Inspector Alleyn 3-Book Collection 3: Death in a White Tie, Overture to Death, Death at the Bar. Ngaio Marsh
his heavy brows down over his foolish eyes and scowled importantly. ‘At the moment I must confess I cannot quite recall –’
‘Most of your guests were still at supper, I think,’ said Alleyn. ‘I’ve spoken to the servant on duty on the top landing and he fancies he can remember that you came upstairs round about that time.’
The purple veins in Sir Herbert’s red cheeks suddenly started up.
‘By God, I should think the fellow did remember, confound his impudence. Certainly, I went on to the top landing and it was one o’clock. You are perfectly right, Mr Alleyn. I pay these damn caterers a fortune to organize the whole affair and I expect, not unreasonably I hope, a certain standard of efficiency. And what do I find? No matches! No matches in the sitting-out room at the head of the stairs and the damn place smothered in ash. A lighted cigarette burning the mantelpiece! It was underneath the clock. That’s how I remember the time. Just on one o’clock, as you say. I trust I’m a reasonable sort of fellow, Alleyn, but I don’t mind telling you I saw red. I went out on to the landing and I gave that fellow a dressing-down he won’t forget in a hurry. Sent him haring off downstairs with a flea in his ear. Damn, spoon-fed dago!’
‘Were you on the landing all this time, sir?’
‘Of course I wasn’t on the landing all the time! I was in and out of the blasted sitting-room, damn it. I went upstairs at, I suppose, about five to one, walked into this room and found it in the condition I’ve described. I would have looked at the other room, the one with the telephone, but I saw there was a couple sitting out in there. Behaving, I may say, more like a footman and a housemaid than the sort of people one is accustomed to receive as one’s guests. However! The man came sneaking out just as I was blasting this damned waiter-fellow. He hung about the landing. This fellow Withers, I mean. Don’t know if I gave you his name before. Then the lady came out and scuttled into the cloakroom. Yes, by God, sir, and Robert Gospell came upstairs and went into the telephone room.’
Carrados blew out his moustache triumphantly. ‘There you are!’ he said. ‘Into the room to telephone.’
‘Splendid, sir. Now may I just go over this to make sure I’ve got it right? You came out of the first sitting-room and spoke to the waiter. Captain Withers came out of the second room (the telephone-room) followed in a moment by Mrs Halcut-Hackett, who went into the cloakroom.’
‘Here!’ ejaculated Carrados, ‘I didn’t mention the lady’s name, Alleyn. By God, I hope I know my manners better than to use a lady’s name out of turn.’
Alleyn achieved an expression of gentlemanly cunning.
‘I’m afraid, sir, I rather jumped to conclusions.’
‘Really? D’you mean it’s common talk? An American, wasn’t she? Well, well, well, I’m sorry to hear that. Halcut-Hackett’s a very old friend of mine. I’m very sorry to hear that.’
Alleyn reflected acidly that Sir Herbert was enjoying himself thoroughly and hurried on.
‘At this moment, just as you return to the sitting-room, having sent the waiter downstairs, and Mrs Halcut-Hackett dives into the cloakroom, Lord Robert comes upstairs. What does Withers do?’
‘Sheers off and comes sloping into the sitting-room after me. I had to make conversation with the fellow. Young Potter was sulking about in there too. I hope I’ve got as much tolerance for the youngsters as any other old fogey, Alleyn, but I must confess I –’
He stopped and looked uncomfortable.
‘Yes?’ murmured Alleyn.
‘I – it doesn’t matter. Stick to the point, eh? Withers, eh? Yes. Well now, I flatter myself, Alleyn, that I can get along with most people, but I freely confess I did not enjoy Withers’s company. Calls himself Captain. What was his regiment?’
‘I don’t know at all. Could you, by any chance, hear Lord Robert from the other room?’
‘No. No, I couldn’t. Now you mention it, I believe I heard the extension bell doing that damned dialling tinkle. The fact is I couldn’t stand any more of that confounded outsider’s conversation. I made my excuses and went downstairs.’
‘Did you meet anybody coming up?’
‘I don’t think so. Mrs Halcut-Hackett was going down ahead of me.’
‘So while you were still in the sitting-room, sir, anybody might have come upstairs and gone into the room where Lord Robert sat telephoning?’
‘I suppose so.’
‘Mrs Halcut-Hackett might have gone in before you went downstairs. Captain Withers or Donald Potter might have done it afterwards?’
‘Yes, by Gad, they might. If you want to get an account of this telephone conversation you might ask ’em. I don’t like to make the suggestion about one of my guests, but upon my soul I wouldn’t put it past Withers to listen to a private conversation. What’s young Potter doing, cottoning on to a cad twenty years his senior, I’d like to know? However! Anything more?’
‘Yes, sir. Did you by any chance notice a Miss Harris while you were upstairs? The man said something –’
‘Harris? D’you mean m’wife’s secretary? Yes, of course I saw her. She bolted into the lavatory when I came up. I didn’t see her come out.’
‘I see. Perhaps I might have a word with her before I go.’
‘Certainly, but you’ll find her a bit difficult. She’s a shy little thing – pity there aren’t more like her. Nowadays they don’t give a damn who sees them coming out of any door.’
Sir Herbert suddenly made up his mind he had said something amusing and broke into loud baying laughter in which Alleyn was careful to join.
‘Poor little Harris,’ Carrados said. ‘Well, well, well!’
‘Now,’ continued Alleyn when the laughter had died away, ‘about the end of the ball. We would like to trace Lord Robert’s movements, of course. I don’t know, sir, if you can give us any help at all.’
‘Ah! Yes. Well, let me see. My wife and I stood on the ballroom gallery at the head of the stairs saying goodbye to our guests – those of them who were old-fashioned enough to think it necessary to thank their hosts. Some of the young cubs didn’t take the trouble, I may tell you. Lord Robert came, of course, and was perfectly charming. Let me see, now. He went downstairs, into the cloakroom and out again wearing that extraordinary cloak of his. I remember this because I came down and passed him. I went into the buffet.’
‘Did you come out again before Lord Robert left?’
‘No.’ Carrados returned for a moment to the stricken soldier-man. ‘No. That was the last I shall ever see of Robert Gospell. Ah, well! I don’t mind admitting, Alleyn, that this thing has hit me pretty hard. Pretty hard! Still, we’ve got to bite on the bullet, haven’t we? What were we saying? Oh yes. I stayed in the buffet for some time. I don’t mind admitting I was about all in. I smoked a cigar and had a peg of brandy. I had a word with that fellow Dimitri and then I went home.’
‘With Lady Carrados and Miss O’Brien?’
‘What? No. No, I packed them off earlier in the other car. My wife was absolutely fagged out. I wanted to have a look round. Make sure everything was all right. I wouldn’t trust anybody else. These people are so damned careless, leaving lighted cigarettes all over the place. I satisfied myself everything was all right and then I went home. The chauffeur came back for me. Daresay you’d like to see him.’
‘No, sir, thank you. I think we may take that as read.’
‘I’ve no wish to be treated differently from anyone else, but that’s as you please, of course. Anything else?’
‘If I might have a word with Lady Carrados, sir?’
‘I don’t think my wife can give