Suspects—Nine (30 page)
Authors: E.R. Punshon
“She ought to be questioned, she might be able to tell us something and she may be willing, if she's really uneasy about him,” Bobby said, and he could not help feeling uneasy, too, though he told himself it was absurd.
Yet it was true enough that Lady Alice was hardly the sort of person it would be very safe to blackmail.
“Put it to Wilkinson,” the inspector said. “It's up to them. Slip it in when you're talking as if it were your own idea just occurred to you. If he turns it down, his responsibility. If he takes it onâwell, their responsibility, too, but you had better let us know at once. What he is coming for is to get fuller details from you about finding the pistol, and what put you on to it.”
“Obvious Martin was up to something,” Bobby answered. “Obvious from what the landlord said about his face and hands being scratched, that Martin had been crawling about in the bracken on Weeton Hill, obvious he had got a woman to address the packet to Judy Patterson, and fairly obvious he was pals with the Barnet pub people, so it was likely to be the barmaid.”
“Yes, I suppose it was all pretty obvious,” agreed the inspector, looking relieved, and Bobby reflected suddenly that his reputation would stand a good deal higher if only he could remember to act the mystery man instead of talking about the obvious.
“Talked myself out of promotion again, I suppose,” he told himself ruefully.
“Wilkinson wants to know something about the Roger Renfield bird, too,” the inspector went on. “You know him, don't you?”
“I don't know him, I've met him, that's all,” Bobby explained. “Munday told me he thought it was Renfield left the anonymous letter at the Tamars' house but I don't know that I should trust that very far. Renfield wasn't on too good terms with Tamar, apparently, no open breach but a sort of undercurrent of hostility. He inherits part of the Tamar estate, if there are no children, and he may have been trying to work up a separation between the Tamars, so as to make lawful issue impossible. He may have got Munday to help and Munday may have been threatening to give him away.”
“Looks to me,” said the inspector gloomily, “as if Renfield, from being an also ran, has come to be first favourite. I don't go in for betting, myself,” added the inspector hastily, “pick up the lingo from a brother-in-law, that's all.”
“Yes,” agreed Bobby, “yes, only I must say I shall be a bit easier in my mind when I know what's become of Martin.”
MORE EVIDENCE
It was this problem of what had become of Martin that was chiefly worrying Bobby as, avoiding the canteen where he would have been obliged to chat to colleagues and, perhaps, been asked to take a hand in a round of solo whist, he went out to a teashop near, where, in a quiet corner, he ate a modest meal and then sat long over a cup of coffee and a cigarette, so deep in thought that he was quite startled when a glance at his wrist watch showed him how late the hour had become.
In a mild panic he hurried back to the Yard, wondering if he was in for a wigging for having kept South Essex waiting. However, it seemed he had not been missed and so he sat down at his desk and began to write slowly and carefully, though now, a little to his surprise, it was not Martin chiefly occupying his thoughts but the pale and troubled face of Ernie Maddox, the frowning, sulky features of Judy Patterson that kept thrusting themselves between him and his paper.
They cared intensely for each other, he felt, and yet the tragic aftermath of the Munday murder seemed to be pushing them inexorably apart. He wondered, vaguely, if it would be possible, supposing all this was satisfactorily cleared up, for them to come together again. Not his business, he supposed, only he felt sorry for them both, and, somehow, he had an intuitive feeling that Olive was not only sorry for them but was contemplating action of some sort.
“Only suppose,” he said to himself, with a slight shiver of distaste, “it turns out that Judy is guilty.”
Nor could he deny that there seemed in Judy, partly innate, partly developed by circumstance, that kind of anger and dark recklessness likely to lead to violence pushed even to the last extremity. He did not wish to think it and yet he knew the possibility was there, knew, too, or rather, so believed, that it was in Ernie Maddox's mind, as well.
“Better get it all down on paper,” he told himself, for in this interval he had ceased to write.
What he had already written he frowned at and tore up and then started afresh, writing first in block capitals,
âRe
Weeton Hill. Murder. Munday. 1.'
