polished oak floor. From what the inspector had heard of Mrs. Baldridge, he certainly wouldn’t have thought she’d be in any hurry to speak with the police. So few people were.
The girl lead them through a set of double oak doors and into a large, elegant drawing room. There were cream-colored damask curtains at the windows, a lovely Persian carpet and several comfortable-looking settees and love seats arranged imaginatively about the room. On the settee farthest from thedoor sat a well-dressed woman. A silver tea service was spread out on a low table in front of her. She stared at the two men curiously as they approached. Middle-aged and with fading brown hair pulled up in a topknot, she had dark, rather intelligent-looking brown eyes, a full mouth and a long, straight nose.
The inspector was rather surprised. Though well past her first youth, she was rather an attractive, pleasant-looking person. Not the kind of woman one would imagine hurling a set of keys at someone. He really didn’t know what to make of this. “Good day, madam. I’m Inspector Gerald Witherspoon and this is Constable Barnes.”
“I know who you are, Inspector,” she replied. A hint of a smile crossed her face. “I’ve been waiting for you. Please sit down and make yourselves comfortable. As you can see, I’ve taken the liberty of ordering tea. I do hope you and your constable will have it with me.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Witherspoon said gratefully. His mouth watered. He tried not to stare at the food, but he’d not had much to eat since breakfast. Temptingly spread out on the table before him were trays of sandwiches, scones, Madeira cake and sliced buttered bread. “That’s very kind of you.”
“Do help yourselves to something to eat,” she said matter-of-factly as she poured the tea. “I’m sure you’re both hungry. You’ve been out on the square for hours. I don’t quite see how you do it. All that investigating on an empty stomach.”
“Actually, my footman brought us a spot of lunch,” the inspector said as he helped himself to a slice of thick brown bread. But as he’d shared most of it with Barnes and two uniformed lads, they’d not had enough to fill them up.
“Most of which you shared with me and the other lads,” Barnes put in.
“Then I’m sure you’re both quite hungry. Please, do help yourselves,” she ordered briskly. She handed each man his tea and then picked up her own pink and white porcelain cup.“I expect you want to ask me a few questions, don’t you?”
Witherspoon finished loading a scone on his plate before answering. “Did you hear or see anything early this morning? By that, I mean, did you hear or see anything out of the ordinary? Anything that struck you as odd.”
“Of course I did, Inspector.” She smiled. “That’s why I wanted to speak with you.”
“How very fortunate for us,” he replied. Perhaps this time he’d be very lucky on a case, and there would actually be a useful witness to the murder. He slapped a piece of buttered bread next to the scone. “What did you see, ma’am?”
“I didn’t see anything.”
“I beg your pardon?” He put his plate down and gave her his full attention.
She raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t see anything, sir. I heard something.”
“What would that be ma’am?” Barnes asked. He too put his plate down and whipped out his little brown notebook.
“Before I give you the details,” she said thoughtfully, “there’s something you need to understand. Since my husband passed away, I’ve had a great deal of trouble sleeping. Consequently, I find myself wide awake at the most ridiculous hours.”
“Was that the case last night?” the inspector asked.
“Very much so,” she sighed. “I awoke at half past four this morning. I know exactly what time it was because I got up and looked at the clock. Well, of course one can’t wake their servants up at such an awful hour, so I put on my robe and decided to go downstairs for
The girl lead them through a set of double oak doors and into a large, elegant drawing room. There were cream-colored damask curtains at the windows, a lovely Persian carpet and several comfortable-looking settees and love seats arranged imaginatively about the room. On the settee farthest from thedoor sat a well-dressed woman. A silver tea service was spread out on a low table in front of her. She stared at the two men curiously as they approached. Middle-aged and with fading brown hair pulled up in a topknot, she had dark, rather intelligent-looking brown eyes, a full mouth and a long, straight nose.
The inspector was rather surprised. Though well past her first youth, she was rather an attractive, pleasant-looking person. Not the kind of woman one would imagine hurling a set of keys at someone. He really didn’t know what to make of this. “Good day, madam. I’m Inspector Gerald Witherspoon and this is Constable Barnes.”
“I know who you are, Inspector,” she replied. A hint of a smile crossed her face. “I’ve been waiting for you. Please sit down and make yourselves comfortable. As you can see, I’ve taken the liberty of ordering tea. I do hope you and your constable will have it with me.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Witherspoon said gratefully. His mouth watered. He tried not to stare at the food, but he’d not had much to eat since breakfast. Temptingly spread out on the table before him were trays of sandwiches, scones, Madeira cake and sliced buttered bread. “That’s very kind of you.”
“Do help yourselves to something to eat,” she said matter-of-factly as she poured the tea. “I’m sure you’re both hungry. You’ve been out on the square for hours. I don’t quite see how you do it. All that investigating on an empty stomach.”
“Actually, my footman brought us a spot of lunch,” the inspector said as he helped himself to a slice of thick brown bread. But as he’d shared most of it with Barnes and two uniformed lads, they’d not had enough to fill them up.
“Most of which you shared with me and the other lads,” Barnes put in.
“Then I’m sure you’re both quite hungry. Please, do help yourselves,” she ordered briskly. She handed each man his tea and then picked up her own pink and white porcelain cup.“I expect you want to ask me a few questions, don’t you?”
Witherspoon finished loading a scone on his plate before answering. “Did you hear or see anything early this morning? By that, I mean, did you hear or see anything out of the ordinary? Anything that struck you as odd.”
“Of course I did, Inspector.” She smiled. “That’s why I wanted to speak with you.”
“How very fortunate for us,” he replied. Perhaps this time he’d be very lucky on a case, and there would actually be a useful witness to the murder. He slapped a piece of buttered bread next to the scone. “What did you see, ma’am?”
“I didn’t see anything.”
“I beg your pardon?” He put his plate down and gave her his full attention.
She raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t see anything, sir. I heard something.”
“What would that be ma’am?” Barnes asked. He too put his plate down and whipped out his little brown notebook.
“Before I give you the details,” she said thoughtfully, “there’s something you need to understand. Since my husband passed away, I’ve had a great deal of trouble sleeping. Consequently, I find myself wide awake at the most ridiculous hours.”
“Was that the case last night?” the inspector asked.
“Very much so,” she sighed. “I awoke at half past four this morning. I know exactly what time it was because I got up and looked at the clock. Well, of course one can’t wake their servants up at such an awful hour, so I put on my robe and decided to go downstairs for
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