The elderly lady and her husband exchanged shocked glances.
“Do be quiet, Daisy,” hissed Rose. “You’re drawing attention to us.”
But it was a relief to be back in their rooms again and to be able to undress and climb into their respective beds.
Rose’s last thought before she fell asleep was of Harry. He would be so angry with her.
? Our Lady of Pain ?
Three
– Jonathan Swift
“You what?”
Kerridge shifted uneasily but stared defiantly at the head of Scotland Yard, Sir Ian Wetherby.
“The lady’s maid, Thomson, thought that Miss Duval might have been expecting a visit from a royal personage.”
“Drop that line of investigation immediately, do you hear?”
“Yes, sir. But this is murder.”
“Leave it alone. Why are you fiddling about with this? Lady Rose Summer is found standing over a body with a gun in her hand. Arrest her.”
“Her lawyer is Sir Crispin Briggs. He would point out we hadn’t a case. Jewellery was stolen. The fingerprints on the gun are those of Lady Rose, but also there are other fingerprints as well.”
“I am surprised Hadshire let you fingerprint his precious daughter.”
“We lifted her fingerprints from her office desk and typewriter.”
“I still think she’s done it. Probably had an accomplice. Go and interview her again. I still think we have a good case against her but I will leave it to your discretion.”
Meaning, thought Kerridge, that if I make a mistake, it’s all my fault.
So on the morning of Rose’s flight, Kerridge fought his way through the questioning press to the earl’s front door and knocked loudly. He had taken the precaution of telephoning to say he was coming. The door opened a crack and then wider as Brum recognized the visitor. A babble of questions shouted by the press followed Kerridge indoors.
“Pray inform his lordship that I wish to speak to Lady Rose again.”
Brum went off up the stairs. Kerridge waited a long time. Brum finally came back down and said, “His lordship is now prepared to see you.”
The earl was seated in the morning room with Lady Polly. “I think it necessary to interview Lady Rose again.”
“You’ll need to wait till Briggs gets here.”
The door opened and Brum reappeared. “My lord, Hunter informs me that neither Lady Rose nor Miss Levine are in their rooms and they have taken luggage.” Hunter was Rose’s lady’s maid.
He was followed by an agitated Matthew Jarvis. “The money’s gone from the safe, my lord. This note was lying in it.”
The earl took the note and scrutinized it. It was from Daisy. It said bluntly, “We have run away. The money will be replaced when we return. Yr. Humble and Obedient Servant, Daisy Levine.”
“Get Cathcart!” howled the earl.
“This is very bad, my lord,” said Kerridge. “Sir Ian Wetherby already considers Lady Rose to be guilty. Her running away will only confirm it.”
“Captain Cathcart,” announced Brum in tones of doom.
“That was quick,” said the earl. “I’ve only just told Matthew to get you.”
“I was already on my way.” Harry looked round at the strained faces. “What’s up?”
“Lady Rose has run away,” said Kerridge.
“How could she be so stupid?” raged Harry. “If the press gets to hear of this, she’ll be as good as hanged in tomorrow’s papers. Kerridge, we must get her back before this gets out.”
Kerridge said, “Do you remember last year when we had to smuggle them out of the house? They went out over the garden wall at the back.”
“Come on,” said Harry, “let’s look. My lord, make sure none of your servants breathes a word of this to the press.”
¦
In the garden they found the ladder propped against the wall. “We’ll go to the nearest cab rank,” said Kerridge. “They must have taken a hack somewhere. I’ll put out an alert that all ports and stations are to be watched.”
“If you do that, when she returns you will be obliged to arrest her. Let me find her and bring her back,” pleaded Harry.
“I could lose my job.”
“If Wetherby asks, tell him she’s had a nervous breakdown and you need to wait to see her again.”
Kerridge sighed. “I’ll give you a couple of days. I can’t hold out longer than that.”
¦
By diligent questioning, working all day and long into the evening, Harry traced them as far as Paddington station. A porter remembered two ladies, one heavily veiled and one cheeky one. He had put their luggage on the train and he’d heard the cheeky one saying they were going to Thurby-on-Sea. Harry checked the timetable. There were no trains to Thurby-on-Sea until early morning the next day. He returned to his car parked outside the station and said to Becket, “I’ve found out where they’ve gone. Thurby-on-Sea. We’ll set out first thing in the morning. I’m bone-weary. I need some sleep. It’ll be better if we drive instead of taking the train.”
“They may have journeyed on from Thurby,” said Becket anxiously.
“I know the place. It’s a dead-alive hole. They won’t be going any further. I need to let my anger calm down or I’ll strangle Lady Rose.”
“Perhaps I could go myself,” suggested Becket. “I don’t mind driving through the night.”
“No, Becket.”
¦
Rose and Daisy went back up to their rooms after breakfast the next morning. It had been raining during the night and the wind still howled with dreadful ferocity. They locked the doors and took off their disguises.
“I’m bored,” said Rose. “It’s like being under some sort of genteel house arrest. I know, I put some books in the bottom of my trunk.”
Rose had not completely unpacked. She searched through clothes and underwear, and then sat back on her heels with a cry of alarm.
Daisy came to join her. Lying in the bottom of the trunk beside three books was a bundle of letters. Rose selected one. It read, “Trollops like you shouldn’t be allowed to live. I’m coming to get you.” Rose picked up one after the other, reading feverishly.
“These are the threatening letters,” she said, turning a white face to Daisy. “Someone put them in my luggage.”
“What threatening letters?”
“Captain Cathcart said something about someone sending threatening letters to Miss Duval. He then said the letters were now missing. What are they doing in my luggage?”
“Someone’s trying to get you accused of the murder,” said Daisy.
“Whoever it is must have been watching and followed us,” said Rose. “There are very few guests. Did you notice anyone in particular?”
Daisy furrowed her brow. “Let me see. Last night was busier. There was that elderly couple; a travelling
