Don Gutteridge - Unholy Alliance

“An’ you say this Chilton had an eye on someforbidden part of young Prissy?”

“I’m sure of it. If Bragg was soft onPriscilla himself, there could be plenty of reason for dislikingthe new man. Still, murder is an extreme solution.” Marc paused,then said, “There was another of the staff here who might have itin for the butler — Giles Harkness, Alfred’s younger brother.Macaulay told me he left in a huff a week or so before Chiltonarrived here, because he fancied himself a replacement for Alfred.He hasn’t been seen since, but he would know his way around theestate and would likely be able to get in through one of those reardoors even if they were locked. Though I can’t imagine Chiltonoffering him a drink or a toast.”

Cobb grinned. “I run inta the fella a day ortwo after he left.”

“You did?”

“Yup. Drunk as a skunk, he was, in The Cockand Bull. I dragged him to his lodgings. He was holed up in Mrs.McCurdy’s hovel fer down-an’-outs.” The wart on the end of Cobb’snose twitched as he added, “An’ the bugger made threats against hisemployer.”

“Excellent. You can check out his whereaboutslast night when you get back into town. It’s possible he conspiredwith one or more of his cronies here to do Chilton or Macaulay someharm. You’ll need to quiz the servants — tactfully — aboutthat.”

“Well, that certainly gives me a few hooks tobait when I go downstairs to start my in-terror-gatin’. An’servants have a nasty habit of seein’ more’n they’re supposed to.They may’ve seen or heard somethin’ that’ll be of use to us.” Cobbfollowed Marc back out into the hall. “Now, what about the bigwigs?We can’t just ignore ‘em, can we?”

“No, we can’t. I’d stake my life that neitherFrancis nor Robert was involved. But I’ll need to question them onwhat they might have seen or heard, especially in connection withthe laudanum container and the source of the sherry.”

“An’ why would four Frenchmen be worriedabout Chilton or what he was scribblin’ in his ledger? Was theresomethin’ secret goin’ on here?” Cobb gave Marc a quizzical look — part puzzlement, part scepticism.

“These gentlemen are. .ah. . fourbusinessmen here from Montreal. We were holding two days ofmeetings about some business plans we’re developing for the timewhen our two provinces are united.”

“I see. An’ were any of these business plans so important that the details needed to be kept under wrapsan’ well away from the competition?”

“That is quite possible.”

“So, what if Chilton was spyin’ on yer ad-lib-erations an’ scribblin’ such details in that bignotebook? Could one of the French gents’ve caught him at it — say,by poppin’ in last night fer a chat and a drink an’ then, havin’ abottle of loud-an’-numb to hand, distracted him fer a bitan’ doctored the sherry?”

Marc thought of someone who might have beencarrying laudanum on him, but said nothing to Cobb. Instead hesaid, “Chilton gave every sign of not speaking French, and ourFrench guests are only marginally acquainted with English, so it’shard to see how the butler could have been a spy or carried on acasual chat in French prior to the attempt on his life.”

“An’ Chilton come straight from England lastweek?”

“Apparently. He got off the Kingston toToronto stage last Thursday, according to Macaulay. And Iunderstand a letter from New York preceded him. It’s hard to seehow he could have been hired to come here to spy on a simplebusiness meeting or recruited on route. Still, I’ll need to knoweverything about Chilton that Macaulay knows. Something may alsoturn up when we search his room.”

“How are we gonna find the missin’ medicinebottle without searchin’ the whole house?”

“Good question. I’m certainly not going totreat our guests as suspects by ordering their rooms and suitcasesturned inside out. We’ll need to start slowly and cautiously.”

Just then Dr. Withers and Garnet Macaulayemerged from the library. Macaulay’s expression had gone frombewildered to distraught. He was wringing his hands.

“But that’s impossible, Angus! Thesegentlemen must be back in Quebec by Monday. They have obligations.They came here in good faith.”

“My hands are tied, Garnet. I have my duty ascoroner to perform.”

“What’s the trouble?” Marc asked.

“No trouble, counsellor,” Withers said. “Justthe law.”

“There’s got to be an inquest,” Macaulaysighed.

“Only if the police do not come up with amurderer,” Withers said, looking at Cobb.

“There has to be an inquest into anymysterious death,” Marc said to Macaulay.

“But we’ll be called as witnesses,” Macaulayprotested. “ All of us.”

Marc got the point. He felt his stomachknot.

“That’s correct,” Withers said. “No-one whowas on this estate last night will be permitted to leave Torontountil after the inquest. I am truly sorry if this proves to be aninconvenience to your guests from Montreal.”

“But if we catch the killer,” Cobb said, “youwon’t need an inquest.”

“Right. I’ll tell you what I’m prepared todo. The victim has no family here, so I’ll take the body into mysurgery and put it on ice. I’ll give the police until Mondayafternoon to charge someone with the crime before I order aninquest. The earliest we could assemble a jury would be nextThursday or Friday — ”

“That’s outrageous!” Macaulay cried.

“Easy, Garnet,” Marc said. “Angus’s offergives us three days to find the killer — quietly, eh?” Marc lookedat his friend, the coroner.

“You can count on that,” Withers said. “UntilMonday afternoon, unless the police decide otherwise, no-oneoutside this estate need know what happened here. After that, it’sa public matter.”

“Then you’ll be wanting a list of our guestsand my servants?” Macaulay said hesitantly.

“Not if you’ll give me your word as agentleman that every one of them will be available, should I needto call them to the stand.”

Macaulay looked vastly relieved.

“Moreover,” Withers smiled, “you’ll be myfirst witness, Garnet, and the first question you’ll be asked is toname all those present in your house and on your grounds on the dayof the butler’s death — under oath.”

Macaulay dredged up a grim smile.

“Thank you, Angus,” Marc said. “We have beenhaving sensitive business discussions with our Quebec guests, andthe less public these matters, the better.”

“You’re welcome. My objective here isstraightforward. I want to determine exactly how and why GravesChilton died and bring any wrongdoer to justice. Other kinds ofbusiness don’t interest me.” Withers turned to Cobb. “Horatio, Ibelieve our friend is still sufficiently flexible to be removed.Would you mind helping me get him into the sleigh?”

“Okay,” Cobb said, and followed the coronerback into the butler’s office. “But I’d like to have a look throughhis pockets before we toss him in.”

Marc and Macaulay watched as Cobb andWithers, now dressed for the outdoors, went about the business ofremoving the body. (Cobb found nothing of value or interest on thebutler’s person.)

As soon as the coroner’s sleigh had pulledaway and they were at last alone, Macaulay said to Marc, “What arewe going to do? If our French colleagues have to wait around herefor days on end like prisoners under suspicion, they’ll be frantic.And if they have to expose themselves and our doings here in apublic inquest, it will be a catastrophe. All our secret plans willbe known everywhere, and LaFontaine and the others will be put atserious risk back home.”

“Especially if the news arrives there beforethey’ve had a chance to explain themselves.”