Heirs of the Body(81)

“Lady Dalrymple put it to him most forcefully, sir,” Alec said dryly. “After initial scepticism, he became most cooperative, even before Raymond’s death, and now he’s bending over backwards to pass the whole thing on to Scotland Yard.”

“And your superior at Scotland Yard? Do you wish me, or better Geraldine, to speak to him?”

“I appreciate the offer.” His voice had become, if possible, even dryer. “But the chief constable’s request for help should be sufficient. With any luck, my sergeants will be on their way in the morning. Meanwhile, the local police surgeon is preparing to conduct a post mortem examination—”

“Surely that’s not necessary!” Edgar exclaimed in distress.

“Of course it is, Edgar,” said Geraldine. “If we don’t know what killed Raymond, how can we possible discover who killed him?”

“There’s also the question of why,” Alec added.

“Not for the inheritance?”

“Could be. Or could be these.” He took out the little bag he had found in Raymond’s secret pocket. “Diamonds. At least, so I assume.”

“Good gracious! Apparently they weren’t taken, though.”

“He had them well hidden. You have a safe, sir? The sooner they’re locked away, the happier I’ll be.”

“Certainly. In my den.” Edgar started to get up.

“Just a minute,” said Daisy. “Don’t go before you hear the good news. Martha’s Samuel has arrived.”

“Oh dear!” Geraldine jumped up in her turn. “And neither of us there to greet him. Why on earth didn’t Lowecroft announce him?”

“My fault. I took him straight up to Martha.”

Edgar beamed. “Quite right, my dear.”

Geraldine, more conscious of the proprieties, said with a touch of austerity, “I trust they were happy to see each other.” Thawing a bit, she added, “They’ve been separated for a long time, and Martha anxious about his well-being, as well. Do they mean to come down for tea?”

“I expect so. Sam walked from Worcester so he must be hungry.”

“Walked!”

“Martha says he enjoys exploring new places.”

“Ten or twelve miles is nothing to a healthy young man, my dear. In fact, I daresay I walk as far on some of my little expeditions.” Edgar scratched absently at a smear of drying mud on his cheek. A blob crumbled and dropped to the carpet. “Alec, Samuel must be warned about the possibility of an attack. I don’t wish to sound melodramatic, but here he is, newly arrived in England, newly arrived at Fairacres, quite unaware that he may be in danger.”

“You’re right. I’ll explain the situation to him. Daisy, does Martha know what’s going on? Or rather, what we fear may be going on?”

“Not really. I mean, she knows Belinda and Ben both had falls, but considering the way they all racket about, she doesn’t think anything of it. She was there on the terrace when Vincent came back limping. She hasn’t put them together. And I haven’t told her about Raymond. Of course, she’ll have to know about that, but I don’t think she ought to have the rest spelt out for her.”

“Definitely not,” said Geraldine.

“I rather doubt she’s as fragile as you suppose. I seem to remember Daisy surviving an adventure or two in the same condition! But I bow to your judgment, ladies. However, I must remind you that we have no evidence other than his own word that Samuel has only just arrived in England, nor that he and Martha have not been in touch.”

“True, alas,” Edgar admitted with a heavy sigh. “I hate to say it of my own kin, but there’s not one of them we can trust, except—”

“Remember the diamonds, Edgar,” Geraldine interrupted. “If Raymond was killed for those, he still might have been responsible for the rest.”

“I realise that, my dear. I was going to say, except for Ben. I cannot and will not believe the boy responsible, whatever the failings of his guardian.”

“Cheer up, Cousin Edgar,” said Daisy. “Frank Crowley is no kin of yours and mine.”

“But not therefore beyond suspicion,” Alec reminded them.

Edgar shook his head sadly. “Ben looks up to him. He might reasonably expect to control the estate, or at least to profit from it, if the boy inherited. What I don’t understand is how anyone profits from Raymond’s death. He has a son in Cape Town, does he not, my dear?”

“So Mr. Pearson told me,” Geraldine agreed. “It makes one suppose the diamonds were indeed the motive, if it wasn’t pure accident.”