Chapter V

SHOWING THE SORT OF PERSON WHO STAYS AT SUGDEN'S HOTEL, AND THE
HALL PORTER'S OPINION OF BOLSHEVIKS

On his return to the hotel, Inspector Blaikie settled down seriously to the task of interviewing every one who might be able to throw further light on the tragedy. He first called on the manager, and obtained the use of a private room adjoining the suite in which the crime had been committed. Mr. Mounteagle had by this time largely recovered from the shock, and he was by no means so frightened of the Inspector as of Lord Ealing. Indeed, he was now inclined to visit on Blaikie some of his resentment at the evil thing which had befallen his beautiful hotel. But his chief desire was to keep things as quiet as possible, and he realised that it was best to be on good terms with the police.

He had completed a list of the hotel guests, and this he read over. They were all, in his view, quite above suspicion. The young Marquis of Fishguard and the Marchioness--she used to be Miss Betty Bunch, the actress--Lord Walbottle, Sir Michael and Lady Moss-Montmorency, the Hon. Algernon Nashe and Mr. Bert Bentley, two young gentlemen from Cambridge--of very good families, Dr. Vigor Vim, the fashionable lecturer, Lady Lostwithiel, the dowager, not the one who lost her jewels, Mrs. Casey-Compton of Abbedale, and Mr. Adair. Sugden's certainly had the secret of attracting the right people.

Blaikie inquired which of these distinguished people occupied rooms in the neighbourhood of suite number five, and so would have been likely to hear the sounds of the struggle. He found that the room immediately below Radlett's bedroom had been occupied by Lady Lostwithiel, who was unfortunately as deaf as a post. On one side of the bedroom was Radlett's sitting-room; on the other was the sitting-room which the manager had assigned to the Inspector. It had been empty during the night. Across the passage was the room of the Honourable Algernon Nashe.

It seemed a forlorn hope, but Blaikie had all the guests he could find sent up to him one by one. Lady Lostwithiel, an old lady of repellent aspect, came first, accompanied by her maid and a large ear-trumpet. After several minutes of ineffectual bellowing, the Inspector was quite content to believe that she had heard nothing. She retired, scolding her maid; for Blaikie had affected her temper, and the maid was paid to be scolded at need.

Next came the Honourable Algernon Nashe, with an eye-glass, a small, fair moustache, a receding chin, and his mouth hanging open. He had heard nothing. He had come in late, with his friend Bentley, from Moray's. "Not a bally whisper," he repeated. "Not in the habit of listenin' at keyholes." If you asked him it all came of havin' fellers like this Russian feller stoppin' in a decent hotel. Blaikie had not asked him, and said so, with some asperity. He withdrew, to inform the world that these policemen were gettin' damned impertinent.

There followed other interviews, equally unproductive. Mr. Adair had left early in the morning, but as he had slept at the other end of the hotel, Blaikie did not think it worth while to follow him up. Mr. Adair was well known--the perfect clubman, the perfect week-end guest--_et practerea nihil_.

Otherwise, the Inspector saw every guest, and made sure that no one had heard a suspicious sound during the night. He transferred his attention to the hotel servants. First, he sent for Mr. Sacheverell--the hall porter.

"At what time," he added, "did Mr. Radlett arrive here yesterday?"

"About midday, sir. He had lunch sent up to his rooms at once."

"Did Rosenbaum lunch with him?"

"Yes, sir. He had lunch for two sent up to his room."

"What did he do after that?"

"At about a quarter-past two he came down and went out. He picked up a taxi for himself just outside. I saw no more of him till just before dinner time. He came back then, and, I believe, dined in his room."

"Did he go out again?"

"No, sir, I believe not. I go off duty at nine; but the night porter says he did not go out while he was here."

"Nor his secretary either?"

"No; but about a quarter to nine that chap--the Rooshian--came down, and asked me if Mr. Restington had arranged about a taxi for the morning. I said 'yes,' Mr. Restington had asked me to order one for seven o'clock. He said we must fetch his luggage down at five to seven. He also said he didn't want to be called, as he would wake himself with an alarm clock. He told me to be very particular not to call Mr. Restington till ten past nine, as he was a very particular gentleman. I said I would tell Thomas, and he said I must be sure not to forget, as it was important. Then he went upstairs again. That was the last I saw of him till I went up to fetch his luggage this morning. It was that heavy, Thomas had to help me down with it, though it isn't his work."

"Did this Mr. Rosenbaum go out with Mr. Radlett yesterday afternoon?"

"No, sir, Mr. Rest ... Radlett was alone when he went out."

"Did Rosenbaum go out alone, or did he stay in the hotel all the time?"

