Chief-Inspector Davy settled himself back in hischair and looked at the two women sitting opposite him. It was past midnight. Policeofficials had come and gone. There had been doctors, fingerprint men, an ambulance toremove the body; and now everything had narrowed to this one room dedicated for thepurposes of the law by Bertram's Hotel. Chief-Inspector Davy sat one side of the table.Bess Sedgwick and Elvira sat the other side. Against the wall a policeman satunobtrusively writing. Detective-Sergeant Wadell sat near the door.
Father looked thoughtfully at the two women facinghim. Mother and daughter. There was, he noted, a strong superficial likeness between them.He could understand how for one moment in the fog he had taken Elvira Blake for BessSedgwick. But now, looking at them, he was more struck by the points of difference thanthe points of resemblance. They were not really alike save in colouring, yet theimpression persisted that here he had a positive and a negative version of the samepersonality. Everything about Bess Sedgwick was positive. Her vitality, her energy, hermagnetic attraction. He admired Lady Sedgwick. He always had admired her. He had admiredher courage and had always been excited over her exploits; had said, reading his Sundaypapers: "She'll never get awaywith that," and invariably she had got away with it! He hadnot thought it possible that she would reach journey's end andshe had reached journey's end. He admired particularly theindestructible quality of her. She had had one air crash, several car crashes, had beenthrown badly twice from her horse, but at the end of it here she was. Vibrant, alive, apersonality one could not ignore for a moment. He took off his hat to her mentally. Someday, of course, she would come a cropper. You could only bear a charmed life for so long.His eyes went from mother to daughter. He wondered. He wondered very much.
In Elvira Blake, he thought, everything had beendriven inward. Bess Sedgwick had got through life by imposing her will on it. Elvira, heguessed, had a different way of getting through life. She submitted, he thought. Sheobeyed. She smiled in compliance and behind that, he thought, she slipped away throughyour fingers. "Sly," he said tohimself, appraising that fact. "That's the only way she can manage, I expect. She can never brazen things out orimpose herself. That's why, I expect, the people who've looked after her have never had the least idea of what she might be up to.
He wondered what she had been doing slipping alongthe street to Bertram's Hotel on a late foggy evening. He was going to ask her presently.He thought it highly probable that the answer he would get would not be the true one. "That's the way," hethought, "that the poor child defends herself." Had she come here to meet her mother or to find her mother? It was perfectlypossible, but he didn't think so. Not for a moment. Instead hethought of the big sports car tucked away round the corner – thecar with the number plate FAN 2266. Ladislaus Malinowski must be somewhere in theneighbourhood since his car was there.
"Well," said Father,addressing Elvira in his most kindly and fatherlike manner, "well,and how are you feeling now?"
"I'm quite all right,"said Elvira.
"Good. I'd like you toanswer a few questions if you feel up to it; because, you see, time is usually the essenceof these things. You were shot at twice and a man was killed. We want as many clues as wecan get to the person who killed him."
"I'll tell youeverything I can, but it all came so suddenly. And you can'tsee anything in a fog. I've no idea myself who it could havebeen – or even what he looked like. That's what was so frightening."
"You said this was the second time somebody hadtried to kill you. Does that mean there was an attempt on your life before?"
"Did I say that? I can'tremember. Her eyes moved uneasily. I don't think I said that."
"Oh, but you did, you know," said Father.
"I expect I was just being – hysterical."
"No," said Father, "I don't think you were. I think you meant justwhat you said."
"I might have been imagining things," said Elvira. Her eyes shifted again.
Bess Sedgwick moved. She said quietly:
"You'd better tellhim, Elvira."
Elvira shot a quick, uneasy look at her mother.
"You needn't worry,"said Father, reassuringly. "We know quitewell in the police force that girls don't tell their mothersor their guardians everything. We don't take those things tooseriously, but we've got to know about them, because, you see,it all helps."
Bess Sedgwick said:
"Was it in Italy?"
"Yes," said Elvira.
Father said: "That's where you've been at school, isn't it, or a finishing place or whatever they call it nowadays?"
"Yes. I was at Contessa Martinelli's. There were about eighteen or twenty of us."
"And you thought that somebody tried to kill you.How was that?"
