“Not long.”
“About five minutes, I should think,” said Henry.
“And you arrived home, when?”
“I should think at about half-past three. I really don’t know.”
“Did you go out again on Friday, Miss Prentice?”
“No,” said Miss Prentice.
“You were about the house? I’m sorry to worry you like this, but you see I really do want to know exactly what everybody did on Friday.”
“I was in my room,” she said. “There are two little offices that Father Copeland has given us for use after confession.”
“Oh, I see,” said Alleyn, in some embarrassment.
ii
Alleyn waded on. Miss Prentice’s air of patient martyrdom increased with every question, but he managed to get a good deal of information from her. On Saturday, the day of the performance, she had spent the morning in the parish hall with all the other workers. She left when the others left, and, with Jocelyn and Henry, returned to Pen Cuckoo for lunch. She had not gone out again until the evening but had spent the afternoon in her sitting-room. She remembered waking the squire at tea-time. After tea she returned to her room.
“During yesterday morning you were all at the hall?” said Alleyn. “Who got there first?”
“Dinah Copeland, I should think,” said Jocelyn promptly. “She was there when we arrived. She was always the first.”
Alleyn made a note of it and went on, “Did any of you notice the position and appearance of the piano?”
They all looked very solemn at the mention of the piano.
“I think I did,” said Miss Prentice in a low voice. “It was as it was for the performance. The girls had evidently arranged the drapery and pot-plants on Friday. I looked at it rather particularly as I was — I was to play it.”
“Good Lord!” ejaculated the squire, “you were strumming on the damned thing. I remember now.”
“Jocelyn, dear, please! I did just touch the keys, I believe, with my right hand. Not my left,” said Miss Prentice with her most patient smile.
“This was yesterday morning, wasn’t it?” said Alleyn. “Now, please, Miss Prentice, try to remember. Did you use the soft pedal at all when you tried the piano?”
“Oh, dear, now I wonder. Let me see. I did sit down for a moment. I expect I did use the soft pedal. I always think soft playing is so much nicer. Yes, I should think almost without doubt I used the soft pedal.”
“Was anybody by the piano at the time?” asked Alleyn.
Miss Prentice turned a reproachful gaze on him.
“Idris,” she whispered. “Miss Campanula.”
“Here, wait a bit,” shouted Jocelyn. “I’ve remembered the whole thing. Eleanor, you sat down and strummed about with your right hand and she came up and asked you why you didn’t try with your left to see how it worked.”
“So she did,” said Henry, softly. “And so, of course, she would.”
“And you got up and went away,” said the squire. “Old Camp — well, Idris Campanula — gave a sort of laugh and dumped herself down and — ”
“And away went the Prelude!” cried Henry. “You’re quite right, Father. ‘Pom. Pom! POM!! And then down with the soft pedal. That’s it, sir,” he added, turning to Alleyn. “I watched her. I’ll swear it.”
“Right,” said Alleyn. “We’re getting on. This was yesterday morning. At what time?”
“Just before we packed up,” said Henry. “About midday.”
“And — I know I’ve been over this before, but it’s important — you all left together?”
“Yes,” said Henry. “We three drove off in the car. I remember that I heard Dinah slam the back door just as we started. They were all out by then.”
“And none of you returned until the evening? I see. When you arrived at a quarter to seven you found Miss Copeland there.”
“Yes,” said Jocelyn.
“Where was she?”
“On the stage with her father, putting flowers in vases.”
“Was the curtain down?”
“Yes.”
“What did you all do?”
“I went to my dressing-room,” said the squire.
“I stayed in the supper-room and talked to Dinah,” said Henry. “Her father was on the stage. After a minute or two I went to my dressing-room.”
“Here!” ejaculated Jocelyn, and glared at Miss Prentice.
“What, dear?”
“Those girls were giggling about in front of the halclass="underline" I wonder if any of them got up to any hanky-panky with the piano.”
“Oh, my dear Father!” said Henry.
“They were strictly forbidden to touch the instrument,” said Miss Prentice. “Ever since Cissie Drury did such damage.”
“How long was it before the others arrived? Dr. Templett and Mrs. Ross?” asked Alleyn.
“They didn’t get down until half-past seven,” said Henry. “Dinah was in a frightful stew and so were we all. She rang up Mrs. Ross’s cottage in the end. It took ages to get through. The hall telephone’s an extension from the rectory and we rang for a long time before anybody at the rectory answered and at last, when it was connected with Mrs. Ross’s house, there was no reply, so we knew she’d left.”
“She came with Dr. Templett?”
“Oh, yes,” murmured Miss Prentice.
“The telephone is in your dressing-room, isn’t it, Mr. Jernigham?”
“Mine and Henry’s. We shared. We were all there round the telephone.”
“Yes.” said Alleyn. He looked from one face to another. Into the quiet room there dropped the Sunday morning sound of chiming bells. Miss Prentice rose.
“Thank you so much,” said Alleyn. “I think I’ve got a general idea of the two days now. On Friday afternoon Miss Prentice went to church, Mr. Jernigham hunted, Mr. Henry Jernigham went for a walk. On her return from church, Miss Prentice met Mr. Henry Jernigham and Miss Copeland, who had themselves met by chance in the top lane. That was at about three. Mr. Henry Jernigham returned home by a circuitous route, Miss Prentice by the top lane. Miss Prentice went to her room. At five you had your rehearsal for words in this room, and everybody saw the automatic. You all three dined at home and remained at home. It was also on Friday afternoon that some helpers worked for about an hour at the hall, but apparently they had finished at two-thirty when Miss Prentice passed that way. On Saturday (yesterday) morning Dr. Templett and Mrs. Ross called here for the tie. You all went down to the hall and you, sir, drove to Great Chipping. You all returned for lunch. By this time the piano was in position with the drapery and aspidistras on top. In the afternoon Mr. Henry Jernigham walked up Cloudyfold and back. As far as we know, only Dr. Templett and Mrs. Ross visited the hall yesterday afternoon. At a quarter to seven you all arrived there for the performance.”
“Masterly, sir,” said Henry.
“Oh, I’ve written it all down,” said Alleyn. “My memory’s hopeless.”
“What about your music, Miss Prentice? When did you put it on the piano?”
“Oh, on Saturday morning, of course.”
“I see. You had it here until then?”
“Oh, no,” said Miss Prentice. “Not here, you know.”
“Then, where?”
“In the hall, naturally.”
“It lives in the hall?”
“Oh, no,” she said, opening her eyes very wide, “why should it?”
“I’m sure I don’t know. When did you take it to the hall?”
“On Thursday night for the dress-rehearsal. Of course.”
“I see. You played for the dress-rehearsal?”
“Oh, no.”
“For the love of heaven!” ejaculated Jocelyn. “Why the dickens can’t you come to the point, Eleanor. She wanted to play on Thursday night but her finger was like a bad sausage,” he explained to Alleyn.