A Particular Eye for Villainy: (Inspector Ben Ross 4) Page 11

  ‘Jonathan started bombarding the Continent with letters around October of last year, after Flora’s nineteenth birthday, when the suitor appeared asking for her hand. But he was wasting his time and letter paper. Tom Tapley was already here. No wonder none of the post reached him. He’d flown the coop, returned to England . . . and it wasn’t because he wanted to get in touch with his cousin or his child.’

  There was a silence during which Ben took the poker and stirred up the fire. I sat mutinous, having been forced temporarily to concede the upper ground. But I was not completely out of ammunition. I considered that this might be the time to tell Ben about the clown. I should have told him the night Thomas Tapley died, but somehow the incident had slipped my mind while I’d been sitting in Mrs Jameson’s parlour.

  ‘I do believe this is a more complicated affair than getting permission for a marriage,’ I began. ‘I haven’t told you about the clown.’

  ‘Clown?’ Ben returned the poker to the companion set and sat back.

  ‘Yes, the clown Bessie and I saw on the new embankment, entertaining passers-by. That is, he was entertaining them until he stopped to follow Tapley across the bridge.’

  Ben groaned and buried his thick mop of black hair in his hands. Looking up, he said hollowly. ‘Dunn called this a shilling shocker. Now you are going to throw in a clown and make it a regular fairground? What is this all about, for pity’s sake?’

  I related my story and when I’d finished, Ben was silent for a few minutes before beginning in what I call his ‘reasonable’ voice. ‘I’m sorry you and Bessie met this fellow on the embankment. I know how you feel about clowns. But I really do believe you’re letting your personal experience influence your feelings in this whole business of Thomas Tapley’s murder. It influences your view of Jonathan Tapley and his wife and their actions. It influences your view of Thomas’s motives in returning to England. A fear born of a child’s visit to a circus influences this episode of the clown.’

  ‘No!’ I protested. ‘I saw—’

  ‘You saw a man, dressed in a garish outfit, with a painted face, juggling on the embankment. The sight frightened you.’ He leaned forward to take my hand. ‘Later you see the same fear-inspiring figure crossing the bridge ahead of you. By your own admission, he pays no attention to you. The interest is directed all from you towards him. As it happens, Thomas has begun to cross the bridge moments earlier, and so is ahead of the clown. To you, in your panic, it seems the clown must be following Thomas . . .’

  I opened my mouth in protest but he signalled me to wait until he’d finished.

  ‘To you, you must understand, the clown is a sinister figure and must have a correspondingly sinister purpose. He cannot, to you, just be a street entertainer with no plan other than to gather enough pennies from generous-minded passers-by to take home to, probably, his wife and children. They have to be fed and the rent for their room paid. He has no other trade. I would suggest, Lizzie dear, that you are ashamed of your irrational fear. Therefore, you seek to justify it. The clown is a villain, he must be. But no, my darling, he isn’t.’

  It’s true this tied in very much with my own thoughts as I’d rolled pastry for the pie the evening of the day I’d seen the clown. I’d told myself then that my fear for Thomas Tapley was an extension of my own fear. But I did not like to hear Ben say it with such confidence, not in view of what had happened since. I withdrew my hand from his. ‘Very well,’ I said stiffly. ‘I won’t mention the clown again. But I am entitled to my opinion. Moreover, I was there and you weren’t.’

  ‘I can’t argue with that. I don’t want us to argue at all. But at the risk of offending you further, Lizzie, I must tell you I shall not be home until late tomorrow evening. I’ll get myself something to eat in a chophouse. Don’t cook for me.’

  ‘Where are you going?’ I asked curiously.

  ‘As it happens, I’m going to try to catch Jonathan Tapley at home. I want to interview him on his own ground. I want to meet Mrs Tapley and, especially, I want to meet Miss Flora Tapley. I should like to present my condolences to both. He has a house, by the way, in Bryanston Square, not so very far from your Aunt Parry’s in Marylebone.’

  ‘They are in mourning,’ I warned. ‘They won’t like you calling, particularly unexpectedly.’

