Weekend at Eagle House

Chapter 5

Everyone spread out between the  morning room , lounge and billiard room.  “ I say,” said Grant who was in the billiard room with  Nathan and Simon.  Since no one could leave they figured they might as well occupy themselves with a game of snooker. Grant continued. “  I say don’t think the ol’ boy had that in mind when he decided have us all down now did he? “  Nathan hit a shot in, and  then said “ No, I dare say he hadn’t  planned for that.  Mind you that poem he put in our rooms  he did  suggest it was possible for this person he hinted about to get him first, but no I don’t think he thought he would.”  “Clever devil!.” said Simon.  “ Yes but I wonder who it could be and how long we are going to be stuck here, I mean with the Lt Colonels death being here is just a bit awkward.” said Grant.  “ Quite, said Nathan. Well I will say when they come to questioning me that it certainly wasn’t me.  Rosalind  will attest once my head hit’s the pillow I am out, I couldn’t of prepared that in the middle of the night. “  But what about  at the shooting party you thought you might take a chance then.” said Grant.  Simon’s eyebrows raised, he wasn’t the only one who had noticed this.  Nathan tried to keep his composure, “ Look here!  I thought I might graze the pompous git but I never wanted to kill him!”  “ Its true, said Simon.  He told me all about his history with Barrett.”  “ Yes, and I shall tell the police everything in my statement. He had incriminating evidence on me, embarrassing photos. And I want them back.  But I did not poison the man. Someone here, besides me thought he had evidence on them too, and perhaps he did. But unlike me, who only thought of hurting him, they went ahead and did away with him.” Simon pondered Nathan’s words and wondered it was the complete truth. Looking in his eyes he felt that he was. 
In the morning room Helena, Penny and Jessica were playing bridge. 

“ Oh I wish they would just get on and interview us.” said Penny who was looking at the cards in her hand.  “ I know, I don’t want to stay here too much longer, no point.” said  Jessica.  “ “ I do feel sorry for Lady Constance though.  Its going to be hard for her.”  In the lounge the reminder of the guests were gathered.  Some were looking out the large window which faced the side of the garden.  Of the guests only Rosalind was shedding a tear. Marline was comforting her. “ I’m not sad very much for the Lt Colonel, said Rosalind wiping her tears with a handkerchief. “ Its Connie, well that’s how I have known her. We went to the same school.  She was always a nice girl then as she is nice now. I do hope they find out who killed Barrett, for her sake.”  Bernard, listening  said nothing but  felt nothing but contempt for the man.  John and Laurance wondered if Bernard could of bumped him off.  Then again it might not of been any of them at all.  Laurance wondered, despite Rosalind’s  affection for Lady Constance, how was the marriage between she and Barrett?  Would she have any reason to have him out of the way?  He shrugged his shoulders and reasoned he should wait till things furthered developed.

At ten Chief Inspector Hartlock and his two sergeants, Holt and Ballard, Constable  Perkins and Jepson who has come up to Eagle House.  “ Ladies and Gentlemen, we will now begin interviewing you all.. The Kitchen, Study and Library, and Den will be used for interviewing.”  In other words, the rooms downstairs which have a door besides the bathrooms. Thought John. Chief Inspector Hartock turned to everyone in the room.    His eyes were hazel and he had a piecing gaze, but he had a pleasant yet professional manner.  “Lady Constance, I would like to start with you.” “ Oh must I? said Constance trying to keep her composure.”  “ Yes, I know its especially hard for you, but you were probably the last to see him alive.”  He knew the killer was actually the last but he had the sense not to say it. “ Come with me to the library.”  Lady Constance slowly got up and looked around her.  Although her feelings had her stomach in knots, she did feel some comfort that whatever she said was both the truth and she was innocent. William wasn’t the easiest man to live with sometimes but she would never seek to do him ill. She did find it interesting that throughout the whole weekend no one called him by his first name but no doubt everyone knew it.  Some better than others.  Chief Inspector Hartlock gently and briefly put his around Lady Constance’s back as they went into the Library. 

Hartlock shut the door and went to one of the chairs which had been set out.  “ Now Lady Constance, I want you to tell me as much as you can about last night.”  “ Well, last night we had a dance with a band for all our guests.” “ And how did everyone seem?”  “ Oh I would say everyone was having a fine time. William, that’s my husbands first name Inspector, was enjoying the band a lot.  The only one who seemed a bit out of sorts was Bernard Morcroft.  Never was a very pleasant man but he was pretty sour last night. “  “ Can you tell me why?”  Lady Constance recalled what had happened at the shooting party. To which Hartlock simply said  “ I see.”  “ But Inspector, it was an accident, and he was alright.  He made more fuss over it than was really necessary.  As I said, he always was a most disagreeable man.” “ Why do you think your husband invited him?”  Lady Constance had to pause for a moment. “ You know Inspector, I honestly don’t know.  He just gave me the list and had me write out the invitations.  I didn’t think about it till the man showed up. What I had remembered William telling me about him, I found that  he did not exaggerate.  His wife is nice though, I don’t see how she puts up with him.”  . “Do you think  Mr. Morcroft would of wanted to kill your husband.”

