THE ABBEY COURT MURDER (Murder Mystery Classic). Annie Haynes
Suddenly there was the sound of voices in the hall. Judith started and flinched visibly, then her face cleared, and she looked round with relief as there was a cry, "Judith! Judith!"
Sir Anthony threw down his paper. "Peggy! What in the world is she doing here at this time in the morning?"
"Why, Peggy has come to ask how Judith is, to be sure," the young lady answered for herself as she appeared in the doorway. "We were so sorry you weren't well enough to come to the reception yesterday afternoon, Judith dear," stooping to kiss her sister-in-law, "but you look as fit as a fiddle this morning, real country roses in your cheeks. I am so glad," with another kiss.
Peggy Carew was not like her half-brother, Sir Anthony. She did not in the least resemble her mother, Theresa, Lady Carew, who since Sir Anthony's marriage had removed to the Dower House. A friend of Peggy's had once said there was nothing in the world she was like, unless it were a dewy wild rose picked from an English hedgerow.
This morning her cheeks were flushed by exercise, her great brown eyes were full of laughter, her young red lips were smiling, the fluffy brown hair was curling in pretty disorder round her white forehead.
"Stephen came with me," she went on with a laugh. "He wanted to know how you were too."
The dark clean-shaven man who had followed her into the room, and who was obviously considerably her senior, shook hands with Lady Carew with a smile.
"When you were not at the Denboroughs' Peggy and I made up our minds to pay you an early visit."
"Oh, I am quite well again this morning," Judith answered, forcing a smile to her stiff lips. "Last night I had a headache."
"Oh, last night she was absolutely hors de combat," Sir Anthony interposed. "I had to exercise my authority, and tell her she really must stay at home."
As he spoke, Stephen Crasster, catching a glimpse of his face in a distant glass, was surprised to see that an odd mocking smile was twisting his mouth beneath its drooping dark moustache. Anthony Carew and Stephen Crasster had been friends ever since their college days. That their paths in life had since lain far apart had not in any way lessened their affection for one another. Carew of Heron's Carew was a rich man, Stephen Crasster had had until six months ago to work hard, to make a name and a living at his chosen profession, the law. Then an old uncle in Australia, of whom he had know nothing, had died and left him a considerable fortune. So far the bequest had apparently affected his career but little; he worked as hard or harder than ever, but he himself was fully conscious that life now held certain sweet possibilities at which he had never hitherto dared to glance.
Noting his expression as he watched Peggy, remarking how constantly he was in attendance on the girl, Judith had come of late to guess the direction his hopes had taken, and to rejoice that her young sister-in-law had won the love of so true a man.
But Peggy was still unconscious; there could be no doubt of that. To her Stephen Crasster was merely her oldest friend—it was obvious that she regarded him as set—both by age and experience—on a very different plane from herself and the young people who were wont to surround her at her parties and dances.
"Lord Milman was at the Denboroughs' last night," Stephen said, addressing himself to Anthony. "He was disappointed not to meet you."
Judith looked at her husband in surprise.
"But, Anthony—the Denboroughs'—surely you went?"
Sir Anthony looked away. He picked up one of his letters and slipped his paper-knife under the flap absently.
"I thought it better not to go. I sent excuses for us both."
"You did not go," Judith repeated in consternation. "Oh, Anthony, I am sorry. Where did you—" A swift wave of colour flooded her face as she stopped short. She looked at him anxiously, timidly. It was not possible that he had remained at home last night—that he had even seen her go out?
There was no response in his eyes as he met hers. "I am very glad I did," he said dryly. "It enabled me to go over to see Venables. I had been trying to get it in for some time."
Judith breathed more freely. "Still, I am very sorry my stupid headache should have come on that very day. Peggy, is your mother going to—"
She paused. Jenkins, the butler, had appeared in the doorway.
"If you please, Sir Anthony, Inspector Furnival, of Scotland Yard, wishes to speak to Mr. Crasster on the telephone."
"Does he, indeed!" Crasster's keen, dark face lighted up. "You will excuse me, Lady Carew. This may be something of importance; they must have put him through from my place."
The telephone stood immediately opposite the door in the hall.
The three left in the breakfast room could hear him speaking plainly.
"Hello! That you, inspector?...Yes, I remember you promised...Yes, yes, quite right; where is it?...Leinster Avenue...Right. I will be with you as soon as possible."
Leinster Avenue! Judith caught her breath; her face was as white as death when he came back.
But Crasster had no attention to spare for her; he had eyes only for Peggy, who was now teasing her brother to take her to Ranelagh on Saturday.
Sir Anthony looked up. "Nothing wrong, I hope, Crasster?"
"Nothing at all!" Crasster returned heartily. "Only that I must get back as soon as possible. Peggy, are you going to give me the pleasure of driving you home?"
"Oh, I don't know; I think you are very tiresome! I wanted to play with Paul. Why must you go?"
There was a smile in the man's eyes as they looked down at her petulant face. "It is all in the way of business, Peggy. But if you don't want to come, I will leave the car for you and get a taxi."
"I will take Peggy home." Sir Anthony got up, tearing several of his letters up and tossing them into the waste-paper-basket. "I want to consult Mother about something, so you will be free, old man!"
Crasster hesitated a moment; he looked at Peggy, but the girl kept her face averted.
"Well, it is from Furnival," he said apologetically. "Probably he is about the keenest-witted detective they have at Scotland Yard. He makes a point of letting me know if anything interesting turns up, and he has often been good enough to say that I have been of real assistance to him. And since the unravelling of mysteries is part of my profession—"
Peggy hunched up her shoulders. "I didn't know you were a policeman."
Carew laughed outright. "A barrister is next door to one. Come, Peggy, don't be cross; I will take you for a long ride another day."
"Where are you going?" Peggy was only half-appeased.
"To Leinster Avenue," Crasster answered, "Furnival tells me that there has been a"—he hesitated a moment—"a curious occurrence at a flat in Leinster Avenue. He is very anxious I should go, but—"
"Of course you must go," Peggy said with restored good humour; her fits of petulance were never of long duration. "And I—perhaps I will come out with you to-morrow, Stephen, if you are good, and ask me prettily."
"What is the name of the flat?" In Judith's own ears her voice sounded loud.
Stephen looked a little surprised as he turned courteously.
"Abbey Court," he answered.
Chapter VI
"Do you think I look nice, Judith?" Peggy executed a pirouette before her sister-in-law.
"Very nice," Judith said absently. Her whole being was absorbed in waiting, listening.
The hours that had passed since Stephen Crasster had been summoned by Inspector Furnival that morning had