Very Important Corpses Page 7

  The Major Domo shrugged. ‘All the principals’ people are known to the principals. That includes both security and staff. Because they wouldn’t trust their safety to anyone they didn’t know already.’

  ‘That leaves the House staff,’ I said. ‘You already said one of the new faces might not be what they seem.’

  ‘I meant one of them might be a journalist, not a killer.’

  ‘They’re both very hard to spot,’ I said. ‘And then … there are the principals.’

  ‘What about them?’ said the Major Domo.

  I wasn’t ready to come right out and mention the possibility of a double, so I changed the subject. ‘Tell me about the House’s surveillance systems.’

  ‘That’s easy,’ said the Major Domo. ‘There aren’t any. Normally we’d have the entire House under surveillance, but the principals insisted we remove every last bit of it before they would agree to use Coronach House for their meeting. And they sent their own security people ahead of them to check it had been done. The principals really don’t want to be identified. Or risk having their very private discussions recorded and broadcast to the waiting world. They put their faith in manpower to keep them safe and secure.’

  ‘What about outside the House?’ I said.

  ‘All the cameras were removed and the motion sensors disabled,’ said the Major Domo. ‘I’ve brought in extra guards to patrol the grounds.’

  ‘More faces you don’t know,’ said Penny.

  ‘Yes,’ said the Major Domo.

  ‘Are there any hidden doors or secret passageways in Coronach House?’ Penny asked hopefully.

  The Major Domo shook her head firmly. ‘They were all sealed off long ago.’

  ‘How long ago?’ said Penny.

  ‘Centuries,’ said the Major Domo. ‘That was one of the first things the principals’ security people asked about. They even went around tapping on the walls to make sure the old entrances were still sealed.’

  ‘Is there anyone else in the House you haven’t told us about?’ I asked.

  The Major Domo looked like she wanted to pull a face, but didn’t. ‘So they wouldn’t be distracted from their very important decision-making, none of the principals brought their husbands or wives with them. But … there are a large number of professional escorts present. Brought here to serve the principals’ pleasure. All of them hired, and very thoroughly checked out in advance.’

  ‘I’m going to want to talk to these people,’ I said. ‘Sex workers are like psychiatrists, people will say things to them that they wouldn’t say to anyone else.’

  The Major Domo nodded grimly. ‘They’re around. You can’t miss them.’ And then she stopped and gave me a hard look. ‘I have to ask, why is the Organization taking such an interest in the Baphomet Group? They never have before.’

  ‘We never lost an agent because of them before,’ I said.

  ‘But what was Miss Rifkin doing here in the first place?’

  ‘You should have asked Jennifer,’ I said.

  ‘I did,’ said the Major Domo. ‘She told me it was none of my business.’

  I smiled. ‘Guess what I’m about to say …’

  THREE

  The Things People Tell You

  There comes a time in every investigation when you just have to go and see things for yourself; when other people’s help, opinions and well-meaning attempts at guidance merely distract you from what needs doing. I’d seen Jennifer Rifkin and her room, and now I needed to see Coronach House. To get a feel for the place and the measure of its people, and make up my own mind as to what was really going on.

  ‘Penny,’ I said, ‘It is time for us to shake the dust of other people’s preoccupations from our feet and undertake a grand tour of Coronach House.’

  ‘Of course,’ the Major Domo said immediately. ‘Allow me a moment to make the proper arrangements and I’ll give you the full guided tour.’

  ‘That won’t be necessary,’ I said, just as immediately. ‘This is something we need to do for ourselves. I’m sure you understand.’

  It was clear from the look on her face that she didn’t, but she knew better than to argue. Instead, the Major Domo gave me a long hard look, before addressing me with the kind of resigned contempt usually reserved for overindulged children who insist on doing something really dumb.

  ‘Try not to get lost. You’ll find certain areas have been designated out of bounds to ensure the principals’ privacy and security. You’ll know when you’ve wandered into one, because all the doors will be locked and men with really big guns will open fire if you annoy them.’