"Well, a big box of chocolates and sweets andthings came for me. There was a card with it written in Italian in a flowery hand. Thesort of thing they say, you know, 'To the bellissimaSignorina.' Something like that. And my friends and I –well – we laughed about it a bit, andwondered who'd send it."
"Did it come by post?"
"No. No, it couldn'thave come by post. It was just there in my room. Someone must have put it there."
"I see. Bribed one of the servants, I suppose. Iam to take it that you didn't let the Contessa whoever-it-wasin on this?"
A faint smile appeared on Elvira's face. "No. No. We certainly didn't. Anyway we opened the box and they were lovely chocolates. Different kinds,you know, but there were some violet creams. That's the sortof chocolate that has a crystallised violet on top. My favourite. So of course I ate oneor two of those first. And then afterwards, in the night, I felt terribly ill. I didn't think it was the chocolates, I just thought it was something perhaps that I'd eaten at dinner."
"Anybody else ill?"
"No. Only me. Well, I was very sick and all thatbut, I felt all right by the end of the next day. Then a day or two later I ate another ofthe same chocolate, and the same thing happened. So I talked to Bridget about it. Bridgetwas my special friend. And we looked at the chocolates, and we found that the violetcreams had got a sort of hole in the bottom that had been filled up again, so we thoughtthat someone had put some poison in and they'd only put it inthe violet creams s that I would be the one who ate them."
"Nobody else was ill?"
"No."
"So presumably nobody else ate the violet creams?"
"No. I don't thinkthey could have. You see, it was my present and they knew I liked the violet ones, so they'd leave them for me."
"The chap took a risk, whoever he was," said Father. "The whole place might have beenpoisoned."
"It's absurd,"said Lady Sedgwick sharply. "Utterlyabsurd! I never heard of anything so crude."
Chief-Inspector Davy made a slight gesture with hishand. "Please," he said, then hewent on to Elvira: "Now I find that very interesting, MissBlake. And you still didn't tell the Contessa?"
"Oh no, we didn't. She'd have made a terrible fuss."
"What did you do with the chocolates?"
"We threw them away," saidElvira. "They were lovely chocolates," she added, with a tone of slight grief.
"You didn't try andfind out who sent them?"
Elvira looked embarrassed.
"Well, you see, I thought it might have beenGuido."
"Yes?" saidChief-Inspector Davy, cheerfully. "And who is Guido?"
"Oh, Guido…」 Elvirapaused. She looked at her mother.
"Don't be stupid,"said Bess Sedgwick. "Tell Chief-InspectorDavy about Guido, whoever he is. Every girl of your age has a Guido in her life. You methim out there, I suppose?"
"Yes. When we were taken to the opera. He spoke tome there. He was nice. Very attractive. I used to see him sometimes when we went toclasses. He used to pass me notes."
"And I suppose," saidBess Sedgwick, "that you told a lot of lies, and made planswith some friends and you managed to get out and meet him? Is that it?"
Elvira looked relieved by this short cut toconfession. "Sometimes Guido managed to –」
"What was Guido'sother name?"
"I don't know,"said Elvira. "He never told me."
Chief-Inspector Davy smiled at her.
"You mean you're notgoing to tell? Never mind. I dare say we'll be able to findout quite all right without your help, if it should really matter. But why should youthink that this young man who was presumably fond of you, should want to kill you?"
"Oh, because he used to threaten things like that.I mean, we used to have rows now and then. He'd bring some ofhis friends with him, and I'd pretend to like them better thanhim, and then he'd get very, very wild and angry. He said I'd better be careful what I did. I couldn't givehim up just like that! That if I wasn't faithful to him he'd kill me! I just thought he was being melodramatic and theatrical."Elvira smiled suddenly and unexpectedly. "Butit was all rather fun. I didn't think it was real or serious."
"Well," saidChief-Inspector Davy, "I don'tthink it does seem very likely that a young man such as you describe would really poisonchocolates and send them to you."
"Well, I don't thinkso really either," said Elvira, "butit must have been him because I can't see that there's anyone else. It worried me. And then, when I came back here, I got a note –」She stopped.
"What sort of a note?"
"It just came in an envelope and was printed. Itsaid 'Be on your guard. Somebody wants to kill you'."
