Heirs of the Body(83)
“Impossible,” Vincent echoed. His face was very pale. Daisy wondered if he was thinking of his own “accident” in the wood and whether it could have proved fatal.
“Nonetheless, he is dead.”
“Poor old chap!” said Frank, without much concern. “I’m sorry to hear it.”
Alec looked round. “You were all in Worcester this morning except for Martha and Lord Dalrymple. Did anyone see Raymond fall?”
Daisy kept her gaze on Vincent and Laurette as instructed, but from the corners of her eyes she saw the others shake their heads, as did Vincent.
“This whistle-blowing policeman,” said Frank, “he must have seen the whole thing.”
“Not clearly,” Alec said. “It’s a busy corner and directing traffic is his job. He glimpsed a pedestrian stumbling into the path of a tram. Thereafter he concentrated on stopping the traffic in every direction. He couldn’t provide any useful description of the person who saved Raymond from the wheels. All we know is that it was a man in a hat, an ordinary sort of bloke.”
“‘We know?’” Frank asked with lively interest. He made no effort to put on a show of mourning for Raymond.
“Mr. Fletcher is a copper,” Sam revealed. “A detective.”
“What?” Frank immediately looked shifty, casting a sidelong glance at Alec. “How do you know?”
“Martha stayed with the Fletchers in London for several weeks. She wrote to her sister at home, so I found out when I returned to Kingston. I’m a sailor by profession, if you didn’t know.”
“Someone mentioned it. Ever been to Trinidad?”
Sam had. The two young men were soon caught up in a comparison of Port of Spain and Kingston, Raymond’s death for the moment forgotten.
Vincent and Laurette, upon whom Daisy was supposed to be concentrating, talked to each other in undertones, looking decidedly glum. In fact, Laurette looked distraught. Daisy moved to sit beside her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s a horrid thing to have happened. I wish I’d realised sooner how badly hurt he was. I’d have taken him straight to a doctor instead of bringing him back to Fairacres.”
“He didn’t tell you he felt really ill?” Vincent asked anxiously. “Did he say anything about the accident, how it happened?”
“No, he didn’t speak after the bobbies helped him into the car.”
“Then I don’t see how you can blame yourself,” he said with relief.
Daisy was touched by his concern. “Still, I can’t help hoping the postmortem will show even immediate medical care couldn’t have saved him.”
“Postmortem!” Laurette exclaimed in horror. “L’autopsie?”
“It’s required, as he didn’t have a doctor in attendance to give a death certificate. They have to find out what he died of so that they can report to the coroner.”
“You mean there will be an inquest?” Vincent was outraged. “Surely they can’t expect a viscount and his family to attend an inquest.”
“I can’t see any reason you would be expected to, unless you know something pertinent about his health.”
“Of course I don’t.”
“Laurette might be called,” said Daisy, “as we were both with him waiting for his car, and in the car for a couple of minutes. I doubt it, though, as she won’t be able to tell them anything I can’t. I’m sure to have to give evidence, as I was with him when he died. Not necessarily right away, though, if the police ask for an adjournment to give them time to investigate.”
“I can’t see that there’s anything for the police to investigate.”
“Vincent, je ne puis supporter ça encore un instant.”
“Bien, chérie. If you’ll excuse us, Daisy, Laurette is very distressed, as you can see. She’ll be the better for a stroll in the garden.” He presented their excuses to Geraldine; the couple went down the terrace steps and headed for the shade of the pleached alley.
Daisy watched. Vincent hadn’t brought his stick. He was walking normally without it, even with Laurette leaning on his arm. He, at least, had recovered from his “accident.” She noticed that Alec, also, was watching them, with narrowed eyes. She went to sit beside him on the wall.
“What’s bitten those two?”
“It was rather insensitive of me, I suppose, when Laurette was obviously upset by what happened to Raymond. I mentioned the autopsy and the inquest, and she said she couldn’t stand it any longer.”
“Would you say she was genuinely upset?”