“I didn’t know him well, but Roger—Captain Nelson told us he was thorough and dependable. As was Gerry Dunn, for that matter. He often assigned them to his aircraft, because they were so good at hearing the slightest change in the pitch of the engine.”
“Albert Reed. Another mechanic.”
“I don’t—or was he one of Patricia’s pets?” She bit her lip, then said, “We should never have called them that. She had a soft heart, always trying to make other people happy. If someone was generally by himself, when he came up from the airfield, she would try hard to find something to interest him. Croquet. Tennis. That sort of thing. But some of the men just seemed to prefer their own company, and they’d find a quiet corner to write letters to their families.”
“Mrs. Hailey told me he liked to sit and carve.”
“Was that Reed? Actually, I don’t know that I ever saw him carve anything. He would watch the other men, a stick of wood in his hand, the knife too. As if they were just there as—as props, so that he could appear to be busy and people would leave him alone.”
“Was he a good mechanic?”
She frowned. “Yes, I expect he must have been. Someone mentioned that before the war, he had worked designing motorcars. At least I think it was Reed? Perhaps it was one of the other men. Still, all of the mechanics would have to be experienced, wouldn’t they, to keep all those aircraft ready to fly?”
“Did you ever hear of any disciplinary problems with any of these names?”
“I never thought to ask about that sort of thing. I tried to keep a distance from airfield matters. The men came here to relax. Sometimes to mourn a pilot who had been killed. It wasn’t my place to judge them. I left that to Major Dinsmore.”
“Would you recognize Reed if you saw him again?”
“Good heavens. Well, if he came into the sitting room in uniform, I just might. Those I often talked with, I’d probably have no trouble recognizing. But there were so many who came and went, and I didn’t get to know many of them very well. Patricia of course–”
She broke off. “No. You don’t think—you aren’t saying that—that she recognized him, and he—he killed her? But in God’s name why?”
He weighed how much to tell her. How much was safe, how much was very likely dangerous.
“That’s speculation at the moment. Do you know if he had any family members living close by? Like Gerald Dunn, for example, whose mother lives in Walmer.”
“Relatives? I have no idea. Many of the men talked about their parents or their wives and sweethearts. Especially in the beginning, when they were so homesick. Major Dinsmore frowned on having family members visit, it was a distraction. After all, family members weren’t allowed to visit airfields in France. Why?”
He was about to ask if she had ever seen Reed with Newbold, then changed his mind. “Did many of the squadron go to The Monk’s Choice in the evening? I’ve been told it was popular during the war.”
“It probably was, since it was so close to the airfield. Men could walk there. The Captain did say once that he had tried to put it off-limits, because the men who went there usually drank too much. But Major Dinsmore overruled that. The men went into Walmer when they could get leave. Especially the pilots.”
“Do you know why he overruled the Captain?”
“I was only told that he had.”
“Was Reed one of the heavy drinkers?”
“Again, I wouldn’t know. Where are you going with these questions?”
“I’m trying to narrow my list of names.”
But she wasn’t to be put off. “I think you already have.” She carefully set her cup on the table by her chair, then said, “Was he—was this man Reed the one Captain Nelson appeared to kill that night in my garden?”
“We haven’t got that far in our inquiry.”
She rounded on him. “Stop it. You’re leading me down the primrose path! ‘Speculation.’ ‘Haven’t got that far.’ That’s not like you, Inspector. What are you keeping from me?”
He took a deep breath. “The less you know, the less the risk to you.”
“That’s rather chivalrous. And just as impractical. What do you know? You must tell me the truth.”
“Very likely there was an imposter among the men at the airfield. He had stolen the identity of a dead man, and used the war to avoid being found and charged. He’s a murderer. I don’t why he’s back in Essex. There’s a strong possibility that he came back here either because of the airfield or because of this house. Or even for the grounds. It’s even possible that he put on that little drama in your garden to frighten you away for a few days. Did the Captain—Major Dinsmore—anyone from the squadron ask you to keep something for them? And never collected it again?”
“No. Absolutely not. That isn’t to say that something wasn’t left here. If it was, none of us knew about it.”
She swallowed hard, taking it in. But she said only, “Thank you. I feel safer, knowing what it is that I’m facing.”
“You must come back with me to the hotel. Where it will be more difficult to find you.”
“And leave this house unprotected? My husband’s inheritance, and my son’s? Thank you for your concern, but the answer is no.”
“You’re carrying your sense of duty too far. If this man killed Mrs. Lowell, he will have no compunction about killing you. For all we know, his was the hand that pushed you down the crypt stairs.”
“He can find me at the hotel. There are other people about, I won’t see him coming for me. Here, I know who ought to be here and who shouldn’t be. I’m safer.”
“You can’t watch every window, all the doors. You can’t guard every room.”
“Then I’ll borrow a dog. Mrs. Bradley owns one, a great hulk of a beast. Not too bright, but he has a ferocious bark. And you should see his teeth. He’ll hear what I can’t.”
“Is she still here?”
“I expect she is—there were dishes to be dealt with, and some rather nice lemon poppy seed cakes. You just had one.” They had finished their tea. She rose, and as he stood to follow her, she shook her head. “No, I don’t want to frighten the staff. Or worry them. I’ll go and ask for Bruce. She will be happy to lend him for a night or two, if I tell her that we have a rodent problem.”
She left him there, and as soon as the door was closed, Hamish said, “Ye canna protect her forever. He’ll only wait for his chance.”
“I’ll leave the motorcar in the carriage house. Out of sight. He’s taken the valise. It’s very likely that he knows he has to move on. Either he’ll cut his losses and go, or if he’s desperate enough, he’ll strike soon.”
“You’ve no’ got a weapon.”
“There’s a gun room. I’ll borrow one, then lock the door.”
“Ye’re a fool.”
And he fell silent.
The door opened and Lady Benton came in. “She’s delighted to lend Bruce to me. She’s gone to fetch him now.”
“I’ll put my motorcar out of sight. You’ll be safe enough with the others still here.”