WE’D BEEN IN THE KITCHEN for over half an hour when Inspector Hamilton came to take our statements. He held out his identification as he came down the stairs and sat at the table.
“So it’s time then?” Mrs. Pomeroy asked.
“I’m afraid so, ma’am. You would be the cook, correct? Mrs. Alma Pomeroy.”
“That’s right.”
“And am I correct in assuming you’ve all been discussing this case among yourselves?”
We all smiled sheepishly.
“Then there isn’t much point to me separating you, I suppose.”
Mrs. Pomeroy handed Inspector Hamilton a cup of the tea.
“Thank you. Now, I saw the two of you upstairs. Am I right in assuming you two,” he nodded at Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Albright, “were down here during the meal?”
“That’s right,” Mrs. Pomeroy said. “We were plating and finishing it up.”
Inspector Hamilton nodded. “So you prepared all of this food? None of it was ordered in or purchased prepared?”
“Of course not.” Mrs. Pomeroy looked offended.
“I have to ask. Now did any of you eat from the platters before you sent them up?”
“No, sir. Too busy to breathe down here, let alone eat.”
“Not even to sample what was being served?”
“During cooking, but not serving.”
“But all of the guests upstairs ate from the same plates,” I pointed out.
“You would be Callie—”
“Cassie. Cassandra Pengear.”
“You were the parlor maid.”
“Acting parlor maid. Just for tonight.”
“Normal profession?”
“Typist.”
“And you were in the dining room when it happened?”
“That’s sort of right. To be specific, I was in the pantry, near the door to the dining room.”
“I’ll want to speak to you in more detail, if you don’t mind, after I’ve spoken to the others.”
It wasn’t really a question, but I said, “Certainly,” as if I had a choice.
“Now where was everyone when it happened?”
Mrs. Pomeroy answered for us all. “I was here in the kitchen with Mrs. Albright. Mr. Ross and Miss Pengear were upstairs serving dinner.”
“So you and Mrs. Albright were together the whole time, and were not able to see anything that happened upstairs.”
“That’s right.”
“And the two of you were there when it happened.”
“That’s right,” I answered since Ross was staring at the china cabinet again.
Mrs. Pomeroy poked Ross in the arm until he nodded.
“And what was the menu for the evening? In the order served, please.”
He was looking at me, so I answered. “There were a few hors d'oeuvres, then the salmon mousse was first.”
“That was the only one individualized in the kitchen?”
“That’s right. The others were plated in the pantry. The salad was next. Then a cold green soup. The fish was supposed to come after that. That’s what we were preparing to serve when Mr. Ainsworth collapsed.”
“Now the salad was served from one bowl, correct?”
“Well, it started in one bowl, but then they were plated just before they were taken out.”
“In the kitchen?”
“No, in the pantry upstairs. Mrs. Pomeroy sent up the plates in the dumbwaiter, then the greens, then the tomato roses on a tray, then the dressing and garnish separately.”
“Tomato roses?” Inspector Hamilton had clearly never heard of such a thing.
“That’s right. Tomatoes cut so they look like a rose.”
Mrs. Pomeroy sighed, “It was the centerpiece of the dish. I hope they were appreciated, although no one will remember them now.”
Inspector Hamilton looked like he wanted to move on. “And who assembled them?”
“I did.”
“Not the butler?”
“No, he was...” I couldn't think of another nice way to say it. “He was having enough trouble staying upright, so I did it. And before you ask, the tomatoes were all on one platter; the greens were all tossed in one bowl; the dressing was in another bowl; and the herb garnish was in a third bowl.”
“So only you could have poisoned the salad.”
That was not a possibility I wanted him to consider too hard. “But I didn’t. I didn’t even know Mr. Ainsworth. Anyway, then Ross served them.”
“He was upright enough to do that?”
“I carried the tray for him, and he served out the plates.”
Inspector Hamilton sighed. “You’re not leaving town, are you?”
I knew what he meant but didn’t want to say. “No, I’m not going anywhere.”
Inspector Hamilton turned back to Mrs. Pomeroy. “Do you know of anyone who would have reason to kill Mr. Ainsworth?”
“Oh no, Mr. Ainsworth was a very nice man. We all liked him. Mr. Carrollton relied on him.”
“Relied on him how?”
“In a business sense, I suppose. They’re working very closely on some business. A merger, I think. Mr. Carrollton wouldn’t make a move without him.”
