Free The Ginger Cat Mystery by Robin Forsythe

you?”
    â€œThanks. I’ll wait for you on the half-landing.”
    Tapp having disappeared, Vereker promptly opened the bedroom wardrobe and swiftly examined every lounge suit it contained one by one. In the midst of this operation he suddenly uttered an exclamation of surprise and, picking off some almost invisible object from one of the garments, inserted it in his pocket book between a sheet of folded notepaper. Satisfied that nothing more was to be learned here, he replaced the suits in the wardrobe and proceeded leisurely down the half-flight of stairs to the small landing off which the music room opened. Examining the door, he noticed the large, old-fashioned keyhole of the lock, and taking a lead pencil from his pocket pushed it through as if to remove some obstruction. Then bending down he peered into the room, noting the fairly wide angle of vision the aperture permitted. He stood erect once more and was musing as to what type of story had given rise to the Marston ghost, when Crawley, the old butler, appeared at the foot of the stairs and ascended as quickly as his stiff limbs would allow. In his hand he held two keys, a large, old-fashioned one and a smaller, modern one. On reaching the half-landing, he apologized to Vereker for keeping him waiting.
    â€œHad to search for the keys, sir,” he explained. “Mrs. Cornell used them last and forgot to give them back direct to me. Instead of putting them on the usual nail she left them on one of the shelves of my pantry.”
    â€œWhen did she use them last, Crawley?” asked Vereker casually.
    â€œJust the other day. In fact, the very night Mr. Frank was killed, sir. It was some time after dinner she asked for them and said that Doctor Redgrave who was dining at the house that night was going to try his luck with the Manor ghost. He had never seen a spook before and was anxious to see one.”
    â€œDid she replace the keys that night?”
    â€œNo, sir. After locking up the other doors, I remembered the music room keys and glanced to see if they had been put back. They weren’t there and not wishing to trouble madam about the matter I let it slip.”
    â€œYou tried the music room door before you turned in?” asked Vereker.
    â€œCertainly, sir. It was locked all right and that’s one of the reasons I didn’t bother madam about the keys that night.”
    â€œDidn’t Inspector Heather look into the room to-day?” asked Vereker with a shade of surprise.
    â€œThat I couldn’t say, sir. He went round the house with madam this morning, and if he did, she must have come for the keys and put them back herself. I was over in Marston village all morning about arrangements for the young master’s funeral.”
    â€œWhat did you do about the keys last night? Did you notice they hadn’t been replaced on their nail?”
    â€œBless you, sir, I wasn’t worrying about keys last night. I had other things to think about and didn’t get to bed till the early hours. The whole house is so upset that I don’t know half the time what I’m doing. My memory, too, is getting shocking bad and it’s about time I packed up with service.”
    â€œYou’d be sorry to leave Mrs. Cornell, wouldn’t you?” asked Vereker.
    â€œYes, sir, in some ways. She’s a very nice lady and very good to her servants. Never grumbles but she’s firm and will have everything done properly. We all get on very well with madam, but there’s no entertaining here like real gentry entertain. You couldn’t say we had a wine cellar, leastways not what I’d call a wine cellar. Just a few bottles of this and that for occasions. People nowadays don’t seem to know how to live and enjoy themselves decent. This is a dull place. No horses, no dogs, no huntin’, no nothing!”
    With these remarks and a lugubrious air Crawley inserted the larger key in the music room door, turned it