by Ngaio Marsh
"Good-night, gentlemen." They filed out one by one. Parish was the only one who spoke. With his actor's instinct for an effective exit he turned in the doorway.
"I imagine,"he said, looking steadily at Alleyn, "that I shan't be run in for contempt if I venture to suggest that this gentleman's departure marks the beginning of the end." "Oh, no,"said Alleyn politely. "We shan't run you in for that, Mr. Parish." Parish gave a light laugh and followed the others upstairs.
Only Miss Darragh remained. She put her knitting into a large chintz bag, took off her spectacles and looked steadily at Alleyn.
"I suppose you had to take that poor fellow in charge,"she said. "He behaved very foolishly. But he's a mass of nerves, you know. It's a doctor he's needing, not a policeman." "Who? Mr. Montague Thringle? "asked Alleyn vaguely.
"So the cat's out of the bag is ut? "said Miss Darragh placidly. "Ah, well, I suppose 'twas bound to be. I've kept my end of the bargain." "I'd very much like to know what it was,"said Alleyn.
"Didn't you guess? " "I wondered if by any chance Lord Bryonie's family had promised to keep an eye on Mr. Thringle." "Ah, you'll end in a cocked hat with a plume in ut," said Miss Darragh, "if 'tis cocked hats they give to chief commissioners. That's it, sure enough. Me poor cousin Bryonie always felt he'd been responsible for the crash. He was very indiscreet, it seems, and might have helped to patch things up if he'd kept his wits about 'um.
But he didn't. He'd no head for business and he only half-suspected there was anything illegal going on. But he said he'd only learned one kind of behaviour and, when it didn't fit in with finance, he was entirely at sea and thought maybe he'd better hold his peace. But it wasn't in his nature not to talk and that was the downfall of 'um.
The jury saw that he'd been no more than a cat's-paw, but when he got off with the lighter sentence there was a great deal of talk that 'twas injustice and that his position saved him. Thringle felt po himself and said so. Me cousin never lost his faith in Thringle who seemed to have cast a kind of spell over 'um, though you wouldn't think it possible, would you, to see Thringle now? But in those days he was a fine-looking fellow. Dark as night, he was, with a small imperial, and his own teeth instead of those dreadful china falsehoods they gave 'um in prison. It's no wonder at all you didn't know 'um frcm Adam when you saw 'um. Well, the long and short of ut 'twas that before he died the family promised poor Bryonie they'd look after Mr. Thringle when he came out of gaol. He was on their conscience, and I won't say he didn't know ut and make the most of ut. We kept in touch with 'um, and he wrote from here saying he'd changed his name to Legge and that he needed money. We've not much of that to spare but we had a family conference and, as I was planning a little sketching jaunt anyway, I said I'd take ut at Ottercombe and see for meself how the land lay. So that was what I did. Don't ask me to tell you the nature of our talks for they were in confidence and had nothing to say to the case. I wish with all me heart you could have left 'um alone but I see 'twas impossible. He fought those two big policemen like a Kilkenny cat, silly fellow.
But if it's a question of bailing him out I'll be glad to do ut." "Thank you,"said Alleyn, "I'll see that the right people are told about it. Miss Darragh, have you done any sketching along the cliffs from the tunnel to Coombe Head? " Miss Darragh looked at him in consternation. "I have,"she said.
"In the mornings? " "Twas in the mornings." "You were there on the morning after Mr. Watchman arrived in Ottercombe? " She looked steadily at him. "I was,"said Miss Darragh.
"We saw where you had set up your easel. Miss Darragh, did you, from where you were working, overhear a conversation between Miss Moore and Mr. Watchman? " Miss Darragh clasped her fat little paws together and looked dismally at Alleyn.
"Please,"said Alleyn.
"I did. I could not avoid it. By the time I'd decided I'd get up and show meself above the sky-line, it had gone so far I thought I had better not." She gave him a quick look and added hurriedly, "Please, now, don't go thinking all manner of dreadful things." "What am I to think? Do you mean it was a lovescene ? " "Not in—no. No, the reverse." "A quarrel? " "It was." "Was it of that scene you were thinking when you told me this morning, to look further and look nearer home? " "It was. I wasn't thinking of her. God forbid. Don't misunderstand me. I was not the only one who heard them. And that's all I'll say." She clutched her bag firmly and stood up.
"As regards this searching,"added Miss Darragh, "the superintendent let me off. He said you'd attend to ut." "I know,"said Allcyn. "Perhaps you won't mind if Mrs. Ives goes up with you to your room." "Not the least in the world,"said Miss Darragh.
