The Dark Side of the Road

  ‘He did say everyone in his family hated him,’ I said carefully.

  ‘Well, yes, but they’re not here,’ said Penny. ‘And why would any of them want to kill James?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘I can’t see any obvious connection between the two murders. It doesn’t make sense.’

  Jeeves leaned in through the doorway, looked at the body, and scowled. ‘Did I hear right; that’s Roger?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Penny. ‘He’s dead.’

  She went back out into the corridor, Jeeves moving quickly to get out of her way. I went after her and stood in the doorway, blocking it off.

  ‘Roger’s dead,’ Penny announced loudly. ‘The killer set him on fire.’

  A small crowd had gathered together in the corridor. They all made sounds of horror and distress, and huddled together. Everyone present seemed honestly shocked by the news. Khan was comforting Sylvia, who was weeping quietly against his chest. She looked like a child who’d just discovered how harsh and cruel the world can be. Khan looked lost and bewildered, even as he patted Sylvia’s shoulder automatically. Jeeves and Leilah stood close together, their guns in their hands. Neither of them seemed sure what to do. Walter and Melanie had finally made it up the stairs to join the rest of us. Walter was breathing hard, and the colour in his face wasn’t healthy. He leaned heavily on his walking stick and on Melanie’s arm. She looked wildly about her, as though expecting to be attacked at any moment.

  ‘I can’t believe it,’ said Walter. ‘Two of my guests dead, in my own home … First James, and now Roger? What the hell is going on? Somebody tell me what’s going on!’

  ‘Hush, dear,’ said Melanie. ‘For God’s sake.’

  Walter seemed to realize for the first time how upset his wife was, and he patted her hand, on his arm.

  I stepped forward, to address Sylvia, who was still leaning heavily on Alexander Khan. ‘I know you’re upset, Sylvia, but I have to ask you some questions. How did you happen to be here?’

  Sylvia slowly turned away from Khan to answer me. Her voice was higher than usual, but still reasonably steady. Tears ran down her face, though she didn’t seem to notice.

  ‘I heard those footsteps again. Just … walking up and down, going nowhere. But this time when they stopped, I heard a door open. And I thought: that’s different. So I went to my door and stood there and listened for a while. No voices, and I didn’t hear the door close. So I unlocked my door and looked out. I couldn’t see anyone, but I didn’t want to think I was just imagining things, so I stepped out into the corridor. And that’s when I realized Roger’s door was standing open. So I came down here, to see what was going on. I knew I shouldn’t, I knew it wasn’t a sensible thing to do, but … I couldn’t seem to help myself. I had to know … And then I looked in through the door … And saw Roger—’ She broke off, unable to go on.

  Khan took her in his arms again. He glared at me over her shoulder. ‘Can’t this wait?’

  ‘I suppose so,’ I said. ‘It’s not as if any of us are going anywhere.’ I looked round at the others. ‘No one is to go into this room. We finally have an actual crime scene, and I don’t want anything disturbed. We never did find out where the Colonel was killed, but it seems clear Roger died right here.’

  Jeeves and Leilah nodded, reluctantly. ‘All right,’ said Jeeves. ‘We’ll talk to these people, while you check out the state of the room and the body. You probably have more experience with dead bodies, anyway.’

  ‘Excuse me,’ said Melanie. ‘Can I just ask; why is Cook carrying a gun?’

  I left Jeeves to explain and went back into Roger’s room. Penny was immediately right there, with me.

  ‘I know he was your friend,’ I said. ‘But I have to examine the body pretty thoroughly. You don’t have to …’

  ‘Try and keep me out,’ said Penny. ‘I want to know everything. I need to know.’

  ‘If you have to throw up, go out into the corridor to do it,’ I said, as kindly as I could.

  I removed the blanket from the body in the chair and tossed it back on to the bed. Penny swallowed hard, but didn’t turn away as I looked the body over. The charred remains were still smoking, here and there, but the flames were all out. The body was sitting upright, and apparently relaxed, in the chair. Nothing to indicate any movement while he burned. For all the damage the fire had done, it didn’t seem to have consumed much of the body. And then I looked round sharply as Penny made a noise behind me.

