Chapter 3 – Eavesdropping
It was the first of May when he spotted footman Jimmy Kent letting a Detective Inspector and police Sergeant in the front door of Downton Abbey and showing them to the library. Something was a foot. They had been spotted at Kieran Branson's garage twice this last while since Matthew Crawley's car had been towed there and now they were here to talk to Grantham. He slipped back into the servants' stairwell and made his way to the second floor. He closed the door quietly to one of the empty bedrooms above the library and locked it. He took his shoes off so as not to make too much noise. He made his way as silently as he could across the room and flipped open the vent to the room below. If he got down on the floor no one would spot him through the windows and he would be able to hear every word as clear as a bell.
"You're sure the car was tampered with?" he could hear Lord Grantham asking.
"Positive," one of the policemen said. "Mr. Branson, that is the other Mr. Branson called us the moment he noticed something was amiss."
"If my brother says something was tampered with, then you can bet it was." It was the unmistakable brogue of Tom Branson's accent.
"But how can he know. The car was damaged in the crash," Lord Grantham questioned.
"Not that damaged, Lord Grantham," one of the policemen replied. "There was a small cut in the of the break cables that hadn't severed and marks where someone had used a wrench to loosen a number of bolts. Whoever it was either was in a hurry or knew little about motor mechanics. They used the wrong size spanner which left scuffs around the bolts. Whoever did this must have been counting on the car being written off with the accident and it being disposed of immediately."
"It's been over three years," Grantham stated seriously. "They could have gotten away with this free and clear if Mr. Branson here hadn't taken steps to dispose of the vehicle."
"Frankly, Lord Grantham, a less experienced mechanic would never have spotted the tampering," one of the policemen commented. "We'll need to see your records of employment for anyone who was here on the estate at the time of the accident."
"Can either of you think of anyone who would have wanted to harm Mr. Crawley?" the other policeman asked.
"No, no one," Tom Branson answered. "Matthew Crawley was well liked and respected. As far as I knew he didn't have any enemies or even anyone who disliked him."
"I can't think of anyone either," Lord Grantham said.
"Do you know how far back the thefts on the estate went?" the first policeman asked.
"My wife only found the inconsistencies last year," Tom Branson commented. "We had assumed it had only been going on for a short time."
"We'll need to see your estate records as well and have them examined. Mr. Crawley may have been involved somehow or been close to finding the perpetrators."
"Well, well, that's the first intelligent thing I've heard you say," he thought to himself from his vantage point.
"How dare you cast aspersions on Matthew Crawley's good name? There was no reason for him to be involved in the thefts. He owned a controlling portion of the estate and stood to inherit everything," Lord Grantham stated.
"We have to examine every possibility, Lord Grantham," the second policeman said. "Perhaps we could see your records of employment?"
"Lord Grantham, they're only doing their jobs," Tom Branson said. "I have the last three years of estate records here. The others are held at the solicitor's office in London. I will have to have them sent up. My wife could look over the books and report any problems she finds. She is the most familiar with the issue and would be able to spot it immediately. She was the only one who noticed the inconsistencies when everyone else missed them because of her work with show horses."
"That would be satisfactory Mr. Branson. It may also provide us with further leads in the investigation of the thefts."
"The employment records are in the butler's office," Lord Grantham said. "I will ring for someone to take you down. You may speak to him yourself."
He slipped back from the vent after closing it then went to sit on the chair near the door to put his shoes back on. "So they suspected did they? They still couldn't prove anything and they would never trace the thefts back to him," he thought. He couldn't believe he had been so careless as to leave traces of his tampering. He had thought it would all go undetected. He had only made small cuts in the brake cables so they wouldn't be noticed immediately. He had done it days before the trip to Scotland when Crawley had been sniffing around too many of the barns they were stealing from. It was only coincidence Matthew Crawley had died on the day his son was born. He had to keep calm. No one had the slightest clue he was behind it all.
He cracked open the bedroom door and stepped out into the hallway when the coast was clear. Two of the maids went past without batting an eyelash. "Yes, remain calm and go about your duties and no one will be the wiser," he though. He had to stop himself from laughing when he got downstairs to the servants' area.
-0-
"Daisy, I'm surprised to see you here," Thomas Barrow said when he walked in and spotted Daisy sitting in the servants' hall with Mrs. Patmore, Alfred and Mrs. Hughes almost a week after the police visit. Everyone in the family had gone to London except Mrs. Crawley and she was forever going out with Dr. Clarkson or to one of her meetings. There wasn't much to do except clean rooms and polish silver. It was only the first week in May and most of the staff was bored stiff.
"I thought I'd come for a catch up," Daisy said. "I ran into Mrs. Branson in the village. Mrs. Ivy Branson that is and she said her brother-in-law and the family had gone down to London for a week, so I thought it would a good time to come for a visit."
"Never a better time," Mrs. Patmore said. "The entire family packed up on the spur of the moment and took the nannies and children with them. We're sitting here twiddling our thumbs."
"Hardly that, Mrs. Patmore," Mrs. Hughes commented. "There's always cleaning to do."
"I have the same thing," Daisy commented. "This time of year the planting is done, but I'll be run off my feet once the berries and fruit start."
"You're enjoying your life as a tenant farmer then?" Alfred asked.
"Yes, I quite enjoy it. The hours are just as long as they were here but they're my hours. I manage them as I please," Daisy said. "It's nice when I come into the village with Mr. Mason. My time is my own although we have to rush back for milking rather than dinner."
"The talk in the village and around here is Mr. Matthew Crawley's car," Alfred said.