“Can you think of anyone outside of the business?”
“I only knew Mr. Ainsworth’s business affairs with Mr. Carrollton of late.”
“And prior to that?”
“I worked for his father, so I knew him a bit, but he was already on his own when I was there.”
“Is there anything from that time that you remember?”
“Nothing to do with murder.” Mrs. Pomeroy looked shocked at the suggestion.
“And what about Mr. Carrollton?”
“He didn’t really receive anyone outside of business.”
“And family?”
“Just his niece, you probably spoke to her already, and his sister-in-law.”
“That would be Miss Carrollton’s mother.”
“That’s correct.”
“Any tension there that you know of?”
“Not at all. Mr. Carrollton was helping Miss Carrollton find a husband. I think Mr. Ainsworth might have been consulted on the matter, marriage contracts, things like that.”
“And Mrs. Carrollton was fine with that?”
“As far as I know. She never seemed bothered by it when she visited.”
“Very well.” He scribbled in his little notebook again. “What about you Mr. Ross? Did you notice anything unusual?”
Ross sat up a little straighter and held his hands very still on the table. “Wouldn’t know. I’m not normally here.”
“Not normally here?”
Mrs. Pomeroy saw that Ross didn’t know how to answer beyond what he’d planned. “We asked him to come because the regular butler’s ill.”
“I see.” He turned back to Mrs. Pomeroy. “So you’re the only person here who’s regular staff.”
“That’s right. Our normal butler and footman are both feeling poorly.”
“So you are the only one who would know the household.”
“I suppose so.”
He scribbled in his little notebook then turned back to Ross. “And where were you when it happened?”
“Serving dinner in the dining room.”
“So you saw in collapse.”
Ross paused again. “Don’t think— not exactly.”
I interrupted to clear things up. “We were in the pantry just off of the dining room, so we weren’t actually in the room when it happened.”
“I’ll get to you in a moment, Miss Pengear.” He smiled a little.
“Sorry.”
“Now, Mr. Ross, if you would tell me exactly what you did.”
“I served the soup, just like she told me to.” He pointed at me. “Then something happened and I went to the cupboard to—to...” he stopped as he tried to come up with something other than the truth; he’d gone for his bottle.
Inspector Hamilton didn’t write anything down. “Mrs. Pomeroy, do you have Mr. Ross’s address?”
“I do.”
“Then Mr. Ross, I will call on you tomorrow when you will, hopefully, be in a better state to answer questions. Do you understand?”
Ross nodded.
I wasn’t sure if Ross understood, but Inspector Hamilton clearly did. Then he turned to Mrs. Albright. “Mrs. Agnes Albright, am I correct that you are not normal staff either?”
“That’s right. I’m just helping out for the evening.”
“Did you see anything that you would consider unusual?”
“Nothing at all down here.”
“And did you know any of the parties before tonight?”
“Just Mrs. Pomeroy. And Cassie, of course.”
“Very well. Leave your address please, then you may leave.”
Mrs. Albright leaned towards me. “I’ll wait for you in the entryway.”
I nodded to show I understood. I certainly didn’t blame her for not wanting to stay around for the rest of the questioning.
“Now for you, Miss Pengear.”
I sat up very straight as he looked me over.
“You were in the dining room when it happened.”
So that was why he seemed so interested me. “I had just left the dining room after we served the soup, so I was in the pantry when it actually happened.”
“And in the library when I questioned the others.”
I wasn’t sure what he was driving at, so I just smiled a little and nodded.
“Why?”
I hadn’t expected the questioning to go in this direction. “To serve the tea.”
“Why?”
“We thought tea would calm everyone down.”
“That’s why you brought the tea. Why did you stay?”
“To pour out.”
“So not to see what the others said, or if they caught you putting something in—”
“Of course not!” I definitely had not anticipated that line of questioning. It seemed best to tell him the complete truth. “I wanted to hear what they said. I’ve been involved in a few investigations, on the periphery of course, and I found it interesting. I’ve even done a bit of typing for the Yard.”
“Interested in the death of a man you don’t know?”
“Precisely because I didn’t know him. If I’d known him, it would be a tragedy. As it is, as terrible as it seems, it’s just a puzzle.”
“And you brought the tea because?”
The change of subject was abrupt, and I wondered if he was still trying to trip me. “Ross was in no condition to bring it, and I thought Mrs. Albright ought to stay with Ms. Pomeroy since they are friends and Mrs. Pomeroy was very upset by the news.”
