“Who, pray, is Mr Pomfret?”
“The young man who has just been murdered. The young man to whom you gave ten thousand pounds.”
Rose studied Mrs Stockton’s face. It had become almost mask-like. “Ah, yes, I remember now. He was interested in setting up a series of lectures on vegetarianism. A worthy cause. I always support worthy causes.”
“Mr Pomfret was a loyal member of the Beefsteak Club. They hold dinners every month and a great quantity of beef is eaten.”
“Then he must have reformed. Please leave. Lady Rose, you must forgive me, but my exertions this afternoon have given me the headache. Perhaps another time?”
“Certainly,” said Rose. “Would tomorrow afternoon be convenient?”
“I should be honoured. Shall we say three o’clock? Yes? Good. Now, if you will excuse me. Captain Cathcart, do not come here again.”
“Let’s go to my office and discuss what we have,” said Harry as they walked down the stairs.
“I’d best get rid of Humphrey,” said Rose. “We’ll never get any privacy with her around. She disapproves of Daisy and she is jealous.”
♦
Miss Jubbles surveyed the arrivals with gloom. “Tea, please, Miss Jubbles,” said Harry pleasantly as he ushered Daisy and Rose into the inner office.
Miss Jubbles felt a lump in her throat as she opened a cupboard and took out the pretty cups and saucers reserved for guests. She went out into the corridor and into the toilet, where she filled the kettle at the sink. Once back in the office, she pulled out the gas ring by the fire, lit it, and placed the kettle on it.
She arranged three cups on a tray, then milk and sugar and a plate of Abernethy biscuits. The kettle boiled. She put tea-leaves into a fat yellow china teapot. Miss Jubbles stared at the tray. Sugar tongs. She had forgotten the sugar tongs. She went back to the cupboard and her eye fell on a packet of powdered senna pods. Miss Jubbles suffered from constipation. All at once she thought she saw a way of getting rid of these unwanted guests.
She poured three cups of tea, but to two of the cups she added a spoonful of the senna powder.
Miss Jubbles carried the tray in. She carefully placed the two already poured cups in front of Daisy and Rose and then poured a cup for Harry.
“Thank you, Miss Jubbles,” said Harry. “That will be all.”
Miss Jubbles retreated.
Rose raised her hand to pick up a cup, but Daisy said, “Don’t drink it.”
“Why?” asked Rose.
“There’s some sort of powder floating in it. I bet that Jubbles female put something in our tea.”
“Come now,” said Harry. “This is not the theatre. She would not dare.”
“Then get her to drink it.”
Harry looked amused. “Very well, Daisy. If it will put your silly fears at rest.”
“You can’t call her Daisy anymore,” protested Rose. “Now she is my companion, you must address her as Miss Levine.”
Harry went to the door and opened it. “Miss Jubbles, would you step in here for a moment?”
Miss Jubbles came in and stood there meekly, her hands folded.
“Miss Jubbles,” said Harry, picking up Rose’s cup. “Please drink this.”
“I r-really d-don’t feel l-like drinking tea at the moment,” stammered Miss Jubbles.
“It’s simply to put Miss Levine’s fears at rest. She thinks there is something in the tea.”
“Why, that is ridiculous,” said Miss Jubbles, turning red. “I’ll show you.” She picked up the cup of tea and drank it down.
“There!” she panted.
“You see, Miss Levine?” said Harry. “I think an apology is in order.”
“I am very sorry,” said Daisy.
“You may go, Miss Jubbles.”
Miss Jubbles retreated to her room and sat there miserably. She had already taken senna powder that morning and knew that this added dose would have dire results.
“Now, where were we?” said Harry.
“Discussing possible blackmail,” said Rose. “I think perhaps you went about it the wrong way.”
“What makes you say that?”
“To bluntly ask Mrs Stockton whether she was being blackmailed puts her on her guard.”
“And how would you have gone about it?”
“I have started,” said Rose. “I shall befriend Mrs Stockton. I shall get close to her. In order to find out why she was being blackmailed, I have to understand her better.”
“Very well. For my part,” said Harry, “I must visit Freddy’s parents and see if they are prepared to employ me.”
“Who are his parents?” asked Daisy.
“A certain Colonel and Mrs Pomfret. I believe they are in town. They have a town house in Kensington.”
“What about Detective Superintendent Kerridge?”
“I phoned him with my lack of success with Mrs Jerry and Lord Alfred and he said in that weary way of his that he should never have left it to amateurs and that he would see them himself.”
♦
Kerridge had had every intention of interviewing the suspects. It was his job. But he admitted to himself that he’d been cowardly in letting Captain Cathcart go first.
Accompanied by Detective Inspector Judd, he set out to interview Lord Alfred Curtis. At least he knew that the young lord was expecting him. His secretary had made an appointment.
The gas lamps had already been lit and a thin drizzle was falling as he was driven in the new police car to Lord Alfred’s residence.
He climbed down from the car with great reluctance. He detested interviewing the aristocracy.
To his surprise and relief, he was warmly welcomed. Lord Alfred rose to his feet and advanced on him with hand outstretched when Kerridge was ushered into a pretty drawing-room.
“Do sit down, Mr Kerridge,” said Lord Alfred. “Miserable evening, what? May I offer you something?”
“Nothing, I thank you,” said Kerridge. “Do you know why I am here?”
“It’s something to do with poor Freddy’s death, is it not? I had that peculiar Captain Cathcart here earlier accusing me of being blackmailed by Freddy. Ridiculous! When a gentleman sinks to trade, it alters his very brain. Sees common little plots and conspiracies everywhere.”
“We have ascertained that three people each paid Mr Pomfret the sum of ten thousand pounds. We did think it might be a case of blackmail.”
“Well, now I’ve calmed down, I can see why you might jump to that conclusion. But the man was on his uppers. Some people will gamble ferociously when they haven’t got the ready. Poor, poor Freddy. I never even thought to ask for an IOU, so it’s not as if I can even claim on his estate. Who are the other two?”
“At this stage of the investigation, I would prefer not to say, my lord. Now, do you know of any enemies Mr Pomfret might have had?”
“The trouble is, one didn’t know him very well. There are a great number of people in the world one doesn’t know very well.”
“And yet you lent him a vast sum of money.”
“To tell the truth, I had drunk a little more than was good for me. It’s all coming back to me. It was in The Club. Everything was a bit jolly, and so when Freddy sprang the request on me, I gave him a cheque, almost without thinking. The claret at The Club is very good, but it does produce a dangerous feeling of euphoria. I was quite convinced at that time that he must be one of my dearest friends.”
“And Mr Pomfret specifically asked for ten thousand pounds?”
“Oh, yes, just like that. Tristram Baker-Willis was there at the time. He did protest, you know. ‘I say, Freddy, that’s a bit steep.’ Those were his very words.”
“Ah. Where can I find Mr Baker-Willis?”
“At this time, he’ll be at his diggings in Pall Mall, getting ready for the evening ahead.” He gave the detective superintendent the number in Pall Mall.