The Inspection of a Curator
DISCLAIMER: All rights belong to Deborah Harkness. Just borrowing the characters for an alternate universe fan fiction story.
SUMMARY: A 1940's Police Inspector gets caught up in the world of rare books when a valuable manuscript is stolen and a murder occurs. Together, with a book curator, this Detective will face obstacles as they traverse the secret world of asylum's, wealth and mystery as well as their blossoming romance.
CREDIT: A huge thank you to Shawna! I wouldn't be the author I am without your editing help, suggestions and ideas! Thanks to RD and Lady Lazarus de Clermont for pre-reading!
Chapter TWO: The Party and the Crime
By: Goode Girl
~TIOAC~
Philippe and Ysabeau De Clermont were hosting their annual New Year's Eve party and guests had started to arrive. They were an independently wealthy married couple of middle age, and while Philippe was a collector of rare books, Ysabeau was a woman of leisure. Some of her hobbies included hosting luncheons and parties, like the one they were having this evening. While her husband liked to travel on occasion if it meant he could procure a new volume for his collection.
Said collection could rival that of certain notable libraries and if appraised, would likely reveal a value in the millions. The most notable artifact in his collection was one he acquired recently. It is a manuscript that once belonged to Elias Ashmole; referred to as 'Ashmole 782'. It is the most coveted of Ashmole's manuscripts because of the mythology that surrounds it. It is said that it contains the alchemical solution for turning lead into gold as well as the formula to create 'The Philosopher's Stone', which some believe to be the same thing. So, it should come as no surprise that Philippe keeps his revered collection under strict lock and key procedures.
…..
"Welcome Mr. Maximillian, we're so pleased you could join us again this year!" Ysabeau greeted graciously.
"Thank you, Mrs. De Clermont. It's always a pleasure to attend one of your lavish parties!" He complimented. "And please, do call me Rudolph." He replied with reverence before turning to Philippe. "Mr. De Clermont," He smiled.
"Rudolph, my good man." Philippe replied, shaking his outstretched hand.
"Any chance you'll allow me to see that new acquisition of yours?" Rudolph teased lightly. It was no secret to Philippe that Rudolph himself had interest in Ashmole 782. His fascination was for the alchemical method known as 'The Magnum Opus'. It is said that this method would produce 'The Philosopher's Stone', as Rudolph was obsessed with the secret to immortality.
"We shall see. Now, please, enjoy the festivities." Philippe commented, dismissing him subtly.
Some of their other significant guests included substantial figures within their community, such as prominent psychologist Peter Knox and psychiatrist Gerbert D'Aurillac. As well as, Beth Tudor, another woman of leisure, much like Ysabeau; and John Dee, another book collector.
When the last of their invited, prestigious guests arrived, their butler, Hugh seemed to be missing, so Philippe made the announcement that dinner would be served shortly. Their twenty party goers sat themselves around the long dining table as per the place markers instructed, as servers filled their wine glasses.
The conversation flowed in abundance and the food was excellent. When dinner was almost at a close, guests were invited to join them in the ballroom where a live band would play them into the new year.
"What an excellent meal that was, Philippe. Thank you again." John Dee complimented.
"You're most welcome, but we have our excellent cook to thank for that. Marthe may be our housekeeper, but she's a brilliant chef." He replied. "That is, when Charles allows it!" he laughed gently. Charles was their full-time chef, but on special occasions, Marthe liked to create some extravagant meals and Ysabeau was more than pleased that she did.
He nodded, "I noticed Rudolph is rather interested in your newest addition." He stated quietly.
Philippe shook his head regretfully, "That he is. Although, I'm afraid if I let him see it, I'll never see it again myself." He responded.
"I wouldn't trust him around your collection. He's tried to take a few from me in the past and I've barred him from being in my personal library." John informed.
"Has he really?" Philippe queried in surprise.
"I caught him with a small book in hand one evening a few months back, and he acted like he forgot he was holding it. Lying bugger." He confirmed.
"I do have a rather secure door to the library with difficult locks, but people are cunning." Phillipe countered.
John and Philippe parted as they went to talk with other party goers. The band took a small pause to announce that the countdown to the New Year had begun. Voices echoed in the room as they chanted, counting down from ten.
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Happy New Year!" They chorused.
At that very moment, Philippe sprang into action when the alarm bells sounded on the upper levels of their manor home. It was a sign that someone had gained entry into his library. He cast his eyes around the room but couldn't find Rudolph, his main suspect.
Ysabeau met him at the door of the ballroom. "I know you need to check, but please be careful." She urged. He nodded in reply and kissed her cheek before rushing up the staircase.
