He was not quite so lucky in dismissing Camilla from his mind as he had hoped to be. Apparently Adrian and Miranda were not the only people who were puzzled by the disappearance of Camilla’s suitcase. He had been back to The Stadholder for a couple of days when there came a tap at his bedroom door.
‘Telephone, Mr. Palgrave.’
‘Oh, thanks.’ It must be from the Kirbys, he supposed. He wondered what Adrian or Miranda had to tell him. He assumed that they had returned to London as soon as the funeral was over. However, it was neither of them on the line.
‘Mr Palgrave?’
‘Speaking.’
‘County Police here, sir. We’d like a word with you.’
‘I’m not in trouble about my car, I hope?’
‘Nothing like that, sir. We think you may be able to give us a little help over another matter. Would you prefer us to come to you, or would you rather come to the station?’
‘What’s it all about?’
‘I would rather not talk over the telephone, sir.’
‘Oh, in that case, you had better come here, then. When can I expect you?’
‘Would noon tomorrow suit you, sir?’
‘Oh, yes, I suppose so, but I wish I knew what it was all about.’
‘Until tomorrow then, sir, at noon. I shall be in plain clothes, of course.’
Like most law-abiding people, Palgrave was happy enough to know that a police force, however greatly undermanned it might be, did at least exist, but, again like the majority of citizens, he was much less happy when a member of it looked him up personally and began asking questions.
‘You will have heard about the drowning fatality, sir? We believe you were intimate with the dead girl. I refer to your relationship with the late Miss Hoveton St John.’
‘I don’t care for your use of the word “intimate”, Inspector. It conveys an entirely false representation of my relationship with Miss Hoveton St John.’
‘So there was a relationship, sir?’
‘She was a holiday acquaintance, that’s all.’
‘But you stayed at the same cottage as she did, I believe. Wasn’t that so?’
‘I was there for a few days before I moved to this hotel, yes.’
‘Why did you move on, sir?’
‘The cottage became overcrowded. Two more people turned up, so I opted out.’
‘You did not move because the young lady had become an embarrassment to you?’
‘Good heavens, no! It was just to make room for the newcomers.’
‘Had they the prior claim, then?’
‘Well, actually, I suppose not. It was a case of an overbooking.’
‘Then what made you decide to leave? I am told that arrangements had been made to accommodate you.’
‘Look, Inspector, what is all this, for goodness’ sake? The “arrangements” you mention were most unsatisfactory. Why shouldn’t I have moved on?’
‘I’ll ask the questions, if you don’t mind, sir. Why did you leave Saltacres so precipitately?’
‘I’ve told you. There’s nothing else I can say.’
‘Would you mind if I had a look round your bedroom, sir?’ (They were in a corner of the bar.)
‘Good Lord! Why? I’m not a dope smuggler, neither have I half a dozen illegal immigrants hidden under the bed!’
‘If I might just have a look round, sir.’
Palgrave produced his key. The Inspector was not long gone. He handed back the key. Palgrave took it with an attempt at a contemptuous snort.
‘I hope you found the hoard of illicit diamonds,’ he said.
‘Now, now, sir,’ said the Inspector, smoothly. ‘All I was looking for was a suitcase.’
‘Well, you were in luck, then, weren’t you? I actually possess such an object. I hope you examined it for a false bottom.’ The Inspector smiled gently.
‘I am perfectly satisfied with what I found, sir – or, rather, with what I did not find.’
‘And that was? – or shall I be snubbed again for daring to ask a question?’
‘We are still looking for the suitcase which belonged to the deceased. Thank you for your co-operation, sir. I don’t think I shall need to trouble you again.’
‘That’s as well. I shall be leaving here quite soon and going back to London. No objection to that, I hope? Do you want my home address?’
‘That will not be necessary, sir,’ said the Inspector gravely. ‘We have all the information we need at present. Is it true that you went swimming with the young lady?’
‘Now and again I did.’
‘When was the last time, sir?’
‘The night before I came here. Why?’
‘Just cross-checking, sir. You mean that you were the last of your party to see her alive.’
‘How do you know that? I was not the only one from the cottage who was out that night.’
‘Your exit disturbed the gentleman in the parlour. What made you return to the premises that night, sir?’
‘I went back to collect my things.’
‘Would that not have waited until the morning?’
‘I suppose so, but I thought I might as well be off.’
‘And where was the young lady, when you returned to collect your things?’
‘Still in the sea, I suppose. She always stayed in the water much longer than I did.’
‘Were any other members of your party out that night, sir?’
‘We all were, at some time or other. When I found myself unwilling to accept the arrangements which had been made to accommodate us all, I took the entire party out for a farewell drink. I didn’t want anybody to think I was going off in a huff. It was none of their faults that the cottage had been double-booked.’
‘Was Miss St John with you?’
‘No. She wasn’t in the cottage when I issued my invitation and, to save you the bother of asking the question, I have no idea where she was.’
‘But you met her later.’
‘Purely by accident. I was standing beside my car when she came along and asked me to come for a swim. It was so damned uncomfortable trying to sleep in the car that I thought I might as well use up some of the time, so I went along with her. I came out of the water before she did, dried and dressed, went back to the cottage to change my clothes, as I think I told you, collected my suitcase and drove about until I found a café where I could get some breakfast.’
‘After you had had your drinks, sir, can you be sure that the rest of your party returned to the cottage?’
‘No, of course I can’t be sure. My car was parked further up the road. I said goodbye, climbed into it and made myself as comfortable as I could on the back seat.’
‘And later you went swimming with Miss St John.’
‘That’s the size of it.’
‘Did either of you see anybody else about?’
Palgrave thought for a moment in order to consider his answer.
‘I believe one or two of the others may have gone for a stroll by moonlight,’ he said, ‘but I couldn’t be sure. There was some talk of it, I believe.’
‘While you were at the public house?’
‘Yes, that’s when it would have been.’
‘But you don’t know whether any of the party except you and Miss St John were actually out of the cottage while you were swimming?’
Palgrave could answer that question truthfully and without equivocation.
‘No,’ he said. ‘I know nothing of what the others were doing while we were swimming.’
‘What about when you went back to the cottage after your bathe?’
‘I’ve no idea about that, either.’ The Inspector gave him a very sharp glance, but did not query the answer. He closed his notebook and merely said:
‘Thank you for your help, sir. It’s only the missing suitcase that bothers us. Mr and Mrs Kirby, who brought the young lady down here on holiday, are convinced that she wouldn’t have bathed on an outgoing tide. Have you any ideas about that, sir?’