  ‘That’s all right,’ I said cheerfully. ‘If I decide there’s something I really need to see, I’ll just kick the doors in. And if any of the guards shoot at me and I notice, I will make such an example of them that people just hearing about it will dry-heave with horror. Spread the word for me, there’s a dear.’

  Realizing that I wasn’t in any way joking, the Major Domo turned her back and walked stiffly off, projecting a definite air of ‘On your own head be it! I wash my hands of whatever appalling things are about to happen!’. Penny watched her go and then turned to me.

  ‘It’s not like you to be so openly physical,’ she said. ‘Showing off what you can do, in front of strangers.’

  ‘I really don’t like being told what I can and can’t do during an investigation,’ I said. ‘And something about the set-up in this house is definitely bringing out the worst in me.’

  ‘Do I really need to remind you that if the principals feel sufficiently aggrieved or threatened they won’t hesitate to order their people to open fire on you?’ said Penny. ‘And the guards will be ready for you this time. Just looking for an excuse to overreact. You may be more than humanly fast and strong, my dearest, but you’re not bulletproof. And neither am I.’

  ‘I would never do anything to put you in danger, Penny.’

  ‘Not deliberately,’ she said steadily. ‘But you don’t always stop to think about what you’re getting into.’

  ‘I thought that was part of my charm.’

  ‘Ishmael …’

  ‘Have faith in me,’ I said, ‘to know what I’m doing.’

  She smiled suddenly. ‘You do make it difficult sometimes.’

  I smiled back at her. ‘I do, don’t I?’

  I extended an arm to her and she slipped her arm through it, then we set off down the corridor.

  ‘Why is it so important we do this on our own?’ she said. ‘Why not let the Major Domo give us the full tour? She must know all kinds of useful things about the House and its history and legends … And who better to tell us everything that’s been happening here recently?’

  ‘She could tell us all sorts of things,’ I said. ‘But I don’t trust her to tell us what we want to know. She looks the type to hold things back until she decides we need to know them. I think it’s important we develop our own impression of this place without being guided or deliberately misled. So far this case has been all questions and no answers, and that’s no way to run an investigation.’

  And so we went walking through Coronach House. A marvellous old building with all the latest modern touches, but still rich with carefully cultivated olde-worlde charm. Thick carpets, sturdy heavy furniture; and lots of paintings on the walls, some of which I recognised as major works by minor masters. Stags’ heads mounted on wall plaques, with great sweeping antlers and cold resentful eyes. And one complete set of medieval armour, still standing guard; brightly polished and burnished within an inch of its life. It stood barely five feet tall: men were tougher in those days, but not as well nourished. I lifted the helmet’s visor and took a quick look inside, just to make sure it was empty. Because you never know. I kept a watchful eye out for hidden doors or sliding panels built into the old walls, and even tapped speculatively in a few likely spots. But I didn’t find anything. Maybe the Major Domo was telling the truth, and all the old secret entrances had been sealed off. I hoped so. There’s nothing like
a secret passage or two to really complicate a case.

  Coronach House felt … comfortable, lived in; more like a home than a hotel. Servants bustled back and forth in their old-fashioned formal uniforms, doing their best to look busy, while security personnel stood guard at regular intervals, trying hard to look dangerous … but the House still felt like somewhere you wanted to be. As though you could be sure everything and everyone in the House were there to look after and protect you. It had been built to be a fortress against the dangers of the world, to be strong and solid and safe.

  But then Jennifer Rifkin had no doubt felt the same way. Right up to the point where she didn’t.

  It seemed like security guards were everywhere, all of them carefully polite as Penny and I approached but more than ready to give us the evil eye from a safe distance. A lot of them looked like they would have preferred to turn us back but couldn’t figure out a way to do so that wouldn’t result in sudden violence, extreme loss of face on their part, and quite probably tears before bedtime. I was careful to be studiously polite to everyone, and in no way threatening. And that seemed to upset the guards even more. They were convinced I was planning something really unpleasant; and I was happy for them to think that.

