Heirs of the Body(95)

“In his lordship’s study, madam.” He didn’t add that Alec would like to see her.

Slightly peeved, she finished her coffee, excused herself, and went to find him anyway.

Seated at the desk, he was talking on the telephone, dictating a telegram by the sound of it. He looked up when the door opened and a shade of irritation crossed his face at the sight of her, but he waved her to a chair. To her disappointment, there was no bloodstained knife on the desk, nor anything that might conceal it.

“Repeat that, please, operator.” Alec listened, corrected a word, and added sternly, “Remember, this is police business. It is highly confidential.” Hanging up, he leant back wearily and ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know why I bother to tell her to shut up about it. I imagine the whole household knows by now, and the village will by morning.”

“I just hope we don’t have the press round our ears by morning.”

“Not till midday at the earliest, I should think.” He took a swig from a glass of pale amber liquid—whisky, no doubt. “Truscott had better close the main gates. No doubt one or two of the most persistent will eventually find the footpaths, or conceivably arrive by water, but most will head for the pub and pick up what they can there. Which will be plenty.”

“Geraldine is pretty well-respected in the village, and they think Edgar is barmy but they like him. Not to mention Mother.”

“Of whom they are all scared to death.”

“So they may keep their mouths closed—unless the reporters think it’s a big enough story to start handing out bribes.”

“We can but hope.” Alec finished his whisky and looked into the delicate demitasse coffee cup that stood on a tray next to it.

“More coffee, darling?”

“I need a large mug of the stuff. I may be up most of the night. Ernest can bring me some when he comes back. I sent him to put in an appearance in the drawing room and then to fetch the papers from our room.”

“I hid them in your drawer, under your clothes.”

“First place a burglar would look, love, I’ve told you before. A footman shouldn’t have any trouble.”

Daisy wrinkled her nose at him. “You didn’t find the knife, I take it.”

“No. Unless it was immediately obvious, it was pretty hopeless searching at night, particularly as both torch batteries were failing. And as Ernest pointed out, it wouldn’t have taken a minute to run down to the backwater and chuck it in, or just dump it in the woods between the end of the laburnums and the backwater. It’s all blackberry brambles and stinging nettles.”

“Butterflies like nettles.”

“I daresay.”

“Another pointer to Frank, don’t you think? I mean, he’s the one who knows about the wood and the inlet. He’d know it would be easy to dispose of the weapon.”

“Unless Sam’s been in England prospecting the lie of the land. One of the cables I’ve got to send tonight. Or two or three. What was his ship’s name?”

“You should have let me take notes. Juliet?”

“Julianna, that’s it.” He reached for the phone. “I’ve sent another request for Tom and Piper, by the way.”

“Citing the attack on Vincent.”

“And the Chief Constable’s request for help. I’m hoping the night superintendent will send them by the first train, not wait for Crane to put his oar in in the morning. But I must make sure Sir Nigel went ahead and called in the Yard. Is it too late to ring him?”

“Shouldn’t think so.”

“Sir Nigel Wookleigh, police business,” Alec told the operator.

He was put through remarkably quickly. While he was talking to the Chief Constable, Ernest came in with the document case. He set it on the desk and picked up the tray. Quietly, Daisy asked him to bring Alec more coffee, in large quantities. He bowed acknowledgement, once again the very proper footman, and went out.

“Yes, very shocking,” Alec was saying. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate your cooperation. Good night.”

“He’s already wired the Yard?” Daisy asked.

“Just a few minutes ago. The local super wasn’t keen and had to be persuaded. He’s agreed to send a couple of constables at first light to search for the knife.” He opened the case and took out a thin manilla envelope and a fat folder with a handwritten note clipped to it. He gave Daisy a speculative look. “It would save a lot of time if you’d go through the police reports for me. Frankly, I’m not expecting to learn much from them. The Worcester police are quite capable of digging out anything of real significance and I can’t do anything about it till tomorrow anyway. If you see anything even remotely promising, set it aside.”