  She had both hands over her mouth and nose, to keep out the smell. From the expression on her face, that wasn’t working too well. She saw me watching her and waved one hand impatiently, for me to continue. I studied the body carefully from top to bottom, leaning in close where necessary, careful to touch nothing. The smell didn’t bother me. Or the state of the body.

  ‘I suppose you’re about to say you’ve seen worse,’ said Penny.

  ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I have.’

  ‘Working for the Colonel? For dear mysterious stepbrother James? Exactly what kind of work did you do for that man, Ishmael?’

  ‘Ask me later,’ I said. ‘For now, just accept I’m the best chance for revenge that Roger’s got.’

  The more I looked, the more convinced I became Roger hadn’t died from the fire. He’d been killed in his chair, and then set on fire to destroy the evidence. To cover up what had actually happened to him. And so far, it was working; I couldn’t see an obvious death wound anywhere.

  ‘The fire happened after the murder,’ I said to Penny. ‘Presumably to hide the method. So I have to assume that’s significant, in some way. Or informative. Perhaps when we know how Roger was killed, the manner of it will point to one person in particular.’

  Jeeves leaned in through the doorway. ‘Hate to interrupt the deep thinking,’ he said, ‘but I really think Leilah and I need to come in and see what’s happened for ourselves.’

  ‘Of course,’ I said. ‘Tell everyone else to stay put, though. Professionals only for the moment.’

  ‘And me,’ said Penny.

  Jeeves and Leilah stepped cautiously into Roger’s room, wrinkling their noses as the smell hit them. They’d both put their guns away.

  ‘No sign of any struggle,’ I said. ‘And nothing to indicate he was killed somewhere else and his body dumped here. I would say Roger died sitting in his chair.’

  ‘Sylvia found the door open,’ said Jeeves. ‘Roger would have had his door locked … so he must have opened it to let his killer in.’

  ‘Why would he open the door to anyone, under these circumstances?’ said Leilah.

  ‘He knew his visitor,’ I said. ‘And felt safe inviting them in.’

  Jeeves looked at Penny. ‘He would have opened his door to you, Miss Belcourt. When he might not have to anyone else.’

  ‘I’m a suspect?’ said Penny.

  ‘Everyone’s a suspect,’ said Leilah.

  ‘Ishmael!’ said Penny. ‘Say something!’

  ‘Everyone’s a suspect,’ I said.

  ‘That’s not what I was hoping for,’ said Penny.

  ‘Everyone in this house is a suspect,’ I said. ‘Including Jeeves and Leilah.’

  ‘Well,’ said Penny. ‘That’s better. I suppose.’

  ‘At least now we know for sure the murderer is still in this house,’ said Jeeves. ‘Leilah and I did a complete tour of the Manor. Checked all the doors and windows. Everything’s secure.’

  ‘The doors and shutters aren’t just locked; they’re bolted,’ said Leilah. ‘You can pick a lock, or force it, and not leave a trace, if you’re a professional. But no one gets past a bolt. I’m a great believer in bolts.’ She moved over to check the room’s single shuttered window and nodded quickly. ‘Told you. The only way in is through the door.’

  ‘But … why is he sitting in his chair?’ I said.

  ‘To make it look like a case of spontaneous combustion?’ said Leilah.

  We all stopped what we were doing, to stare at her in pretty much
the same way.

  Leilah glared defiantly back at us. ‘Well it could be! Come on; we’ve all seen stranger things!’

  ‘I haven’t,’ said Penny.

  ‘You have now,’ I said. ‘But no; there was nothing spontaneous about this. Roger was deliberately set alight.’

  ‘How?’ said Jeeves. ‘The fire’s out in the fireplace. What could the murderer have used to set a man on fire so completely? I mean, Roger was burning from head to foot. Some kind of accelerant?’

  I looked at him, almost pityingly. ‘You could say that … Get closer to the body. What else can you smell, apart from the expected?’

  Jeeves and Leilah looked at each other, leaned in and sniffed hard, and then recoiled quickly, coughing hard.