  I escorted Penny through wide corridors and open hallways, pausing here and there to admire a particular painting or antique, or an especially pleasant view from a window. Whilst all the time aware of being watched, even when I couldn’t see anyone. Coronach House was remarkably free of shadows, but I still had no doubt it was keeping things from me. That there were things I wasn’t supposed to know about hidden away. I led Penny up the stairs to the middle floor and we wandered back and forth, taking our time. No one got in our way, but no one wanted to speak to us either. Up the stairs again, to the top floor, and almost immediately we came to a series of closed doors guarded by some familiar faces. The principals’ guards took one look at us approaching and quickly stepped away from their doors to stand together, shoulder to shoulder. They weren’t dumb enough to draw their guns: just blocked the way with their bodies. I stopped and regarded them thoughtfully. Penny stopped with me, looking anxiously at me to see what I would do.

  I took my time, carefully considering the situation. The guards had chosen a defiant but determinedly passive form of obstruction, thus putting the ball firmly in my court. I could always force my way through, but not without causing a major disturbance. Which was, of course, what they were counting on. So that whatever happened, they could tell their principals it was all my fault. I kept up my watchful gaze just long enough for some of the guards to start sweating, and for Penny to stir uneasily at my side. Then I turned around and walked back the way I’d come. Penny hurried along beside me, and I could feel her relaxing, just a little.

  ‘For a moment there I thought you were going to be stubborn,’ she said, ‘and really ruin their day.’

  ‘Wasn’t necessary,’ I said. ‘They won’t always be there. If I decide I need to see what’s in the principals’ rooms, I can always come back later and break in. After you’ve arranged something big and noisy to distract them. I’ve always found you capable of being very distracting.’

  ‘You say the nicest things, sweetie. When you remember.’

  At the top of the stairs we had to stop and step back to let a small crowd of servants rush past. All of them wearing old-fashioned outfits in stark black-and-white. A pretty young thing in a maid’s costume, complete with lace trimmings and sensible heavy shoes, paused to smile at me.

  ‘Mister Jones!’ she said. ‘You’re looking a bit lost. Can I help you at all?’

  ‘You know who I am?’ I said.

  ‘Of course,’ she said brightly. ‘Mister Jones and Miss Belcourt, representing the Organization. We’ve all been briefed and ordered to cooperate.’ She gave me a big smile, and a knowing look. ‘And I can be very cooperative … I’m Emily, sir. At your service. Would you like to interrogate me?’

  ‘I don’t mind,’ I said. ‘To start with, why the outfits?’

  She shrugged prettily. ‘All part of Coronach House’s famous and very expensive olde-worlde charm. I’m just playing a part to keep the guests happy. Half the time it feels like I’m in a television show or a fetish magazine. But for the kind of money the principals are paying, it doesn’t bother me. I’d dress up in a clown’s outfit and juggle the breakfast if that’s what they wanted.’

  ‘Have you worked here long?’ asked Penny, just to make it clear she wasn’t being left out of the conversation.

  ‘Not long,’ said Emily, still concentrating her smile and her heavy-lidded eyes on me. ‘Most of us were brought in specially, to look after the House while the Baphomet Group are in session. Through a London agency that specializes in providing experienced staff with proper security clearances.’

  ‘So you’ve worked in high-security situations before?’ I said.

  ‘That’s right,’ Emily said brightly. ‘It’s what I do. What we all do. But don’t you worry, sir. We never talk about anything we see or hear. Being silent and reliable is part of the job description. Among other things … I’m ready to do anything you might need, sir. Anything at all.’

  ‘How did you know who I work for?’

  ‘Oh, we’ve all heard of the Organization! In fact, your arrival here caused quite a flutter downstairs. We never thought to meet an actual Organization agent in the flesh. Never mind three in a row! Not that any of us ever got to know Miss Rifkin. She kept herself to herself, only talked to us when she had questions about something.’

  ‘Questions?’ said Penny. ‘What kind of questions?’

  Emily shrugged. ‘None that ever made any sense. Do you know why she was here, Mister Jones?’

