Ngaio Marsh - Death in a White Tie

“No, sir. I remained on the top landing until the guests had gone, I then took a tray to Monsieur in the butler’s pantry.”

“Was this long after the last guest had left?”

“No, sir. To be correct, sir, I fancy there may still have been one or two left in the hall. Monsieur was in the buffet when I came down.”

“Was Sir Herbert Carrados in the buffet?”

“He left as I entered. It was after he left that Monsieur ordered his little supper.”

“When did you go home?”

“As I have explained to your colleague, at three-thirty, with Monsieur. The police rang up this flat before Monsieur had gone to bed.”

“You carried Monsieur Dimitri’s luggage for him, no doubt?”

“His luggage, sir? He had no luggage.”

“Right. I think that is all. You have been very helpful and obliging.”

François took his tip with a waiter’s grace and showed Alleyn out.

Alleyn got a taxi. He looked at his watch. Twenty past twelve. He hoped Fox was keeping Dimitri for him. Dimitri! Unless François lied, it looked as if the odds against Dimitri being the murderer were lengthening.

“And the worst of it is,” muttered Alleyn, rubbing his nose, “that I think François, blast his virtue, spoke nothing but the truth.”

In his room at the Yard Alleyn found Dimitri closeted with Fox. Fox introduced them solemnly.

“This is Mr Dimitri; Chief Detective-Inspector Alleyn, who is in charge of this case.”

“Ah, yes?” said Dimitri bowing. “I believe we have met before.”

Alleyn said: “I have just come from your flat, Mr Dimitri. I was up that way and hoped to save you a journey. I was, however, too late. I saw your servant and ventured to ask him one or two questions. He was most obliging.”

He smiled pleasantly at Dimitri and thought: “He’s looking sulky. Not a good head. Everything’s a bit too narrow. He’s got a mean look. No fool, though. Expensive clothes, fishy hands, uses a lot of hair oil. Honey and flowers. Ears set very low. No lobes to them. Less than an eye’s width between the two eyes. I fancy the monocle is a dummy. Dents by the nostrils. False teeth. A smooth gentleman.”

Dimitri said: “Your colleague has already rung my servant, Mr Alleyn.”

“Yes,” said Fox. “I just checked up the time Mr Dimitri left. I’ve been explaining, sir, that we realize Mr Dimitri doesn’t want to appear more than can be avoided.”

“In my position, Chief Inspector,” said Dimitri, “it is most undesirable. I have been seven years building up my business and it is a specialized business. You understand that I have an extremely good clientèle. I may say the very best. It is essential to my business that my clients should have complete faith in my discretion. But essential! In my position one sees and hears many things.”

“I have no doubt of that,” said Alleyn, looking steadily at him. “Things that with a less discreet, less scrupulous person, might be turned to advantage.”

“That is a dreadful thought, Mr Alleyn. One cannot with equanimity contemplate such a base idea. But I must tell you that in my business the finest shades of discretion must be observed.”

“As in ours. I shall not ask you to repeat any scandals, Mr Dimitri. We will confine ourselves to the simplest facts. Your own movements, for instance.”

“Mine?” asked Dimitri, raising his eyebrows.

“If you please. We are anxious to get a little information about a small green boudoir on the top gallery at Marsdon House. It has a telephone in it. Do you know the room I mean?”

“Certainly,” The sharp eyes were veiled, the mouth set in a thin line.

“Did you at any time visit this room?”

“Repeatedly. I make it my business to inspect all the rooms continually.”

“The time in which we are interested is about one o’clock this morning. Most of Lady Carrados’s guests were at supper. Captain Maurice Withers and Mr Donald Potter were on this top landing. So was your servant, François. Do you remember going upstairs at this time?”

Dimitri spread out his hands.

“It is impossible for me to remember, I am so very sorry.” He removed his rimless eyeglass and began to turn it between the fingers and thumb of his left hand.

“Let me try to help you. I learnt that at about this time you returned Lady Carrados’s bag to her. One of the guests noticed you. Where did you find this bag, Mr Dimitri? Perhaps that will help.”

Dimitri suddenly put his hands in his pockets and Alleyn knew that it was an unfamiliar gesture. He could see that the left hand was still secretly busy with the eyeglass.

“That is correct. I seem to think the bag was in the room you mention. I am very particular about such things. My servants may not touch any bags that are left lying about the rooms. It is incredible how careless many ladies are with their bags, Mr Alleyn. I make it a rule that only I myself return them. Thus,” said Dimitri virtuously, “am I solely responsible.”

“It might be quite a grave responsibility. So the bag was in the green room. Anybody there?”

“My servant François. I trust there was nothing missing from this bag?” asked Dimitri with an air of alarm. “I asked her ladyship to be good enough to look at it.”

“Her ladyship,” said Alleyn, “has made no complaint.”

“I am extremely relieved. For a moment I wondered — however.”

“The point is this,” said Alleyn, “At one o’clock Lord Robert telephoned from this little green room. My informant is not your servant, Mr Dimitri. I must make that clear. At this time I think he was downstairs. My informant tells me that you were on the landing. Perhaps it was shortly after you collected Lady Carrados’s bag.”

“If it was I did not hear anything of it,” said Dimitri instantly. “Your informant is himself misinformed. I did not see Lord Robert on this gallery. I did not notice him at all until he was leaving.”

“You saw him then?”

“Yes. He enquired if I had seen Mrs Halcut-Hackett. I informed his lordship that she had left.”

“This was in the hall?”

“Yes.”

“Did you see Lord Robert leave?”

There was a marked pause and then Dimitri said:

“I have already explained all this to your colleague. After speaking to his lordship I went to the buffet on the ground floor. I remained there for a time speaking to Sir Herbert Carrados.”

Alleyn took a piece of paper from his pocket-book and handed it to Dimitri.

“This is the order of departure amongst the last guests. We have got our information from several sources. Mr Fox was greatly helped in compiling it by his interview with you earlier this morning. Would you mind glancing at it?”

Dimitri surveyed the list.

“It is correct, as far as I can remember, up to the time I left the hall.”

“I believe you saw the encounter at the foot of the stairs between Lord Robert and his nephew, Mr Donald Potter?”

“It was scarcely an encounter. They did not speak.”

“Did you get the impression that they avoided each other?”

“Mr Alleyn, we have already spoken of the need for discretion. Of course, one understands this is a serious matter. Yes. I did receive this impression.”

“Right. Then before you went to the buffet you noticed Mrs Halcut-Hackett, Captain Withers, Mr Potter and Sir Daniel Davidson leave separately, and in that order?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know Captain Withers?”

“Professionally? No. He does not entertain, I imagine.”

“Who left the buffet first, you or Sir Herbert?”

“I really do not remember. I did not remain very long in the buffet.”

“Where did you go?”