When he arrived on the upper levels, the bells were deafening. But it was clear his private library had been accessed as the vault-like door stood ajar. He approached carefully in case someone was still inside. It was hard to see as the lights were out and red flashed in their place, due to the triggered alarm still sounding. Pushing open the door, he crept in and passed his gaze over the circumference of the room to find it empty of uninvited individuals, but his eyes immediately went to the display station where he kept Ashmole 782. It stood empty. Phillippe turned off the alarm, so he could think. The bells were still ringing in his ears.
Stepping more fully into the room, he noted a prone body on the floor not ten feet in front of him. He couldn't identify who it was at first, as they were facing away, but it was clear they'd suffered some sort of trauma, as blood was pooled around their head. Bending down, he determined that the victim was in fact deceased, when he was jolted from his examination of the prostrate form by the ringing of house phone. The nearest one was just outside in the hallway and mounted to the wall. It was Ysabeau from downstairs and she announced that police had arrived. She'd called the moment he ran up the stairs. He was put on the line with a Constable and confirmed his rare collectibles library had been infiltrated and a manuscript was missing as well as a victim who lay unresponsive on the floor.
…..
Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Roydon, sighed in relief. Another case had just been closed.
"Bugger, that was a tough one." Baldwin exclaimed, taking a seat at his desk, adjacent to Matthew's.
"At least it's done." Matthew replied, sitting at his desk as well. He noticed how Baldwin, his partner on this case, kept glancing at his watch. "Somewhere to be?" He added.
"Sort of, it is New Year's after all, and I said I'd try and join the guys for a few drinks." He replied.
"Off with you then, I'll file the report." Matthew offered with a tired smile.
"You sure?"
"I've got no plans, you go. The paperwork won't take too long." Matthew confirmed.
"Thanks, Matt. It was good working with you on this one. Lord knows we needed the help." He stated before departing.
Baldwin made his farewells and left Matthew with the tedious job of filing the report. They had to document everything when they completed a case so it could be filed with the records department.
Matthew dove in and filled in all the pertinent details before signing off and closing the file. A glance at the clock told him it was just past 10:30PM. Standing from his desk, he stretched, reaching his arms over his head and yawning, before picking up the folder and placing it in the bin for filing.
"You're still here?" Juliette interjected, surprising him. "I thought you guys closed the case a few hours ago." She stated, leaning against his desk in what would appear to be a sultry pose.
Juliette Durand was the records clerk at the police station and her last job each night was to round up all the folders for filing.
"Uhhh, yeah." He stated with trepidation. "Just finishing up the paperwork." He nodded towards the bin before reaching for his jacket, and pulling it over his shoulders.
"Well, I'm off as well, why don't we get a drink? It is New Year's." She flirted.
"Thanks, but it's been a long day." He dismissed.
Juliette has made it clear since she started as the new records clerk six months ago, that she has a crush on Matthew. He has a personal 'no dating co-worker's rule' in place for a reason. He refuses to date anyone at the station, conflict of interest for one and just a sticky situation if things go awry. Besides, he's heard the rumours of her promiscuity around the department and wanted no part of it.
Once he felt he'd escaped her, Matthew headed home. He had a late dinner, took a quick shower and crawled into bed, forgoing the New Year's festivities. He could hear his neighbours celebrating, but ignored it.
"Welcome to 1947." He mumbled into the night.
…..
"Hello?" Matthew murmured, half asleep. His phone had been ringing and he picked it up before the sixth ring could complete itself.
"Inspector Roydon?" A harried voice questioned.
He sat up, more alert. "Yes, who's this?"
"Constable Fuchs, sir. There's a case and it's urgent." He supplied.
"Benjamin, right. What is it then?" He queried.
Matthew was informed that a robbery had taken place at a manor home, and not only were they the victims of a theft, but a body was discovered on scene.
When Inspector Roydon entered the home just over an hour later, officers were keeping the party guests on the sidelines for questioning and he was led to the top floor of the home.
"Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Roydon, this is Philippe De Clermont." Constable Fuchs introduced.
"Mr. De Clermont." Matthew greeted, putting out a hand for a shake. He returned it with a solemn smile.
"Thank you, for coming." He replied. "The alarm bells sounded at midnight," He began.
He listened intently, and took notes on the details as Philippe walked him through what transpired. When he entered the library, he noted the dead body on the floor, now covered with a sheet.
Matthew turned to Constable Fuchs. "Ben, do we have an ID on the decedent?" He questioned as he approached.
"He was our butler, Hugh." Philippe informed sadly.
Moving over to the body, he lifted the sheet. "Fuck," he mumbled. That face was known to him.
"You know him?" Mr. De Clermont asked.
"I do, by acquaintance only." He confirmed.
Keeping certain details to himself was important. He knew Hugh alright. He was Gallowglass' father, and Gallowglass worked for MI-6 as an undercover agent. So, while they are good friends, there is a certain way in which he has to contact him so as not to reveal who and what he does.
