Stone Barrington 36 - Scandalous Behavior by Stuart Woods Read Free Book Online Page B

and knocked.
    “Mr. Barrington, this is my assistant and bookkeeper, Miss Edgeware.”
    Stone rose and shook her hand. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said, “but there’s a call for Mr. Barrington.”
    “Of course,” the major said.
    “It’s Deputy Chief Inspector Holmes on line one.”
    Bugg pointed to a phone on a small conference table behind Stone, and he turned and picked it up. “Good morning, Inspector.”
    “I wish it were so, Mr. Barrington. I am sorry to tell you that your hermit, Brigadier Wilfred Burns, took his own life in the wee hours of the morning.”
    Stone sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry to hear that, too, Inspector. How did he accomplish that? Was he not under guard?”
    “He tore a bedsheet into strips, made a rope, and hanged himself from the bars in a high window. He was under guard, as all our prisoners are, but not under suicide watch, as we had no reason, after speaking with and observing him, to think he was at risk.”
    “Did he make any statement after his arrest?”
    “He declined to speak to us and asked for a solicitor. We would have provided him one today. He also left a note in his cell, confessing to the murder and telling us where to find the weapon, a military knife.”
    “Did he explain his motive?”
    “He did not.”
    “Do you have any reason to believe that his confession was not credible?”
    “None. I was convinced early on that he was our man.”
    “Thank you, Inspector. I’ll see that his remains are collected for burial.”
    “There will have to be an autopsy, of course, and that cannot take place before Monday, perhaps Tuesday. I will ring you when the remains are available.”
    “I’m leaving for New York on Monday morning, so please ring Major Bugg at this number. He will be authorized to make the necessary arrangements.”
    “I bid you good day, then.”
    “Good day.” Both men hung up.
    Stone turned toward Bugg. “The brigadier hanged himself in his cell last night.”
    “Good God!”
    “He left a note, confessing to the killing. Is there a burial ground on the property?”
    “St. Mark’s Church across the road, just outside our gates. I’ll make arrangements with the vicar and the undertaker.”
    “Thank you. The inspector will phone you early next week, after an autopsy has been performed, to let you know when the body can be collected.”
    “He was fierce when leading his men in battle,” Bugg said, “and was highly decorated, but I cannot imagine him killing anyone, particularly Sir Richard, of whom he was fond.”
    “I’ll leave it to you to inform the next of kin and see that all expenses are met.”
    “I already know there is no next of kin. The staff here were his family.”
    “I’m sorry I won’t be here for the services,” Stone said. “I’ll speak to you on Monday morning before I leave. Will you inform Sir Charles of these events?”
    “Of course.”
    Stone left Bugg’s office and went to find Susan.

11

    S tone called Susan on her cell phone.
    “Hello?”
    “Where are you?”
    “In the cellar, in the boiler room. Come have a look.”
    Stone found the stairs down and shouted her name until she answered. He found her in a clean, well-lit room with gleaming machinery humming away.
    “I wanted you to see this,” she said. “It’s emblematic of the way Sir Charles kept the house. And I expect you’d like to see the wine cellar, as well.”
    “Of course.” He followed her down a hallway, and she opened the door with a key and switched on the lights. “I had this constructed, then inventoried the bottles and arranged them by type and vintage.” Stone looked around and reckoned there mustbe forty or more cases of wine. He looked at some of the labels and found they had been laid down years before.
    “Sir Charles has already selected his two dozen bottles and removed them,” she said. “Where have you been this morning?”
    “Going over things with Major Bugg,” Stone replied. “He told me that the