Inspector Alleyn 3-Book Collection 2: Death in Ecstasy, Vintage Murder, Artists in Crime

‘Yes, if you will. I shall be able to cast a superior eye over it and then shatter it with a few facetiae. It will restore my self-respect. No, do make it. You will look at the show from a different point of view. It may easily suggest something. It will be a help. Really.’

‘I shall be delighted,’ said Nigel and set to work.

Alleyn returned to Cara Quayne’s desk and carried on with the job of sorting her papers. There was a long silence broken only by the rustle of paper, the snap and crackle of the fire, and the sound of Nigel’s pen. Presently he looked up and said:

‘There. Finished.’

‘Let me see,’ said Alleyn.

With a smug but slightly anxious air, Nigel laid his paper before the inspector. This is what he had written:

MURDER OF CARA QUAYNE

Suspects

The Initiates, the priest, and the acolyte.

All of these had the opportunity to slip the cigarette-paper possibly containing cyanide into the cup.

Circumstances

Cara Quayne drank the wine while in a state of great nervous excitement. She seemed to me to be self-hypnotized and scarcely conscious of her actions. I was reminded of a dervish or a negro priestess.

‘Have you ever seen one?’ asked Alleyn.

‘No. That didn’t prevent me from being reminded of one.’

Alleyn read on:

The other Initiates were also in a highly emotional condition, and it is unlikely that they would notice any hanky-panky with the cup.

Garnette. Probably the only normal person there. He handled the cup twice. He started it off, took it back from Ogden and gave it to Cara Quayne. He had the greatest opportunity. Miss Wade said he covered the cup with one hand so he could have easily dropped the paper into the wine. Motive. Deceased had left £5,000 in bearer bonds in his safe. These have been pinched. She had made a ‘terrible discovery’ and may have told him of it. If he stole the bonds this might induce him to kill her. She may have left him a large sum in her Will. Note. A work on poisons was hidden behind his books. It fell open at a recipe for homemade cyanide. Garnette spoke like an American when tight.

Mrs Candour. First Initiate to take cup. Jealous of Miss Quayne. Motive. Quarrelled with her over Garnette. Over-sexed, unattractive, stupid, vindictive. The scrap of paper found in the grate seems to refer to her: – ‘sir, this is to warn – with M – S CA,’ etc. Could this have been a warning against Mrs Candour? If so, from whom?

M. de Ravigne. Second Inititate to handle cup. Miss Wade says he used handkerchief to wipe rim. Might have palmed poison with this. Motive. In love with Miss Quayne, who was evidently Garnette’s mistress. A very cool customer. Has known deceased longer than any of the others.

Miss Wade. Third Initiate to handle cup. Unlikely. Motive. None apparent. She seems unaware of the Quayne-Garnette situation.

Pringle. Fourth to handle cup. Neurotic. Takes drugs. Worships Garnette. Motive. He surprised Garnette and Miss Quayne. Possibly shock unhinged him and he was determined to save G. Miss W. says he made a botch of handling cup.

Janey Jenkins. Fifth to handle cup. Engaged to Pringle. Very unlikely. Motive. None.

Ogden. Last. American. Met Garnette coming over to England. Very keen on the church. Seems straightforward, but you never know. Has given largely to church funds. Motive. Possibly he and Garnette were rogues together in the States and are in this together. If so Ogden may have offered to do the killing. Garnette bore out Ogden’s statement when he (G.) was tight.

Claude Wheatley. Carried round flagon with wine. Could have dropped cyanide into cup. Horrible youth. Dotes on Garnette. Perhaps the Greeks have a word for him. Motive. Jealousy. Unlikely. Wouldn’t have the guts. Note. If sodium cyanide is found at autopsy it seems certain the book on chemistry is a definite clue. That points to Garnette. Garnette is the obvious man, I think. The chauffeur’s statement about Miss Quayne’s afternoon visit to the church seems to suggest that she found something there that upset her and caused her to write the note to Garnette which Fox found in the cigarette-box.

Here Nigel’s summary stopped abruptly. He had added a few words and scored them out.

‘Excellent,’ said Alleyn.

‘It says nothing new, I’m afraid.’

‘No, but it raises several disputable points, which is always helpful. By the way, the analyst rang up just before you came. He has found sodium cyanide in the cigarette-paper, but of course the autopsy will take some time yet.’

‘Then the Curiosities of Chemistry is an important clue.’

‘I don’t know,’ said Alleyn slowly, ‘but I rather fancy it’s not important in quite the way you fancy.’

‘Whatever does that mean?’

‘There were no prints on that book. Bailey has tried all the stock dodges of dactylography.’

‘What may that be? Oh, wait a bit. Dactyl. Why not say “finger-printery”?’

‘As you please. He’s dabbed nitrate of silver solution on it and developed the pages. Nothing there. It’s a glossy paper, so someone must have dealt with the book. If Garnette got his big idea from it he must have wiped his fingerprints off and put it where he knew we would find it. A curious combination of forethought and stupidity, don’t you think?’

‘Yes, but still – Oh, I don’t know. Go on with Garnette.’

‘You note that Garnette was probably the only completely self-possessed person present. A very good point to make. Should you say this crime looks more like the work of a calculating, shrewd, unscrupulous individual, or a hysterical monomaniac with a streak of cunning?’

‘The latter, I suppose,’ said Nigel slowly, ‘which Garnette is not. All the same, he might have meant us to think that.’

‘Ah,’ said Alleyn, ‘that’s very subtle, Bathgate.’

‘Garnette strikes me as being subtlish,’ said Nigel. ‘What do you think about Garnette and Ogden being old partners in infamy?’

‘Not a great deal. As I said last night, I think Garnette told the truth when he was tight. If you remember he advanced the colourful suggestion that Ogden looks upon him as the sand-fly’s garters. I’m not well up in Americanese, but I had the distinct impression that Mr Garnette regards Mr Ogden as fair and easy game.’

‘Look here,’ said Nigel suddenly, ‘let’s pretend it’s a detective novel. Where would we be by this time? About half-way through, I should think. Well, who’s your pick.’

‘I am invariably gulled by detective novels. No herring so red but I raise my voice and give chase.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ said Nigel.

‘Fact. You see in real detection herrings are so often out of season.’

‘Well, never mind, who’s your pick?’

‘It depends on the author. If it’s Agatha Christie, Miss Wade’s occulted guilt drips from every page. Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Peter would plump for Pringle, I fancy. Inspector French would go for Ogden. Of course Ogden, on the face of it, is the first suspect.’

‘What are you saying! Ogden! Then you do think he’s a bad hat.’

‘No. No! He seems a perfectly good hat. I merely say that the immediate circumstances – the actual situation at the time of the murder – point to Ogden.’

‘Why?’

‘My dear Bathgate, this is a sad falling-off. Think of his position.’