"Then I'll send for her,"said Alleyn.
ll While he waited for Harper and the chief constable, Alleyn brought his report up to date and discussed it with Fox who remained, weakly insubordinate, in his chair by the fire.
"It's an ill wind,"said Fox, "that blows nobody any good. I take it that I've had what you might call a thorough spring-clean with the doctor's tube taking the part of a vacuum cleaner, if the idea's not too fanciful.
I feel all the better for it." Alleyn grunted.
"I don't know but what I don't fancy a pipe," continued Fox.
"You'll have another spring-clean if you do." "Do you think so, Mr. Alleyn? In that case I'll hold off. I fancy I hear a car, sir. Coming through the tunnel, isn't it? " Alleyn listened.
"I think so. We'll get the C.C. to fix up a warrant.
Well, Br'er Fox, it's been a short, sharp go this time, hasn't it? " "And you were looking forward to a spell in the country, sir." "I was." "We'll be here yet awhile, with one thing and another." "I suppose so. Here they are." A car drew up in the yard. The side door opened noisily, and Colonel Brammington's voice sounded in the passage. He came in with Harper and Oates at his heels.
The colonel was dressed in a dinner suit. He wore a stiff shirt with no central stud. It curved generously away from his person and through the gaping front could be seen a vast expanse of pink chest. Evidently he had at some earlier hour wetted his hair and dragged a comb through it. His shoelaces were untied and his socks unsupported. Over his dinner jacket he wore a green tyrolese bicycling cape.
"I can't apologise enough, sir."Alleyn began, but the chief constable waved him aside.
"Not at all, Alleyn. A bore, but it couldn't be helped.
I am distended with rich food and wines. Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age. I freely confess I outdid the meat, outdid the frolic wine. It was, I flatter myself, a good dinner, but I shall not taunt you with a recital of its virtues." "I am sure it was a dinner in a thousand,"said Alleyn. "I hope you didn't mind coming here, sir. Fox was still.----" "By heaven I "interrupted Colonel Brammington, "this pestilent poisoner o'er tops it, does he not? The attempt, I imagine, was upon you both. Harper has told me the whole story. When will you make an arrest, Alleyn? May we send this fellow up the ladder to bed, and that no later than the Quarter Sessions! Let him wag upon a wooden nag. A pox on him 1 I trust you are recovered. Fox? Sherry, wasn't it? Amontillado, I understand. Double sacrilege, by the Lord 1 " Colonel Brammington hurled himself into a chair and asked for a cigarette. When this had been given him, he produced from his trousers pocket a crumpled mass of typescript which Alleyn recognised as the carbon copy of his report.
"I have been over the report, Alleyn,"said Colonel Brammington, "and while you expended your energies so happily in resuscitating the poisoned Fox (and by the way, our murderer carries the blacker stigma of a foxpoisoner I) I read this admirable dig"st. I congratulate you. A masterly presentation of facts, free from the nauseating redundancies of most bureaucratic documents.
I implored you to allow me to be your Watson. You consented. I come, full of my theory, ready to admit my blunders. Is there by any chance some flask of fermented liquor in this house to which cyanide has not been added?
May we not open some virgin bottle? " Alleyn went into the bar, found three sealed bottles of Treble Extra, chalked them up to himself and took them w
ith glasses into the parlour.
"We should have a taster,"said Colonel Brammington.
"Some Borgian attendant at our call. What a pity the wretched Nark is not here." "There are times,"said Alleyn, "when I could wish that Mr. Nark had been the corpse in the case. I don't think we need blench at the Treble Extra and I washed the glasses." He broke a paper seal, drew the cork, and poured out the beer.
"Really,"said Colonel Brammington, "I do feel a little timid about it, I must say. Some fiendish device----" "I don't think so,"said Alleyn and took a pull at his beer. "It's remarkably good." "You show no signs of stiffening limb or glassy eye.
It is, as you say, good beer. Well, now, Alleyn, I understand from Harper that you have all arrived at a decision.
I, working independently, have also made up my mind.
It would delight me to find we were in agreement and amuse me to learn that I was wrong. Will you indulge me so far as to allow me to unfold the case as I see it? " "We should be delighted, sir,"said Alleyn, thinking a little of his bed.