"Have all the party guests been accounted for?" Matthew posed, turning to Fuchs.
"Yes, sir. Nineteen are downstairs and one left, just as dinner was ending. Claimed he was feeling ill." He confirmed.
"Who left?" Matthew questioned, taking notes of these details.
"Ahh," Fuchs began, checking his own notes, "Peter Knox." He relayed.
"Yes, Peter mentioned feeling a little off early on in the evening and excused himself just as dinner was concluding." Philippe informed.
"Did you actually see him leave the premises? Did anyone for that matter?" He posed.
The look on Philippe's face was one of surprise and shock. "No, I didn't. You don't think…" He trailed off.
"We can't rule anything out. It's possible that his illness was feigned in order to go undetected." He offered. "It would take time to bypass that vault door you've had installed." He pointed out.
"Fuck," Mr. De Clermont mumbled. "But he never showed interest in the manuscript. At least not to me." He stated with irritation.
"If he is involved, he wouldn't want to advertise his interest, now would he. That would make him suspect number one." Matthew replied. "Do you have any other possible suspects, anyone who would want this particular manuscript?" He questioned.
"I thought that it might have been Rudolph Maximillian at first." Philippe stated. He informed him that when the alarms first sounded, he couldn't see Rudolph in the room, but he also rushed up here to see what had set the alarm off, so he could have missed him.
Rudolph had an interest in this manuscript and according to Philippe, while he might play it off, this interest bordered on obsession. When the guests were rounded up, Constable Fuchs informed Matthew that a witness placed Rudolph at the bar, which was at the back of the room, and this confirmation came from Ysabeau De Clermont herself.
The coroner arrived along with the Forensic Scene Investigators (FSI). They removed the body, and FSI started gathering evidence for examination.
"Other than Mr. Maximillian, is there anyone else you suspect that would attempt this theft?" Matthew queried, ushering Mr. De Clermont into the hallway and out of the way of the FSI team.
"Honestly, I have no idea who would go to these lengths. I mean they killed Hugh, who would do that?" He stated, sounding slightly frantic.
"That's what we need to find out." He tried to alleviate. "Thank you, if you think of any more details, please call me." He explained, handing Philippe his card with contact information. "Let's go question the guests." He added, turning to Fuchs.
Upon entry into the ballroom, a hush fell over the crowd.
"Attention everyone!" Inspector Roydon called as they all turned in his direction. "Thank you for your patience. We understand this is inconvenient, but we need to speak with each of you and get a statement about tonight's events."
"What's happened?" A random voice exclaimed. "When can we leave?" Another chimed in.
"Two crimes have occurred." He began as they seemed to quiet down once more and become more attentive, as gasps of surprise emanated around him. "I will need to question each of you and get an account of what transpired here this evening." He explained. Matthew knew he couldn't reveal too much about what occurred, so as to catch someone up if they were lying.
The guests were cooperative, even though some were restless at having to wait around for their turn. They needed to make sure that everyone was a safe distance away from where we were doing their questioning, so that their own statements would not be replicated because of someone else's account of events, if they should so happen to overhear.
…..
"Thank you, please give your details to Constable Fuchs, and if we have any more questions, we will contact you." Matthew stated. "You're free to leave after that." He concluded, signalling for the next guest to approach.
"Hello, I'm Inspector Roydon, can I get your name please?" He started.
"John Dee," The man replied. "It was Ashmole wasn't it, it was taken?" He posed.
"It was. What do you know of it?" He questioned, his interest in this guest now heightened.
"I was talking to Philippe earlier in the evening about his new acquisition and of our mutual distrust of Rudolph Maximillian." Mr. Dee offered.
"Yes, his name has come up. Although Mrs. De Clermont places him at the bar during the robbery." He replied. "If he was involved, we will find out." He added.
"I hope so." He nodded sadly. "What was the second crime?" He questioned.
"A man was killed during the commission of the crime." Roydon explained.
"May I ask, who the victim was, Inspector?"
"The butler, Hugh."
"No! Hugh was such a loyal friend and confidant to Philippe." He stated.
"What is your occupation, Mr. Dee?" Matthew posed.
"It's not an occupation, so much as a hobby." He began. "I'm a book collector, like Philippe, although not so much for the rarities he accumulates. I fancy particular manuscripts from the 17th and 18th centuries." He informed with a smile. He seemed to become animated when discussing books.
"What do you think the purpose was for stealing this particular manuscript?"
"They don't care about the book; they just want the information inside. Once they have that, who knows what they'll do with it." John stated plainly.
"What is it about this book they want so much?" He queried in confusion.
"Inspector Roydon, this manuscript is rumoured to have the key to the, 'Philosopher's Stone'." He relayed emphatically. "Everlasting life or turning lead into gold, depending on what myth you choose to believe." He elaborated dismissively.
