by Ngaio Marsh
"She gave her evidence well, didn't she?"
"Who?"
"Stephanie."
"Very well."
Some inflexion in Nigel's voice arrested Gardener's attention. He looked at his friend with a kind of agony in his eyes.
"Nigel—you remember what I said. Neither of us is guilty. I gave you my word and you said you believed me."
"I know I did," said Nigel miserably.
"Are you beginning—to wonder?"
"Are you sure you're right, Felix? She——Oh, Lord!"
Gardener laughed.
"You are beginning to wonder. My God, if you only knew what a heroine she is!"
"Can't you come clean, Felix?"
"I can't—I can't. Not about Stephanie. Oh, well, I suppose I can't blame you. It looks pretty damning, for both of us. What does Alleyn say about the suicide theory?"
"He tells me very little," said Nigel.
"The verdict of the inquest was wrong," Gardener said urgently. "It was suicide. I'll see Alleyn myself and try and make him——" He broke off short. "He must be made to accept that it was suicide."
"I must go. Do try and get some sleep, Felix."
"Sleep! 'Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care.' Ugh! There goes the actor! Good-bye, Nigel."
"I'll let myself out. Good-bye."
Nigel walked sombrely downstairs and out again into Sloane Street.
He realised now that he had a terrible decision to make. Was he to tell Alleyn of the conversation he had overheard? A woman! He shied off the logical consequence of his statement, and then, despising himself, came back to it again. If he held his tongue what would happen? Would Felix, who loved her, let Saint be accused of the murder? He thought of Alleyn's attitude towards his scruples, and suddenly realised that it was his own peace of mind that he was trying to salvage. He was in Knightsbridge, and walking down to Hyde Park Corner, when he made his decision. He had no right to withhold his knowledge.
He would tell Alleyn. With a heavy heart he stopped a taxi.
"Scotland Yard," he said.
It was not yet four o'clock when he got there, but the chief inspector was in and could see him. He went up at once.
"Hullo, Bathgate," Alleyn said. "What's the matter with you? Found the murderer again?"
"Please don't rag me," Nigel begged him. "It's not a theory I've come to give you. It's a statement."
"Sit down. Now then, what is it?"
"I suppose you won't understand how awful this feels, Alleyn. To you, it's all got to be completely impersonal. I can't feel like that. It's been rather an effort to come to you with this information. That sounds theatrical, I know, but you see—it's a woman."
"What do you mean?" said Alleyn harshly. "What's this information? You say you've got a statement to make—well, make it. I beg your pardon, Bathgate—I'm unbearable these days, aren't I?"
Nigel gulped.
"I've overheard a confession," he said.
Alleyn waited a second, and then took up a pencil.
"When?"
"This afternoon about an hour ago."
"Where?"
"At Felix's flat."
"All right. Go ahead."
"It's soon told. I went up into his little lobby, without knocking and I heard voices in the 'studio' as he calls, it. A woman said: 'If I did, it was for you, Felix. He was your worst enemy.' Felix said: 'I can't believe it. I can't believe it,' and she began to laugh, horribly, and said: 'It was all for nothing. Never mind, I don't regret it. Do you hear that? But I don't think you were worth it.' Then I shut the front door noisily and called out. Felix came and let me in. She was there."
"It was—?"
"Stephanie Vaughan."
"Impossible," said Alleyn fiercely.
"You don't think I could make a mistake over a thing like that, do you? I tell you I'll never forget their voices for as long as I live."
Alleyn was silent for so long that Nigel stared at him in some discomfort. He looked as though he had made a shutter of his face. At last he said:
"After all, Bathgate, this is not conclusive. 'If I did, it was for you. He was your worst enemy.' Suppose she had told Gardener that she had used some threat to Surbonadier, to choke him off, and that she believed she had driven him to suicide? Suppose they were not speaking of Surbonadier?"
"If you had seen Felix you wouldn't suggest that."
"Why—what do you mean?"
"He's a broken man," said Nigel simply.
"A broken man! A broken man! You're getting as stagy as any of them. Barclay Crammer was a 'broken man' in the witness-box this morning, silly old ass."
