Anne Perry - Rutland Place

"Did Mrs. Spencer-Brown have bombazine curtains?" Pitt inquired, moving sideways sharply as a carriage sped by him,1 splattering a mixture of mud and manure onto the pavement. He swore under his breath, and then yelled "Cabbie!" furiously at the top of his lungs.

Harris winced. "Don't know, sir. Only just got the report. Haven't been there myself. Do you want a cab, sir?"

"Of course I do!" Pitt glared at him. "Fool!" he muttered under his breath, then was obliged to take it back the next moment when Harris leapt into the street with alacrity and stopped a hansom almost in its tracks.

A moment later they were sitting in the warmth of the cab, moving at a sharp trot toward Rutland Place.

"How did she die?" Pitt continued.

"Poison," Harris replied.

Pitt was surprised. "How do you know?"

"Doctor said so. Doctor called us. Got one of them new machines."

"What new machines? What are you talking about?"

"Telephones, sir. Machine what hangs on the wall and-"

"I know what a telephone is!" Pitt said sharply. "So the doctor called on a telephone. Who did he call? We haven't got one!"

"Friend of his who lives just round the corner from us-a Mr. Wardley. This Mr. Wardley sent his man with the message."

"I see. And the doctor said she was poisoned?"

"Yes, sir, that was his opinion."

"Anything else?"

"Not yet, sir. Poisoned this afternoon. Parlormaid found her."

Pitt pulled out his watch. It was quarter past three o'clock.

"What time?" he asked.

"About quarter past two, or just after."

That would be when the maid went to inquire whether they would be expecting callers for tea, or if Mrs. Spencer-Brown was going out herself, Pitt thought. He knew enough about the habits of Society to be familiar with the afternoon routine.

A few moments later they were in Rutland Place, and Pitt looked with interest at the quiet, gracious facades of the houses, set back a little from the pavement, areaways immaculate, some shaded by trees, windows catching the light. A carriage was drawn up outside one, and a footman was handing a lady down, closing the door behind her. Farther along another was leaving, harness glinting in the sun. One of those houses was Caroline's. Pitt had never been there; it was a tacit understanding that such a call would be comfortable for neither the occupants nor Pitt. They met occasionally, but on neutral territory where no compari shy;sons could be made, even though it would be the last thing either had intended.

The hansom stopped, and they climbed out and paid the fare.

"Eleven," Harris said as they mounted the step.

The door opened even before they reached it and a footman hastened them in as forcefully as was consistent with his dignity. One did not desire police to wait on the doorstep so the whole neighborhood was aware one had been obliged to call them in! It was more than his promotion was worth to be clumsy in the handling of such a matter.

"Inspector Pitt," Pitt announced himself quietly, conscious of the presence of tragedy, whatever its nature turned out to be. He was used to death, but it never failed to move him, and he still did not know what to say in the face of loss. No words could make any difference. He hated to sound trite or unfeeling, yet feared he often did, simply because he felt it from the outside. He was an intruder, a reminder of the darkest possibilities, the ugliest explanation.

"Yes, sir," the footman said formally. "You'll be wanting to speak to Dr. Mulgrew, no doubt. A carriage had been sent for Mr. Spencer-Brown, but he is not home yet."

"Do you know where he is?" Pitt asked merely as a matter of course.

"Yes, sir. He went to the city as usual. He has several interests, I believe. He is on the board of directors of a number of important business houses, and a newspaper. If you will come this way, sir, I will show you tef the morning room where Dr. Mulgrew is waiting."

Pitt and Harris followed him along the hall toward the back of the house. Pitt eyed the furnishings and noted that a great deal of money had been invested in them, whether purely for appearance's sake or not. If the Spencer-Browns had any financial worries, a few of the pictures on the staircase and hall would have given them an income the like of which Pitt could have lived on for several years. He had come to be a fair judge of the price of a painting in the course of his professional connections with the art world.

The morning-room fire was banked high, and Mulgrew stood so close to it Pitt fancied he could smell his trousers singeing in the heat. He was a stocky man with white, heavy hair and a fine white mustache. At present his eyes were watery and his nose distinctly red. He sneezed loudly as they came in, and withdrew a large handkerchief from his pocket.

"Cold," he said in completely unnecessary explanation. "Filthy thing. No cure for it. Never has been. Name's Mulgrew. I suppose you are the police?"

"Yes, sir. Inspector Pitt and Constable Harris."

"How do you do. Hate a spring cold-nothing worse, except a summer one."

"I understand the parlormaid found Mrs. Spencer-Brown dead when she came to inquire about the afternoon's arrangements?" Pitt asked. "Did the maid call you?"

"Not precisely." Mulgrew put his handkerchief away. "She told the butler, which is natural, I suppose. Butler came to look for himself, then sent the footman round for me. Only live round the corner. I came straightaway. Wasn't a thing I could do. Poor creature was stone dead. I used the telephone to call a friend of mine, William Wardley. He sent a message to you." He sneezed again and whipped out his handkerchief.

"You ought to take something for that," Pitt said, moving a step back. "Hot drink and a mustard poultice."

"No cure for it." Mulgrew shook his head and waved his hands. "No cure at all. Poison, but I can't say what yet-not for certain."

"You are quite sure?" Pitt did not want to insult him by Cj lestioning his competence too obviously. "Couldn't be any form of illness?"

Mulgrew narrowed his eyes and looked at Pitt closely.

"Couldn't take my oath on it, but don't want to wait until I can before I tell you! Too late for you to see the scene if I do! Not a fool, you know?"

Pitt found himself wanting to smile and had to force his mouth into a more appropriate expression.

"Thank you!" It seemed the most civil thing to say. "I take it you are Mrs. Spencer-Brown's regular physician?"

"Yes, naturally. That's why they called me. Perfectly healthy woman. Usual small ailments from time to time, but then haven't we all?"

"Had she any medicine that you know of which she might have taken in excess, by accident?"

"Nothing I've given her. Only ever had the occasional cold or fit of the vapors. No cure for them, you know? Just part of life-best to put up with it gracefully. A little sympathy, if you can get it, and a good sleep."

Pitt again controlled his desire to smile at the man.

"What about anyone else in the house?" he,asked.

"What? Oh. Doubt she'd be stupid enough to take anyone else's medicine. Not a silly woman, as women go! But then I suppose she could have, at that. Not a lot of sense when it comes to medicine, most people." He sneezed again, fiercely. "Gave Mr. Spencer-Brown some stuff for pain in the stomach. Though I think he brings it on himself for the most part. Tried to tell him that and got a flea in my ear for my trouble."

"Pain in his stomach?" Pitt inquired.

"Diet, mostly." Mulgrew shook his head and blew his nose. "Eats all the wrong things, no wonder it gives him a pain. He's an odd fellow-no use for that either!" He looked at Pitt out of the corner his eye, as if waiting to be argued with.

"Quite," Pitt said. "Anything in this stuff of Mr. Spencer-Brown's that could have killed anyone if taken in excess?"