  Ben gave a grim smile. ‘Nobody likes the police calling and it is our bad habit to turn up when unexpected. I agree, Jonathan won’t like it at all, but neither will he be surprised. I am a miner’s son and missed out on all the social niceties. I have no scruples about disturbing a gentleman enjoying his after-dinner port and cigar. So far that man has manipulated me very skilfully. Well, it’s time our master of courtroom tricks found himself on the defence.’

  ‘You don’t like him,’ I said, with a certain triumph creeping into my voice. ‘Any more than I do.’

  ‘You haven’t met him,’ he reproved me.

  ‘I don’t need to meet him. I disapprove his actions. Anyway, you don’t like him and I am to respect your opinion before forming any judgement, it seems. You are right about the clown so you must be right about Jonathan Tapley.’

  There was another silence. ‘I haven’t heard the last of this, have I?’ Ben said with resignation.

  ‘No, Inspector Ross, you haven’t. But don’t worry. I shan’t raise the matter again unless I have some new information for you. If you’re interested in any information I may acquire, that is.’

  ‘Lizzie . . .’ he warned. ‘Be careful.’

  ‘Oh, I won’t upset Superintendent Dunn!’ I promised.

  ‘Since you will not be home to dine this evening,’ I said to Ben at breakfast, ‘I think I’ll go and call on my Aunt Parry. It’s some time since I saw her. She always complains of being neglected. I’ll go this afternoon. Bessie can come with me and visit her friends below stairs.’

  Before coming to work for us, Bessie had been kitchen maid in my aunt’s household.

  ‘How will you get there?’ he asked, drinking his coffee too fast and getting to his feet.

  ‘We’ll walk up to the railway station and take a cab at the rank there.’

  ‘Good, good, give your aunt my warm regards.’ Ben was struggling into his coat as he spoke. ‘I’ll see you later on this evening.’ He grabbed a piece of toast and hurried out of the door.

  Bessie was delighted with the prospect of another day out. Accordingly, we set off in the early afternoon. As we walked to the railway station I looked out for Joey, but there was no sign of him. Bessie had been asking up and down the street if he’d appeared at kitchen doors, but no one had seen him. We would have to wait until he returned, as Ben was sure he eventually would.

  I had also hoped to see Wally Slater waiting at the cab rank. But he was not there. Several trains must have come at much the same time because only one growler waited for hire and we had to take it. The driver was a surly man whose nose suggested close acquaintance with the bottle and whose horse looked ill fed and neglected. I told him so (about the horse, that is) when we reached our destination. He replied that I knew nothing about horseflesh and his animal was as fit as a fiddle. I retaliated remarking that the animal’s harness was dirty and ill fitting. He replied that if I didn’t like his cab, I was free to have taken another. Moreover, he was a working man with a living to earn and he couldn’t wait about here, listening to wealthy women tell him his business.

  I could have replied I wasn’t wealthy but, since he had delivered me to a house in a very expensive area and the butler had just opened the door to admit me, he’d only have laughed.

  My Aunt Parry never appeared before noon. Her mornings were spent in bed, eating a light breakfast and attending to her correspondence. By one o’clock, however, she was dressed and ready to sit down to a substantial luncheon. When we arrived, at three, she was in her upstairs parlour about to drink tea with her companion.

  I had originally come to London to fill that same post. It had led to my meeting Ben again, for the first time since our
childhood, so all had turned out well for me. On the other hand, the arrangement had not altogether suited Aunt Parry. I had put her in the annoying position of having to find another companion. She had not been sorry to see me leave. I was too outspoken and my behaviour was considered by her to be outlandish. Despite this, she still insisted I had abandoned her selfishly in order to marry – and marry a policeman at that.

  Since my departure, three companions in quick succession had passed through the household. She was now ‘trying out’ the fourth unfortunate. I found them sitting either side of the fire, my aunt in purple satin and the companion, Laetitia Bunn by name, in dark green glazed cotton. Both were short and stubby in build. The impression given was of a ripe plum that had fallen from a small rounded tree.

  ‘Oh, Elizabeth my dear,’ cried Aunt Parry. ‘At last! I had begun to think you had left London and gone back to, where was it? Some place in Derbyshire. Not a word from you. How are you and how is Inspector Ross?’ Before I could answer, she indicated me for the benefit of Miss Bunn and added, ‘This is Mrs Ross, my niece, Laetitia. I have spoken to you of her.’

