‘I – I haven’t, really. Except that I can’t help feeling that the police – think Mummy had something to do with it.’
‘They do not seem to be alone in that belief,’ remarked Randall.
‘What do you mean?’ said Stella.
‘If you are not afraid that your sainted parent had a hand in this, what are you worrying about, my love? Tell me the whole truth!’
‘I’m not afraid she did it! I’m not, I tell you! I’m only afraid that it’s going to look black against her, and I don’t know what to do. She washed up the glass she gave the medicine in, and she gave orders no one was to go into aunt’s room. It was what anyone would have done, Randall! but the police – made it sound fishy, and Mummy – I think Mummy saw that it did, because she said that she couldn’t remember who’d washed the glass, and it was obvious that she did remember. And she kept on saying she was sure aunt had had a stroke, and – and finding reasons for it. She was worst with Deryk, but – but I don’t trust him, and I’m afraid he may have told the police how she fought against having a post-mortem. Supposing they arrest her?’
‘Supposing we wait and see whether Aunt Harriet was poisoned or not?’ countered Randall.
‘Randall, why won’t you tell what you know?’ said Stella imploringly. ‘Deryk wouldn’t have said that if he hadn’t been pretty sure. And if she was poisoned, don’t you see that Mummy, or Guy (or me, I suppose), are the only people who had any motive at all?’
‘I do,’ said Randall. ‘But if you would all of you contrive to keep your heads, you may yet escape the gallows.’
‘Don’t!’ she said sharply. ‘I thought at first you were going to be decent, and take it seriously. I might have known you’d only sneer!’
‘Strange as it may seem to you, my love, I am taking it extremely seriously.’
She looked curiously at him. ‘Were you fond of Aunt Harriet?’
‘Not in the least. But I infinitely preferred her alive to dead.’
‘Why do you say it like that?’
‘Because, my dear Stella, by dying Aunt Harriet has created a damnably awkward situation!’ he answered.
Thirteen
The rest of Sunday passed uncomfortably. Randall left the Poplars soon after lunch, Mrs Matthews retired to rest, and her children, finding it impossible to occupy themselves indoors, went for a walk. Mrs Matthews remarked three times during the course of the evening that she felt quite lost without her sister-in-law, and when Guy, whose nerves were badly frayed, said caustically that he had been under the impression that life under the same roof with Harriet had become insupportable to her, she read him a lecture on the folly of exaggeration, and went to bed proclaiming herself not angry, but merely hurt. Stella then took her brother to task for having started a quarrel, and Guy, announcing that a little more from her (or anyone else) would be productive of the direst results, slammed out of the room. After that Stella too went to bed, and was troubled with bad dreams till morning.
Guy’s praiseworthy resolve to go to work as usual had, he felt, to be abandoned. He came down to breakfast looking pale and heavy-eyed, drank a great deal of rather strong tea, and crumbled a piece of toast. His answers to Stella’s remarks were monosyllabic, so she presently gave up trying to talk to him, finished her breakfast, and went off to interview the cook.
Mrs Beecher added her mite to the day’s ills by greeting her with a month’s notice. She and Beecher, she said, were very sorry, but they were feeling Unsettled.
‘Well, I can’t say I’m surprised,’ replied Stella candidly.
‘No, miss, and I’m sure it’s not your fault. But one’s got to think of oneself, when all’s said and done, and right or wrong, we don’t neither of us care to stay in a house where people drop down dead with poison six days out of the seven. ’Tisn’t natural.’
‘No,’ agreed Stella, too dispirited to point out a somewhat gross overstatement. ‘Is anything wanted in the town?’
Mrs Beecher thereupon produced a sheet of paper, which seemed to be entirely covered with writing, and said there were just one or two little things she needed.
Stella took the list, and went upstairs to consult her mother.
Mrs Matthews was just about to get up when her daughter entered the room. She, like Guy, looked rather heavy-eyed. She said that she had had a bad night, and upon being shown Mrs Beecher’s shopping list, moaned faintly, and implored Stella not to worry her with that.
‘There’s worse than this,’ said Stella, pocketing the list. ‘The Beechers have given notice. Leaving at the end of the month. Shall I call in at the Registry Office?’
