The William Monk Mysteries_ The First Three Novels - Anne Perry [16]
Evan concentrated till Monk was not sure if he was remembering the witness’s words or his own sight of the rooms.
“The small outer hall was perfectly orderly,” Evan began. “Usual things you might expect to see, stand for coats and things, and hats, rather a nice stand for sticks, umbrellas and so forth, box for boots, a small table for calling cards, nothing else. Everything was neat and tidy. The door from that led directly into the sitting room; and the bedroom and utilities were off that.” A shadow passed over his extraordinary face. He relaxed a little and half unconsciously leaned against the window frame.
“That next room was a different matter altogether. The curtains were drawn and the gas was still burning, even though it was daylight outside. Grey himself was lying half on the floor and half on the big chair, head downward. There was a lot of blood, and he was in a pretty dreadful state.” His eyes did not waver, but it was with an effort, and Monk could see it. “I must admit,” he continued, “I’ve seen a few deaths, but this was the most brutal, by a long way. The man had been beaten to death with something quite thin—I mean not a bludgeon—hit a great many times. There had pretty obviously been a fight. A small table had been knocked over and one leg broken off, several ornaments were on the floor and one of the heavy stuffed chairs was on its back, the one he was half on.” Evan was frowning at the memory, and his skin was pale. “The other rooms hadn’t been touched.” He moved his hands in a gesture of negation. “It was quite a while before we could get Mrs. Huggins into a sane state of mind, and then persuade her to look at the kitchen and bedroom; but eventually she did, and said they were just as she had left them the previous day.”
Monk breathed in deeply, thinking. He must say something intelligent, not some fatuous comment on the obvious. Evan was watching him, waiting. He found himself self-conscious.
“So it would appear he had a visitor some time in the evening,” he said more tentatively than he had wished. “Who quarreled with him, or else simply attacked him. There was a violent fight, and Grey lost.”
“More or less,” Evan agreed, straightening up again. “At least we don’t have anything else to go on. We don’t even know if it was a stranger, or someone he knew.”
“No sign of a forced entry?”
“No sir. Anyway, no burglar is likely to force an entry into a house when all the lights are still on.”
“No.” Monk cursed himself for an idiotic question. Was he always such a fool? There was no surprise in Evan’s face. Good manners? Or fear of angering a superior not noted for tolerance? “No, of course not,” he said aloud. “I suppose he wouldn’t have been surprised by Grey, and then lit the lights to fool us?”
“Unlikely sir. If he were that coolheaded, he surely would have taken some of the valuables? At least the money in Grey’s wallet, which would be untraceable.”
Monk had no answer for that. He sighed and sat down behind the desk. He did not bother to invite Evan to sit also. He read the rest of the porter’s statement.
Lamb had asked exhaustively about all visitors the previous evening, if there had been any errand boys, messengers, even a stray animal. Grimwade was affronted at the very suggestion. Certainly not: errand boys were always escorted to the appropriate place, or if possible their errands taken over by Grimwade himself. No stray animal had ever tainted the buildings with its presence—dirty things, stray animals, and apt to soil the place. What did the police think he was—were they trying to insult him?
Monk wondered what Lamb had replied. He would certainly have had a pointed answer to the man on the relative merits of stray animals and stray humans! A couple of acid retorts rose to his mind even now.
Grimwade swore there had been two visitors and only two. He was perfectly sure no others had passed his window. The first was a lady, at about eight o’clock, and he would sooner not say upon whom she called; a question of private affairs must be treated with