‘No,’ he said bluntly. ‘No need. A dead bloke don’t need no valet.’
I smiled. ‘No, I suppose not. Just one more thing: did you ever notice that he had a photograph?’
He looked suddenly defensive. ‘I never pinched it. He asked me to get it for him.’
‘The photo of the school cricket team?’
‘Yes, that’s the one. He asked me to get it from the library. I don’t know what he wanted it for. Can’t say as I ever saw him even lookin’ at it.’
‘Interesting,’ I said. ‘We might need to have a look at that ourselves.’
‘I can get it for you, if you like. It wouldn’t be no trouble.’
‘That’s all right,’ I said. ‘I think we can manage. Are you staying down here?’
‘What, now? No, I s’pose I’d better show my face and look like I’m workin’.’
‘I shall leave you to tidy up,’ I said. ‘And thank you for all your efforts. You’ve been most helpful.’
It was almost a quarter past five by the time Lady Hardcastle returned to her room.
‘Gracious me,’ she said as she burst in. ‘Sorry I took so long.’
‘That’s all right, my lady,’ I said. ‘It’s not as though I have any urgent appointments.’
‘No, but when a lady says she’ll meet at five, she should jolly well be there at five.’
I laughed. ‘You’ve never been on time for anything in your life.’
‘Not for frivolous things like parties or dinners, but when was I ever late when we were working?’
‘Actually, you’re right. I apologize. How did you get on?’
‘Not wonderfully well. Fishy’s all of a twitter, as you can imagine, but he doesn’t seem to know anything useful. Kovacs was a good egg; Monty’s a good egg. He struggled to find something good to say about Roz, but he doesn’t believe her capable of murder.’
‘Everyone struggles to find something good to say about her.’
‘Well, quite. I learned a little more about Inspector Foister’s reasons for arresting them both, though. It seems that when he’d been asking about the race the other day, Kovacs had told him that Monty had been fiddling with Dawkins’s motor car just before the start. His chain of events goes: Monty sabotaged the motor car, Kovacs saw him, Kovacs was blackmailing him to get him to sell the company, Monty and his adulterous lover kill Kovacs.’
‘It’s not illogical,’ I said. ‘Mr Waterford was fiddling with a motor car when we arrived, and Herr Kovacs wasn’t far behind us. But he doesn’t have a motive for the initial sabotage. Why would Mr Waterford sabotage one of his own motor cars?’
‘I’m sure he’ll come up with something. What news from your man, Evan?’
‘None at all,’ I said. ‘It took me longer to track him down than to find out that he doesn’t really know very much, either. He does know what happened to Mrs Beddows’s missing tweeds, though – they’re being discreetly cleaned. Evidently they were covered in mud as a result of some al fresco shenanigans. He also said that he was the one who fetched the cricket team photograph from the library on Herr Kovacs’s orders, although he has no idea why Kovacs wanted it.’
‘Did he? Did he, indeed? Talking of photographs, I popped in to see Helen on my way back here. She wittered on about how awful everything was, and I thought I ought to try to give her something to do to take her mind off it all. I suggested she develop her photographs. It’ll keep her busy.’
‘It keeps you busy,’ I said.
‘Hence my suggestion. And Inspector Sunderland sends his regards.’
‘You spoke to him as well? No wonder you were late getting back.’
‘Yes, Fishy let me use his telephone. The inspector will call me or wire me when he knows anything further about Kovacs and the world of motor racing.’
‘And the school?’
‘And the school. I didn’t forget.’
‘Thank you, my lady.’
‘And now, I think there’s time for a bath before drinkies. Fishy is determined that his remaining guests should be well looked after, so he’s summoned us all to the library for a pre-prandial bracer. Or two. I made Helen promise to come down. And Harry will be there, of course, even if only to moon over Jake. Do you think you might be able to persuade Spinney to let you serve this evening? It would be nice to have you there.’
‘I shall see what I can do, my lady. Would you like me to draw you a bath?’
‘Are you sure you’re up to it, dear?’ she said as I stood. ‘Treacherous blighters, baths.’
‘I’ll manage,’ I said.
Chapter Fourteen
There was no real need for me to serve at dinner that evening, but Mr Spinney agreed anyway. The last time I had been in the dining room at dinner time had been on Wednesday, after the fatal crash. The mood then had been subdued, and I was expecting the same this time, but, to my surprise, I found everyone except Lord Riddlethorpe to be in good spirits.
Without Mrs Beddows’s continual sniping, Miss Titmus came out of her shell. She and Lady Lavinia kept Lady Hardcastle amused with tales of their schooldays, when many of their exploits bordered on the recklessly criminal. Meanwhile, Uncle Algy – with Harry as his straight man – was doing his best to entertain Lord Riddlethorpe. In the end, even his lordship succumbed to the cheerful mood around the table, and was laughing with them all when Uncle Algy did his (apparently famous) impression of the king trying to explain the laws of cricket to his nephew Kaiser Wilhelm.
Just as before, the ladies retired to the library once dinner was over, and once again I was invited to accompany them. I served the brandy, but this time there was no delay in my being asked to sit with them.
The reminiscences had stopped and conversation had finally turned to the events of the past twenty-four hours. Lady Lavinia and Miss Titmus were keen to find out if we knew anything they hadn’t heard already. It turned out that we didn’t.
‘Surely you must have some clever theories, though,’ said Lady Lavinia. ‘You two are quite the utterest utter, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve never known anyone quite as brainy as you.’
Lady Hardcastle laughed. ‘I think you must be moving in the wrong circles, dear. We’re not nearly as clever as you think.’
‘You speak for yourself, my lady,’ I said.
‘Actually, she’s right. Flo here is as brainy as they come. Despite that, though, we have more questions than answers at the moment.’
‘But at least you have questions,’ said Lady Lavinia eagerly. ‘We don’t even have those, do we, Hels?’
‘No, Jake,’ said Miss Titmus. ‘Well, I have a few, but they make me feel such a duffer.’