Mrs Matthews said that it made her sad to think of all the people in the world who never gave a thought to anyone but themselves. However, after moralising in this strain for about five minutes, she remembered that she had always meant to get rid of the Beechers if Gregory had left the house to her, so really it was a blessing in disguise. Stella left her planning the new staff, and went off to do the shopping.
When she returned, nearly an hour later, she found Guy pacing up and down the hall. She commented unfavourably on this, but he turned a strained, pale face towards her, and said abruptly: ‘The police are here. She was poisoned.’
Stella put her parcels rather carefully down on the table, and replied after a slight pause: ‘Well, we practically knew that. What was it?’
‘Nicotine. Same as uncle.’
She nodded. ‘Bound to be. Where are the police?’
‘In the library, with mother. They wouldn’t let me stay.’
‘Have they found out what the poison was put into?’
‘No. At least, I don’t think so. They took away a lot of medicines and things from Aunt Harriet’s room on Saturday. I suppose there hasn’t been time to analyse them yet.’
Stella slowly pulled off her gloves, and smoothed out the fingers. ‘As long as they don’t know how the stuff was given, there’s no need for us to panic,’ she said.
‘No one’s panicking,’ he answered irritably. ‘But they’ll go on motive. I tell you, I’ve thought it all out from A to Z. It was all right when uncle died. Anybody might have done it. But Aunt Harriet’s death has narrowed the field down to two: myself and Mother. And the serious part of it is that we had motives for both murders. No one else had the slightest motive for murdering Aunt Harriet. It’s no use blinking facts: one or other of us is going to be arrested – perhaps both of us.’
‘Don’t be such an ass!’ said Stella. ‘They can’t prove anything against either of you – can they?’
Guy stopped pacing up and down, and came to a halt by the table, and stood facing his sister across it. ‘If you’ll take the trouble to look at it fair and square you’ll see they’ve got a nasty-looking case against us,’ he said forcibly. ‘I was in a jam, and nothing would induce me to go to South America, so I poisoned uncle. Then I found that Aunt Harriet had left her money to me, and because I’m hard-up, I poisoned her, too.’
‘No one would commit a murder for £4,000,’ said Stella.
‘Wouldn’t they just? Don’t you believe it, my girl! People commit murders for much less.’
‘At that rate, I might have murdered her because she made the house unbearable.’
‘I don’t think so. Of course, you might have murdered uncle because he threatened to ruin Fielding, but that isn’t likely either, especially now it’s all off between you. It’s Mother the police suspect. She was dressing when they turned up, and I interviewed them first. The Superintendent asked me a whole lot of questions – damned awkward ones! Those blasted servants must have been talking. If you think it over, you can see for yourself how suspicious things must look. You remember the row Mother had with Uncle Gregory about me going to Brazil? Well, naturally, you do: it’s the only real quarrel she ever had with him, and the whole household knows of it. But as I see it, it wouldn’t matter so much about that if she hadn’t so suddenly stopped having a row, and gone all honey-sweet to uncle.’
‘Oh, that’
s just Mummy!’ Stella said quickly. ‘Partly remembering she was a Christian, and partly hoping to coax uncle. Anyone who knows Mummy would recognise that act.’
‘The point is the police don’t know her. Why, good Lord, even I was surprised at her giving in so soon! And apparently she told the police she never took uncle seriously over the Brazilian business, and that’s an obvious lie. I don’t mind betting the servants are ready to swear she was more serious than she’s ever been before. And you know what she is! She always believes things happened in exactly the way she wants to think they did, and consequently she comes out with the most idiotic fibs, which a babe in arms could see through.’
‘Yes, but surely the police can’t think that she’d murder Aunt Harriet simply for the sake of getting this house to herself ?’
Guy brought his open palm down on the table. ‘Don’t be such a thick-headed little fool! Don’t you realise that uncle left a trust of £2,000 a year for the upkeep of this place? Well, as things were, not only did Aunt Harriet run the show, but £2,000 was just about enough. With Aunt Harriet dead it’s a good deal more than enough! Now do you see?’
‘No, I don’t,’ said Stella stoutly. ‘The money wasn’t going to be given to Aunt to spend as she liked.’