“If he was in no condition to serve the tea, how was he the rest of the evening?”
I tried to think how to phrase it without making him seem suspicious “I think he started on his bottles early in the evening.”
“So he was able to greet the guests when they arrived?”
“He was, actually. That was when he started to...um...have difficulties. I think whatever he has in the hall closet is quite strong.”
“So you were with him when he let the guests in?”
“Mrs. Pomeroy thought it best.”
“So you saw them all arrive. What do you know of Mr. Ainsworth’s movements tonight?”
I thought back. “He arrived with Mrs. Delford. They were the second group to arrive. He met with Mr. Carrollton in the office to discuss some business matter. He was going to call the office about someone called Clawton, but Mrs. Delford had taken care of it. Same with the Ryan papers. Come to think of it—” I paused as the new idea formed in my mind.
Inspector Hamilton gave me a few moments to think, then prompted me, “Go on. You noticed something.”
“I just realized, everything he said seemed like an excuse to get away from Mrs. Delford. He was trying to get in touch with the office without having her around.”
“So he went to Mr. Carrollton’s study to get away from her?”
“No, I think that was genuine. It was the other stuff that was a dodge. Almost like he didn’t want her to know about the meeting with Mr. Carrollton.”
Inspector Hamilton scribbled his notes. “So he met with Mr. Carrollton, and that was the last you saw of him until you served dinner?”
“No, I saw him in the kitchen. He came down to ask Mrs. Pomeroy to sew on a button. She was busy finishing last-minute details, so I did it for him.”
“Did he say anything?”
“He asked Mrs. Pomeroy what she was preparing for dinner, and he joked about Ross’s drinking. There was a bottle in the china cabinet.”
“Did he look around?”
“No. I finished the button, and he went to join the others. Then it was almost time for dinner.”
“Which you helped Ross serve.”
“Exactly.”
“And that was because—”
“He was at least two sheets to the wind, and Mrs. Pomeroy didn’t want him to drop anything.”
“And how did it go?”
I thought about it. “It seemed a bit iffy at times, but he managed pretty well. He didn’t spill anything at least.”
“Could he have been faking?”
“Oh, I don’t think so. I caught him trying to hide bottles from me more than once, really trying, not sneaking a nip for show.”
“And the bottles were where?”
“China cupboard in the kitchen, the silver cabinet in the pantry, and the pocket of a mackintosh in the hall closet. There may have been more; that’s just what I noticed.”
“You implied that you didn’t see much in the dining room. Describe what you did see.”
I told him as much detail as I could everything I’d seen. Inspector Hamilton scribbled his notebook while I spoke.
“You said you didn’t know Mr. Ainsworth, correct?”
“Correct.”
“What about the others?”
“Just Mrs. Albright. She’s the one who asked me to come and help out.”
“You said you’ve done typing for the Yard, which officers?”
“Wainwright, Burrows, and occasionally Peterson.”
“All right. I’ll check with them and see if they’ll vouch for you. Mrs. Albright is your landlady; does that mean you are at the same address?”
“That’s right.”
“It’s late. I’ll go find you two a cab. Constable Topling is outside. You should be perfectly safe waiting by the servants' entrance.”
“I’ll get Mrs. Albright then. Thank you.”
I found Mrs. Albright waiting for me in the cloakroom off of the kitchen. We said our good-byes to Mrs. Pomeroy — Ross had already disappeared — then went out onto the stairs where Constable Topling was standing. While we waited for the cab, I told Mrs. Albright about being questioned, leaving out the bit where Inspector Hamilton suspected me.
When I’d finished, Mrs. Albright asked, “Do you think that it is murder?”
“Inspector Hamilton seems to be treating it as one. I wonder why.”
We both stopped talking when Inspector Hamilton leaned over the railing around stairwell. “Ladies? I have a cab for you.” I hadn’t expected him to see to the cab himself, but he waited until we made it up the stairs and had given our address to the driver. It was an old-fashioned horse-drawn hansom, not one of the new steam-powered ones. I wondered if that had been the best available, or if Inspector Hamilton had known Mrs. Albright didn’t trust to the newer, faster, less reliable steam cabs. When we were settled inside, I glanced out of the window and saw Inspector Hamilton give the driver a few coins before stepping back to watch us leave.