‘Of course,’ replied Ravenscroft.
The three men walked out of the room, Sommersby closing the door behind them. As Touchmore and Sommersby left the house, Ravenscroft made his way into the drawing room where he found a distressed Mrs. Pitzer being comforted by her maid.
‘I am so sorry that this has happened on your first visit to our household Mr. Ravenscroft,’ said his hostess looking up.
‘My dear lady, do not worry on my account. I am only sorry your husband has been taken from us. Did he receive any visitors in his study this evening?’
‘No. No. But why do you ask?’
‘It is no matter. Might I suggest that your maid escort you to your room. I will await the return of the others, and will inform you of anything of importance.’
‘Thank you Mr. Ravenscroft. You are most kind.’
Mrs Pitzer and her maid left the room. Ravenscroft waited for a few moments, before making his way back to the study. Walking over to the desk, he knelt down by the side of the dead man and examined the contents of his pockets, but found little of interest. He glanced at the top of the desk, which was empty except for the usual writing materials and an open diary. Ravenscroft looked down at the day’s entry, which read -
‘7.30. Touchmore, Sommersby and Ravenscroft for dinner’.
Looking up, and observing that the window was slightly ajar, he stepped out into the garden and knelt down to examine the ground.
The sound of people returning to the house, made him step back quickly into the study.
‘Ah there you are Ravenscroft,’ said Sommersby entering the room. ‘May I introduce you to Doctor Gladwyn.’
Ravenscroft shook hands with the new arrival.
‘Well this is a sad state of affairs. Poor Pitzer, I had warned him that he must take greater care of his health,’ said Gladwyn in a pronounced welsh accent.
‘It must have happened quite suddenly. We were in the main room at the time,’ said Sommersby as the doctor began to examine the deceased.
‘Yes, I am inclined to agree with you Sommersby. It does appear that Pitzer died of a seizure of some kind.’
‘You are sure of that diagnosis?’ asked Ravenscroft examining the contents of a small silver tray on one of the side tables.
The two men surprised by his comments, looked sternly in his direction.
‘My dear sir, I am a qualified medical practitioner,’ said Gladwyn drawing up to his full height.
‘Doctor Gladwyn has been practicing medicine in this town for over forty years my dear sir. You of course are a doctor yourself?’ snapped Sommersby.
‘No, I was merely — ’
They were interrupted by the sound of the outside door opening once more. Clearly Touchmore had returned with an officer of the local constabulary.
‘If you would care to follow me into the study constable,’ said Touchmore entering the room. He was followed by a uniformed officer.
‘You say sir that Mr. Pitzer died earlier this evening? Why bless my soul if it isn’t Mister Ravenscroft!’ said the constable.
‘Mr. Crabb, we meet again. I was under the impression that you were a member of the farming fraternity. I was not aware that you were also a member of the local constabulary.’
‘Indeed so sir. It is my mother who runs the family farm near Evesham. I serve with the Malvern Constabulary and live here in the Wells,’ replied Crabb shaking Ravenscroft’s hand.
‘You two know each other?’ asked Touchmore, a puzzled expression on his face.
‘Mr. Ravenscroft and I had the good fortune to meet one another on the Malvern train yesterday,’ answered Crabb.
‘Constable, can we now proceed?’ said Sommersby in an irritated voice.
‘By all means sir. You say that Mr. Pitzer died earlier this evening?’ asked Crabb taking out his note book from the inside top pocket of his tunic.
‘Constable if I may,’ said Gladwyn ‘Poor Mr. Pitzer appears to have died as the result of a seizure.’
‘Had he been ill sir?’ asked Crabb beginning to write in his pocket book.
‘He did consult with me two or three weeks ago, and I found him a little tired and recommended that perhaps he and his wife would benefit from a holiday.’
‘I see sir. It would appear that the gentleman did not take your advice. Well, I will have to inform the coroner of course. It’s just a formality,’ said Crabb closing his pocket book once more.
‘Constable Crabb I wonder if I might have a private word with you, before you leave?’ asked Ravenscroft. The two men looked at one another.
‘Of course sir. I wonder if I could ask you other gentlemen to go into the drawing room, while I have a word with Mr. Ravenscroft.’
‘Really Crabb this is most irregular,’ protested Sommersby.
‘I’m sure we won’t detain you long sir,’ said Crabb.
‘Oh come along Sommersby. Let’s do as he says,’ said Gladwyn.
Sommersby gave Ravenscroft a stare as he left the room, followed by Touchmore and Gladwyn.
‘Now sir, I guess that you know something about this affair which does not seem at first evident?’ said Crabb closing the door behind the departed trio.
‘I do indeed, but before that, I should inform you that I hold the rank of Inspector in the Whitechapel Division of the Scotland Yard London Constabulary.’
‘I knew I was right! When I saw you yesterday I said to myself, ten to a penny that gent is a policeman — and look here we are again,’ smiled the young constable.
‘The other gentlemen here tonight would have it that Pitzer died of a seizure of some kind.’
‘But you know differently sir, I’ll be bound.’
‘I do indeed Constable Crabb. You see, I think that Pitzer did not die of a seizure or as the result of any other natural causes or ailments. I have every reason to believe that Pitzer was murdered in this room earlier this evening!’
CHAPTER TWO
‘Well sir, that seems rather a bold statement to make, if you don’t mind my saying so. What evidence do you have to suggest such a possibility?’ asked Crabb.
‘When I arrived at the house earlier this evening, Mrs. Pitzer informed me that her husband was detained, in this study, on urgent business. I believe that he was expecting a visitor, and it was that person who entered this room and killed him.’
‘But surely the maid would have seen such a person when she showed the visitor into the study?’
‘I believe that the visitor did not wish to announce his, or her presence to the rest of the house, and that the person entered through that window.’
‘How do you know that sir?’
‘When I entered the study tonight I observed that the window over there was slightly ajar. It leads directly onto the garden. Whoever was in this room with Pitzer tonight must have entered and left by that same entrance. I also believe that he must have left in a hurry, not pausing to close the window fully behind him.’
‘You think the killer was afraid of being interrupted?’ inquired Crabb.
‘I am sure of it. Furthermore outside the window I found marks caused by a shoe or boot on the earth directly close to the house. A path then leads across to the side of the garden to what appears to be a gate. It would have been easy for our visitor to have slipped out of the grounds without being seen by anyone, and once outside he could have made his way anywhere.’
‘He could even have returned to the house later,’ suggested Crabb.
‘Indeed. If Pitzer was killed at approx half past six, let us say, there would have been ample time for either Mr. Sommersby or the reverend gentleman to have returned to the house to keep their dinner appointment.’
‘You suspect either of these two gentlemen, sir?’
‘We must keep an open mind to all possibilities Constable Crabb. Certainly Sommersby was quick to assume that Pitzer had died of natural causes, and Doctor Gladwyn seemed only too obliging to agree with him.’
‘Begging your pardon, sir, but you keep saying that Mr. Pitzer was killed?’
‘There are two glasses on this tray by the decanter. Both appeared to have been used recently, but one of them has the remains of what looks like a powdery substance at the bottom,’ said Ravenscroft holding the suspect glass up to the light.