"Excellent,"said Colonel Brammington. He flattened out the crumpled report and Alleyn saw that he had made copious notes in pencil all over the typescript. "I shall relate my deductions in the order in which they came to me. I shall follow the example of all Watsons and offer blunder after blunder, inviting your compassionate scorn and remembering the observation that logic is only the art of going wrong with confidence. Are you all ready?" "Quite ready, sir,"said Alleyn.
ill "When first this case turned up,"said Colonel Brammington, "it seemed to me to be a moderately simple affair. The circumstances were macabre, the apparent weapon unlikely, but I accepted the weapon and rejoiced in the circumstances. It was an enlivening murder." He turned his prominent eyes on Harper who looked scandalised.
"After all,"said Colonel Brammington, "I did not know the victim and I frankly confess I adore a murder.
Pray, Mr. Harper, do not look at me in that fashion. I want the glib and oily art to speak and purpose not. I enjoy a murder and I enjoyed this one. It seemed to me that Legge had anointed the dart with malice aforethought and prussic acid, had prepared the ground with exhibitions of skill, and had deliberately thrown awry.
He had overheard Watchman's story of his idiosyncrasy for the cyanide. He had seen Pomeroy put the bottle in the cupboard. Cyanide had been found on the dart.
What more did we need? True, the motive was lacking, but when I learnt that you suspected Legge of being a gaolbird, a sufficient motive appeared. Legge had established himself in this district in a position of trust, he handled monies, he acquired authority. Watchman, by his bantering manner, suggested that he recognised Legge. Legge feared he would be exposed. Legge therefore murdered Watchman. That was my opinion until this afternoon." Colonel Brammington took a prodigious swig of beer and flung himself back in his tortured chair.
"This afternoon,"he said, "I was astonished at your refusal to arrest Legge, but when I took the files away and began to read them I changed my opinion. I read the statements made by the others and I saw how positive each was that Legge had no opportunity to anoint the dart. I was impressed by your own observation that his hands were clumsy, that he was incapable of what would have amounted to an essay in legerdemain. Yet cyanide was found on the dart. Who had put it there? It is a volatile poison, therefore it must have been put on the dart not long before Oates sealed it up. I wondered if, after all, the whole affair was an accident, if there was some trace of poison on Abel Pomeroy's clothes or upon the bar where he unpacked the darts. It was a preposterous notion and it was smashed as squat as a flounder by the fact that the small vessel in the rat-hole had been filled up with water. I was forced to believe the cyanide had been taken from the rat-hole immediately, or soon after, old Pomeroy put it there. Any of the suspects might have done this. But only four of the suspects had handled the darts; Legge, the Pomeroys, and Parish.
Only Legge controlled the flight of the darts. Watchman took them out of the board after the trial throw and gave them to Legge. Now here,"said Colonel Brammington with an air of conscious modesty, "I fancy I hit on something new. Can you guess what it was? " "I can venture to do so,"Alleyn rejoined. "Did you reflect that all the darts had been thrown into the board on the trial, and that if cyanide was on and amuse me to learn that I was wrong. Will you indulge me so far as to allow me to unfold the case as I see it? " "We should be delighted, sir,"said Alleyn, thinking a little of his bed.
"Excellent,"said Colonel Brammington. He flattened out the crumpled report and Alleyn saw that he had made copious notes in pencil all over the typescript. "I shall relate my deductions in the order in which they came to me. I shall follow the example of all Watsons and offer blunder after blunder, inviting your compassionate scorn and remembering the observation that logic is only the art of going wrong with confidence. Are you all ready? " "Quite ready, sir,"said Alleyn.
in "When first this case turned up,"said Colonel Brammington, "it seemed to me to be a moderately simple affair. The circumstances were macabre, the apparent weapon unlikely, but I accepted the weapon and rejoiced in the circumstances. It was an enlivening murder." He turned his prominent eyes on Harper who looked scandalised.
"After all,"said Colonel Brammington, "I did not know the victim and I frankly confess I adore a murder.
Pray, Mr. Harper, do not look at me in that fashion. I want the glib and oily art to speak and purpose not. I enjoy a murder and I enjoyed this one. It seemed to me that Legge had anointed the dart with malice aforethought and prussic acid, had prepared the ground with exhibitions of skill, and had deliberately thrown awry.
He had overheard Watchman's story of his idiosyncrasy for the cyanide. He had seen Pomeroy put the bottle in the cupboard. Cyanide had been found on the dart.