  I took pity on them. ‘The killer doused the body in brandy. See the empty bottle, standing by the fireplace? Soaked him in the stuff, from head to toe. That’s why the clothing went up so quickly and completely. It would only take a match to set it off; then just stand well back, and let the body burn. And it’s clear this was done after Roger was already dead. Because no one would have sat quietly in their chair and burned.’

  ‘Hell no,’ said Jeeves, shuddering suddenly. ‘He’d have been running round the room, screaming his head off, banging into the furniture, throwing off hot fat and setting fire to the furnishings …’

  He stopped then and looked apologetically at Penny, who just nodded quickly. Leilah hit Jeeves hard on the arm. He shrugged quickly.

  ‘Could there be a connection?’ Leilah said slowly. ‘In how both the bodies were treated? Cold for James, heat for Roger? Could this be some … elemental thing?’

  ‘Serial killers do like to send messages,’ said Jeeves.

  ‘Can we call him a serial, with only two killings?’ said Leilah.

  ‘You think he’s going to stop at two?’ said Jeeves.

  Leilah looked at Penny. ‘He … or she.’

  ‘Yes …’ said Jeeves. He turned the full force of his natural authority on Penny. ‘Do you have an alibi, Miss Belcourt?’

  ‘How the hell should I know?’ said Penny, entirely unfazed. ‘We don’t know when Roger died, do we?’

  ‘No one has an alibi,’ I said. ‘Just like the Colonel.’

  And then I stopped and looked thoughtfully at the floor. ‘Hold everything … Someone else was quite definitely in this room. I can see footprints in the carpeting.’

  Jeeves and Leilah looked at each other, and then at the carpet. In the end, they had to get down on their hands and knees and study the carpet close up, before they finally nodded agreement. They got back on to their feet again, helping each other considerately, and then looked at me.

  ‘You have really good eyes,’ said Jeeves.

  ‘You’re weird,’ said Leilah.

  ‘At the very least,’ I said. ‘Comes with the territory. No marks of spiked heels, to indicate a woman; just flat imprints. Basic slippers. From the size, it could be male or female.’

  ‘So, not really helpful after all,’ said Leilah.

  Jeeves hushed her. ‘Is there anything else we’ve missed, Ishmael?’

  ‘Yes …’ I said. ‘I can smell something else in this room, something out of place. Apart from the obvious. Under the burnt meat, and the brandy, I can smell blood.’

  ‘You can smell blood?’ said Leilah. ‘What the hell are you; part bloodhound?’

  ‘He smelled blood before,’ said Penny. ‘Just before we found James’ body, hidden inside the snowman.’

  ‘What kind of training does the Organization give you people?’ said Jeeves.

  Leilah looked at Jeeves. ‘You believe him?’

  ‘He’s been right about everything else, so far,’ said Jeeves.

  ‘I think you should take the others downstairs,’ I said. ‘This floor doesn’t feel safe. Take them down, fill them in on the situation, or at least as much as you think wise, while Penny and I finish looking the scene over. I would suggest you hole up in the drawing room. Just the one door, easily defended, and there’s food and drink. Should be safe enough for the time being.’

  ‘I don’t think I’ll ever feel safe again,’ said Penny. She glanced at the body. ‘Or hungry again. Ever.’

  Leilah looked at me bullishly. ‘We don’t take orders from you! We only answer to the client. Why should we be the ones who have to guard the sheep?’

  ‘Because you’ve got guns,’ I said.

  ‘And because that’s our job, Leilah,’ said Jeeves. ‘We don’t solve murders; we protect the client. Right?’

  ‘Still say he’s weird,’ muttered Leilah.

  They left the room, and I heard them speak politely and persuasively to the people in the corridor. And then they all went downstairs, Jeeves and Leilah in the lead, followed by Khan and Sylvia, and finally Walter and Melanie. I turned back to the body. Penny was staring into the ruined face.

  ‘I wanted to be free of him,’ she said. ‘But not like this. He wasn’t a bad sort, you know. Not really. He just fell in love with the wrong woman. He should have found someone who might have been … kinder to him.’