"Alfred, I hardly think that is an appropriate topic of conversation in this house," Mrs. Patmore reproached him.
"Come now Mrs. Hughes, you know everyone is talking. Lord Grantham was trying to keep it all from Lady Grantham and the Dowager Countess but he didn't have much luck. It's probably all over London by now," Thomas said.
"Very well then, but it gives me the willies," Mrs. Hughes replied.
"I haven't heard a thing," Daisy said.
"It seems Mr. Matthew's death wasn't an accident," Mrs. Patmore contributed. "His car was tampered with. The police think it might have something to do with the thefts of hay and feed they found out about in December. That's way the family has gone to London. They are going through the estate records to see if they can find out how far back the thefts go."
"I never would have thought it," Daisy said with her eyes round. "There was a police lorry hauling a car away at the repair shop in the village when I passed through."
"Most likely one and the same," Thomas said. "They were going through the employment records as well, looking for anyone who might have had a grudge against Mr. Matthew."
"Who would have had a grudge against him?" Daisy questioned. "Everyone like him, even Miss O'Brien."
"That's saying something," Mrs. Hughes said with a sigh.
"It must have been someone with something to gain," Alfred said.
"The only one that's gained anything around here is Mr. Branson and he's the one who reported the thefts in the first place and sent the car to be looked at. If he was the culprit he could have sent the car straight to the scrap yard and no one would have been the wiser," Mrs. Patmore said.
"It does no good for us to sit around and speculate," Thomas said. "It's a matter best left to the police."
"Where is Jimmy?" Daisy asked.
"Probably lollygagging about somewhere," Mrs. Hughes said with an exasperated shake of her head.
"I had best go and see what he's about," Thomas said.
"If you can spare me, Mrs. Patmore, perhaps I could walk Daisy back to the village," Alfred commented.
"Oh don't mind me stuck in the kitchen all day on my own," Mrs. Patmore said crossly. She spotted the hopeful look and small smile on Daisy's face. "Oh very well, just be back in time…oh never mind. Take as long as you like. The roast beef is in, all I have to do later is make the Yorkshire puddings."
"I'll be back in time to clean up," Alfred said as he got up and dashed off to get his coat and hat.
"Well, wonders never cease," Mrs. Patmore said with a smile as she went to the door and watched Alfred and Daisy head towards the village together.
-0-
John Bates headed for the downstairs at Lady Rosamund's London home. His wife Anna was along on this trip to act as ladies maid for Lady Rose and help out with the children. It was nice of Lord Grantham to bring Anna along but it was unnecessary. Lady Rose hardly ever needed the services of a ladies maid and the two nannies were seeing to the children well enough. Lady Grantham was paying calls and spending her days waiting for Lady Rose to come back from Mr. Murray's office with the latest updates. Master Jame's Nanny was taking Miss Sybil and Master James out on small excursions around the city. There was really no reason for Anna to be there other than to keep her husband company.
The downstairs at the house was a hive of gossip. The news of the tampered car had reached London and every house was a buzz with it. There wasn't an hour that went by when there wasn't a knock at the back door with a servant from one house or the other in the square stopping by to get the latest news from the cook. John wondered how they ever got anything done with all the running back and forth and tongue wagging they did.
He was usually in Lord Grantham's confidence but not this time. Lady Rose left each morning with Mr. Branson and Lord Grantham to go to Mr. Murray's office. Every evening they returned solemn faced. Whatever was going on wasn't discussed around the dining room table. Every evening the family locked themselves in the drawing room at Lady Rosamund's without any staff in attendance and discussed the day's findings. No one on the staff dared eavesdrop.
"It's ever so odd isn't it," Anna commented to her husband after the fourth full day of the strange goings on. "They look more serious each time they return from the lawyers and they don't say a thing."
"Whatever it is will all be revealed in good time," John said reassuringly and patting his wife on the hand. "What did you find to amuse yourself with today?"
"I went shopping?" Anna said with a smile. "It's almost like a vacation. I can only find enough to keep myself amused for a few hours. Once I take the children's laundry up and the Branson's there isn't much else to do."
"Don't use your energy up. It's rather nice having you come to bed not worn out from a long day," John said running his fingers along Anna's jawline.
"Why Mr. Bates, I never thought you had any complaints," Anna replied flirting with her husband. "I was thinking about going by the rental and checking up on things while we're here."
"Don't bother," John said. "The tenant sees to the repairs. I want you fresh and pretty when I get back to our room at night."
John didn't have long to stay and flirt as the dressing gong sounded in a few minutes. He made his way up to the room off the main bedroom Lord and Lady Grantham were sharing to help Lord Grantham get dressed.
"This entire mess is a hell of a note, Bates," Lord Grantham said as John helped him into his formal wear. "We're back seven years already and still going."
"Not bad news I hope milord," John replied.
"It certainly isn't good, but I've said enough," Robert replied. "Take the rest of the evening off. Take your wife out on me." Robert reached in his pocket book and pulled out a five-pound note.
"I couldn't milord," John said.
"Take it," Robert said. "I like to think someone is having a decent time in London. I'm certainly not."
"Very well, milord. If you insist," John said neatly pocketing the fiver.
"I do insist," Robert said. "I'm glad you're here old friend."
"I'm at your service, milord," John replied.
After ten days of almost the same thing everyday but Sunday the family packed up and headed back to Downton. Lady Rosamund came along. She was never one to pass up intrigue and what ever was going on was loaded with it. Not one of the three ladies maids had gotten a word out of their mistresses. Four if you counted Anna. The family was being tight lipped like John had never seen them. The arrival back to Downton should prove to be an interesting one indeed.