my son were in the lift.”
“Yes, my lord, that is how I understand the case at present. I’m afraid this will seem very annoying to you but you see we usually take statements separately for purposes of comparison.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Fox. Of course you do. I’m afraid I’m—”
“Very natural, my lord, that you should be, I’m sure. Then I take it that Lady Wutherwood must have begun to scream while the lift was near the bottom of the shaft?”
Lord Charles twisted his mouth wryly and said yes.
“And continued as it returned to your landing?”
“Yes.”
“Yes. Would you mind telling me what happened when the lift stopped at the top landing?”
“We were bewildered. We couldn’t think what had happened, why she was — was making such an appalling scene. She — she — I should explain that she is rather highly-strung. A little hysterical, perhaps. The lift stopped and Henry opened the doors. She rushed out, almost fell out, into my wife’s arms. My son, the twin — I — it’s too stupid that I can’t tell you which it was — came out without speaking, or if he did speak I didn’t hear him. You see I was looking in the lift.”
“That must have been a great shock to you, my lord,” said Fox simply.
“Yes: A great shock.”
“I saw my brother,” said Lord Charles loudly and rapidly. “He was sitting at the end of the seat. The injury — it was there — I saw it — I–I didn’t understand then, that they — my sister-in-law and my son — had gone down in the lift without at first realizing there was anything the matter.”
“When
“As soon as my wife had calmed her down a little she began to speak about it. She was very wild and incoherent, but I made out as much as that.”
“You did not question your son, my lord? Whichever son it was,” inquired Fox, as if the confusion of one’s children’s identities was the most natural thing in the world.
“No. There doesn’t seem to have been any time to talk to anybody.”
“And of course if you had questioned him you would have known which he was?”
“Yes,” rejoined Lord Charles evenly, “of course.”
“Did any of the others talk to him, my lord?”
“I really don’t know. How could I? If I had heard that, I would—” He stopped short. “I really can’t tell you more than that.”
“I understand, my lord. I must thank you for your courtesy and apologize again for causing you so much pain. There are only one or two other points. Did you touch your brother?”
“No!” said Lord Charles violently. “No! No! They carried him out and took him to my room. That is all.”
“And you did not see him again until you came into his room while I was there?”
“I took Dr. Kantripp to the room and waited with him. The children’s old nurse was there. She helped the doctor until the trained nurse arrived.”
“I take it that Dr. Kantripp—” Fox paused for a moment — “the doctor did everything that was necessary? I mean, my lord, that the injury was unattended until he came?”
Lord Charles made an effort to speak, failed to do so, and nodded his head. At last he managed to say: “We thought it better not to — not to try to — we didn’t know whether it might prove fatal to—”
“To remove anything? Quite so.”
“Is that all?”
“I shan’t trouble you much further, my lord, but I should like to ask if you know whether his lordship had any enemies.”
“Enemies! That’s an extravagant sort of way to put it.”
“It’s the way we generally put it, my lord. I daresay it does sound rather exaggerated but you see the motive for this sort of crime is usually something a bit stronger than dislike.”
To this bland rejoinder Lord Charles found nothing to say.
“Of course,” Fox continued, “the term enemies is used rather broadly, my lord. I might put it another way and ask if you know of anyone who had good reason to wish for Lord Wutherwood’s death.”
Lord Charles answered this question instantly with a little spurt of words that sounded oddly mechanical.
“If you mean, do I know of anyone who would benefit by his death,” he said, “I suppose you may say that his heirs will do so. I am his heir.”
“Well, yes, my lord. I know Lord Wutherwood had no son.”
“Do you, by God!” said Lord Charles. The exclamation was completely out of key with the level courtesy of his earlier rejoinders but Fox took it in his stride.
“I have heard that is the case,” he said. “I understand that two of his lordship’s servants were here. It’s not very nice,” continued Fox with an air of one who apologizes for a slight error in taste, “to have to think of people in this light, but—”
“Murder,” said Lord Charles, “is not very nice either. You are quite right, Mr. Fox. My brother’s chauffeur and my sister-in-law’s maid were both there.”
“Might I trouble you for their names, my lord?”
“Tinkerton and Giggle.”
“Giggle, my lord?”
“Yes. That’s the chauffeur.”
“Quite an unusual name,” said Fox, placidly busy with his notes. “Have they been long with his lordship?”
“I believe that Tinkerton was with my sister-in-law before she married and that’s twenty-five years ago. Giggle began at Deepacres as an odd boy and under-chauffeur. His father was coachman to my father.”
“Family servants,” murmured Fox, placing them. “And of course your own servants would be in the flat?”
“Yes. There’s Baskett, the butler; and the cook and two maids. They may not all have been in. I’ll find out.”
He stretched his hand out to the bell.
“In a minute, thank you, my lord. These are all the servants you employ?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you spoke of a nurse, my lord.”
“Oh — you mean Nanny,” said Lord Charles who now seemed to have himself very well in hand. “Yes, of course there’s Nanny. We don’t think of her as one of the servants.”
“No, my lord?”
“No. She’s the real head of affairs, you see.”
“Oh, yes!” said Fox politely. “I would be much obliged if you would send for the butler now.”
Baskett came in with his usual ineffable butler’s walk, executed with the arms held straight down, the hands lightly closed and turned out with the palms downwards. It was the deliberate relaxed pose of a man whose deportment is an important factor in his profession. Baskett did it superbly.
“Oh, Baskett,” said Lord Charles, “Inspector Fox would like to ask you about the people who were in the servants’ quarters this evening. Were all the maids in?”
“Ethel was out, my lord. Mrs. James and Blackmore were in.” He glanced at Fox. “That is the cook and the parlourmaid, sir,” he explained.
“Any visitors in your quarters?” asked Fox.
“Yes, sir. Lord Wutherwood’s chauffeur and Lady Wutherwood’s maid. The chauffeur was in the staff sitting- room, sir, for some time, and then went into No. 26 to help Master Michael with his trains. Miss Tinkerton was with Mrs. Burnaby in her room.”
“Mrs. Burnaby?”
“That’s Nanny,” explained Lord Charles.
“Thank you, my lord. And that is the entire household at the time of the occurrence?”
“I think so,” said Lord Charles. “Was there anyone else in your part of the world, Baskett?”
