“How … ?”
“Because it took place in Bindon Boys and that is where Harry Tench sleeps. He made the derelict farm his home … since he had no other. Lucas … that’s what we have to do quickly … we have to talk to Harry Tench. We have to do it now.”
“I’m going to take you back to Trecorn. You can’t go back to Perrivale after this. That’s the first thing.”
“No, Lucas. I couldn’t rest. I’ve got to see Harry Tench, and I want you to come with me.”
“When?”
“Now … without a moment’s delay. Who knows? We may have delayed too long already.”
“My dear Rosetta. You have just been nearly murdered. You’re deeply shocked.”
“I can think about that afterwards. I know this is important. I’ve got to see him. I’ve got to talk to him without delay.”
“Do you think you’ll be all right… ?”
“I wouldn’t be all right if I didn’t go. I should be tortured by what might be happening. Already the Major may have gone to him.”
“Look … I’ll go alone.”
“No, Lucas. This is my affair. I started it and I want to be in at the end. I hope this is the end.”
He could see that I was determined and at length he agreed that we should go to Bindon Boys together.
I mounted Goldie. I was feeling shaken but somehow buoyed up by the thought of further revelations.
The farmhouse looked more desolate than ever. We dismounted. The front door was open. It was a long time since the lock had disappeared. The place sent a shiver down my spine. I kept thinking of Cosmo’s coming here and facing death. I had very recently been made aware of how that could feel. I had faced it before, but it was not the same when one was being threatened by the elements. To be fighting for one’s life against a murderer is a different experience.
A streak of sunshine shone through the dirty window. It accentuated the cobwebs and the accumulation of dirt and dust on the floor.
“Are you there?” called Lucas. His voice echoed through the house and there was no answer.
I pointed to the stairs and Lucas nodded.
We were on the landing and the three doors faced us.
We opened one. The room was empty; but when we tried the next we found him there, lying on a pile of old clothes. He put his hand up to his face as though to shield himself.
“Hello, Harry,” said Lucas.
“Don’t be afraid. We’ve just come to talk.”
He lifted his head and leaned on his elbow. He was dirty, unkempt and very thin. I felt a surge of pity for him.
“What you want?” he muttered.
“Just a word or two,” said Lucas.
He looked bewildered.
Lucas went on: “It’s about the day Mr. Cosmo Perrivale was killed.”
Harry was really frightened now.
“I don’t know nothing. I weren’t here. I didn’t do it. I told ‘em I didn’t.”
“We know you didn’t do it. Harry,” I said.
“We know it was the Major.”
He stared at me.
“Yes,” said Lucas.
“So it doesn’t matter about keeping quiet any more.”
“What do you know about it. Harry?” I asked gently.
“He robbed me of my ‘ome, didn’t he? What ‘arm was I doing? The place stood empty for three months after … my little ‘ome …”
“It was cruel,” I said soothingly.
“And then you came here.”
“There was nowhere else. It was a roof. And then they was going to do it up … I stayed here … I wasn’t going till I ‘ad to.”
“Of course not. And you were here on that day.”
He didn’t answer.
I said: “It’s all right now. You can talk. The Major has told me now so it doesn’t matter.”
“He were good to me, he were. I wouldn’t have been able to get by but for ‘im.”
“Payment for your silence?” asked Lucas.
“He said not to tell. He said I’d be all right then. He said
he’d kill me if I told . in a jokey sort of way . like he always had. ” He shook his head, smiling. I could see that the Major had charmed him, too.
“Tell us what happened on that day. Harry,” I said.
“You sure … ?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“The Major knows I know. So it’s all right for you to talk.”
“You sure … ?” he said again.
“Oh yes … quite sure.”
“I want to be left alone.”
“You will be … when you’ve told us.”
“I didn’t do it.”
“I know you didn’t and nobody said you did.”
“They asked questions.”
“And they released you. They knew you didn’t do it.”
“I didn’t tell them what I see.”
“No. But you’re going to tell us.”
Harry scratched his head.
“I mind that day … never forget it. Dream about it sometimes. It was being ‘ere when it happened. Can’t get it out of me ‘cad.”
“Yes, of course.”
“I was ‘ere. I didn’t know when they was coming in to measure an’ all that. But there was always time when I heard ‘em come in to slip down the back staircase to the back door and out.”
“And you heard Mr. Cosmo come in.”
“No, it weren’t Mr. Cosmo who come first. It was the Major. That’s why I didn’t get right away. I thought it was one of them coming to measure up. I didn’t expect to see the Major.”
“What did he do?”
“Well … he came in and went over to the door what leads down to the basement. He opened it and went in. I wondered what ‘e were doing in the basement. But he didn’t go down … couldn’t have. He was just waiting behind the door. Then Mr. Cosmo came in. There wasn’t a word spoke.
I saw the basement door open. The Major stood there. He lifted the gun and shot Mr. Cosmo. “
“Then what happened?”
“Mr. Cosmo fell to the floor and the Major came out and he put the gun right down by Mr. Cosmo. I was on the landing, wondering what to do when Mr. Simon come in. The Major had gone then … and Mr. Simon picks up the gun just as Mr. Tristan comes in and finds ‘im standing there with the gun in his hand. Mr. Tristan was very upset so was Mr. Simon. Mr. Tristan starts shouting and says Mr. Simon’s killed his brother … and Simon says Mr. Cosmo was dead when he come in … and I thought it was time I got out. So I went out… down the back staircase.”
“So you were a witness of the murder,” said Lucas.
“And the Major … how did he know that you’d seen it all?” I asked. “Cos he’d caught a look at me up there on the landing. He didn’t give a sign he’d seen me … not then … only after. I wasn’t at Bindon then. I was over at Chivers. Old Chivers said he didn’t mind me sleeping in one of his barns. The Major gave me money and said he’d kill me if I told the police I’d seen him. Old Chivers were good to me. I knew I’d have to find some place when they started on Bindon but they never did after all that.”
“Harry,” said Lucas, ‘will you tell this to the police? “
He shrank from us.
“I don’t want none of that.”
“But you will. You’ll have to.”
He shook his head.
“You should,” I said.
“It’s your duty.”
His face crumpled.
“It’ll do you no harm,” said Lucas.
“Look, Harry, you come along and talk to the police, and I tell you what I’ll do. I’ll ask my brother if he can find a little place for you on Trecorn estate. Perhaps you could give a hand now and then on some of the farms. I’m sure there’d be work for you to do somewhere and you’d have your own little cottage. “