Read Online The Act of Roger Murgatroyd by Gilbert Adair - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gilbert Adair
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don’t think it’s –’
‘You do understand, don’t you, that if you refuse, we can’t conduct the investigation at all?’
‘Yes, you
have
made that point, Inspector.’
‘You’ll all have to sit about waiting for the police to turn up, wondering which of you did it, why they did it and whether they’ll do it again. Is that really what you want?’
‘No, no, of course it’s not, but I shan’t – I shan’t be bullied, you know. I’m a free agent and – well, it does seem – I’m sure Cynthia feels the same way, don’t you, my –’
‘Oh, for cripes’ sake, Clem!’ Cora Rutherford ejaculated. ‘We’re all in this together! And, frankly – I’d never say this except under circumstances as exceptional as these – but, frankly, you really have the least to lose! I would wager, from what Gentry hinted at last night, that most of us have already rumbled your Terrible Secret. And it’s going to come out anyway, whether you like it or not.’
‘She does have a point, Reverend,’ said Trubshawe softly.
The Vicar gazed helplessly at his wife, whose twinkly-eyed decency and pragmatism, precisely the modest English virtues one would expect to find in the helpmeet to a man of the Anglican cloth, were of scant assistance to him in a dilemma of this order. Then he gulped – you could almost hear him gulp – and said:
‘Oh, very well. But I do insist that – that –’
‘Yes?’
‘Oh, well, no, nothing. Yes, yes, I agree.’
‘Good,’ said Trubshawe, rubbing his hands in anticipation.
He looked at his watch.
‘Ten-fifteen. You’ve all been up now for over two hours. May I suggest you repair to your bedrooms, freshen up and get dressed. Then we’ll all come together in, let’s say, twenty minutes – inside the library.
‘And what,’ he appended to what he’d already stated, ‘what
does
go without saying is that none of you take it upon yourself to go wandering up to the attic. Not, you understand, that I don’t trust you. Except that, if Miss Mount is right, and I think she is, there’s at least one person in this room whom none of you can afford to trust. You get what I mean?’
They all got what he meant.
‘So, Colonel,’ he said, ‘would you like to show me the way?’
They were already deep in conversation as they entered the library, Tobermory plodding faithfully behind them.
‘I must say I began to think that Vicar chappie was going to scupper the whole scheme,’ the Chief-Inspector could be heard saying.
‘Yes, he’s something of a fusspot all right,’ answered the Colonel. ‘But he’s also a nice well-meaning old bird and all he needed was a poke in the ribs.’
‘I believe I’ll start the ball rolling with him, just so he’ll have no time to change his mind.’
‘I say, Trubshawe, this
is
a rum affair and no mistake.’
‘That’s true enough,’ said the policeman. ‘I never in my career came across such an outrageous crime. It’s like something out of one of Evadne Mount’s – whatyamacallums? – whodunits.’
‘Don’t let her hear you say that. Said exactly the same thing myself and had my head snapped off for it.’
‘Really? I’d have thought she’d take it as a compliment.’
‘Oh, you know what people are like. You pay them the wrong kind of compliment and they react as though they’ve never been so insulted in all their lives. Alexis Baddeley, I’ll have you know, won’t be doing with locked-room murders.’
‘Is that so?’ replied a bemused Trubshawe. ‘Choosy about the kind of murders she solves, is she? Wish I could have been.’
‘I’ve no patience with Evie’s stuff myself, but Mary tells me that, apart from locked rooms, you’ll find the whole trumpery bag of tricks. You know, a secret passage that only the murderer has a key to. A clock and a mirror facing each other at the scene of the crime, meaning the dial was read in reverse. Some black sheep of a family shipped off to South Africa and supposed to
‘You do understand, don’t you, that if you refuse, we can’t conduct the investigation at all?’
‘Yes, you
have
made that point, Inspector.’
‘You’ll all have to sit about waiting for the police to turn up, wondering which of you did it, why they did it and whether they’ll do it again. Is that really what you want?’
‘No, no, of course it’s not, but I shan’t – I shan’t be bullied, you know. I’m a free agent and – well, it does seem – I’m sure Cynthia feels the same way, don’t you, my –’
‘Oh, for cripes’ sake, Clem!’ Cora Rutherford ejaculated. ‘We’re all in this together! And, frankly – I’d never say this except under circumstances as exceptional as these – but, frankly, you really have the least to lose! I would wager, from what Gentry hinted at last night, that most of us have already rumbled your Terrible Secret. And it’s going to come out anyway, whether you like it or not.’
‘She does have a point, Reverend,’ said Trubshawe softly.
The Vicar gazed helplessly at his wife, whose twinkly-eyed decency and pragmatism, precisely the modest English virtues one would expect to find in the helpmeet to a man of the Anglican cloth, were of scant assistance to him in a dilemma of this order. Then he gulped – you could almost hear him gulp – and said:
‘Oh, very well. But I do insist that – that –’
‘Yes?’
‘Oh, well, no, nothing. Yes, yes, I agree.’
‘Good,’ said Trubshawe, rubbing his hands in anticipation.
He looked at his watch.
‘Ten-fifteen. You’ve all been up now for over two hours. May I suggest you repair to your bedrooms, freshen up and get dressed. Then we’ll all come together in, let’s say, twenty minutes – inside the library.
‘And what,’ he appended to what he’d already stated, ‘what
does
go without saying is that none of you take it upon yourself to go wandering up to the attic. Not, you understand, that I don’t trust you. Except that, if Miss Mount is right, and I think she is, there’s at least one person in this room whom none of you can afford to trust. You get what I mean?’
They all got what he meant.
‘So, Colonel,’ he said, ‘would you like to show me the way?’
They were already deep in conversation as they entered the library, Tobermory plodding faithfully behind them.
‘I must say I began to think that Vicar chappie was going to scupper the whole scheme,’ the Chief-Inspector could be heard saying.
‘Yes, he’s something of a fusspot all right,’ answered the Colonel. ‘But he’s also a nice well-meaning old bird and all he needed was a poke in the ribs.’
‘I believe I’ll start the ball rolling with him, just so he’ll have no time to change his mind.’
‘I say, Trubshawe, this
is
a rum affair and no mistake.’
‘That’s true enough,’ said the policeman. ‘I never in my career came across such an outrageous crime. It’s like something out of one of Evadne Mount’s – whatyamacallums? – whodunits.’
‘Don’t let her hear you say that. Said exactly the same thing myself and had my head snapped off for it.’
‘Really? I’d have thought she’d take it as a compliment.’
‘Oh, you know what people are like. You pay them the wrong kind of compliment and they react as though they’ve never been so insulted in all their lives. Alexis Baddeley, I’ll have you know, won’t be doing with locked-room murders.’
‘Is that so?’ replied a bemused Trubshawe. ‘Choosy about the kind of murders she solves, is she? Wish I could have been.’
‘I’ve no patience with Evie’s stuff myself, but Mary tells me that, apart from locked rooms, you’ll find the whole trumpery bag of tricks. You know, a secret passage that only the murderer has a key to. A clock and a mirror facing each other at the scene of the crime, meaning the dial was read in reverse. Some black sheep of a family shipped off to South Africa and supposed to
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