Lady Stanworth Exchanges Glances
Leaving Alec to accompany Mrs. Plant to the house, Roger hurried on
ahead with a muttered excuse. He was anxious not to miss a moment of
the highly significant scene which was about to take place. As he
reached the hall, Jefferson was in the act of greeting the perspiring
inspector.
“I’m sorry you have had all this trouble, Inspector,” he was saying.
“It’s too bad on a day like this.”
“It is a bit warm, sir,” the inspector admitted, mopping vigorously.
“I should have thought they might have provided you with a car or
something. Hullo, Sheringham. Come to see the safe opened?”
“If the inspector has no objections,” Roger said.
“Me, sir? Not in the least. In fact, I think everybody concerned ought
to be present. Not that I really expect to find anything particularly
important, but you never know, do you?”
“Never,” said Roger gravely.
“Well, Lady Stanworth will be down in a minute, no doubt,” Jefferson
remarked; “and then we can see to it. You had no difficulty in getting
the combination, Inspector?”
“None at all, sir. It was only a question of ringing up the makers.
Whew! It _is_ hot!”
Roger had been watching Jefferson carefully. There was no doubt that,
whatever his feelings about the opening of the safe had been in the
morning, he was now quite unperturbed. Roger was more convinced than
ever that something of the first importance must have occurred to
effect this radical change.
A slow tread overhead caused him to look up. Lady Stanworth was
descending the stairs.
“Ah, here is Lady Stanworth,” the inspector observed, with a slight
bow.
Lady Stanworth inclined her head coldly. “You wish me to be present at
this formality, Inspector?” she asked distantly.
The inspector looked slightly taken aback.
“Well, I think it would be better, my lady,” he replied, a trifle
deprecatingly. “As the only surviving relative of the deceased’s, you
know. But of course if you have any——”
“I was not a relative of Mr. Stanworth’s,” Lady Stanworth interrupted
in the same tone. “I thought I had made that clear to you this
morning. He was my brother-in-law.”
“Quite so, quite so,” said the inspector apologetically. “I should
perhaps have said _connection_. It is usual for the nearest connection
to be present when——”
“I ought to have warned you, perhaps, Lady Stanworth,” Jefferson put
in evenly. “But, unfortunately, I have not seen you to do so since
before lunch; and I did not care to take the responsibility of
disturbing you. The opening of the safe is, after all, a mere
formality; and both the inspector and myself have no doubt that
nothing of any importance will be found. Nothing whatever.”
Lady Stanworth looked hard at the last speaker for a moment, and when
she spoke again the former coldness of her tone had completely
disappeared.
“Of course I will come if you think it better, Inspector,” she said
graciously. “There is really no reason whatever why I should not do
so.” And without more ado she led the way towards the library.
Roger brought up the rear of the little party. He was thinking
furiously. He had watched the little exchange that had just taken
place with feelings almost of bewilderment. It was so unlike Lady
Stanworth to go out of her way to snub the poor inspector in that
highly unnecessary manner. Why had she done so? And why had she been
so very much on the high horse with regard to the opening of the safe?
It seemed almost as if she had been really apprehensive of something,
and had adopted this attitude in order to cloak her actual feelings.
But if that were the case, what earthly reason could she have for
apprehension? Roger asked himself despairingly.
Yet her sudden change of manner was no less remarkable. As soon as
Jefferson had spoken, she had become as gracious as ever and all
objections had been abruptly dropped. What was it Jefferson had said?
Something about nothing of importance being found in the safe. Ah,
yes. “Both the inspector and myself have no doubt that nothing of
importance will be found.” And myself! Now he came to think of it,
Jefferson had certainly stressed those two words a little. Could it be
that he had conveyed some kind of warning to her? Information of some
sort? And if so, what? Obviously the same information that he and Mrs.
Plant had received during the morning. Was it possible then that Lady
Stanworth herself could be in league with Mrs. Plant and Jefferson?
Surely this was making things altogether too complicated. Yet he could
take his oath that _something_ had passed between those two before
Lady Stanworth finally descended the last few stairs so amicably.
