`It was merely a matter of form. However, you under that all the people who were here near the time of the tragedy must be questioned.!
'Of course I understand that.' She looked at Hadley sharply. `When was Phil killed?'
`Well come to that in a moment, Mrs Bitton. Let's get things in order, if you don't mind…. To begin with, I dare say this isn't the first time you've visited the Tower? Naturally, you're interested in the — er — historic treasures of the place?'
A rather humorous look crept into her face. `That's- a gentleman's way of asking me my business:' Her eyes wandered to Sir William. `I imagine Will has already told you about me. He thinks I haven't any interest in musty ruins and things like that.'
General Mason was stung. The word `ruins' had shocked him. He took the cigar out of his mouth.
`Madam,' he interposed, warmly, `if you will excuse my reminding you.. '
`Certainly,' she agreed, with a bright smile, and looked back at Hadley. `However, that's not true. I do like them. I like to think about those people in armour, and the tournaments and things, and fights. But I was going to tell you why I was here. It wasn't the Tower exactly. It was the walk.'
`The walk?'
`I'm afraid, Mr Hadley,' she observed, critically, `that you don't walk enough. Good for you. Keeps you fit. Lester is getting a paunch that's why I take him on walking tours as often as he'll let me. We just came back yesterday from a walking trip in the West Country. So to-day I decided to walk from Berkeley Square to the Tower of London.
'I couldn't persuade Lester to go along, so I came down 1, here alone. And then I thought, "So long as I'm here, I' might as well look at the place."
'I see. Do you' remember what time you arrived?'
`One o'clock or some time afterwards, I fancy. I had a sandwich in the refreshment-room up by the gate. That was where I bought the tickets for the towers; three of 'em. A white one, a pink one, and a green one.'
Hadley glanced at General Mason. The latter said:
`For the White Tower, the Bloody Tower, and the Crown Jewels. There's an admission fee for those.'
`'M, — yes. Did you use these tickets, Mrs Bitton?'
For a moment, the movement of her full breast was quicker. Then her lip curled slightly.
`I had a look at the Crown jewels,' she replied, with no expression of candour. `They looked like glass to me. And I'll bet they're not real, either.'
General Mason's face had assumed a brickish hue, and a strangled noise issued from him.
`May I ask why you didn't use the other tickets, Mrs Bitton?'Hadley asked quickly.
'O Lord, how should I know? I changed my mind.' She slid her body about in the chair, seeming to have lost interest. But her eyes looked strained. `I did wander about a bit in that inner courtyard up there. And I talked to one nice old Beefeater.’
General Mason broke in with cold courtesy:
`Madam, may I, request you not to use that word? The guards at the Tower are called Yeoman Warders, not Beefeaters. The term is applied.. '
`I'm sorry. Of course I didn't know. You hear people talk, that's all. I pointed to that place where the stone slab is, where it says they used to chop people's heads off, you know, and I asked the Bee… the man, "Is that where Queen Elizabeth was executed?" And he nearly fainted. He cleared his throat a couple of times, and said, "Madam..er… Queen Elizabeth had not the honour to be… ah… I mean, Queen Elizabeth died in her bed." And then reeled off a list of people who got their heads chopped off there; and I said, "What did she die of?" and he said,
"Who, ma'am?" and I said, "Queen Elizabeth" and he made a sort of funny noise.'
Hadley was not impressed. `Please keep to the subject, Mrs Litton. When did you leave?' '
`My dear man, I don't carry a watch. But I know that I came down from the parade-ground under the arch of that big place called the Bloody Tower. And I saw a group of people standing over by the rail around these steps, and there was a Beefeater who asked me if I would mind going on. So I suppose it was after you found… Phil.'
`Did you run into Mr Driscoll at any time?'
'No. Naturally, I didn't know he was there.'
Hadley absently, tapped his fingers on the desk for some time. He resumed suddenly: 'Now, Mrs Bitton, according to your own statement you arrived here in the vicinity of one o'clock. The body was discovered at two-thirty, and of course you started to leave after that time, or you wouldn't be here. So you spent all, that time looking at the Crown Jewels and wandering about the parade-ground in the fog? Is that correct?'
She laughed and regarded Hadley with some defiance. But she was not so cool as before.
`I hope you don't think I'm afraid of a bit of mist or rain? Good Lord! You surely don't think I had anything to do with killing Phil, do you?'
'It is my duty to ask these questions,' Mrs Bitton. Since you carried no watch, I suppose you do not know whether you were anywhere near the Traitors' Gate between half past one and a quarter to two?'
'The Traitors' Gate,' she repeated. `Let's see. Which one is that?'
Hadley nodded towards her handbag. `May I ask what you have there, under the strap on the other side of your bag? Folded over, I mean; a green pamphlet of some sort.'
It's… I say, I'd forgotten all about it! It's a guide to the Tower of London. I bought it for twopence at the ticket-window.'
`Were you anywhere near the Traitors' Gate between half past one and a quarter to two?'
She took out a cigarette, lighted it with a sweep of the match, against the table, and regarded him with cold anger.
`Thanks for repeating the question,' she returned. `It's most considerate. If by the Traitors' Gate you mean the one where Phil was found, as I assume you do, the answer is No. I was not near it, at any time except when I passed it going in and coming out.'
Hadley grinned. It was a placid, slow, homely grin, and it made his face almost genial. The woman's face, had hardened, and there was a strained look about her eyes; but she caught the grin, and suddenly laughed.
`All right. Touche. But I'm hanged if I let you pull my leg again, Mr Hadley. I thought you meant it.'
`We now come to the inevitable. Mrs Bitton, do you know anybody who would desire to take Mr Driscoll's life?'
`Nobody would want to kill him. It's absurd. Phil was wonderful. He was a precious lamb.'
General Mason shuddered, and even Hadley winced.
`Ah,' he said. 'He, may have been as you say, a… never mind. When did you last see him?'
`H'm. Well, it's been some time. It was before Lester and I went to Cornwall. He only comes to the house on Sundays. And he wasn't there yesterday, now that I come to think of it.' She frowned. `Yes. Will was so cut up over losing that manuscript, and turning the house upside down.. or did you know about that?'
`We know,' Hadley answered, grimly.
`Wait a bit. Wait. I'm wrong,' she corrected, putting her hand down on the desk. 'He did come in for, a short time rather late Sunday night, to pay his respects to us. He was on his way, to the newspaper, office to turn in his story, I remember: about the barrister's wig on the cab-horse. Don't you remember, Will?'
Sir William rubbed his forehead. `I don't know. I didn't see him, but then I was occupied.'
Sheila told us about this new newspaper line of his chasing hats.' For the first time Laura Bitton shuddered. `And I told him what Sheila told me, about Will's hat being stolen the night before.'
`What did he say?'
`Well, he asked a lot of questions, about where it had been stolen, and when, and all about it; and then I remember he started to pace up and down the drawing-room, and he said he'd got a "lead", and went hurrying away before we could ask what he meant'