Free The Act of Roger Murgatroyd by Gilbert Adair

have died there, except that nobody’s certain he really did. All the usual whodunit hoo-hah. Load of codswallop, if you ask me.’
    ‘Well, we won’t have to go looking for anything of that kind in this case, I’m sure.’
    ‘No – except that, as it happens, ffolkes Manor does have its own secret passage. It’s a former Priest’s Hole, you know, located in a panel behind one of these walls. I should show it to you some time.’
    ‘Thanks. I’d like that. For the moment, though, I can’t see how it could possibly be relevant to Gentry’s murder. From what you told me, there was such a loathing of him among your guests, it seems to me that all I’ve got to do is find out the individual reasons for that loathing and, of course, who got there first.’
    During the latter part of their conversation, the Colonel had begun to grow slightly fidgety and his agitation at last caught Trubshawe’s eye.
    ‘Something the matter, Colonel?’
    ‘Ah well, Trubshawe … yes. Yes, I have to say there is.’
    ‘What is it?’
    ‘
Well
’ – he took a deep breath – ‘you
are
planning to question all of us, am I right?’
    ‘Right.’
    ‘Which means me too, I suppose?’
    ‘Well, naturally, Colonel. I really don’t know how, in all fairness, if your guests are prepared to submit to the ordeal, I can leave you out. The others simply wouldn’t have it.’
    ‘No, no, of course not. It’s just that, like Cora, I
know
I didn’t murder Raymond Gentry and there are certain facts I’ve kept from Mary all these years, facts – from my past, you know – facts that would break her heart if they were suddenly to emerge at this late date. So I thought …’
    ‘Yes?’
    ‘I thought, if I were to give you those facts now, in private, just the two of us, you could – well, you could keep them out of the questioning.’
    The Chief-Inspector had started shaking his head even before the Colonel finished speaking.
    ‘I’m sorry, Colonel, but there you’re asking too much of me. We’ve got to have a level playing-field, don’t you agree?’
    ‘Oh yes, quite. Quite. It’s only that the secrets – secret, I should say – the secret I’m thinking of is a rather special one. In view of the very serious consequences it could have for me, it just can’t be compared with the Vicar’s petty fibs or Evie’s peccadilloes, whatever they could possibly have been.’
    ‘Still, you really can’t expect me to give you privileged treatment. Not the done thing. Not cricket.’
    ‘I understand …’
    It was clear, however, whether he understood or not, that the Colonel was still unwilling to give up.
    ‘Then what about this?’ he suggested. ‘What if I tell you now what it is I’m talking about and, when you interrogate me, if you judge, as I’m sure you will, that it’s got nothing to do with the murder, you won’t force me to bring it up?’
    The policeman pondered for a few seconds.
    ‘Colonel,’ he finally agreed, ‘I’ll do what I can. But I make no promises. Understood?’
    ‘Understood.’
    There was a brief silence. Then:
    ‘So? What is it you have to tell me?’
    ‘Well, Trubshawe, I haven’t always been the pattern of a model citizen. When I was young, scarcely more than a nipper, I got into a whole series of scrapes. Nothing close to murder or anything like that, but – well, it won’t serve any purpose my reciting all my crimes to you – it’s a lengthy list – I mean, it
was
a lengthy list – all of this happened a long time ago. But the fact is that in this country I have a criminal record.’
    ‘Aha.’
    ‘Aha, indeed. Caught you out there, didn’t I? I mean, to look at me now, who’d ever suspect such a thing? But there you are. The police, naturally, have a set of my fingerprintsand, if this business explodes in our faces, it would be extremely disagreeable for me, innocent as I am. And for poor Mary, of course, who’s even more innocent. Not to mention Selina.’
    ‘I see …’ said