Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn

to breakfast.”
    â€œI like to read The Financial Times in peace, so I am often the first to arrive in the breakfast-room. The footman on duty gave me to understand such was the case this morning.”
    â€œYou saw nothing of Astwick?”
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œThen I think that’s all I need ask you for now. Thank you for your patience, Sir Hugh.”
    He nodded acknowledgement of Alec’s thanks and started to leave the room. Like Lady Josephine, he turned half way to the door. “It’s my turn for a parting word. My wife is as at home in society as I am in the City, Chief Inspector. What she has told you may be hearsay, but she’d not have repeated it had she not been convinced of its truth.”
    â€œWhew!” Miss Dalrymple exclaimed as the door closed behind him. “I suppose it must have been someone in residence here who chopped that hole? It sounds as if there are countless deceived husbands and swindled businessmen all over the country with excellent reasons to be out for Lord Stephen’s blood!”

6
    A lec sent the footman for Lord Beddowe before responding to Miss Dalrymple. “It certainly would appear that Astwick was heading for a sticky end sooner or later. We’ll check with the lodge-keeper whether he admitted anyone last night. However, I’m pretty sure someone in this house reached him first.”
    â€œThen why were you so interested in the names Lady Jo gave you?”
    â€œYou never miss a trick, do you? It’s probably just an odd coincidence, but eight out of ten of those names are connected with the other case I’m working on.”
    She flipped through her notes. “She only remembered nine.”
    â€œSeven out of nine, then. A significant proportion, you’ll allow.”
    â€œYes, but connected how? What is your other case?” She stood up and stretched, then moved to the fire and held out her hands to its warmth. “Come on, Mr. Fletcher,” she said when he didn’t answer, turning her head to look back at him. “I know it’s none of my business, but you can’t leave me dangling.”
    Alec shrugged. “A big jewel robbery. I’m sure you must have read about it in the papers.”
    â€œI saw a headline in the train yesterday, but I didn’t have time to read any further.”

    â€œIt looks like one of a series of burglaries of country houses, all over the south of England. In each case, the thieves have taken a huge haul of jewellery, chiefly from house-party guests, while ignoring other valuables.”
    â€œAs if they knew what to look for.”
    â€œExactly. We’ve recovered a lot of the smaller pieces from fences, but none of the major stones has turned up.”
    â€œThose seven women who were involved with Lord Stephen are all guests who were robbed at one time or another? The latest burglary was near here? And Lord Stephen turned up in the neighbourhood, having practically invited himself? It does sound vaguely fishy.”
    â€œOnly vaguely, I’m afraid. But I would like to know his manservant’s whereabouts.”
    â€œIsn’t he back yet? I saw him drive off yesterday, before lunch. Perhaps he came back last night and chopped that hole in the ice, only you’d think he could come up with an easier and more certain way to dispose of his master if he wanted to.”
    â€œHe might have wanted merely to inconvenience him.”
    â€œThere must be a hundred thousand easier ways for a servant to inconvenience his employer!”
    â€œTrue,” he admitted.
    â€œLord Stephen might have met someone else there, though, by arrangement,” Daisy suggested. “Someone who biffed him on the head and happened to have an axe in his motor-car.”
    â€œInteresting that he went down to meet this mysterious someone wearing his skates.”
    She grinned. “Well, perhaps not. No, a rendezvous with an outsider is out, and anyone