Chief-Inspector Davy'seyebrows went up.
"Indeed? Very curious. Yes, very curious. And itworried you. You were frightened?"
"Yes. I began to – towonder who could possibly want me out of the way. That's why Itried to find out if I was really very rich."
"Go on."
"And the other day in London something elsehappened. I was in the tube and there were a lot of people on the platform. I thoughtsomeone tried to push me on to the line."
"My dear child!" saidBess Sedgwick. "Don't romance."
Again Father made that slight gesture of his hand.
"Yes," said Elviraapologetically. "I expect I have been imagining it all but –I don't know – Imean, after what happened this evening it seems, doesn't it,as though it might all be true?" She turned suddenly to BessSedgwick, speaking with urgency, "Mother! You might know. Doesanyone want to kill me? Could there be anyone? Have I got an enemy?"
"Of course you've notgot an enemy," said Bess Sedgwick, impatiently. "Don't be an idiot. Nobody wants to kill you. Whyshould they?"
"Then who shot at me tonight?"
"In that fog," saidBess Sedgwick, "you might have been mistaken for someone else.That's possible, don't you think?"she said, turning to Father.
"Yes, I think it might be quite possible,"said Chief-Inspector Davy.
Bess Sedgwick was looking at him very intently. Healmost fancied the motion of her lips saying "later."
"Well," he saidcheerfully, "we'd better get downto some more facts now. Where had you come from tonight? What were you doing walking alongPond Street on such a foggy evening?"
"I came up for an Art class at the Tate thismorning. Then I went to lunch with my friend Bridget. She lives in Onslow Square. We wentto a film and when we came out, there was this fog – quitethick and getting worse, and I thought perhaps I'd better notdrive home."
"You drive a car, do you?"
"Yes. I took my driving test last summer. Only, I'm not a very good driver and I hate driving in fog. So Bridget's mother said I could stay the night, so I rang up Cousin Mildred – that's where I live in Kent –」
Father nodded.
「– and I said I was going to stay up overnight.She said that was very wise."
"And what happened next?" asked Father.
"And then the fog seemed lighter suddenly. Youknow how patchy fogs are. So I said I would drive down to Kent after all. I said good-byeto Bridget and started off. But then it began to come down again. I didn't like it very much. I ran into a very thick patch of it and I lost my wayand I didn't know where I was. Then after a bit I realised Iwas at Hyde Park Corner and I thought 'I really can't go down to Kent in this.' At first, I thought I'd go back to Bridget's but then I remembered howI'd lost my way already. And then I realised that I was quiteclose to this nice hotel where Uncle Derek took me, when I came back from Italy and Ithought, 'I'll go there and I'm sure they can find me a room.' That was fairlyeasy, I found a place to leave the car and then I walked back up the street towards thehotel."
"Did you meet anyone or did you hear anyonewalking near you?"
"It's funny you sayingthat, because I did think I heard someone walking behind me. Of course, there must be lotsof people walking about in London. Only in a fog like this, it gives you a nervousfeeling. I waited and listened but I didn't hear any footstepsand I thought I'd imagined them. I was quite close to thehotel by then."
"And then?"
"And then quite suddenly there was a shot. As Itold you, it seemed to go right past my ear. The commissionaire man who stands outside thehotel came running down towards me and he pushed me behind him and then – then – the other shot came…. He – he fell down and I screamed." She was shaking now. Her mother spoke to her.
"Steady, girl," saidBess in a low, firm voice. "Steady now." It was the voice Bess Sedgwick used for her horses and it was quite asefficacious when used on her daughter. Elvira blinked at her, drew herself up a little,and became calm again.
"Good girl," saidBess.
"And then you came," saidElvira to Father. "You blew your whistle, you told me thepoliceman to take me into the hotel. And as soon as I got in, I saw – I saw Mother." She turned and looked at BessSedgwick.
"And that brings us more or less up to date,"said Father. He shifted his bulk a little in the chair.
"Do you know a man called Ladislaus Malinowski?"he asked. His tone was even, casual, without any direct inflection. Hedid not look at the girl, but he was aware, since his ears were functioning at fullattention, of a quick little gasp she gave. His eyes were not on the daughter but on themother.
