Джорджетт Хейер - Why Shoot a Butler

"Do you think you could try?" asked Amberley wearily. "I've no objection to Fraser looking about for a likely bandit; it ought to occupy his time very nicely. But I'm getting a little tired of hearing that singularly foolish theory. Dawson was not murdered by road-bandits."

"That is my own belief," said the colonel, keeping his end up. "The locality alone…'

"Yes, I've grasped that, Colonel. What you don't appear to have grasped is the considerable amount of data at your disposal."

"I think I have all the facts," said the colonel stiffly.

"I know you have," said Mr. Amberley. "I gave 'em to you in my original statement. They were refreshingly significant."

"As for instance - ?"

Mr. Amberley sat down on the edge of the table in the window. "I'll recapitulate, Colonel. By the way, it was a premeditated murder, you know."

The colonel jumped.

"I know nothing of the sort, I can assure you. I admit the possibility, but I should require very conclusive proof before I made such a positive statement."

Just so," said Mr. Amberley. "You would be very wise. And now I'll give you the proof. You have the corpse of a murdered man discovered in a car on a lonely road. First significant fact."

"The lonely road? I understand that you did not think that significant."

"On the contrary, highly significant. You, Colonel, treat it as a merely negative link in the chain. The second significant fact is the position of the car."

The colonel repeated rather blankly: "Of the car?… Well?"

"Certainly of the car. It was drawn up at the side of the road, with the engine switched off and only the side lamps burning. Why?"

The colonel made an airy gesture. "There might be several reasons. If the man was held up…'

"He would not have drawn right into the side. The car was definitely parked."

"Well, then, say he had engine trouble."

"Which he thought to overcome by an act of faith, presumably."

"I don't follow you."

"He made no attempt to get out of the car. It was a damp night, the road was muddy. The man's shoes were perfectly dry."

"True." The colonel nodded and fingered his moustache. "Then we're left - in default of other evidence - with the theory that he went to meet someone. But surely an odd place and an odd hour to choose?"

"It depends which way you look at it," said Amberley. "If he had any reason to wish to keep that meeting secret, not such an odd place or hour."

"Yes. Yes, there is something in that," admitted the colonel. "But we must not lose sight of the fact that the man was in no sense a suspicious character. He had been at the manor for many years, he was well known in the district; a decent, quiet servant, with no entanglements, not even a flirtation to his record. And this furtive assignation, you know, undoubtedly points to a woman in the case."

"I should not say "undoubtedly"," Mr. Amberley said. "Perhaps not. No, perhaps not. But go on, my dear fellow. Your third fact?"

"My third fact — also significant - is that Dawson was taken quite unawares and was shot before he knew that he was in any danger."

"Yes, I can see your reasoning. You are going on his position at the time of the murder. You assume that the person or persons whom he had gone to meet were lying in wait for him?"

"As a matter of fact, I don't. If the person he was going to meet had any reason for wishing him dead it is unlikely that Dawson would not have known it. In which case he would have been on his guard. Which he was not. Taking into consideration the hour, the place and the manner of the murder, I suggest that someone who had a very good reason for not wishing the assignation to take place discovered that it had been made and followed Dawson to the spot, and there shot him."

"How?" demanded the colonel. "You forget the man was in a car. He must have heard another car had there been one."

"I should imagine that he not only heard it, but also saw it," said Amberley. "Though I incline to the belief that the murderer was on a motor bicycle."

"Oh, you do, do you? And why?"

"Merely because if you are right in assuming that he lay in wait for Dawson a motor bicycle could have been hidden in the hedge, or possibly run into the field behind. There was a gate. But you may have your car if you like. The main point is that the murderer shot Dawson either from a place of concealment (which probably means that the actual place of meeting was known to him), or from some vehicle driven towards Dawson's car."

The colonel thought it over. "Yes. Quite possible, but not conclusive, Amberley. Not conclusive, you know. Say that I concede it for the purposes of discussion. With whom was the assignation made?"

"I suggest, Colonel, that you depute my friend Fraser to find that out. He won't succeed, of course, but it will keep him occupied for a bit."

"Really, really, Amberley!" expostulated the colonel half-heartedly. "If you haven't any theories to fit that, then tell me what you suppose the motive to be that prompted the murderer to stop the meeting at all costs? Or can't you advance an opinion on that either?"

"Oh, I can tell you that," replied Amberley. The motive was robbery, of course."

"Robbery? My dear fellow, what are you talking about? A moment ago you refused to listen to that theory!"

"Oh, no, I didn't," said Amberley calmly. "I only begged you to rid your mind of the bandit notion. I see you haven't succeeded. I wish you'd try. It's beginning to bore me."

The colonel bit back something he wanted very much to say. "Perhaps you will consider this little point: If, as you assert, the murder was deliberately planned, I take it we may assume that the assassin knew Dawson and was aware, in point of fact, of his station in life and of his probable resources? Very well. Will you have the goodness to inform me what the unknown assassin can have supposed Dawson to be carrying that was of sufficient value to induce him to commit a murder?"

Amberley regarded him in some amusement. "What a lot you think I know!" he remarked. "When you have discovered the answer to that riddle you will in all probability have discovered your murderer. I advise you to consider carefully two points. One, the fact that the dead man's pockets had been rifled, that there was neither notecase nor pocketbook found on him, but that in one trouser pocket was loose silver amounting to fifteen shillings, and a gold watch and chain in his waistcoat. Two, that during the past couple of years Dawson had been receiving money over and above the salary Fountain paid him. Which reminds me that I should like to know a little more about those various accounts of his."

"The inspector is making inquiries. It goes without saying that we fastened on to that at once. I'm to understand that in your opinion it was not money that the murderer wanted?"

"No, it was not money, Colonel."

The colonel rose reluctantly. "Well, it's all very interesting, but there isn't much to go on," he complained. "I seem to be just where I was. Haven't you any practical suggestion to make?"

"Not at present," said Mr. Amberley. "There is one thing I want investigated - but I think I'll do it myself. I'll let you know the result."

"Well, I shall rely on hearing from you as soon as possible," said the colonel. "In the meantime you must understand that we shall pursue investigations as we think best."

"Do," said Mr. Amberley cordially. "Carry on as you're doing now; you won't do any harm."

The colonel shook hands with Sir Humphrey and said over his shoulder with some hauteur: "We hope to do considerable good."

"Well, that's possible too," said Mr. Amberley. He held out his hand. "Goodbye. And I shouldn't worry, Colonel. Quite simple really, you know."

Sir Humphrey saw his guest off the premises and returned to the drawing room. "Frank, it is apparent to anyone who knows you that you are in possession of facts which you did not see fit to divulge to our friend Watson," he said severely.