Thus the gist of the thoughts that whirled confusedly through Roger’s
brain during the few seconds occupied by the journey to the library.
As he passed the threshold he raised his eyebrows in mock despair and,
shelving this fresh problem for the time being, prepared to give all
his attention to present events.
Mrs. Plant and Alec were already in the library; the former perfectly
cool and collected, the latter, to Roger’s eyes at any rate, somewhat
ill at ease. It was clear, Roger reflected, with some uneasiness, that
Alec did not at all like the highly ambiguous position in which he
stood with regard to that lady. What would he say when he heard the
possibility that his hostess also might not be unconcerned with this
dark and mysterious business? It would be just like Alec to throw up
the whole affair and insist on all cards being laid upon the table;
and that would have broken Roger’s heart just at the moment.
Inspector Mansfield was regrettably lacking in an appreciation of
dramatic effects. He did not gaze around him from beneath lowered
brows. He did not mutter to himself so that everyone could strain
forward to catch his ominous words. He did not even make a speech.
All he did was to observe cheerfully, “Well, let’s get this business
over,” and casually open the safe. He could not have made less fuss
had it been a tin of sardines.
But in spite of the inspector’s lamentable behaviour, drama was not
altogether lacking. As the heavy door swung open, there was an
involuntary catching of breath and heads were craned anxiously
forward. Roger, watching the faces of the others instead of the centre
of attraction, noted quickly that a flicker of anxiety flashed across
the countenances of both Mrs. Plant and Jefferson. “Neither of ’em
have seen inside, then,” he thought. “Their information came from a
third person. That’s certain, anyway.”
But it was Lady Stanworth who held his attention most closely.
Thinking herself unobserved for the moment, she had not troubled to
hide her feelings. She was standing a little behind the others,
peering between their heads. Her breath was coming quickly, and her
bosom rising and falling almost tumultuously; her face was quite
white. For a few seconds Roger thought she was going to faint. Then,
as if she was reassured, the colour came back into her face and she
sighed ever so softly.
“Well, Inspector?” she asked in normal tones. “What is there?”
The inspector was rapidly scrutinising the contents.
“As I expected,” he replied, a trifle disappointedly. “Nothing of any
importance as far as I’m concerned, my lady.” He glanced quickly
through a bundle of papers that he held in his hands. “Share
certificates; business documents; contracts; more share certificates.”
He replaced the bundle in the safe and took out a cash-box.
“Whew!” he whistled softly, as he opened it. “Mr. Stanworth kept
plenty of ready money on hand, didn’t he?”
Roger pricked up his ears and followed the direction of the
inspector’s gaze. Lying loosely at the bottom of the cash-box was a
thick wad of banknotes. The inspector picked it out and flicked them
over.
“Upwards of four thousand pounds, I should say,” he remarked with
fitting awe. “That doesn’t look as if he was in financial
difficulties, does it?”
“I told you I thought it most unlikely,” Jefferson said shortly.
Mrs. Plant stooped and looked into the safe.
“Oh, there’s my jewel-box,” she said, in tones of relief. “On the
bottom shelf.”
The inspector bent down and extracted a small case of green leather.
“This, madam?” he asked. “You said this is yours?”
“Yes. I gave them to him to lock up for me yesterday morning. I never
like to leave them lying about in my room if I can help it, you know.”
The inspector pressed the catch and the lid of the case flew open. A
necklace, a bracelet or two, and a few rings were visible inside;
pleasant little trinkets, but not of any remarkable value.
Roger exchanged glances with Alec. In the eyes of the latter there was
a scarcely concealed derision which Roger found peculiarly difficult
to bear in silence. If ever a look said, “I told you so!” Alec’s did
at that moment.
“I suppose Lady Stanworth can identify these as yours, madam,” the
inspector was saying. “Purely as a matter of form,” he added, half
apologetically.
“Oh, yes,” said Mrs. Plant easily, picking the necklace and a few
other things out of the case. “You’ve seen me wearing these, haven’t
you, Lady Stanworth?”