He laid down his pen and looked satisfied. An official opening in the approved manner gave at least a chance that any memorandum submitted by a junior would be read and not merely pigeon-holed.
He picked up his pen again and wrote.
âA.
Motive.
Not established.'
Having written this he paused once more and this time looked depressed. Unsatisfactory, to put it at the very lowest, that at this stage of the investigation, with so much work done, and so much brought to light, yet so elementary a point as motive was not yet clear. The difficulty was that in his capacity as butler, Munday had had some sort of connection with all those implicated, with all the undercurrents of conduct and of feeling, and yet no known connection sufficiently intimate to account for his death having been desired by any of them.
Once more Bobby started:
âA.
MOTIVE
Not established.
Possibilities:
A1.Munday may have been mixed up in blackmailing activities.
A2.Munday may have been mistaken for some one else.
A3.Munday may have been taking part in the intrigues and so on that appear to have been going on.
Remarks:
If A1.; was Munday acting alone or in association with some one else? (Martin?)
If A2.; for whom mistaken?
If A3.; in which intrigue or love affair and why?
B.
Weeton Hilly, Munday, Presence on,
Not accounted for.
Possibilities:
B1. By Appointment?
B2. Spying?
B3. For the £100 hidden there?
If B1.; appointment with whom?
If B2.; spying on whom?
If B3.; but the money wasn't there!
C.
Unexplained Points.
Explanation necessary before action possible.
C1. The anonymous letter.
C2. Knife wound on dead body.
C3. Photo of Ernie Maddox's car.
Re C1.; who wrote it and why? To extort money? To lure Munday, Tamar, some one, to Weeton Hill? If so, for what purpose?
Re C2.; purposeless malice? to make sure? for other reason?
Re C3.; photo taken by whom? When? Why?
Remarks on C2.
Purposeless malice seems unlikely, it would suggest a degree, and intensity, of hate difficult to account for. The murder of Munday, if intended, can surely only have been, so to say, a business murder, not a murder of passion. To make sure also seems unlikely. Seven shots fired at close quarters are enough to persuade any one nothing more was required. Apparently, then, there must be âsome other' reason. What?
Further Remark on C2.
Was Lady Alice's knife the weapon used? If not, why has one knife been substituted for another in Lady Alice's flat?
Remark on C3.
Martin to be questionedâwhen found.
D.
Suspects (Nine)
D1. Michael Tamar.
D2. Flora Tamar.
D3. Roger Renfield.
D4. Holland Kent.
D5. Lady Alice Belchamber.
D6. Ernie Maddox.
D7. Judy Patterson.
D8. Will Martin.
D9. X (some person unknown).
If D1. (Michael Tamar).
then:
D1a.
Motive
:
Jealousy? (possessive instincts strong). Blackmail by Munday?
D1b.
Alibi
.
Incomplete. Evidence of ten-shilling note and statement by attendant. But no satisfactory proof within an hour or two when note was paid over. If paid somewhat earlier in the evening, or a few hours later on, there would have been ample time for Suspect D1. to have reached or returned from Weeton Hill. Also the attendant is not a reliable person. He may have been actuated by the hope of subsequent reward from D1. On the other hand, D1's car is a Rolls-Royce, a car likely to attract attention, and no such car is on record as having been seen in the Weeton Hill neighbourhood. The only cars observed are the ones driven by a man in a broad- brimmed hat, seen by an inhabitant of the district, and Miss Maddox's car, shown on photo on Weeton Hill Road. Possibly these two cars are the same. Noteworthy that faked alibis are not generally so loose and incomplete as D1.'s appears to be. The faked alibi generally has an air of being water-tight and it was more than likely the ten-shilling note would never be recovered. Also, the attendant sticks to his story and no trace of collusion with Tamar has been found. Conclusion: alibi not decisive but by a clever counsel could be presented in such a way as to convince any juryâand most people. Note: The calculation ff. 1,250,000=£7,031 15
s
. is certainly in handwriting of suspect D1. and is correct at given rate of exchange: ff. 177.75 to the pound.
