“I’m sure we’re in a real den of iniquity,” said Tuppence with a pleased face. “Scandals all round us. What a row everyone makes.”
A cry, as of protest, rang out from the next booth and was covered by a man’s loud laugh. Everybody was laughing and singing. The shrill voices of the girls rose above the booming of their male escorts.
“What about that Shepherdess?” demanded Tommy. “The one with the comic Frenchman. They might be our little lot.”
“Anyone might be,” confessed Tuppence. “I’m not going to bother. The great thing is that we are enjoying ourselves.”
“I could have enjoyed myself better in another costume,” grumbled Tommy. “You’ve no idea of the heat of this one.”
“Cheer up,” said Tuppence. “You look lovely.”
“I’m glad of that,” said Tommy. “It’s more than you do. You’re the funniest little guy I’ve ever seen.”
“Will you keep a civil tongue in your head, Denny, my boy. Hullo, the gentleman in newspaper is leaving his lady alone. Where’s he going, do you think?”
“Going to hurry up the drinks, I expect,” said Tommy. “I wouldn’t mind doing the same thing.”
“He’s a long time doing it,” said Tuppence, when five minutes had passed. “Tommy, would you think me an awful ass—” She paused.
Suddenly she jumped up. “Call me an ass if you like. I’m going in the next booth.”
“Look here, Tuppence, you can’t—”
“I’ve a feeling there’s something wrong. I know there is. Don’t try and stop me.”
She passed quickly out of their own booth, and Tommy followed her. The doors of the next one were closed. Tuppence pushed them apart and went in, Tommy on her heels.
The girl dressed as the Queen of Hearts sat in the comer leaning up against the wall in a queer huddled position. Her eyes regarded them steadily through her mask, but she did not move. Her dress was carried out in a bold design of red and white, but on the left-hand side the pattern seemed to have got mixed. There was more red than should have been.
With a cry Tuppence hurried forward. At the same time Tommy saw what she had seen, the hilt of a jeweled dagger just below the heart. Tuppence dropped on her knees by the girl’s side.
“Quick, Tommy, she’s still alive. Get hold of the manager and make him get a doctor.”
“Right. Mind you don’t touch the handle of that dagger, Tuppence.”
“I’ll be careful. Go quickly.”
Tommy hurried out, pulling the doors to behind him. Tuppence passed her arm round the girl. The latter made a faint gesture, and Tuppence realized that she wanted to get rid of the mask. Tuppence unfastened it gently. She saw a fresh flowerlike face, and wide starry eyes that were full of horror, suffering, and a kind of dazed bewilderment.
“My dear,” said Tuppence, very gently. “Can you speak at all? Will you tell me, if you can, who did this?”
She felt the eyes fix themselves on her face. The girl was sighing, the deep palpitating sighs of a failing heart. And still she looked steadily at Tuppence. Then her lips parted.
“Bingo did it—” she said in a strained whisper.
Then her hands relaxed, and she seemed to nestle down on Tuppence’s shoulder.
Tommy came in, two men with him. The bigger of the two came forward with an air of authority, doctor written all over him.
Tuppence relinquished her burden.
“She’s dead, I’m afraid,” she said with a catch in her voice.
The doctor made a swift examination.
“Yes,” he said. “Nothing to be done. We had better leave things as they are till the police come. How did the thing happen?”
Tuppence explained rather haltingly, slurring over her reasons for entering the booth.
“It’s a curious business,” said the doctor. “You heard nothing?”
“I heard her give a kind of cry, but then the man laughed. Naturally, I didn’t think—”
“Naturally not,” agreed the doctor. “And the man wore a mask, you say. You wouldn’t recognize him?”
“I’m afraid not. Would you, Tommy?”
“No. Still, there is his costume.”
“The first thing to do is identify this poor lady,” said the doctor. “After that, well, I suppose the police will get down to things pretty quickly. It ought not to be a difficult case. Ah, here they come.”
It was after three o’clock when, weary and sick at heart, the husband and wife reached home. Several hours passed before Tuppence could sleep. She lay tossing from side to side, seeing always that flowerlike face with the horror-stricken eyes.
The dawn was coming in through the shutters when Tuppence finally dropped off to sleep. Then she slept heavily and dreamlessly. It was broad daylight when she awoke to find Tommy, up and dressed, standing by the bedside, shaking her gently by the arm.
“Wake up, old thing. Inspector Marriot and another man are here and want to see you.”
“What time is it?”
“Just on eleven. I’ll get Alice to bring you your tea right away.”
“Yes, do. Tell Inspector Marriot I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
A quarter of an hour later, Tuppence came hurrying into the sitting room. Inspector Marriot, looking very straight and solemn, rose to greet her.
“Good morning, Mrs. Beresford. This is Sir Arthur Merivale.”
Tuppence shook hands with a tall thin man who had haggard eyes and graying hair.
“It’s about this sad business last night,” said Inspector Marriot. “I want Sir Arthur to hear from your own lips what you told me — the words the poor lady said before she died. Sir Arthur has been very hard to convince.”
“I can’t believe,” said the other, “and I won’t believe, that Bingo Hale ever hurt a hair on Vere’s head.”
Inspector Marriot went on: “We’ve made some progress since last night, Mrs. Beresford. First of all we managed to identify the lady as Lady Merivale. We communicated with Sir Arthur here. He recognized the body at once, and was horrified beyond words, of course. Then I asked him if he knew anyone called Bingo.”
“You must understand, Mrs. Beresford,” said Sir Arthur, “that Captain Hale, who is known to all his friends as Bingo, is the dearest pal I have. He practically lives with us. He was staying at my house when they arrested him this morning. I cannot but believe that you have made a mistake — it was not his name that my wife uttered.”
“There is no possibility of mistake,” said Tuppence gently. “She said ‘Bingo did it—’ ”
“You see, Sir Arthur,” said Marriot.
The unhappy man sank into a chair and covered his face with his hands. “It’s incredible. What earthly motive could there be? Oh, I know your idea, Inspector Marriot. You think Hale was my wife’s lover, but even if that were so — which I don’t admit for a moment — what motive was there for killing her?”
Inspector Marriot coughed.
“It’s not a very pleasant thing to say, sir. But Captain Hale has been paying a lot of attention to a certain young American lady of late — a young lady with a considerable amount of money. If Lady Merivale liked to turn nasty, she could probably stop his marriage.”
“This is outrageous, Inspector.”
Sir Arthur sprang angrily to his feet. The other calmed him with a soothing gesture.
“I beg your pardon, I’m sure, Sir Arthur. You say that you and Captain Hale both decided to attend this show. Your wife was away on a visit at the time, and you had no idea that she was to be there?”
“Not the least idea.”
“Just show him that advertisement you told me about, Mrs. Beresford.” Tuppence complied. “That seems to me clear enough. It was inserted by Captain Hale to catch your wife’s eye. They had already arranged to meet there. But you only made up your mind to go the day before, hence it was necessary to warn her. That is the explanation of the phrase ‘Necessary to finesse the king.’