‘Thanks, I know exactly how it was left. The trustees have to pay the rates and taxes, and that kind of thing, but the balance is paid into the Bank quarterly, and as long as it isn’t overstepped, who’s to say how it shall be spent?’
‘Yes, I see that,’ admitted Stella. ‘At the same time, it’s a bit thick to think a thing like that about Mummy, whatever her faults may be.’
‘It isn’t what I think. It’s what the police are going to think,’ said Guy.
‘Well, I should imagine they’d think twice before arresting her,’ replied Stella. ‘If she’d wanted to murder Aunt Harriet she could surely have waited till uncle’s death blew over. I mean, to do it now is absolutely asking for trouble!’
‘No, I don’t agree with you,’ said Guy instantly. ‘If she did it, she probably thought it would be safer while the police were in a complete fog over uncle’s death. Lots of people to suspect. If she’d waited she’d probably have been the only suspect. Something like that might have gone on in her mind.’
Stella gave a shiver. ‘It’s too beastly. Shut up about it, for God’s sake! What about that man Randall spoke of – I can’t remember his name?’
‘What man? Oh, that rubbish! I don’t know: it sounded to me like Randall trying to be funny.’
‘No, it wasn’t. He meant it.’
‘Well, if he did I can’t see what it can have to do with Aunt Harriet’s death.’
‘No,’ said Stella heavily. ‘Randall said that too.’ She glanced towards the library-door. ‘How long has Mother been shut up with the police?’
‘About twenty minutes.’ Guy began to walk up and down again. ‘I can’t make Mother out!’ he said. ‘Generally she doesn’t give away much. She didn’t when uncle died. But this time she seems – badly rattled.’
‘It’s enough to rattle anybody.’
‘Well, I wish to God she’d stop telling everybody how much she’s going to miss Aunt, and how heartbroken she is!’ said Guy explosively. ‘It rings so dam’ false!’
Stella considered this. ‘Do you know, I’m not so sure of that? It’s quite possible she does miss her.’
Guy stared at her. ‘They fought like cats!’
‘Yes, I know, but – but they were awfully used to each other, and they often joined forces against uncle, or Aunt Gertrude, and if ever one of them was ill the other always rallied round at once.’
‘Better if they hadn’t!’ Guy said significantly. ‘Oh, hell, why did Mother give Aunt a medicine of her own instead of sending for the doctor? And what possessed her to forbid anyone to go into Aunt’s room? The servants all say that she impressed it on them that they weren’t to disturb Aunt, and it came out today that she even forbade Mary to sweep the landing that morning.’
‘Anyone would have done the same,’ insisted Stella. ‘Aunt said she was sleepy, so naturally Mummy wouldn’t let Mary fidget about outside her room.’
Guy started to reply, but broke off as the library-door was opened, and looked quickly round. Mrs Matthews stood holding the door-handle, and said in a faint voice: ‘Stella, I want you.’
Both her children at once went towards her. Stella slipped a sustaining arm round her waist, and said: ‘It’s all right, Mummy; I’m here. What is it?’
Mrs Matthews led her into the library. ‘Darling child, I want you to think back carefully, and tell the Superintendent. Do you remember when poor Aunt Harriet was taken ill how you and I discussed whether we should send for Dr Fielding or not?’
‘Yes, of course,’ responded Stella, whose only recollection was of her mother stating that a doctor was quite unnecessary. She looked across the room to where Hannasyde stood, and met his searching gaze unflinchingly. ‘I didn’t think it was in the least called-for.’
Hannasyde did not reply to her, but instead addressed her mother. ‘Mrs Matthews, this is quite useless. The fact remains that you did not send for a doctor, though it must surely have been obvious to a woman of your experience that your sister-in-law was very unwell indeed.’
Stella felt her mother’s fingers tighten unconsciously on her own arm. ‘But it was not obvious!’ Mrs Matthews said, in a low, unsteady voice. ‘I knew she felt sick, and I saw that she was a bad colour, but I put that down to acute indigestion. She never had what I call a really healthy colour, never!’