  She turned abruptly and walked out of the room. She stood outside, breathing deeply of the somewhat fresher air. I went out to join her, and then hesitated in the doorway, looking back. I couldn’t help feeling I was missing something. Some important detail …

  I went to shut and lock the door and found the key was still in the lock, on the inside of the door. So the killer … left it there? And left the door open, so the body could be discovered? Why would the killer do that, after going to such pains to hide the Colonel’s body? Or, could it be that the killer was in such a hurry that they didn’t have time to lock the door? Suggesting … what? That the killer murdered Roger almost immediately after being admitted into his room? Why the rush? And how would the killer have overpowered Roger so quickly? Roger wasn’t what I would have called a fighter, but surely he would have put up some kind of struggle … Unless he was caught completely by surprise … Or drugged.

  I reined in my thoughts. Far too many questions, and hardly any answers.

  I locked the door and slipped the key into my pocket. I didn’t want anyone else having access to the body until I’d had time to think some more. I moved over to join Penny. She was still breathing deeply, but a healthier colour had come back into her face. She looked at me squarely.

  ‘You don’t think I killed Roger, do you, Ishmael?’

  ‘I can’t see any reason why you would,’ I said.

  ‘That’s not what I asked,’ said Penny.

  ‘I don’t believe you are capable of such an act,’ I said.

  Penny smiled. ‘Thank you.’

  She hugged me suddenly. I let her.

  ‘Of course,’ I said, ‘I have been known to be wrong about people.’

  ‘It was a lovely moment,’ Penny said into my shoulder. ‘Don’t spoil it.’

  ‘Sorry,’ I said.

  After a while she let go of me and stood back. She smiled brightly. ‘Since you and I are the only people in this house we can trust, I think we should work together to solve the mystery and identify the killer. We both have good reason to bring this bastard down. I want to avenge Roger, and you want to avenge James. Your Colonel.’

  ‘Why do you trust me?’ I said. ‘You barely know me.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Penny. ‘I just do. Sometimes you only have to look at someone and you know.’

  ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I know.’

  And then I looked around the corridor sharply. ‘Hold it! Hold everything! I knew I’d missed something … Where’s Diana? She wasn’t here before, with all the others.’

  ‘You’re right!’ said Penny. ‘She wasn’t here, and I never noticed … Why didn’t I notice? And why didn’t she show up with the others? Oh, wait a minute. Sylvia could have given Diana something, to help her sleep.’

  ‘Then why did Sylvia go downstairs with the others, leaving Diana on her own up here, dead to the world in her room,
and not say anything?’

  ‘Shock?’ said Penny. ‘Finding Roger like that must have—’

  ‘Why didn’t we notice Diana wasn’t with the others?’ I said. ‘Something’s very wrong here. Which is Diana’s room?’

  ‘Daddy put her in the Primrose Room,’ said Penny. ‘Diana always insists on the same room, every year.’

  She led the way. The door to Diana’s room was closed, and when I tried the handle it was locked. Penny rapped loudly on the door and called Diana’s name. There was no response. I sniffed at the air.

  ‘Blood,’ I said. ‘I can smell blood.’

  ‘Through a closed door?’ said Penny.

  I smashed in the door, with one hard shove of my hand. The lock exploded, and the door was blasted right off its hinges. It fell forward into the room, measuring its length on the carpeted floor.

  Penny looked at me. ‘OK, I am now seriously impressed.’

  ‘All part of the training,’ I said.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘No.’

  The room was in darkness. I found the light switch and turned it on. Penny wanted to rush in, but I gestured for her to hold back. I stepped cautiously inside, and then stopped. The bed was empty, all the bedclothes perfectly in place. Nothing to show anyone had slept in it. The room was still and quiet. I could smell Diana’s perfume, half hidden under half a dozen other smells. She was here, somewhere. I moved forward, following the scent across the room, with Penny sticking close at my side. I ended up standing before the fireplace. It was a lot bigger than the one in my room. Someone had piled the fire high with coal, and it was burning fiercely, throwing off a lot of heat. I dropped down on one knee, thrust both my hands into the fire and pulled it apart, hauling out the burning coals and scattering them across the grate. It only took me a few moments.