  ‘Sorry,’ I said. ‘Penny and I are just here to find out who killed her.’

  Emily didn’t look like she believed me. I gave her my best meaningless smile. For someone who was supposed to be security cleared and security conscious, she was far too ready to talk. And to ask questions about things she should have known were none of her business. But then, there’s nothing like a murder to tear down the social conventions. Because knowledge of what’s really going on can help keep you alive.

  ‘Is this a good job?’ Penny asked Emily.

  The young maid shrugged again. I was getting the feeling that was her default response. ‘The job’s OK, it’s the people you have to deal with … The principals look right through you, even when they’re giving orders or making complaints. We’re always having to chase up and down stairs, delivering this or picking up that. And all we get in return is moaning; about how there’s not enough hot water, or enough choices on the menu, or how long the laundry takes. The usual. And of course the principals’ own servants are far too busy to bother themselves with things like that.

  ‘The Major Domo keeps the principals off our back, as much as she can. She’s all right. I’ve worked for worse. A bit strict and distant, but she always knows where everything is and what needs to be done. I’ve worked for all sorts and I’ll take dependable any time.’

  I raised a hand, to shut down the torrent of information. ‘Were you anywhere near Jennifer Rifkin’s room when she was murdered?’

  ‘Oh it’s murder now, is it?’ said Emily, seizing on the word. ‘We were told it was some kind of animal attack.’

  ‘And you believed that?’ said Penny.

  Emily didn’t quite laugh in her face. She shrugged again, and threw in a sniff for good measure.

  ‘Not our business to say anything, miss. But none of us could see how an animal could get into the House, do what it did and get out again, all without being noticed by someone. Of course, there are the old stories about the Coronach creature … I’d never even heard of it until I came here. I was just hoping for a glimpse of the Loch Ness monster. Still, it makes you think, doesn’t it?’

  ‘Have you ever seen this creature?’ I said. ‘Have any of the staff?’

  ‘No …’ said Emily. She frowned, concentrating
so hard she actually forgot to flirt for a moment. ‘Not inside the House. But apparently people have seen things out in the grounds. Down by the loch. We’re not supposed to go out there, but people can’t help seeing things through the windows. Just a dark shape, they say; moving in the mists.’

  ‘Have you told anyone about this?’ I said.

  ‘I know a few people spoke to the Major Domo, but they just got told to mind their own business.’ Emily’s eyes brightened. ‘But there’s more to it than just a few sightings! We’ve all of us heard things, in the night. When no one is supposed to be out and about. There’s a strict curfew after ten o’clock, enforced by the principals’ security people. Even the House guards have to obey it. But Ruby – she’s one of the downstairs maids – told me she heard footsteps outside her door. And Laura, she says something tried to turn her door handle. Trying to get in. She’d locked her door, of course.’

  ‘Animals don’t normally turn door handles,’ I said.

  ‘But the Coronach creature is supposed to be part human,’ said Penny.

  ‘So there is something to the creature?’ said Emily, looking quickly back and forth between us.

  ‘I doubt it,’ I said.

  Emily pouted unhappily. ‘But you do think Miss Rifkin was murdered?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said.

  Emily nodded, satisfied. ‘No one’s actually seen anything inside the House. But I’ll tell you this for free, we’ll all be glad when this job is over and we can get the hell out of here.’

  ‘You haven’t answered my question yet,’ I said.

  ‘What question was that, sir?’

  ‘Where were you when …’

  ‘Oh, yes! No one was on the middle floor when Miss Rifkin was killed. All the staff were working on the ground floor, following their regular schedule. And all the security people were busy guarding the principals, as they were holed up for one of their special meetings. We only found out what had happened when the Major Domo sent Laura up to Miss Rifkin’s room. Poor girl lost it big time! We could hear her screaming all over the House. She’s still not right, but they won’t let her leave … Anyway, we were all told to stay put while security went haring off up the stairs to investigate. Next thing we knew they were carrying Miss Rifkin down on a stretcher, with a blanket over her. Do you know how she died? Only we’ve got a pool going …’