Read Online The Shadow at Greystone Chase (An Angela Marchmont Mystery Book 10) by Clara Benson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Clara Benson
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expression a mixture of sympathy and exasperation.
‘I can see there’s no use in arguing with you,’ he said at last. ‘You’ve obviously made your mind up.’
‘I have.’
‘Then let me help you.’
‘What?’ said Angela in surprise.
‘If you’re really determined to do it, then it’s best you get it over and done with as quickly as possible,’ said Freddy. ‘And two heads are better than one, so why not take mine, such as it is? I’ve been reading about the case, and I’ve thought of one or two lines of inquiry that it might be worth while to pursue.’
‘Oh, you’ve been reading about it, have you?’ said Angela. ‘Then you knew perfectly well I wouldn’t come away.’
‘Of course I knew. But I had to try. What sort of friend should I be if I didn’t?’
Angela made no reply, but looked slightly less mutinous. Freddy sensed a thaw.
‘Come now, don’t be angry. You know my motives are always of the purest,’ he said, and attempted a winning smile which merely made him look like a dismayed sheep. Angela felt a laugh coming and suppressed it. She gave it up.
‘Oh, very well,’ she said. ‘You may consider your duty done. Now, kindly forget all this nonsense about my abandoning the thing and tell me what you’ve found out.’
‘There’s not much to tell. I spoke to someone from the Kent police, a sergeant. He was a constable ten years ago and remembered the case well. They were pretty sure he’d done it, especially since they found traces of her in the cupboard in his room. Interestingly, the sergeant said he’d never have thought Valencourt was the type, but they had a number of witnesses, including servants, who said that he and Selina had had a volatile relationship and rowed frequently—even when he’d been away and was home for only a few days. This chap said he had the impression that Selina was a woman who liked to have her own way, although the family didn’t say much on the subject.’
‘I see,’ said Angela. That seemed to bear out what Mr. Gilverson had said.
‘At any rate, the police thought Valencourt seemed honest and open enough, but they knew not to set much store by that. Some of the worst murderers in history have been very charming people.’
Angela thought back to some of her own investigations and was forced to admit it was true.
‘Did the sergeant have anything to say as to why the family left Valencourt to his fate?’ she said.
‘No, but it strikes me as rather odd. There was nothing to suggest that he didn’t get along with the rest of them, but apparently they were noticeably quiet when it came to the matter of defending him. I can only assume they must have believed he was guilty. Still, though, it looks like a poor show to me. If I’d done something beastly I’d hope my own mother would at least make an attempt to stick up for me. You know the circumstances of the murder, I take it?’
‘Yes,’ said Angela.
‘Not pleasant. Whoever did it must have been pretty wicked, don’t you think?’ he said, with a meaningful glance at her.
She ignored it and regarded him, thinking.
‘Listen,’ she said at last. ‘Did you really mean it when you said you would help?’
‘Of course I did.’
‘Then perhaps I shall let you. I’ve been here two days and I’m starting to realize that I haven’t much idea of how to go about it. It all happened so long ago, and after all this time it’s going to look rather suspicious if a complete stranger comes in and starts asking questions.’
‘The family still live at the house, I take it?’
‘Some of them,’ said Angela. ‘Valencourt’s parents are dead, but his brother and sister-in-law are still there. As for the other people who were in the house at the time, I don’t know where they are now. Selina’s brother was one of them, and I think there was a friend of his too.’
‘It seems to me that the first thing to do is to think of a way to gain admittance to the house and speak to the
‘I can see there’s no use in arguing with you,’ he said at last. ‘You’ve obviously made your mind up.’
‘I have.’
‘Then let me help you.’
‘What?’ said Angela in surprise.
‘If you’re really determined to do it, then it’s best you get it over and done with as quickly as possible,’ said Freddy. ‘And two heads are better than one, so why not take mine, such as it is? I’ve been reading about the case, and I’ve thought of one or two lines of inquiry that it might be worth while to pursue.’
‘Oh, you’ve been reading about it, have you?’ said Angela. ‘Then you knew perfectly well I wouldn’t come away.’
‘Of course I knew. But I had to try. What sort of friend should I be if I didn’t?’
Angela made no reply, but looked slightly less mutinous. Freddy sensed a thaw.
‘Come now, don’t be angry. You know my motives are always of the purest,’ he said, and attempted a winning smile which merely made him look like a dismayed sheep. Angela felt a laugh coming and suppressed it. She gave it up.
‘Oh, very well,’ she said. ‘You may consider your duty done. Now, kindly forget all this nonsense about my abandoning the thing and tell me what you’ve found out.’
‘There’s not much to tell. I spoke to someone from the Kent police, a sergeant. He was a constable ten years ago and remembered the case well. They were pretty sure he’d done it, especially since they found traces of her in the cupboard in his room. Interestingly, the sergeant said he’d never have thought Valencourt was the type, but they had a number of witnesses, including servants, who said that he and Selina had had a volatile relationship and rowed frequently—even when he’d been away and was home for only a few days. This chap said he had the impression that Selina was a woman who liked to have her own way, although the family didn’t say much on the subject.’
‘I see,’ said Angela. That seemed to bear out what Mr. Gilverson had said.
‘At any rate, the police thought Valencourt seemed honest and open enough, but they knew not to set much store by that. Some of the worst murderers in history have been very charming people.’
Angela thought back to some of her own investigations and was forced to admit it was true.
‘Did the sergeant have anything to say as to why the family left Valencourt to his fate?’ she said.
‘No, but it strikes me as rather odd. There was nothing to suggest that he didn’t get along with the rest of them, but apparently they were noticeably quiet when it came to the matter of defending him. I can only assume they must have believed he was guilty. Still, though, it looks like a poor show to me. If I’d done something beastly I’d hope my own mother would at least make an attempt to stick up for me. You know the circumstances of the murder, I take it?’
‘Yes,’ said Angela.
‘Not pleasant. Whoever did it must have been pretty wicked, don’t you think?’ he said, with a meaningful glance at her.
She ignored it and regarded him, thinking.
‘Listen,’ she said at last. ‘Did you really mean it when you said you would help?’
‘Of course I did.’
‘Then perhaps I shall let you. I’ve been here two days and I’m starting to realize that I haven’t much idea of how to go about it. It all happened so long ago, and after all this time it’s going to look rather suspicious if a complete stranger comes in and starts asking questions.’
‘The family still live at the house, I take it?’
‘Some of them,’ said Angela. ‘Valencourt’s parents are dead, but his brother and sister-in-law are still there. As for the other people who were in the house at the time, I don’t know where they are now. Selina’s brother was one of them, and I think there was a friend of his too.’
‘It seems to me that the first thing to do is to think of a way to gain admittance to the house and speak to the
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