  To be accurate, I wasn’t her niece. She was the widow of my godfather. But we’d settled on ‘aunt’ as a mode of address.

  I don’t know what Aunt Parry had told Miss Bunn about me but the poor girl stared at me as if I’d escaped from a menagerie.

  ‘I am very pleased to meet you, Miss Bunn,’ I said to her. ‘I hope you are settling in well here?’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ whispered Miss Bunn, ‘oh, very much so. Mrs Parry is so kind.’

  She seemed a mousy female, anxious to please, in dread of being dismissed, and generally in the wretched situation of most companions. I felt sorry for her but there was an army of Miss Bunns out there up and down the country, of respectable family but of no fortune and with no relative left able to take them in. I am critical of Aunt Parry, but I had been in the situation of Miss Bunn when Aunt Parry had invited me to London. At the time I’d been grateful and I told myself now not to forget it.

  ‘It is very draughty in here,’ announced Aunt Parry. ‘Just ring the bell, Laetitia, so that Simms can bring more tea. And run and fetch my shawl – the light blue cashmere one. Thank you, my dear.’

  Miss Bunn jumped to her feet; pulled the bell rope so hard that it was a wonder it didn’t come off, and scurried out to fetch the shawl.

  ‘Oh, my dear Lizzie,’ confided Aunt Parry as soon as the companion had left. ‘She is driving me quite out of my mind. She plays a wretched game of whist, can’t count, you see, poor child. Muddles her hand all up. She has no conversation. Uneducated, lamentably uneducated. When she reads to me she has to stop before any really long word and think it out. She stammers and puts the stress on the wrong syllables and, well, really it’s painful having to listen. How I miss you, dear Elizabeth, and how I wish you were still here. But, there, you would run off and marry that policeman.’

  Fortunately I hadn’t to reply to this speech as Simms, the butler, arrived at that moment and was despatched to bring fresh tea and another cup for me. ‘And perhaps a few scones!’ added Aunt Parry brightly, ignoring the fact that she’d not long eaten luncheon.

  ‘Are you well, Aunt Parry?’ I asked. ‘Are there any other changes in the household? Is Nugent still with you?’

  Nugent was the much-put-upon lady’s maid.

  Aunt Parry gave a squeal of dismay at the prospect of being Nugent-less. ‘If I hadn’t Nugent I should really be in a dreadful state. And no, I am not well. I suffer dreadfully with indigestion and the powders don’t help a bit.’

  Eating less might help, I thought.

  ‘Mrs Simms misses that kitchen maid you took with you,’ Aunt Parry continued her litany of complaints. ‘Of course I took on another girl to replace, what-was-her-name, Bessie, yes, Bessie. Another charity girl, but Mrs Simms says she is a very slow learner. But there, you would take Bessie with you when you left. You know, Elizabeth, fond of you as I am, I have to tell you that you played havoc with my household when you went off to get married. You might have given me some consideration. Oh, there you are, Laetitia, whatever kept you so long?’

  The next few minutes were spent arranging the blue shawl around Aunt Parry’s plump shoulders and then Simms appeared with the fresh pot of tea and the scones, so it was a little while before conversation resumed. We spoke first about Frank Carterton, Aunt Parry’s genuine nephew, who had entered the Foreign Office and was at present, to her great distress, in Peking with Her Majesty’s newly established Legation there. For years the Chinese had steadfastly refused to allow the British barbarians to have an official representative in Peking. The emperor had eventually been forced to concede to our wishes; although the Chinese still made it clear that the newcomers’ red faces were unwelcome in their capital. For once Aunt Parry had some reason for concern. Typically, however, her first worry was that Frank wouldn’t be eating properly.

  ‘Living on rice, poor boy,’ she said, dabbing butter from her chin. ‘I am sure it’s so. He writes me that a very varied diet is available to him, although all of it prepared in the Chinese manner, as that is the only way the cooks know how to do it. But I think he is only trying to calm my nerves. I do worry about dear Frank. I worried about him when he was in Russia, because of the Cossacks; and now I worry because the Chinese emperor is so very devious.’

  ‘I’m sure he’s safe, Aunt Parry. Frank is very resourceful.’