"He didn't go out--not while I was on duty."

"Would you have been sure to see him if he had gone out?"

"Well, nearly sure, sir. I wasn't out of the hall five minutes till I went off duty at night."

"Did any one call to see Mr. Radlett?"

"Yes, the same gentleman that was found in the cupboard. He called at about five. But Mr. Radlett was out, and he wouldn't see his secretary. He left a message he would come back later."

"Do you know when he came back?"

"About half an hour before I went off duty. A little before half-past eight."

"Then the night porter did not know he was in the hotel."

"No, sir. Of course, I supposed he had left later, while the night porter was on duty. It never occurred to me he was in that cupboard."

"Naturally. Did any one else call?"

"No, not while I was there. And I've asked the night porter, and he says the same."

"Is that all you know about this business? Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Well, sir, I didn't like that Rosenbaum's looks at all. A nasty, foreign-looking fellow. He looked just like one of them Bolsheviks you see in the papers. I was reading in the _Express_ only the other day----"

Blaikie hastily cut short Mr. Sacheverell's reflections, and asked the porter to send Thomas to his room. The attendant of suite number five said that he had been in the sitting-room when Radlett arrived, shortly before lunch-time, and had directed the bestowal of his luggage. Radlett had ordered lunch for two in his rooms, but had told him not to wait, and he and his secretary would look after themselves. He had brought in lunch, and Radlett had told him to come back and clear away in an hour's time. When he came back to clear, Radlett, who had presumably gone out, was not in the room, but Rosenbaum was there. He had not previously seen the secretary, whose foreign appearance he specially noted. Rosenbaum, on Radlett's behalf, had ordered a simple dinner for two to be sent up to his rooms at 7.30, and had said that Thomas would again not be required to wait on them. He spoke fluent English, but with a strong foreign accent. Thomas had gone away to order dinner, and had not returned to the suite till seven o'clock, when he laid dinner and did up the bedrooms. There was no one in the rooms at that time. At half-past seven he had placed dinner on the table.

"Were Mr. Radlett and his secretary back by then?"

"Yes, sir. Mr. Rosenbaum was sitting at the writing-table when I went in. I noticed what a queer-looking chap he was. After a minute, he got up and went into Mr. Radlett's bedroom. I heard them both talking in there. I put things ready and withdrew."

"Did you clear away later?"

"Yes, at about half-past eight. Mr. Restington--I mean Mr. Radlett--was in the sitting-room then. He told me to be sure not to disturb them again that night, and not to call him till ten past nine in the morning. He said he had given the hall porter directions about getting a taxi at seven o'clock for his secretary, but would I remind him. There was another gentleman there, too--the same gentleman you found in the cupboard this morning. They were talking about old times in Russia."

"Was Rosenbaum there too?"

"No, sir, not then. He was in his bedroom. There were just Mr. Radlett, and the little gentleman."

"Culpepper, you mean."

"Yes, sir. I asked Mr. Radlett if he had any orders, and he said 'No.' Then I said could I go into his bedroom to tidy up, and he said, 'Yes,' but I wasn't to bother about Mr. Rosenbaum's as he was busy in there just then. I said I could come back later; but he said I could leave it till the morning. I went off duty a short time after that. When I was in the hall I saw Mr. Rosenbaum speaking to the hall porter. After that, I saw no more of either of them till this morning."

Thomas had nothing more to tell, and from the remaining servants Blaikie learned nothing at all. The boy in buttons evolved a startling theory that Radlett's body was hidden in the hotel; but, as this appeared to be based on no evidence, Blaikie speedily dismissed him. Returning to Radlett's rooms, he went carefully round them again. He then instructed his subordinate, who was still on guard there, to collect all the papers and other exhibits bearing on the crime, and take them away for safe keeping to the Yard for further examination. On his way out of the hotel, he paused to exchange a few words with the lady in the little office, and to examine the visitors' book. There were the entries "Hugh Restington" and "Ivan Rosenbaum," both of Reval. Both entries were in Radlett's writing, with the unmistakable flourish Blaikie had noticed in looking over the papers found upstairs. Having finished his work, he passed out of the door. Sugden's breathed more freely when he had gone. Mr. Mounteagle began to raise up his head and think more courageously of the future. Perhaps the reputation of Sugden's would outlive the shock; perhaps the great Lord Ealing was not irreparably offended. Police were vulgar people. Necessary, of course, for the protection of property and the Constitution--but dreadfully vulgar. Excellent in their place; but their place was not Mr. Mounteagle's incomparable hotel. A glass of old port in his private room freshened the manager up wonderfully. He faced the complaints of Lady Lostwithiel with his customary deferential _aplomb_.