our list again.’ Inspector Craig opened his notebook at last. ‘And now, sir, may I tell you everything I’ve gathered?’
‘Another half-pint of the cider, and go ahead.’
And in the most orderly way, Craig proceeded to tell Appleby much – but not all – that the reader already knows about the Ampersands and their concerns.
10
At Treskinnick Castle Appleby was received not by Lord Ampersand (who was declared to be walking the dogs) but by Lord Ampersand’s elder daughter, Lady Grace Digitt. Both the Chief Constable and Inspector Craig had made remarks preparing Appleby for something of the kind. Of the crisis that had befallen this noble household Lady Grace had more or less taken charge.
Her younger sister, Lady Geraldine, was also present. She might have been described, perhaps, as in attendance, since her contribution to the discussion mainly took the form of affirmative nods. If she wanted at times to shake her head in a strongly negative fashion (and Appleby somehow suspected that she did) she steadily repressed any such impulse. She managed to give an impression of being ready to pounce, all the same. If Grace was indeed a clever public woman, Geraldine was perhaps the same thing a shade manqué .
‘The man Sutch,’ Grace said, ‘came to us on the recommendation of my brother, Skillet.’
‘Ah, yes.’ Appleby gave an affirmative nod of his own. ‘Lord Skillet’s name has been mentioned to me by Inspector Craig.’
‘No doubt, Sir John. And it is my fear that my brother was deceived.’
‘Although he is very clever,’ Geraldine said helpfully. ‘Archie is very clever indeed.’
‘It may be so, Geraldine.’ Grace had frowned slightly. ‘But it is my point that Sutch was a most undesirable person, who has ended by occasioning us very considerable embarrassment. That wretched staircase was undoubtedly in very poor repair – but Sutch, nevertheless, must have been uncommonly careless on it. It was thoughtless of him, to say the least. My father will be most distressed if unfavourable comment is passed on the situation at, say, the inquest. I shall speak to the coroner about it beforehand, and have no doubt that he will be discreet.’
‘It is a pleasant confidence to have, Lady Grace.’
‘But others may not be. The position is extremely vexatious, and may become even more so if it begins to be suspected that there was some sinister background to the affair.’
‘Do you yourself feel that there was something of the kind?’
‘In a sense, yes. And my sister agrees with me. That is so, Geraldine, is it not?’
Geraldine gave her nod.
‘It is my sense that Sutch was an unprincipled person, and that he had involved himself in intrigue.’
‘In intrigue?’ Appleby looked properly puzzled and distressed. ‘The term is commonly taken to suggest something in the nature of a conspiracy between two or more persons. Are you saying that you believe that to be the state of the case?’
‘Decidedly.’
‘Then with whom was Dr Sutch conspiring? It can hardly, I take it, have been with a member of your family or household.’
‘Of course not – and I fear I can give no helpful answer to your question. But one thing it is necessary to say. Whatever was going on did tend to exercise an exacerbating or irritant effect upon certain members of the family. They were set a little at odds, shall we say. And this, Sir John, is the occasion of my appealing to you. If the mystery is not resolved in a clear-headed way, baseless suspicions may be aroused.’
‘That would be most unfortunate, of course.’ Appleby had a sense that things were turning uncommonly odd at this interview. ‘But is there necessarily any mystery? You have just been saying that Dr Sutch was careless, and unhappily with fatal consequences.’
‘I am not quite satisfied as to that.’ For the first time, Grace Digitt hesitated. ‘There is, you see, this background to the affair in those extremely valuable papers. I
‘Another half-pint of the cider, and go ahead.’
And in the most orderly way, Craig proceeded to tell Appleby much – but not all – that the reader already knows about the Ampersands and their concerns.
10
At Treskinnick Castle Appleby was received not by Lord Ampersand (who was declared to be walking the dogs) but by Lord Ampersand’s elder daughter, Lady Grace Digitt. Both the Chief Constable and Inspector Craig had made remarks preparing Appleby for something of the kind. Of the crisis that had befallen this noble household Lady Grace had more or less taken charge.
Her younger sister, Lady Geraldine, was also present. She might have been described, perhaps, as in attendance, since her contribution to the discussion mainly took the form of affirmative nods. If she wanted at times to shake her head in a strongly negative fashion (and Appleby somehow suspected that she did) she steadily repressed any such impulse. She managed to give an impression of being ready to pounce, all the same. If Grace was indeed a clever public woman, Geraldine was perhaps the same thing a shade manqué .
‘The man Sutch,’ Grace said, ‘came to us on the recommendation of my brother, Skillet.’
‘Ah, yes.’ Appleby gave an affirmative nod of his own. ‘Lord Skillet’s name has been mentioned to me by Inspector Craig.’
‘No doubt, Sir John. And it is my fear that my brother was deceived.’
‘Although he is very clever,’ Geraldine said helpfully. ‘Archie is very clever indeed.’
‘It may be so, Geraldine.’ Grace had frowned slightly. ‘But it is my point that Sutch was a most undesirable person, who has ended by occasioning us very considerable embarrassment. That wretched staircase was undoubtedly in very poor repair – but Sutch, nevertheless, must have been uncommonly careless on it. It was thoughtless of him, to say the least. My father will be most distressed if unfavourable comment is passed on the situation at, say, the inquest. I shall speak to the coroner about it beforehand, and have no doubt that he will be discreet.’
‘It is a pleasant confidence to have, Lady Grace.’
‘But others may not be. The position is extremely vexatious, and may become even more so if it begins to be suspected that there was some sinister background to the affair.’
‘Do you yourself feel that there was something of the kind?’
‘In a sense, yes. And my sister agrees with me. That is so, Geraldine, is it not?’
Geraldine gave her nod.
‘It is my sense that Sutch was an unprincipled person, and that he had involved himself in intrigue.’
‘In intrigue?’ Appleby looked properly puzzled and distressed. ‘The term is commonly taken to suggest something in the nature of a conspiracy between two or more persons. Are you saying that you believe that to be the state of the case?’
‘Decidedly.’
‘Then with whom was Dr Sutch conspiring? It can hardly, I take it, have been with a member of your family or household.’
‘Of course not – and I fear I can give no helpful answer to your question. But one thing it is necessary to say. Whatever was going on did tend to exercise an exacerbating or irritant effect upon certain members of the family. They were set a little at odds, shall we say. And this, Sir John, is the occasion of my appealing to you. If the mystery is not resolved in a clear-headed way, baseless suspicions may be aroused.’
‘That would be most unfortunate, of course.’ Appleby had a sense that things were turning uncommonly odd at this interview. ‘But is there necessarily any mystery? You have just been saying that Dr Sutch was careless, and unhappily with fatal consequences.’
‘I am not quite satisfied as to that.’ For the first time, Grace Digitt hesitated. ‘There is, you see, this background to the affair in those extremely valuable papers. I
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