What more did we need? True, the motive was lacking, but when I learnt that you suspected Legge of being a gaolbird, a sufficient motive appeared. Legge had established himself in this district in a position of trust, he handled monies, he acquired authority. Watchman, by his bantering manner, suggested that he recognised Legge. Legge feared he would be exposed. Legge therefore murdered Watchman. That was my opinion until this afternoon." Colonel Brammington took a prodigious swig of beer and flung himself back in his tortured chair.
"This afternoon,"he said, "I was astonished at your refusal to arrest Legge, but when I took the files away and began to read them I changed my opinion. I read the statements made by the others and I saw how positive each was that Legge had no opportunity to anoint the dart. I was impressed by your own observation that his hands were clumsy, that he was incapable of what would have amounted to an essay in legerdemain. Yet cyanide was found on the dart. Who had put it there? It is a volatile poison, therefore it must have been put on the dart not long before Gates sealed it up. I wondered if, after all, the whole affair was an accident, if there was some trace of poison on Abel Pomeroy's clothes or upon the bar where he unpacked the darts. It was a preposterous notion and it was smashed as squat as a flounder by the fact that the small vessel in the rat-hole had been filled up with water. I was forced to believe the cyanide had been taken from the rat-hole immediately, or soon after, old Pomeroy put it there. Any of the suspects might have done this. But only four of the suspects had handled the darts ; Legge, the Pomeroys, and Parish.
Only Legge controlled the flight of the darts. Watchman took them out of the board after the trial throw and gave them to Legge. Now here,"said Colonel Brammington with an air of conscious modesty, "I fancy I hit on something new. Can you guess what it was? " "I can venture to do so,"Alleyn rejoined. "Did you reflect that all the darts had been thrown into the board on the trial, and that if cyanide was on any one of them, it would have been effectively cleaned off?" "Good God 1 "ejaculated the chief constable.
He was silent for some time, but at last continued with somewhat forced airiness.
"No. No, that was not my point, but by Jupiter it supports my case. I was going to say that since Watchman removed t
he darts and handed them to Legge, it would have been quite impossible for Legge to know which dart was tainted. This led me to an alternative.
Either all the darts were poisoned or else, or else, my dear Alleyn, the dart that wounded Watchman was tainted after, and not before, the accident."He glanced at Alleyn.
"Yes, sir,"said Alleyn. "One or the other." "You agree? You had thought of it? " "Will Pomeroy suggested the second alternative," said Alleyn.
"Damn I However I Legge, I had decided, was not capable of anointing one, much less six darts during the few seconds he held them in his hand before doing his trick. Legge would scarcely implicate himself by anointing the dart after he had seen Watchman die.
Tlierefore someone had tried to implicate Legge. I was obliged to bow to your wisdom, my dear Alleyn. I dismissed Legge. I finished your report and I considered the other suspects. Who, of these seven persons, for they are seven if we include Miss Darragh and Miss Moore, could most easily have taken cyanide from the small vessel in the rat-hole? One of the Pomeroys, since their presence in or about the outhouses would not be remarked. Abel Pomeroy's fingerprints and only his were found on the small vessel. Who of the seven had an opportunity to smear cyanide on the dart? Abel Pomeroy, since he unpacked the darts. Who, in the first instance, had cyanide brought into the premises? Abel Pomeroy. Putting motive on one side, I felt that Abel Pomeroy was my first choice. My second fancy--and don't look so wryly upon me, Harper, a chief constable may have fancies as well as the next man--my second fancy fell upon Will Pomeroy. Your interview with the unspeakable Nark, ,my dear Alleyn, was not barren of interest. Amidst a plethora of imbecilities, Nark seemed to make one disclosure of interest. He said, or rather from your report I understood him to hint, that he had, on the occasion of Watchman's first visit to Ottercombe, overheard an amorous encounter between Watchman and Miss Moore. He hinted, moreover, that as he crept farther along Apple Lane he came upon Will Pomeroy, lurking and listening in the hedge. Now, thought I, if this were true, here is the beginning of motive ; for, in the interim, the courtship between young Pomeroy and Miss Moore ripened. Suppose, on Watchman's return, that the rustic lover thought he saw a renewal of attentions. Suppose Parish or Cubitt hinted at the scene they interrupted by the furze bushes? But ignoring motive, what of opportunity? Will Pomeroy handled the darts after they were unpacked by his father. Could he have had a phial of cyanide-solution in his pocket? Nobody watched Will Pomeroy with the close attention that they all gave to Legge. Your observation on the trial throw shatters this theory. Do I see another bottle of this superb beer? Thank you.