D1c.
Theory
.
Suspect D1. knew of intrigue with his wife, knew of a rendezvous on Weeton Hill, and shot Munday in mistake for wife's lover. Or, Munday knew something and threatened exposure.
D1d.
Evidence
.
None of importance.
If D2. (Flora Tamar)
then:
D2a.
Motive
.
Jealousy. Intrigue.
D2b.
Alibi
.
None. (See D4.)
D2c.
Theory of crime
.
Munday knew of intrigue and D2. felt it necessary to silence him. Alternatively: entangled in intrigue and desired to free herself, Munday being mistaken for person implicated. Alternatively: anger at Judy Patterson breaking off his connection with her, drove her to contemplate his murder, for whom Munday was mistaken by her.
D2d.
Evidence
.
Knew seven shots had been fired, presumably only known at that time to the person who fired them. Has declared herself an expert pistol shot.
If D3. (Roger Renfield)
then:
D3a.
Motive
.
Money.
D3b.
Alibi
.
Claims to have been at cinema but no corroboration except stub of ticket for seat. Unsatisfactory, as no proof seat was occupied.
D3c.
Theory of Crime
.
Wished to manoeuvre separation between D1. and D2. in order to prevent possibility of lawful issue, in default of which would inherit substantial portion of estate. Secured Munday's help. Munday threatened exposure, was lured to Weeton Hill by anonymous letter and there shot.
D3d.
Evidence
.
Munday's statement that Renfield delivered anonymous letter'. Murder weapon traced to him.
If D4. (Holland Kent)
then:
D4a.
Motive
.
Intrigue with D2.
D4b.
Alibi
.
None. Known to have been out that night. State dined with lady. Refuses to give name. Probably with D2. Probably a picnic meal in car by wayside. If spot is identified, then, if in vicinity of Weeton Hill, identity of place is established; if elsewhere, alibi is confirmed. See D2.
D4c.
Theory of crime
.
Intrigue with D2, and consequent desire to dispose of D1, in order to make marriage possible. Wrote anonymous letter to lure Tamar to Weeton Hill, and there shot Munday in mistake, Munday having got to know what was happening and being on the spot.
D4d.
Evidence
.
None. Suspicions arising from known circumstances.
If D5. (Lady Alice Belchamber)
then:
D5a.
Motive
.
Vendetta against D2.
D5b.
Alibi
.
States evening spent in flat, but evidence of porter she was seen returning late at night. Photo of niece's Bayard car showing it on Weeton Hill Road. Near approach to establishing identity of place.
D5c.
Theory of crime
.
Known to have carried her vendetta against Ds so far as to have engaged D8. (Martin) as private detective to try to discover some scandal involving her and may in that way have exposed herself to blackmail.
D5d.
Evidence
.
Porter's statement. Car photo. Knife wound, and Substitution of second knife for first one.
If D6. (Ernie Maddox)
then:
D6a.
Motive
.
Intrigue with Judy? Blackmail? Accomplice of D5. (aunt) in vendetta or of D7. (Judy Patterson) in freeing himself from D2. entanglement.
D6b.
Alibi
.
None.
D6c.
Theory of Murder
.
Present to meet or in company of D2. or D7. and fired at Munday in panic.
D6d.
Evidence
.
Photo of Bayard Seven on Weeton Hill Road.
If D7. (Judy Patterson)
then:
D7a.
Motive
.
Blackmail or mistook Munday for person interrupting rendezvous on Weeton Hill.
D7b.
Alibi
.
Strong, but not conclusive. Known to have travelled that night by train to Whatah Ope cottage and to have arrived at Beam End station, but could have reached Weeton Hill in time if car or motor cycle available. No proof of this. Man in broad-brimmed hat seen with car in vicinity, but no proof of identity.
D7c.
Theory of crime
.
Has admitted to meeting D2. on Weeton Hill. Munday knew this and arranged trap. D7. possibly took Munday for Di. or Munday murdered as a result of his attempted interference or blackmail.