"You can't be serious; they believe they can achieve this? The thief or thieves that is?" He asked in disbelief.
"The claims of successes in the past have a grip on weak minds." He offered up with an insightful smile.
Matthew couldn't hide his own smile at the insult.
"If we should happen to find the book, how will we know it's the real one and not say, a forgery?" He inquired.
"There is someone that I've sought the business of over the years, for acquiring some of my collection. She may be able to help you. I'm also sure that at some point in her career, she's viewed this particular manuscript when it was in possession of the previous owner." Mr. Dee explained.
"What does she do, exactly?" He asked.
"She's a book curator." John smiled.
"A woman curator?" Matthew asked in surprise.
Matthew very much supported women in the workplace. Women have just as much right to earn a living as men do. Although, he'd never heard of a woman in a field of work with such specifications.
"She's very good at what she does, Inspector. She's intelligent, tenacious, willful and strong." Mr. Dee announced with a sense of pride.
"I would be grateful for her help, what's her name?" He asked, his pen at the ready.
"Diana Bishop."
"Who was the previous owner of the manuscript?" Roydon queried. He was starting to wonder if the previous owner didn't want to part with it after all.
"Edward Kelley, Inspector. But he passed away, rather terribly." He informed.
"What was his cause of death?" He inquired.
"The manuscript." He stated plainly, and Matthew was a little surprised at that. "What I mean is, he became obsessed with creating the philosopher's stone and continually failed to complete it. In the end, his quest for immortality, killed him." He finished.
"That's sad." He nodded.
"His collection of works has been put up for auction, which is how Mr. De Clermont acquired it. He outbid the rest."
"Understood. Thank you, Mr. Dee."
There were a few guests left and only one other caught Inspector Roydon's interest. Gerbert D'Aurillac. The only reason he caught his notice was because of the proximity of his profession to that of Peter Knox. He had learned through his interrogations that Knox was a psychologist that oversaw the patients at a local facility. Gerbert was the psychiatrist that met with those patients on a weekly basis, and therefore had contact with Peter. Matthew concluded that they may have more than just a working relationship. They may be co-conspirators.
The final guest came forward, "Name please?" He inquired.
"Mary Sidney," The woman confirmed.
"Thank you. Now, Ms. Sidney, what can you tell me about this evening's events?"
She proceeded to walk Matthew through her experience from her arrival to the party, up until the clock chimed midnight and the alarm bells sounded. It didn't seem as though her account was going to be of any particular interest until she leaned in close to say,
"I did overhear a conversation that I don't think anyone was supposed to." She regaled, conspiratorially.
"Who was involved in this conversation and what did you hear?" He urged.
"It was prior to dinner as guests were still arriving." She started. "Gerbert and Peter were talking in rather quiet voices, but I was sitting behind them, just out of eyesight." She added. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard them say something about 'Ashmole 782', 'vault', and something else about 'feeling ill'. I couldn't hear it all clearly." She concluded.
"Was there anything about this discussion that caused you unease or suspicion after the alarm bells sounded?" He questioned.
"Well, frankly, I thought they were behind the theft you spoke of. But, Gerbert was present down here and Peter left just as dinner was ending. So, I didn't think much of it." She relayed.
"Thank you, Ms. Sidney." He finished. After directing her to leave her contact information with Constable Fuchs, Matthew started looking over his notes along with the few that Fuchs had given him.
During his preliminary sweep of the guests and their initial statements, he had also spoken with Ysabeau De Clermont at length, while awaiting Inspector Roydon's arrival. As he perused the meager report, he could glean that Mrs. De Clermont suspected one of her wait staff, a server at dinner. Gillian Chamberlain was hired for this event and Ysabeau's statement clearly revealed that she had caught Ms. Chamberlain in areas of the house in which she had neither permission to be in, or any need to be in, for what her job required of her.
Four names were prominent throughout as suspicious, although the last was questionable. Either they mentioned the manuscript or showed interest in it, or showed no interest at all, as though it were beneath them. Matthew was more intrigued by those who showed the least amount of interest, simply because it felt dishonest. Their indifference had more significance than anyone realized.
The top names he was looking into were:
• Peter Knox
• Gerbert D'Aurillac
• Rudolph Maximillian
• Gillian Chamberlain?
He would have to wait for FSI to process the evidence they collected in order to move forward. The photographer's photos would likely come in first, and a review of the scene based on these captures may be the first thing to start with.
If Peter Knox's fingerprints were found anywhere around that library or entrance, he will be more than just a suspect. The next thing on his mind, other than getting word to Gallowglass about his father, was to contact this Diana Bishop. The more she could tell him about the missing manuscript, the better.