‘Mrs Matthews, your sister-in-law must have felt other symptoms than these. Did she not complain to you of cramp, or a creeping in her arms, or even of extreme cold in her feet and hands?’
‘I can’t remember her mentioning anything beyond sickness and giddiness. She may have said she felt chilly, but I should expect that. I gave her a hot-water bottle.’
‘And yet,’ said Hannasyde, ‘when Miss Matthews passed the butler in the hall, on her way up to her room, he was struck by her appearance, and thought that she seemed to be out of breath, as though she had been running.’
‘So he says!’ Guy interpolated scornfully. ‘Servants will make up any tale to create a sensation!’
‘If he made it up, Mr Matthews, it is an odd coincidence that the shortness of breath which he described should be one of the symptoms of nicotine poisoning. Did you not notice it, Mrs Matthews?’
‘If I did I should only have thought it due to faintness,’ replied Mrs Matthews.
‘Your sister-in-law did not complain to you of feeling very ill?’
Mrs Matthews gave a little tinkling laugh. ‘Poor Harriet was never one to minimise her own ailments,’ she said. ‘I daresay that she may have said that she felt very bad, but I was so accustomed to her habit of exaggerating the least disorder, that I am afraid I didn’t set a great deal of store by what she said. It seemed obvious to me that her stomach was thoroughly upset, and I did exactly what I should have done for one of my own children.’
The Superintendent’s calm voice, with its undercurrent of implacability, broke in on this. ‘Yet Mrs Beecher, who had known Miss Matthews for seven and a half years, states that she was never one to give way easily.’
Mrs Matthews’ eyes snapped. ‘Mrs Beecher knows nothing about it! It was hardly to be expected that my sister-in-law would confide in the cook. Stella, you know what an absurd fuss your aunt used to make if she had as much as a cold in her head, don’t you?’
‘Mrs Matthews, I am sure your daughter will corroborate any statement you ask her to, but you should realise that her testimony when prompted in that manner, is not likely to weigh with me.’
‘It comes to this, Superintendent: you prefer to believe the servants’ words sooner than mine!’ said Mrs Matthews.
‘It comes to this, Mrs Matthews: you have not been frank with me; you are still not being frank. It is only fair to tell you that I am not satisfied with your evidence. I must
warn you that your continued refusal to remember circumstances which I am convinced cannot have slipped your memory may have very serious consequences.’
Guy, who had been standing quite still, with his back to the door, suddenly walked forward into the middle of the room, and said: ‘Stella, let mother sit down. Look here, Superintendent, my mother had nothing whatsoever to do with either of these murders, and I’m not going to stand by and see her bullied by you, or anyone else! What the Beechers say is utterly beside the point. They neither of them like my mother, and they’re under notice to leave. My aunt didn’t complain of any of the things you’ve mentioned to my sister and me at breakfast, and we neither of us thought that she looked particularly ill.’
‘That is quite possible,’ said Hannasyde. ‘Some little time elapsed between your seeing your aunt at breakfast and the butler’s meeting her in the hall. I appreciate your feelings in the matter, Mr Matthews, but you are doing no good by this sort of interruption.’
‘There’s one thing you seem to be leaving out of account,’ said Guy, disregarding this warning. ‘Both my sister and I can certify that my aunt complained of feeling ill at breakfast, before ever she had seen my mother. If you imagine there was nicotine in the medicine my mother gave her, I would remind you that it was given at least an hour after she began to feel ill – and, since you set so much store by what Beecher says – after he had met her in the hall, and been struck by her appearance.’
‘I am quite aware of that, Mr Matthews.’
‘It is utterly absurd,’ said Mrs Matthews, pressing her handkerchief to her lips, ‘but the Superintendent seems to think that I could have put that dreadful poison into your aunt’s early-morning teapot.’ She gave a wan smile, and added: ‘If it were not such a painful thought, so wounding to one’s feelings, I could laugh at it! I haven’t the least idea what was done with the early tea-trays, and I didn’t wake until the housemaid came into my room, so how I could have tampered with your aunt’s teapot, I entirely fail to see.’
‘You say that you only awoke when the maid came into your room, Mrs Matthews, but she states that you were already awake when she went in. Are you quite sure that you are telling me the truth?’