davywavy | The locked room, part 4

Being a murder mystery in five parts.

Scroll down to read parts 1,2, & 3.

“Oh, Inspector! It’s just too, too terrible!”
Jenks nodded over the cup of tea he’d made. Mrs White sat opposite him, cradling her own cup and sipping periodically. From time to time she would take out a hanky and blow her nose, loudly. “Poor Doctor Black! Dead! Dead!”
Jenks made comforting noises, and then began. “Can you tell me what you were doing this morning? Before Jarvis took up the tea?”
Mrs White wailed again. “Mr Jarvis and I was chasing a mouse! Horrible, filthy creature! I’d hopped on a stool and he had to help me down. We was talking about it when the bell rang for the masters tea.”
Jenks nodded. “And do you have any idea about what Grey was doing all morning?”
“Of course I do, Inspector. He was working no the car. You can hear him from the kitchen door, cursing, and with the car backfiring like that. Like gunshots it was, gunshots!”
“Did he enter the house at any point?”
“Lawks! No, sir. With them filthy boots of his. I take his tea out to him!”
“One last question, Mrs. White. Where is the key to Doctor Blacks room kept?”
Mrs. White thought. “The key to that door? Why, it’s on the hook next to it!”
Jenks nodded. So anyone who had wanted to the door locked would only have had to reach for a key – no difficulty at all. The case was simple – and yet diabolical. Only a genius – or a madman – could have come up with such a scheme. He walked through to the lounge, and tapped Wilkins on the shoulder.
“Wilkins. Summon the servants. I want everyone here.”
“’ave you…?”
“I have, Wilkins. I have solved the murder. And a more devilish case I have never before witnessed.”

To be continued…