Frank Abbott came out with it. The medical evidence- Adrian Grey’s evidence-Marsham’s evidence as to hearing voices in the study-the Professor’s magnifying-glass-the Professor’s statement-Miss Whitaker and her alibi-Mr. Haile’s interest under the will, his dubious financial position-the very curious conversation between him and the butler as overheard by Miss Maud Silver-
A deep plum colour suffused the face of Chief Inspector Lamb.
‘Miss Silver!’
‘Maudie the Mascot. All present, and as usual superlatively correct. She had a new knitting-bag, I think. And it’s vests this time, not stockings-pale pink, for a little girl of about three.’
‘Well, I’m-’ Lamb made a commendable effort and checked himself. It was against his principles to swear, and he had already allowed himself to be goaded into mentioning the devil.
No one could have returned his glare more innocently than Inspector Abbott. He risked a ‘Yes, sir,’ and went on rather hastily.
‘Lady Dryden got her down. And you know, sir, it really is extremely useful having her there in the house. I remember your saying what an advantage it was, her being there on the inside, seeing people in a natural everyday sort of way.’
‘I don’t remember saying anything of the sort!’
‘It was over the Latter End case, I think, sir. I remember thinking how well you put it.’
‘Soft-sawdering me now, are you? Well, there’s something in it of course. We come in on a case-everyone’s rattled, most of ’em have got something to hide. Remember that case I told you about? Woman looked as guilty as if she’d done seven murders instead of one, and all she was afraid of was her husband would find out she wore a wig. He was a bit younger, and it seems he’d always thought what pretty hair she had. That’s the kind of thing that tangles up a case, and I won’t say that Miss Silver doesn’t come in handy here and there when it comes to that. No, I’ll give her her due-she knows people, and she sees through ’em. If she’d lived a couple of hundred years ago she’d have been in the way of getting herself ducked for a witch. Pretty short way they had with them too-put ’em in the nearest pond. If the poor creature floated, they took her out and hanged her or burned her at the stake. If she sank, well, that proved she was innocent, so she only got drowned, and everyone went home happy. Nice times and nice doings! But I’ve often wondered about those old women, whether there wasn’t something in it. Poison and suchlike,’ he added hastily.
There was a knock on the door followed by the appearance of a fresh-faced young constable.
‘Beg pardon, sir, but there’s a lady on the line-Miss Silver. Wants to speak to Inspector Abbott-says it’s very important.’
Inspector Abbott got up with an impassive face. Inwardly he allowed himself a rueful ‘That’s torn it! And just when he’s talked himself into a good temper!’ His languid ‘I suppose I’d better see what it is, sir,’ did nothing to avert a frown.
He followed the young constable to the telephone, and heard Miss Silver say on an interrogative note,
‘Inspector Abbott?’
‘Speaking.’
‘I am sorry to disturb you, especially as I understand you are engaged with Chief Inspector Lamb, but there is some new evidence-very important evidence indeed-and I feel that there should be no delay at all in acquainting you with it and laying it before the Chief Inspector.’
Frank whistled.
‘How important is it? He doesn’t particularly care about being deflected, you know.’
‘I said very important. I have a witness here whom you should see immediately. It is the young footman, Frederick. He was out of the house that night, and he saw something. I think that if you could bring the Chief Inspector here, and his evidence could be taken on the spot-’
There was a slight pause. Then he said,
‘Well, I did suggest that you should pull a rabbit out of the hat, so we are in it together-but we’re not going to be popular. I’ll go and tell him. Will you hold on?’
After a brief stormy passage he returned.
‘Are you there?… All right, we’re on our way. It had better be important, you know. There’s a good deal of high explosive about. Au revoir.’
It was unfortunate that the Chief Inspector should have overheard the last two words. Irrupting into the room rather after the manner of a tank, he was able to discharge one of his more vehement homilies-The Ample Provision afforded by the English Language for the Full Expression of all such Sentiments as it is Proper for a Police Officer to entertain.
‘And if there are things that need wrapping up in a foreign language, it’s either because someone’s got wind in the head and wants to show off, or because he’s got something to say he’s ashamed of putting into decent English.’
Frank, who had heard it all before, could only hope that his esteemed Chief would have got the last of it off his chest by the time they arrived at Vineyards.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
It being Frederick’s duty to answer the front door bell at this hour of the day, it was he who presently admitted Inspector Abbott whom he knew, and the large man in the dark overcoat whom he guessed with a sinking heart to be ‘the High-up from Scotland Yard’ that everyone in the village was expecting to come down and arrest somebody. At the moment, Frederick felt that it might easily be himself. Irrational but quite vivid pictures of the dock, the condemned cell, and the gallows, passed in horrid procession before his shuddering eyes.
Miss Silver, coming up behind him, shook hands warmly with Chief Inspector Lamb. Her pleasure at this meeting with an old friend was so evident, her inquiries after Mrs. Lamb and his daughters so warm, that he found himself responding to it.
‘And Lily’s little boy and girl? Is Ernest still so much like you?’
‘Well, they say so, poor little beggar. But Jenny is like her mother-just what Lily was at her age.’
The cloud which appeared on his brow at the mention of Violet’s name caused Miss Silver to pass tactfully to Myrtle, of whom there was never anything but good to be said.
‘Only trouble with her is she’s too unselfish-always thinking about other people. Her mother worries and says she doesn’t take proper care of herself.’
They reached the study and passed into it. Frederick, his office done, and in hopes that he might now slip away, found himself under the big man’s compelling eye.
‘Is this the young man?… All right, come in and shut the door!’
As he obeyed with a feeling that the ground beneath him had suddenly become unsteady, he found Miss Silver’s hand upon his arm.
‘Now, Frederick, you have only to speak the truth. There is nothing to be afraid of.’
The words appeared to bear no relation whatsoever to the horrid facts with which he was now confronted. They could not cause these formidable policemen to disappear-they could not put back the clock and untell the tale which he had stammered out less than an hour ago. He had got to go through with it, and when you have got to do a thing you have somehow to find enough courage to do it.
They gave him a chair. The big man sat at Sir Herbert’s desk. Inspector Abbott got out his notebook. They were going to write everything down.
Miss Silver had taken a chair where he could see her. She met a wandering apprehensive glance, smiled reassuringly, and addressed Chief Inspector Lamb.
‘This is Frederick Baines. He had a quarrel with a friend last Saturday, and he slipped out of the house to go down to the village and make it up with her. He is going to tell you what happened.’
Lamb turned his large ruddy face upon the wretched Frederick. He didn’t look like a town policeman at all, he looked like a farmer. He looked terribly like Mr. Long at Bullthorne who had once caught him and Jimmy Good stealing his plums at ten o’clock on a fine August night. He had walloped them well and threatened them with the police. And now here were the police, and he had got to talk to them. He found that he still had Miss Silver’s handkerchief in the pocket of his grey linen house-coat. He fished it out and mopped a streaming brow.