“ Now that is interesting, because  I know the man did not like my husband very much and may of thought he was the one to  accidentally  graze him, in fact he accused him as such but William did not do that.  He was too good shot to accidentally hit something he did not intend to shoot.”  Lady Constance then looked down at her nails.  “ I see . So  would you consider  Bernard a suspect?”  “ Oh I’d hate to point fingers but  I would have to say possibly.”  “ Now then, moving on, tell me what happened after the dance?” “ Well we all retired to  the lounge and played cards and had cocktails.  All but by husband he enjoyed sitting in his wingback chair and having one of his fancy cigars and mint juleps. Mint julep was his favorite drink.”  Inspector Hartlock thought for a moment. Could this be how the Colonel was poisoned?”  The autopsy report would not be ready for a couple of days. The question now would be who slipped what into one or more of the Colonel’s juleps?  Concentrating back to the interview  Hartlock asked “ And what happened after cards and cocktails?”  ‘ Well that would have been about twelve, I remember the clock on the mantel chiming.  Everyone went up to their rooms. I went to our room, changed and went to sleep. The Colonel came in shortly after.”        “ Now you weren’t in bed this morning when the maid came in were you?”  “ No, no I wasn’t.  I always  get up earlier than my husband, he thank goodness is not a snorer so I just thought he was  peacefully sleeping.”  Lady Constance started to choke up. “ I was I had looked closer now!”  “ Now there Lady Constance, I know you must be feeling most distressed. I think I will conclude this interview for now.”  Hartlock called for Constable Perkins to go with  Lady Constance to get some fresh air. 

Chief Inspector Hartlock looked over the list of suspects/guests and pondered who to call next.  He did not want to call Bernard in just yet, nor did he want to call him last.
He would get to him somewhere in the middle of the pack, intentionally.  He did not want Bernard to think he was the prime suspect, even if  later he turned out to be. Hartlock had been a copper for a fair few years and was pretty good at judging how to read the people he encountered on his cases.  He decided on Marline Hodburry  and John would be the next to interviewed.  After seeing that Lady Constance was alright Sergeant Ballard, interviewed  John Hodburry in Den.  John came in,, he was tall, thin almost rakish,  he had always been naturally thin. Back in the war the  Army officials were concerned he might not be fit enough for the job. However, he proved well enough for the job.  He sat down on a comfortable red plush chair and adjusted his horn rimmed glasses.  Sergeant Ballard was not a particularly tall man, about 5’7 in height. He was a bit stocky as well. He spoke with a Northerner accent, a Geordie.
He sat down took off his cap and sat aside. Then he got out his paper and pen and addressed John

“ Right John. What is your full name? “ “ John Henry Hodburry.” “ Date of birth?”  “ January 6 1935.”  “ Place of Birth?” “ I was born in Newcastle.”  “ Ok then John, now that we have the standard questions over with, lets talk about the night before the Colonel died, what was going on?  “ Well., we had  a dance in the ballroom.” “ Was everyone there?”  “ Yes everyone was there.” “ How did the Colonel seem then?”  John chuckled a little and said  “ He was in a fine mood.  He had arranged for a Jazz band to come in and he was enjoying the music. “ “ Oh I see, and then what happened?”  “ After the dance we all went to the lounge for cocktails and to play cards. “Was everyone there then?”  John thought for a minute. “ Yes I think so, I don’t recall anyone being missing.  “ Do you recall anything unusual happening during the night?  John had to think a  minute  He and Marline had been enjoying the music quite abit.  “ Well,  Simon Hocksworth and Nathan Wilson stepped out on the veranda for about 20 minutes., I assume it was just to have smoke but it may be more.  I have noticed Simon and his wife having secret conversations in the garden. “ About what do you think?”  asked Ballard inquiringly. “ I haven’t the faintest idea, I only noticed them in the garden  the day of the hunt, after the hunt had happened that is.  I was in my bedroom and saw them through my window.”  “ Perhaps they was just talking.” suggested  Ballard.  “ Well, I would like to think so but they have been acting a bit odd sort of for the last while.”  “ So do you think they know you have observed this?  “ I don’t think they have, but there may be nothing in it mind.  Simon and his wife are good people, really they are.”  “ Oh aye I would  think so too and I am sure we shall be finding out what they have been up to soon enough sir.  One last question before I let you go.  Did you have any reason or know of any person who had a reason to kill the Colonel?  “ Well, for part one,  Me, No absolutely not.  I was surprised he invited us as was my wife.  I wasn’t that close of a friend to Barrett in fact I did not even serve with him. Now part two, its well known that Bernard Morcraft did not like Barrett and the idea of him being invited here was even more mind boggling.  Bernard was with my unit only briefly in the beginning and he was not a very nice, chap, still isn’t as you will soon find out.  He has not liked Barrett, I found this out the other day when he accused Barrett of trying to kill him when his arm got grazed at the shooting party.”  “ Thank you sir for your time and information. You are free to go back to the lounge.