“Tobias. An Army man himself, although he’d been invalided out. Recalled to do something or other in London. Died there in a Zeppelin raid.”
I knew who Tobias Baldwin was. And he hadn’t died in a Zeppelin raid. That was the official reason, but he’d been killed during one, and his murderer had never been caught. He’d worked for my father, and the fear early on was that his death had to do with his work. As time went by, that seemed more and more unlikely.
Was Ralph Mitchell in London when Captain Baldwin died? My father would have to look into that.
I remembered what Maggie had told me. That Mitchell had stood over Julia and cried, “Damn you, Crawford!” And he had had more than an hour’s head start-
“I must find a telephone,” I said quickly.
“Actually, there’s one at the house. Baldwin had it put in when he began reporting to London and Mrs. Palmer chose to live here after her father died in the bombing rather than stay in her husband’s London house. She believed it was safer, poor woman.”
If that was the case, where were Trelawney and Private Morton?
There was no time to consider that. I had only a dogcart at my disposal, and that wouldn’t carry me any great distance in pursuit of a motorcar. I needed to make the calls that Trelawney hadn’t. And as far as that went, where on earth was he? What had become of Private Morton? I was beginning to worry that they had run afoul of Mitchell somehow.
After asking Dr. Glover to send someone to the house of the Palmers’ cook’s daughter, to let her know what had become of her mistress, I set out alone in the dogcart, against all advice.
“If Mrs. Palmer is in danger, you will be as well, Sister,” Dr. Glover warned me. “He could come back. The man’s not stable if he’d do something like this to Julia Palmer. If he can’t find her, he’ll turn on you. Let me summon the constable; he’ll need your statement anyway.”
“There isn’t time. I’ll be all right. I must get to that telephone. I promise I’ll speak to the constable as soon as possible.”
“Then promise me as well that once your telephone calls are made, you’ll return to the surgery.”
Dr. Glover followed me to the door, quietly asking out of earshot of the others what was so urgent, but I wasn’t prepared to tell him that I thought Mitchell’s next victim was very likely going to be my father.
There was still no sign of Trelawney or of Private Morton on my return to the house. The door was shut, as I’d left it, but I took the horse around to the back where he couldn’t be seen by anyone approaching down the drive, and with the little pistol in my hand, I went from the kitchen through to the wide hall, searching for a telephone. I found it in the room that Captain Baldwin must have used for his study. I locked myself inside and sat down at the burled desk.
I called London first, but I was told by a voice I didn’t recognize that Colonel Crawford was not available.
The next call I put in went to Somerset and my mother. Iris, pleased to hear from me, was full of questions and finally told me that my mother was not to home.
“Where is she?” I asked, praying that she’d gone to market or was calling on friends.
“She went to the clinic, Miss Elizabeth. The one where you were. She should be coming home before very long.”
Debating what to say, I settled on, “Tell my mother, and Sergeant-Major Brandon if he’s with her, to close the house at once and go back to the clinic. They must wait there until I come. And you must go with them, taking Cook as well. Do you hear?”
“Yes, Miss, but Cook is in the midst of preparing dinner-”
“I’m sure she must be. But you must convince her to go with you. As quickly as you can, you must leave the house. There’s something wrong, Iris, and I don’t know what’s about to happen. It’s best if there isn’t anyone in the house at all.”
It took all of my persuasive powers to convince her to heed my warning. Iris, accustomed to the safety of the Crawford household, found it hard to believe that any threat could touch her there.
And my final call was put through to Longleigh House. Matron answered the telephone, and I asked if my mother was there, or, failing her, Simon Brandon.
She hesitated for a moment. “Sister, I shall be happy to take a message for them.”
I sighed. Had Simon gone missing again? Was that why my mother had been summoned to the clinic, in lieu of my father?
I said, “If I could speak to Captain Barclay-”
She was happy to tell me that he was available, if I could wait.
In short order, I heard his familiar voice on the line.
“I haven’t much time,” I began, “and so you must listen closely and not ask questions. I’m in Dorset, I’m calling from the home of the late Captain Baldwin. My parents or Simon will know the name. There’s been trouble here, and it’s my old adversary from France. He’s in England and bent on revenge. I don’t quite understand-but he’s shot the woman he wanted to marry, he’s posing as a Major, and it may be that he’s coming after my father. There’s quite a bit more, but it isn’t important right now. My father is in danger, and everyone else in the household could be as well. Where is Simon Brandon? Do you know?”
“There was a telephone message from London. A Captain Grayson in Portsmouth was trying to reach the Colonel. Your mother called here and is on her way to pick up Brandon. They’re going on to Portsmouth.”
Captain Grayson had probably told someone that I was attacked on board
“Tell them to stay at the clinic until I come there. Portsmouth can wait, it’s mostly a distraction and there’s nothing for Simon there. I don’t have a motorcar, Captain, but as soon as I can manage to find transportation I’m going to look for my father. He could be in grave danger,” I said again. “Please, you must tell Simon that, and to wait for me. I think the man we’re after is on his way to Somerset.”
There was a pounding at the main door of the house, and I ignored it. If it was Mitchell returning, so much the better, I could deal with him. Or at least try. I began opening drawers of the desk, looking for a revolver. Or had Captain Baldwin taken it to London with him? Surely he’d have other weapons, souvenirs.
Captain Barclay was saying, “I’ll take the doctor’s motorcar and come for you. Stay there, and tell me how to find you.”
“There isn’t time. I must go, there’s someone at the door.”
“Bess-”
But I was already putting up the receiver, trying to think what best to do. I hadn’t really expected Mitchell to come back again. Or to have second thoughts about witnesses when he had other quarry in mind.
But he had been very thorough, covering his tracks in France…
The main door crashed open. I could hear someone shouting from the passage, and I turned, opened one of the windows in the study, and went over the sill into the lilacs just beyond. The locked study door would keep him occupied while I went round to the front of the farmhouse and stole his motorcar.
I slipped toward the back of the house, where I couldn’t be seen through the windows, and then went the other direction toward the front.
Peering around the corner of the house I stopped stock-still and stared.
The motorcar was Trelawney’s.
Just then through the open parlor window I heard Private Morton call out, “There’s blood all over the floor in here.”
Trelawney shouted something, and I strode toward the voice.
“Where in heaven’s name have you been?” I demanded, walking into the house through the broken front door.
It was Trelawney’s turn to stare, and Hugh Morton, limping out of the parlor, said, his eyes on my uniform, “Is any of that blood yours?”
“There’s a horse harnessed to a dogcart around back,” I said quickly. “Put him out to pasture, if you please, Trelawney. And Private Morton, there’s a window open in the study. Close it. I’ll be waiting in the motorcar.” I handed him the key and walked out before they could waste time asking questions. All I could think of was my father, and the man who was going to hunt him down.