Nigel got up.
"Well, that's all," he said. "If you don't think it's conclusive, I'm damn' thankful."
Alleyn leant over the desk and looked at him as though he were a museum piece.
"If Diogenes had rolled up against you," he observed, "he'd have got out of his barrel, filled it with booze and made whoopee."
"I suppose you mean to be nice," said Nigel in a relieved voice.
"I suppose I do. What happened afterwards?"
"We made perfectly dreadful conversation. I must say she gave a marvellous performance."
"I believe you."
"She asked me to go and see her." Nigel shuddered.
"You're not to go."
"Am I likely to?"
"Listen to me. You're to pay no more visits to these people. Understand?"
"Yes—but what's biting you?"
"Unless I'm with you. Write your little articles, and mind your little business."
"This is what I get for doing the beastliest job of my life."
"My dear Bathgate, I do honestly appreciate your difficulty and am genuinely grateful," said Inspector Alleyn, with one of his rather charming turns of formality. "But I do ask you to behave as I suggest. I can reward you with a very choice bit of copy."
"What's that?"
"You may inform your public that Mr. Jacob Saint has been arrested, but that the nature of the charge is not known."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Arrest
"AS A MATTER OF HARD FACT," Alleyn continued, when he had noted, with satisfaction, Nigel's dropped jaw, "Mr. Saint is still at large. I am just off now to do my stuff. Care to come?"
"You bet I would. May I just ring up the office? I'll catch the stop press for the last edition."
"Very well. Say no more than what I've told you. You'd better warn them to hold it back for another twenty minutes. If he's not arrested, you can ring up. Aren't I good to you?"
"Very," said Nigel fervently. He rang up and was well received. "That's that," he said.
"Well, we must hustle along as soon as I get the word from my myrmidon. Don't let me forget my handcuffs. Dear me, I'm quite excited!"
"Five minutes ago," observed Nigel, "you looked as though I'd punched you between the eyes. What's come over you?"
"I've taken thought, or rose leaves, or something, and am 'no longer a Golden Ass.'—"
"Are you arresting Saint for the murder?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
A single knock on the door heralded the entrance of Inspector Fox.
"Our man's just rung up," he said. "The gentleman is in the office of the Unicorn. 'Evening, Mr. Bathgate."
"Away we go then," cried Alleyn.
"Handcuffs," said Nigel.
"What would I do without you! Handcuffs, Fox?"
"Have got. You'd better put your top coat on, Chief. It's acold evening."
"Here's the warrant," murmured Alleyn. He struggled into his overcoat and pulled on his felt hat at a jaunty angle.
"Am I tidy?" he asked. "It looks so bad not to be tidy for an arrest."
Nigel thought dispassionately, that he looked remarkably handsome, and wondered if the chief inspector had "It." "I must ask Angela," thought Nigel.
Alleyn led the way into the passage. Inspector Fox took the opportunity to say, in a hoarse whisper:
"He's very worried over this case, Mr. Bathgate. You always know. All this funny business." He had the air of a Nannie, discussing her charge.
A policeman and two plain clothes men awaited them. "Unicorn Theatre," said Alleyn.
"There's a couple of those blasted Pressmen outside," said Fox as they started. "Begging your pardon, Mr. Bathgate."
"Oh," said Alleyn, "we'll go in at the little street behind the theatre. It connects with one of the exits. We can go through the stalls, into the office. Bathgate, you can walk round to the front and swap a bit of agony column with your brother-pests, and then come down the stage door alley-way, all casual. Show this card to the officer on duty there, and he'll let you in. You'll get there as soon as we do. Spin them ayarn."
"Watch me!" said Nigel enthusiastically.
Alleyn gave Fox an account of Nigel's experience in the Sloane Street flat. Fox stared at Nigel as though he was an adventurous child.
The car threaded its way through a maze of narrow streets. Presently Fox tapped on the window, and they stopped.
"This is the back of the Unicorn," said Alleyn. "Out you get, Bathgate. Up there, and round to the left, will bring you out in front. I'll give you a start."
