James Anderson - Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy

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 rsum 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.