Master Sean blinked. "You mean the picture test, my lord?"
"I do."
"It won"t stand up in court, my lord," said the sorcerer.
"I"m aware of that," said Lord Darcy testily.
"Eye test?" Dr. Pateley asked blankly. "I don"t believe I understand."
"It"s not often used," said Master Sean. "It is a psychic phenomenon that sometimes occurs at the moment of death--especially a violent death. The violent emotional stress causes a sort of backfiring of the mind, if you see what I mean. As a result, the image in the mind of the dying person is returned to the retina. By using the proper sorcery, this image can be developed and the last thing the dead man saw can be brought out.
"But it"s a difficult process even under the best of circ.u.mstances, and usually the conditions aren"t right. In the first place, it doesn"t always occur. It never occurs, for instance, when the person is expecting the attack. A man who is killed in a duel, or who is shot after facing the gun for several seconds, has time to adjust to the situation. Also, death must occur almost instantly. If he lingers, even for a few minutes, the effect is lost. And, naturally if the person"s eyes are closed at the instant of death, nothing shows up."
"Count D"Evreux"s eyes were open," Dr. Pateley said. "They were still open when we found him. How long after death does the image remain?"
"Until the cells of the retina die and lose their ident.i.ty. Rarely more than twenty-four hours, usually much less."
"It hasn"t been twenty-four hours yet," said Lord Darcy, "and there is a chance that the Count was taken completely by surprise."
"I must admit, my lord," Master Sean said thoughtfully, "that the conditions seem favorable. I shall attempt it. But don"t put any hopes on it, my lord."
"I shan"t. Just do your best, Master Sean. If there is a sorcerer in practice who can do the job, it is you."
"Thank you, my lord. I"ll get busy on it right away," said the sorcerer with a subdued glow of pride.
Two hours later, Lord Darcy was striding down the corridor of the Great Hall, Master Sean following up as best he could, his _caorthainn_-wood staff in one hand and his big carpet bag in the other. He had asked Father Bright and the Countess D"Evreux to meet him in one of the smaller guest rooms. But the Countess came to meet him.
"My Lord Darcy," she said, her plain face looking worried and unhappy, "is it true that you suspect Laird and Lady Duncan of this murder?
Because, if so, I must--"
"No longer, my lady," Lord Darcy cut her off quickly. "I think we can show that neither is guilty of murder--although, of course, the black magic charge must still be held against Laird Duncan."
"I understand," she said, "but--"
"Please, my lady," Lord Darcy interrupted again, "let me explain everything. Come."
Without another word, she turned and led the way to the room where Father Bright was waiting.
The priest stood waiting, his face showing tenseness.
"Please," said Lord Darcy. "Sit down, both of you. This won"t take long. My lady, may Master Sean make use of that table over there?"
"Certainly, my lord," the Countess said softly, "certainly."
"Thank you my lady. Please, please--sit down. This won"t take long.
Please."
With apparent reluctance, Father Bright and my lady the Countess sat down in two chairs facing Lord Darcy. They paid little attention to what Master Sean O Lochlainn was doing; their eyes were on Lord Darcy.
"Conducting an investigation of this sort is not an easy thing," he began carefully. "Most murder cases could be easily solved by your Chief Man-at-Arms. We find that well-trained county police, in by far the majority of cases, can solve the mystery easily--and in most cases there is very little mystery. But, by His Imperial Majesty"s law, the Chief Man-at-Arms must call in a Duke"s Investigator if the crime is insoluble or if it involves a member of the aristocracy. For that reason, you were perfectly correct to call His Highness the Duke as soon as murder had been discovered." He leaned back in his chair. "And it has been clear from the first that my lord the late Count was murdered."
Father Bright started to say something, but Lord Darcy cut him off before he could speak. "By "murder", Reverend Father, I mean that he did not die a natural death--by disease or heart trouble or accident or what-have-you. I should, perhaps, use the word "homicide".
"Now the question we have been called upon to answer is simply this: Who was responsible for the homicide?"
The priest and the countess remained silent, looking at Lord Darcy as though he were some sort of divinely inspired oracle.
"As you know ... pardon me, my lady, if I am blunt ... the late Count was somewhat of a playboy. No. I will make that stronger. He was a satyr, a lecher; he was a man with a s.e.xual obsession.
"For such a man, if he indulges in his pa.s.sions--which the late Count most certainly did--there is usually but one end. Unless he is a man who has a winsome personality--which he did not--there will be someone who will hate him enough to kill him. Such a man inevitably leaves behind him a trail of wronged women and wronged men.
"One such person may kill him.
"One such person did.
"But we must find the person who did and determine the extent of his or her guilt. That is my purpose.
"Now, as to the facts. We know that Edouard has a secret stairway which led directly to his suite. Actually, the secret was poorly kept.
There were many women--common and n.o.ble--who knew of the existence of that stairway and knew how to enter it. If Edouard left the lower door unlocked, anyone could come up that stairway. He has another lock in the door of his bedroom, so only someone who was invited could come in, even if she ... or he ... could get into the stairway. He was protected.
"Now here is what actually happened that night. I have evidence, by the way, and I have the confessions of both Laird and Lady Duncan. I will explain how I got those confessions in a moment.
"_Primus_: Lady Duncan had an a.s.signation with Count D"Evreux last night. She went up the stairway to his room. She was carrying with her a small pistol. She had had an affair with Edouard, and she had been rebuffed. She was furious. But she went to his room.
"He was drunk when she arrived--in one of the nasty moods with which both of you are familiar. She pleaded with him to accept her again as his mistress. He refused. According to Lady Duncan, he said: "I don"t want you! You"re not fit to be in the same room with _her_!"
"The emphasis is Lady Duncan"s, not my own.
"Furious, she drew a gun--the little pistol which killed him."
The Countess gasped. "But Mary _couldn"t_ have--"
"_Please!_" Lord Darcy slammed the palm of his hand on the arm of his chair with an explosive sound. "My lady, you _will_ listen to what I have to say!"
He was taking a devil of a chance, he knew. The Countess was his hostess and had every right to exercise her prerogatives. But Lord Darcy was counting on the fact that she had been under Count D"Evreux"s influence so long that it would take her a little time to realize that she no longer had to knuckle under to the will of a man who shouted at her. He was right. She became silent.
Father Bright turned to her quickly and said: "Please, my daughter.
Wait."
"Your pardon, my lady," Lord Darcy continued smoothly. "I was about to explain to you why I know Lady Duncan could not have killed your brother. There is the matter of the dress. We are certain that the gown that was found in Edouard"s closet was worn by the killer. _And that gown could not possibly have fit Lady Duncan!_ She"s much too ...
er ... hefty.
"She has told me her story, and, for reasons I will give you later, I believe it. When she pointed the gun at your brother, she really had no intention of killing him. She had no intention of pulling the trigger. Your brother knew this. He lashed out and slapped the side of her head. She dropped the pistol and fell, sobbing, to the floor. He took her roughly by the arm and "escorted" her down the stairway. He threw her out.
"Lady Duncan, hysterical, ran to her husband.