Nigel was conscious that his heart beat thickly as he ran up the side street. He dropped into a walk as he turned towards the impressive modern front of the theatre, with its bas-relief, in black glass and steel, of a star-spotted unicorn. There, sure enough, were two brother-journalists, both of whom he knew slightly.
"Nosing round?" asked Nigel cheerfully.
"And you?" answered one politely.
"I've got a date with the comedienne. If you watch this alley-way, you may see something to your advantage."
"What are you up to?" they asked him suspiciously. "You with your pals in the force."
"Watch me, and see."
He walked airily down the stage door alley-way, till he came to a side door into the front of the house. A uniformed constable was on duty here. He assumed a patiently reproachful air as Nigel drew near him, but when he read Alleyn's card he grinned and opened the door.
"Straight up those stairs, sir," he said.
Nigel cocked a snook at his friends and walked in.
The stairs, which were heavily carpeted, ran up to the dress circle foyer. Here Nigel found Alleyn, Fox, and the two plain clothes detectives, talking to a fifth man whom he had not seen before.
"He came along about a quarter of an hour ago," this man said quietly. "I was up here, but I told the P.C. downstairs to let him in. He looked sideways at me, and asked me when the police were going to clear out and let him have the run of his own property. He said there were letters waiting for him which he must attend to. I made difficulties and held him here. My man downstairs was instructed to ring the Yard as soon as Saint walked into the trap. He's just gone along now, sir, into the office at the end of that passage."
"Well done," said Alleyn. "Come along."
"You got a gun, sir?" asked Fox.
"No. I knew you'd have one, you old blood-thirster. Bathgate, you follow last, will you?"
They walked in silence down the long passage. Nigel was acutely aware of the odour of officialdom. Suddenly, these men whom he knew and liked had become simply policemen. "They are walking in step, I do believe," thought Nigel.
They stopped outside a steel-framed door. He could hear somebody moving about on the other side.
Alleyn knocked once, turned the handle, and walked in. The others followed, Fox with his hand in his jacket pocket.
Between their shoulders Nigel saw Jacob Saint. He had his bowler hat on, and a cigar in his mouth. He seemed to have swung round from a heap of papers on an opened desk.
"What's this?" he said.
The other officers moved apart. Alleyn walked up to him.
"Mr. Saint," he said quietly, "I have a warrant for your arrest——"
Saint made some sort of incoherent sound. Alleyn paused.
"You're mad," said Saint thickly. "I didn't do it. I wasn't there. I was in front."
"Before you go any further, you had better hear the charge."
Saint dropped into the swivel chair. He looked quickly from one man to another. His hand fumbled at the side of the desk.
"You're covered, Mr. Saint," Fox remarked suddenly. With something like a sneer, the proprietor of the Unicorn let his hands drop on to the arms of his chair.
"What's the charge?" he asked.
"You are charged with being concerned with traffic in illicit drugs. Read it out, please, Fox. I get the language wrong."
Thus urged, Inspector Fox broke instantly into a monotonous sing-song to which Saint listened closely, feasting unattractively the while on his little fingernail.
"It's infamous," he said, when Fox had stopped as abruptly as he began. "It's infamous. You—Alleyn. You'll make a laughing-stock of yourself over this. You'll lose your job."
"And that'll learn me," said Alleyn. "Come along, Mr. Saint."
Saint took his hand from his lips and let it fall to the lapel of his coat. He rose ponderously, and half turned aside.
The next second Alleyn had him by the wrist. The thick fingers held a piece of paper.
"Please, Mr. Saint," said Alleyn. "We can't have you eating paper, you know."
The next second they were struggling bitterly. Saint seemed to have gone mad. In a moment the chair was overturned. The two men had crashed across the desk. An inkpot fell to the floor, splashing Saint's light check trousers. The other men had got hold of him. Alleyn still held his wrist. It was now strained across his back, making the rolls of fat and muscle on his arm and shoulder bulge. He stopped struggling abruptly.
"Pick up that chair," Alleyn ordered sharply. Nigel, who had hovered impotently on the outskirts of the battle, set the heavy swivel chair on its feet.
