Assassins at Ospreys

21

Without a Clue

‘… but the priest, as you say, got in her way – perhaps he tried to defend Ralph Renshawe, so she killed him. Then she panicked and fled. It could have happened that way, but then if it did, where is Father Lillie-Lysander’s body? You couldn’t get any sense out of Ralph Renshawe, could you?’

‘No. We did try. I don’t think he was aware who we were. He kept talking gibberish. Said that when one’s mind was fixed on death, everything started to spiral and to magnify. He asked if I knew how many spirals there were. Then he told me: double helixes, spiral galaxies and corkscrews.’ Inspector Hopper tapped his forehead with a forefinger.

‘Ralph Renshawe is gravely ill, isn’t he?’

‘Yes. Dying, apparently. Cancer. There was a nurse there – a man – not the original nurse – he was new. South African. Came last night. There’s no other staff, which is odd enough for a big house like that. We are trying to track down Nurse Wilkes. She left yesterday. Seems to have gone off. Somewhere abroad, I gathered. She’s been with Ralph for a couple of months at least. She might be able to tell us something. Did she let Ingrid Delmar into the house? Was the priest already there? Did she see the priest go? It’s odd, her leaving so suddenly. ..’

‘It is odd, yes… You found nothing of interest at Ospreys?’

‘No. It all seemed in perfect order. Nothing suspicious. We saw no need for a proper search at this stage.’

‘Perhaps the murder took place outside. Perhaps Ingrid ran into the priest as he was leaving. He might have become suspicious – realized that she wasn’t Beatrice Ardleigh – and challenged her? That was when she killed him – she might have had a knife – or cracked his skull with something heavy – picked up a stone. Then she put him into the boot of her car – no, she hadn’t a car. But if she did kill the priest, what did she do with the body?’

‘Hid it somewhere on the grounds… Or inside the house?’

‘Could she have done that – dragged the body into the house?’

‘No. I don’t see how – not without the nurse becoming aware of it. It was broad daylight – morning.’

‘Nurse Wilkes would have heard the noise… There’d have been blood… Perhaps Nurse Wilkes was in on it too. Wilkes might have helped Ingrid dispose of the body?’

‘She might have… Well, we should get a warrant, go back to Ospreys and do a proper search. Yes. It’s imperative that we speak to Nurse Wilkes… Where is Ingrid Delmar? Where’s she vanished to?’

‘On the run. Hiding somewhere. At some hotel. Some B and B. Skulking under a bridge. She’s a nutcase. Keen on revenge. Pretending to be the other one. All those photos of little girls in her room. She claimed they were her daughter. And she wrote a poem – “Madrigals for Mad Girls”. Serious hair-raising stuff. She should never have been allowed to walk free. We’ll get her sooner or later. She’s conspicuous enough, with her black gloves and blood-red hand.’

‘If she keeps her gloves on, her blood-red hand won’t be noticed. .. She might be dead.’

‘You mean it’s the other way round? The priest killed Ingrid?’

‘I meant she might have committed suicide. She’s harmed herself in the past, hasn’t she?’

‘She has. Apparently she talked about suicide – dis-cussed ways of doing it. Been violent too.’

‘Couldn’t get over the loss of her unborn child. Leonard Colville said so and Beatrice Ardleigh confirmed it. She confirmed it rather reluctantly. Great tension between those two. Haven’t been married long. He was keen to tell us all about Ingrid’s madness and masquerades, and she wasn’t too pleased… Sensible chap. I found Beatrice Ardleigh’s attitude rather puzzling.’

‘What is she like?’

‘Beatrice Ardleigh?’ Inspector Hopper frowned. ‘Speaking unprofessionally, I’d say kittenish, stupid-clever and, in normal circumstances, I imagine, an amusing talker – but circumstances were far from normal.’

‘Attractive?’

‘Attractive… She bit her lip when I suggested she might have had a hand in this dressing-up business – avoided my eye… Denied it of course, but I think she’s in it, somehow… Looked guilty as hell… Strange business.’ ‘You don’t think Beatrice knows where Ingrid is – that she might be helping her hide somewhere? Or could Ingrid be lurking somewhere inside Ospreys? Whacking pile of a place, you said – most of the rooms not in use?

‘Yes. Furniture shrouded in sheets, from what I could see. You mean she might be lying doggo, hiding under one of those? Well, she might – she’s a nutcase. What was that?’

‘Monster in the Closet… There was a film of that name – saw it as a teenager twenty years or so ago. Scared the hell out of me.’

‘Don’t get too fanciful, Bancroft,’ Inspector Hopper said. ‘Let’s see about that search warrant, shall we?’