  ‘Well, he could have stayed home here with me. First you left me and then Frank went. I don’t know what you both imagined I should do here all on my own. But I dare say neither of you gave me a thought. It is the way of young people. I have Laetitia now, of course.’ Aunt Parry gazed gloomily at the companion who rattled her cup in the saucer, opened her mouth, closed it again and remained speechless and apprehensive.

  ‘Is there anything happening in the neighbourhood?’ I asked. I was seeking a way to introduce the topic of the Tapley family who, according to Ben, lived not far away. They might all attend the same parish church; or at least be on nodding acquaintance.

  As it turned out, all I had to do was ask that simple question.

  ‘My dear Elizabeth,’ Aunt Parry leaned forward and gripped the shawl at her bosom in dramatic fashion, ‘such a business. The Tapleys, a very well-respected family, you may not have heard of them, Elizabeth. Mr Jonathan Tapley is a very famous barrister. Well, can you believe it? Mr Tapley’s cousin was found murdered here in London, when he was supposed to be living in France, or was it Italy? One of the two. And his daughter, I mean the murdered man’s daughter, has lived all her life with Mr Jonathan Tapley and his wife and they quite regard her as their daughter. Indeed, I was under the impression she was their own child until all this happened. Poor little Flora Tapley . . . there is a very suitable young man, I believe, wanting to marry her, although with murders taking place in the family, perhaps he won’t want to now. One never knows who might be next.’

  Laetitia Bunn, showing herself to be far more astute than Aunt Parry gave her credit for, asked, ‘Is your husband, the police inspector, involved in any way, Mrs Ross?’

  Both women stared at me.

  ‘I believe he may know something about it,’ I said. ‘Since he works at Scotland Yard, he is bound to have heard something. Are the Tapleys, then, neighbours, Aunt Parry?’

  ‘Just a short walk away in Bryanston Square,’ said Aunt Parry. ‘It’s altogether too much excitement. This is a very quiet part of town. That is, until you came, Elizabeth, and Madeleine Hexham got herself murdered.’

  ‘I do believe, Aunt Parry, that Madeleine Hexham was murdered before I arrived,’ I protested. ‘It was to replace her that I came to you.’

  Miss Bunn asked quickly, ‘Miss Hexham was companion here, in this house? To you, Mrs Parry?’ She turned her slightly protruding pale blue gaze on her employer.

  Aunt Parry looked momentarily discomfited. ‘Yes, but her death had nothing at all to do with this house. She was a very silly
sort of girl, the kind who always gets into trouble. I don’t recollect the details.’

  Miss Bunn looked thoughtful.

  As Simms showed me out of the front door, Bessie came running up the steps from the basement where she’d been visiting her old friends.

  ‘I expect Mrs Simms and the maids were pleased to see you,’ I said to her as we set off. ‘Let’s walk in the general direction of Oxford Street. We shall easily find a cab along the way to take us home.’

  ‘We had a good chat,’ said Bessie with satisfaction. ‘Of course, all the talk round here just now is about the horrible murder of Mr Jonathan Tapley’s cousin. Staff, including Mr and Mrs Simms, were all really interested to hear I’d seen the poor gentleman not long before.’ Bessie smiled at the memory of her moment of glory when imparting this news. She went on, ‘Wilkins, the housemaid here, is walking out with the Tapleys’ footman. He told her that their household is in a terrible fret; no one knowing what’s going to happen from one minute to the next. Of course, it’s very sad for Mr Thomas Tapley although none of the staff knew him because he’d lived in France. But they are all sorry for Miss Flora, that’s the thing that’s causing the most upset.’

  ‘She’s lost her papa, her real papa,’ I said. ‘It’s to be expected she’s distressed.’

  ‘I don’t think she hardly knew him,’ said Bessie bluntly. ‘I think she was still in the nursery when he went to live in foreign parts and left her with her uncle and aunt. But she’s being courted by a very fine gentleman. He’s the younger son of a lord. If anything happened to his elder brother, then Miss Flora’s gentleman would become the heir to a title. So they can’t be doing with any scandal in the family. Mrs Tapley’s in a rare old state about it; and Mr Jonathan Tapley is in such a temper none of the staff dare speak to him.’