"Let him down gently. You'll be all right, Mr. Saint. Open those windows, one of you."
Saint lay back in the chair. His face was purple and his breathing terribly distressed. Alleyn took off his tie, and unfastened his collar. The pulse in his neck throbbed laboriously. Alleyn loosened his clothes and stood looking at him. Then he turned to the desk telephone and dialled a number.
"Yard? Chief Inspector Alleyn. Get the divisional surgeon to come round to the Unicorn Theatre at once. Heart attack, tell him. Got that? Upstairs. The constable at the door will show him. At once. Thank you." He put the receiver down.
"You'd better go outside, I think," said Alleyn. "He wants to be quiet. Fox, will you wait here?"
The three detectives filed out quietly. Fox stood still. Nigel walked over to the darkest corner and sat down, hoping to remain unnoticed.
"Heart attack?" asked Fox quietly.
"Evidently. He'll do though, I fancy." They looked in silence at the empurpled face. Alleyn switched on an electric fan and moved it across the desk. Saint's thin hair was blown sideways. He opened his eyes. They were terribly bloodshot.
"Don't try to talk," said Alleyn. "A doctor will be here in a moment."
He pulled forward another chair, put Saint's feet on it, and then moved him a little, until he was almost lying flat. He did all this very quickly and efficiently, lifting the huge bulk without apparent effort. Then he moved across to the window. Nigel saw that he held the piece of paper. Alleyn leant out of the window, looked at it, and then put it in his pocket.
The room was very silent. Saint was breathing more easily. Presently he gave a deep sigh and closed his eyes again. Fox walked over to Alleyn, who spoke to him in a low voice. The electric fan made a high, thrumming noise and blandly turned from side to side. Saint's hair blew out in fine strands, fell, and blew out again, regularly. Nigel stared at Saint's heavy face, and wondered if it was the face of a murderer.
Before long they heard voices in the passage outside. The door opened and the divisional surgeon came in. He walked over to Saint and bent down to make an examination. He took the pulse, holding up the fat, white wrist and looking placidly
at his watch. Then he injected something. Saint's lips parted and came together again clumsily.
"Better," he whispered breathlessly.
"I think so," said the doctor. "We'll keep you quiet a little longer and then take you away, where you'll be more comfortable."
He looked at Alleyn and the others.
"We'll leave him for a moment, I think," he said. They went out of the room. Nigel followed, leaving Fox, who shut the door. They walked along the passage a little way.
"Yes, it's his heart," said the doctor. "It's pretty nasty. He's a sick man. Who's his doctor?"
"Sir Everard Sim," said Alleyn.
"Oh, yes. Well, he'd better see him. Is he under arrest?"
"He is."
"H'm. Nuisance. I'll get an ambulance and wait for him. Leave me a couple of men. I'll ring up Sir Everard. Saint's pretty dickey, but he'll pull round."
"Right," said Alleyn. "You'll fix up here then, will you? I'll leave Fox to see to it."
"Oh," said the doctor, "while I think of it. There's a message for you at the Yard. They asked me to tell you. Someone called Albert Hickson is very anxious to see you. It's about this case. He wouldn't talk to anyone else."
"Albert Hickson," Nigel exclaimed. "Why, that's Props!"
"Hullo," said Alleyn, "you've come to live, have you? You've no business here at all. I must get back to the Yard."
Nigel retreated, but he managed to slip innocently back into the car with Alleyn, who raised no objection. The chief inspector was rather silent. As they drew near Scotland Yard he turned to Nigel.
"Bathgate," he said, "is your news of the arrest out by now?"
"Yes," Nigel assured him. "I didn't ring up to stop it—it will be all over London already. Wonderful, isn't it?" he added modestly.
"All over London already. Yes. That'll be it," murmured Alleyn.
Nigel followed him, dog-like, into the Yard. The man who had seen Props was produced.
"Was he carrying a newspaper?"
"Yes, sir."
"Notice which one?"
The constable had noticed and was eager to say so. Props had carried Nigel's paper.
"You're rather wasted at this job," said Alleyn curtly. "You use your eyes."
