Part 7 (2/2)

”Who says so?”

”All the servants are agreed as to that. Besides, a burglar would hardly have overlooked the drawers of Lord Wilmersley's desk, which contained about 300 in notes.”

”The thief may not have got as far as the library. Lady Wilmersley occupied the blue room, I suppose.”

”Not at all. At the time of his marriage Lord Wilmersley ordered a suite of rooms on the ground floor prepared for his bride's reception,”

replied the vicar.

”And this swimming-bath? Where is that? There was none when I was here as a child.”

”No, it was built for Lady Wilmersley and adjoins her private apartments,” said the vicar.

”But all these rooms are on the ground floor. It must be an easy matter to enter them. Consequently----”

”Easy!” interrupted Twombley; ”not a bit of it! But come and see for yourself.”

Crossing the hall they paused at a door. ”Now this door and that one next to it, which is the door of Lady Wilmersley's bedroom,” said the coroner, ”are the only ones in this wing which communicate with the rest of the castle, and both were usually kept locked, not only at night, but during the daytime. You will please notice, my lord,” continued the coroner, as they entered the library, ”that both doors are fitted with an ingenious device, by means of which they can be bolted and unbolted from several seats in this room and from the divans in the swimming-bath. Only in the early morning were the housemaids admitted to these rooms; after that no one but Mustapha, Lord Wilmersley's Turkish valet, ever crossed the threshold, unless with his lords.h.i.+p's express permission.”

Twombley hurried him through the library.

”You can look this room over later; I want you first to see the swimming-bath.”

Cyril found himself in an immense and lofty hall, constructed entirely of white marble and lighted by innumerable jewelled lamps, whose multi-coloured lights were reflected in the transparent waters of a pool, from the middle of which rose and splashed a fountain. Divans covered with soft cus.h.i.+ons and several small tables laden with pipes, _houkahs_, cigarettes, etc., were placed at intervals around the sides of the bath. On one of the tables, Cyril noticed that two coffee-cups were still standing and by the side of a divan lay a long Turkish pipe.

The floor was strewn with rare skins. A profusion of tropical plants imparted a heavy perfume to the air, which was warm and moist. Cyril blinked his eyes; he felt as if he had suddenly been transported to the palace of Aladdin.

”Rum place, what?” said Twombley, looking about him with evident disfavour. ”To be shut in here for three years would be enough to drive any one crazy, I say.”

”You will notice,” said the coroner, ”that the only entrance to the bath is through the library or her ladys.h.i.+p's bedroom. No one could have let himself down through the skylight, as it is protected by iron bars.”

”I see.”

”It was here and in the library that Lord Wilmersley spent his time, and it was here in the right-hand corner of the bath that his body was discovered this morning by one of the housemaids. The spot, as you see, is exactly opposite her ladys.h.i.+p's door and that door was found open, just as it stands at present. Now the housemaids swear that they always found it closed and it is their belief that his lords.h.i.+p used to lock her ladys.h.i.+p in her rooms before retiring to his own quarters for the night. At all events they were never allowed to see her ladys.h.i.+p or enter her apartments unless his lords.h.i.+p or her ladys.h.i.+p's maid was also present.”

”At about what time is Lord Wilmersley supposed to have been killed?”

asked Cyril after a slight pause.

”Judging from the condition of the body, the doctor thinks that the murder was committed between eleven and twelve P.M.,” replied the coroner; ”and whoever fired the shot must have stood five or six feet from Lord Wilmersley; in all probability, therefore, in the doorway of the bedroom. This is the room. Nothing has been touched, and you see that neither here nor in the swimming-bath are there signs of a struggle.”

”The door leading into the hall was found locked?”

”Yes, my lord.”

”Then how did the house-man enter?”

”By means of a pa.s.s-key.”

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