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Robbie agreed that he’d never witnessed him harm the animal. “I just got this strange feeling when I saw him with Panther and the other horses on their team.”
“That’s not cruelty,” Bert pointed out. “That’s just not caring.”
Robbie shrugged as if they were the same to him.
“Stop stirring up trouble, Rob. The man’s dead. Let him rest in peace.”
We left the stables and made our way to the clubhouse. Bert followed us as far as the stable door then watched us until we reached the steps. Once we were sure he’d returned inside the stables, we diverted our course and headed around the back to the other outbuildings surrounding a large paved courtyard. The laundry was on the opposite side of the changing room and was the only building currently in use. We asked the laundresses how long the elderly attendant had been there yesterday after the match and all agreed it was about ten minutes as he attempted to remove a grass stain from Mr. Broadman’s breeches. The trough where he worked faced away from the windows opening onto the courtyard, so he couldn’t possibly have seen anyone leave the changing room opposite.
Any of the players had time to slip out, murder Vernon Rigg-Lyon in the nearby stables, and return unnoticed.
We inspected the empty changing rooms next. There were six partitioned shower stalls, all open at the front. Only the man in the first shower could have left without the others noticing he was gone. The rest would have to walk past at least one other.
I was about to follow Harry out of the changing room when I spotted a small hole in the tiled wall of one of the stalls. I checked the other stalls, and there were tiny holes in each of them. They were so small, they’d be easily missed if I hadn’t been giving the stall a thorough inspection. I placed my eye to it and could clearly see the stables beyond.
I showed Harry. “The club has a Peeping Tom problem.”
“Or Peeping Tabitha,” he said as he peered through the hole.
“Harry Armitage, are you implying that ladies would stoop to ogling naked men?”
He straightened, smirking. “Only the athletic kind.”
I laughed. I should be embarrassed by such talk, but Harry’s joking made me feel comfortable. Sometimes, I felt like I could talk to him about anything.
Yet at other times, when we discussed more personal matters, my cheeks flamed and I couldn’t bear to look at him. It was a strange paradox.
We made our way to the grand mansion that was now the members’ clubhouse. Unlike the stable block, the building was probably a mere hundred years old. Yet I suspected it had seen just as much, if not more, scandal and intrigue. The entrance was fit to welcome royalty with its soaring ceilings and sweeping marble staircase that opened up to a wraparound gallery. Two white marble statues of prancing horses honored famous mounts of former players at the base of the stairs, and large silver trophies in locked glass cabinets gleamed in the light flooding the entrance foyer.
The foyer was empty, except for the man behind the front desk. Harry asked him if the major was in. Being Sunday, it wouldn’t be surprising if he wasn’t.
The assistant frowned. “How did you get in? The gates are locked.”
Harry handed him a business card. “I’ve been hired to look into the murder.”
“The police are looking into it.”
“Not very thoroughly. They don’t even have a constable posted at the crime scene.”
The man studied the card, looking torn. “The major won’t want to be disturbed.”
I spotted the major’s name on a plaque on one of the closed doors leading off from the foyer. “He’ll want to speak to us,” I said, walking towards it. “It’ll look bad for him if he doesn’t.”
“Miss! Miss, you need to make an appointment.”
I knocked and entered on the major’s instruction. “Good morning, sir. Do you remember me from yesterday? Miss Fox. We met in the stables under unfortunate circumstances.” Before he had a chance to react, I introduced Harry. “We’re private detectives hired to look into the murder by an interested party.”
“Is it Broadman?” the major asked as he shook Harry’s hand. “I suppose he wishes to clear his name once and for all and doesn’t trust the police to do it.”
Both Harry and I simply smiled.
The assistant had followed and hovered in the doorway. “Sir, I’m sorry, they just barged in.”
“It’s all right, Watkins.” The major dismissed him and invited Harry and I to sit. “Clearing Broadman’s name must be a priority now. It looks bad for the club if the captain of our premier team is arrested for murder.”
The office looked out over the picturesque lawn and elm trees, not the stables or working areas, so the major wouldn’t have seen the murderer enter or leave if he was in here as he claimed. Besides, the window would be behind him if he was seated at the desk. Below the window was a table with several framed photographs of the major with a woman and child. The child changed ages from baby to late teen, but the woman and Major Leavey looked ageless. The stack of paperwork in the tray on his desk was piled high, and two ledgers lay open side by side. His fingers were stained with ink.
“Yesterday you were sure Mr. Broadman was guilty,” I said. “Why the change of heart?”
