of your guests and particularly with Mr. and Mrs. Peabody. It won't serve any really useful purpose, but I find it makes people feel better if they talk to the officer in charge of the case. Perhaps I can cheer them up a bit - convince them we're on the ball, as they put it. But then, Americans are always supposed to think English policemen are wonderful anyway, aren't they?'

Anybody less likely to cheer up the Peabodys would, thought Lord Burford, be difficult to find. But while Richard took Sergeant Leather upstairs, he led the inspector to the drawing room and introduced him all round. This turned out a somewhat lengthy process, as Wilkins kept getting confused about names, and relationships and exactly who or what each person was. To the Peabodys, however, he was surprisingly tactful and soothing. He got from them the statements that both had been sleeping since before midnight and that neither had heard anything until Hiram had been woken by Evans. Carrie Peabody admitted that she had left the key in the lock of her jewel-box. 'I'd been told Alderley was so secure,' she said, 'it just didn't seem necessary to bother.'

'Well, don't blame yourself, madam. No doubt the Wraith would have had a key with him that would open it. If not, he could easily have taken the box itself. The necklace was the only item taken, I gather. I assume there was nothing else of any value in the box?'

'No, it's mostly paste. I brought just the one really good piece to Europe with me for special occasions. I wish I'd chosen anything but my diamonds. It's not only the value - they are insured - but they were Hiram's present to me when he officially made his first ten million.' She dabbed at her eyes. 'They mean more to me than all the rest of my jewellery put together.'

Wilkins nodded sagely. 'Sentimental value. Of course. I know exactly how you feel. A few months ago I lost the truncheon which was issued to me when I first joined the force twenty years ago. I was highly distressed. I found it eventually. The dog had buried it in the garden. Perhaps we'll be as fortunate with your necklace, ma'am.'

He addressed the room at large. 'Ladies and gentlemen, I understand that several of you have had unusual adventures during the night. But I've had a very clear account from his lordship and Mr. Saunders and I don't think I need to question any of you further tonight. So if you want to go back to bed, as far as the police are concerned you can. Thank you. Now, perhaps, your lordship, we could return to the library?'

'Of course.'

They started to move towards the door. Then Wilkins stopped short. 'Whoa,' he said.

Lord Burford turned in surprise.

'Oh, I beg your lordship's pardon. The whoa was for myself.' He turned round again. 'I've changed my mind. I do that a lot, I'm afraid. I would like to speak to Mr. Deveraux tonight, if I may.' He looked at Evans. 'So if you could accompany his lordship and me to the library, sir.'

'I'm not Deveraux.'

'Oh, aren't you? I'm sorry. Then where . . . ? He looked round the room vaguely.

'Here.' Deveraux stepped forward.

Wilkins looked pleased. 'Ah, good. Come along then, sir.'

Evans said: 'Do you want me, too?'

'No, I don't think so, sir. Nothing personal, you understand. Of course, if you'd like to come along, I'd have no objection, personally.'

'No, really, thanks.'

'OK, then. Well, good night, ladies and gentlemen. I'll be speaking to you all tomorrow - or later today, I should say. Right, my lord.'

In the hall, they found Richard, Sergeant Leather, and Merryweather waiting. Leather came forward and spoke to Wilkins.

'We found both passports in the bedrooms, sir. I've given them to Smith. Neither of the rooms looked as though the people had intended to do a flit, by the way. Their things are still scattered around.'

Wilkins nodded. 'We'll make a proper search later. Fingerprints arrived yet?'

'Yes, sir, they're up in Mr. and Mrs. Peabody's rooms.'

'Take 'em to the breakfast room after. Oh - wait.' Wilkins clapped a hand to his head. 'Has Smith gone?'

'He just went out a few seconds ago.'

'Stop him, quick.' Wilkins waved his arms about agitatedly. 'Cockerill,' he called to the other constable, who was still standing near the door, 'go after him. Tell him to wait.' Then, to Leather: 'That Wraith card: did you see it?'

'Yes, sir. It looks just like the pictures I've seen of the others.'

'Go and see if they found any prints on it. If not, put it in an envelope and give it to Smith. Tell him I want it sent up to the Yard pronto for comparison. And Jack, as soon as it's light, you and Cockerill take a look round outside.'

'What for, sir?'

'Oh.' Wilkins looked blank. 'Well, footprints chiefly, I suppose. But anything out of the ordinary. Detect, man, detect.'

'Yes, sir.' Leather nodded and hurried away upstairs.

Lord Burford came across from speaking to Merryweather. 'My butler tells me the doctor's arrived. He's gone upstairs to see Fotheringay.'

'Good. Perhaps you'll leave word for the doctor to kindly join us in the library when he's finished.'

Back in the library, Lord Burford said: 'I don't know about anybody else, but I'm having a Scotch.' He crossed to a cabinet. 'Deveraux?'

'Thank you, Lord Burford.'

'Rich?'

'Please, George.'

Lord Burford started pouring. 'I don't suppose you do on duty, Inspector?'

'Oh yes, my lord, I do. All the time.'

'Oh. I see. How do you take it?'

'Neat, my lord.'

They all sat down. There was silence for a few seconds. Then Wilkins leant forward and spoke confidentially. 'Tell me, my lord, just between us, how many millions is Mr. Peabody actually worth?'

'I really have no idea, Inspector.'

'I've never met a real millionaire before,' Wilkins said. 'Makes you feel quite funny inside.'

Richard said: 'Inspector, I'm sure you know your job inside out, but—'

'No, sir.'

'No, what?'

'I don't know my job inside out, Mr. Saunders. In fact, mostly I'm out of my depth. I am now. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have reached the rank of Inspector.' Wilkins looked and sounded the picture of gloom. 'Sergeant, and in the uniformed branch, at that, was the height of my ambition. I'd be more at home in that position, really. I don't rightly know how I came to be doing this sort of work. But there we are. Here I am and mustn't grumble. And I have got one asset - only one, I think.'

'What's that?' Deveraux asked.

'I'm lucky, sir. And I sometimes play that luck. I get an urge to do something. I can't really tell why. But somehow it very often seems to pay off. Oh well, better to be born lucky than rich, they say. And it was just a sudden urge that made me decide to have a word with you tonight, Mr. Deveraux. Because I think you can put me straight on at least some of the odd things that have been happening in this house.'