There was a perceptible pause before Lady Stanworth answered; and it
seemed to Roger that she was looking at Mrs. Plant in rather an odd
way. Then she said, naturally enough:
“Of course. And I remember the case, too. Yes, these belong to Mrs.
Plant, Inspector.”
“Then we may as well hand them over to her at once,” said the
inspector, and Lady Stanworth nodded approvingly.
“Is that all you require, Inspector?” Jefferson asked.
“Yes, sir; quite. And I’ve had my journey for nothing, I’m afraid.
Still, we have to go into everything, as you know.”
“Oh, naturally,” Jefferson murmured, turning away from the safe.
“And now I must get back and finish my report,” the inspector
continued. “The coroner will communicate with you this afternoon as
soon as I’ve seen him again.”
“Oh, by the way, Inspector,” Mrs. Plant put in, “Mr. Sheringham was
telling me that I might be wanted to attend the inquest. Is that
necessary?”
“I’m afraid so, madam. You were the last person to see Mr. Stanworth
alive.”
“Yes, but my—my evidence wouldn’t be of the least importance, would
it? The few words I had with him about those roses can’t throw any
light on the matter at all.”
“I’m very sorry, madam,” the inspector murmured, “but in these cases
the last person to see the deceased alive is invariably called,
whether the evidence appears to be of any importance or not.”
“Oh! Then I must take it as quite certain that I shall have to
attend?” Mrs. Plant asked disappointedly.
“Quite, madam,” the inspector returned firmly, moving towards the
door.
Roger hooked his arm through that of Alec and drew him out through the
French windows.
“Well?” asked the latter with an undisguised grin. “Still as sure as
ever that those jewels weren’t in the safe, Sherlock Sheringham?”
“Yes. I’ve been expecting a little subtle ridicule from you, Alec,”
Roger said with mock humility. “No doubt I deserve it.”
“I’m glad you’re beginning to realise that,” retorted Alec pleasantly.
“Yes, for drawing the only possible conclusions from a given set of
facts. Well, I suppose we shall have to go back to the beginning
again, and start to draw some impossible ones instead.”
“Oh, Lord!” Alec groaned.
“But seriously, Alec,” said Roger with a change of tone, “things are
going very curiously. Those jewels ought not to have been in the safe
at all, you know. Nor the money either, for that matter. It’s all
wrong.”
“Most annoying when things break rules like that, isn’t it? Well, I
suppose you’ll allow now that Mrs. Plant _was_ speaking the truth this
morning, after all.”
“I suppose I shall have to,” said Roger reluctantly. “For the present,
at any rate. But it’s very, very extraordinary.”
“That Mrs. Plant should have been speaking the truth? It seemed to me
far more extraordinary that she should have been lying, as you were so
jolly sure.”
“All right, Alec. Don’t get rattled. No, I wasn’t meaning that
exactly. But that she should have been so remarkably agitated about
those jewels of hers, as if she thought that somebody was going to
steal them! And then that yarn of hers that she thought the police
would take them and she wouldn’t get them back. No, say what you like,
Alec, it _is_ extraordinary.”
“Women are extraordinary,” said Alec wisely.
“Humph! Certainly Mrs. Plant is.”
“Well, at any rate, she’s exonerated, I take it.”
“No, that she isn’t,” said Roger with decision. “That lady isn’t free
from suspicion yet by any means. After all, the matter of the jewels
is only one of several curious circumstances. But look here, Alec;
another remarkable thing has cropped up since I saw you last. I’m
going to tell you, because I promised I’d share anything new with you
at the very beginning. But I won’t unless you’ll promise to take it
quite calmly, and not smite me with that great ham-fist of yours or
throw yourself despairingly into a rose bush or anything. You know,
you’re a very difficult sort of person to work with on this sort of
job, Alec.”
“Fire away!” Alec grunted. “What’s happened now?”
“You won’t like it, but I can’t help that. After all, I’m only telling
you facts, not theories; and there’s no getting away from them,
however unwelcome they may be. It’s about Lady Stanworth this time.
Listen.”
And Roger embarked upon a voluble recital of The Strange Behaviour of
Lady Stanworth.