"No," said Elvira,having waited just a shade too long to say it. "No, I don't."
"Oh," said Father. "I thought you might. I thought he might have been here this evening."
"Oh? Why should he be here?"
"Well, his car is here," said Father. "That'swhy I thought he might be."
"I don't know him,"said Elvira.
"My mistake," saidFather. "You do, of course?" heturned his head towards Bess Sedgwick.
"Naturally," said BessSedgwick. "Known him for many years." She added, smiling slightly, "He's a madman, you know. Drives like an angel or a devil – he'll break his neck one of these days. Had a badsmash eighteen months ago."
"Yes, I remember reading about it," said Father. "Not racing again yes, is he?"
"No, not yet. Perhaps he never will."
"Do you think I could go to bed now?" asked Elvira, plaintively. "I'm – really terribly tired."
"Of course. You must be," said Father. "You'vetold us all you can remember?"
"Oh. Yes."
"I'll go up with you,"said Bess.
Mother and daughter went out together.
"She knows him all right," said Father.
"Do you really think so?" asked Sergeant Wadell.
"I know it. She had tea with him in Battersea Parkonly a day or two ago."
"How did you find that out?"
"Old lady told me – distressed.Didn't think he was a nice friend for a young girl. He isn't of course."
"Especially if he and the mother –」 Wadell broke off delicately. "It's pretty general gossip –」
"Yes. May be true, may not. Probably is."
"In that case which one is he really after?"
Father ignored that point. He said:
"I want him picked up. I want him badly. His car's here – just round the corner."
"Do you think he might be actually staying in thishotel?"
"Don't think so. Itwouldn't fit into the picture. He'snot supposed to be here. If he came here, he came to meet the girl. She definitely came tomeet him, I'd say."
The door opened and Bess Sedgwick reappeared.
"I came back," shesaid, "because I wanted to speak to you."
She looked from him to the other two men.
"I wonder if I could speak to you alone? I've given you all the information I have, such as it is; but I would like aword or two with you in private."
"I don't see anyreason why not," said Chief-Inspector Davy. He motioned withhis head, and the young detective-constable took his notebook and went out. Wadell wentwith him. "Well?" saidChief-Inspector Davy.
Lady Sedgwick sat down again opposite him.
"That silly story about poisoned chocolates,"she said. "It'snonsense. Absolutely ridiculous. I don't believe anything ofthe kind ever happened."
"You don't, eh?"
"Do you?"
Father shook his head doubtfully. "You think your daughter cooked it up?"
"Yes. But why?"
"Well, if you don'tknow why," said Chief-Inspector Davy, "how should I know? She's your daughter.Presumably you know her better than I do."
"I don't know her atall," said Bess Sedgwick bitterly. "I've not seen her or had anything to do with hersince she was two years old, when I ran away from my husband."
"Oh yes. I know all that. I find it curious. Yousee, Lady Sedgwick, courts usually give the mother, even if she is a guilty party in adivorce, custody of a young child if she asks for it. Presumably then you didn't ask for it? You didn't want it."
"I thought it – betternot."
"Why?"
"I didn't think it was– safe for her."
"On moral grounds?"
"No. Not on moral grounds. Plenty of adulterynowadays. Children have to learn about it, have to grow up with it. No. It's just that I am not really a safe person to be with. The life I'd lead wouldn't be a safe life. You can't help the way you're born. I was born to livedangerously. I'm not law-abiding or conventional. I thought itwould be better for Elvira, happier, to have a proper English conventional bringing-up.Shielded, looked after…」
"But minus a mother'slove?"
"I thought if she learned to love me it mightbring sorrow to her. Oh, you mayn't believe me, but that's what I felt."
"I see. Do you still think you were right?"
"No," said Bess. "I don't. I think now I may have been entirelywrong."
"Does your daughter know Ladislaus Malinowski?"
"I'm sure she doesn't. She said so. You heard her."
"I heard her, yes."
"Well, then?"
"She was afraid, you know, when she was sittinghere. In our profession we get to know fear when we meet up with it. She was afraid –why? Chocolates or no chocolates, her life has been attempted. Thattube story may be true enough –」
"It was ridiculous. Like a thriller –」
"Perhaps. But that sort of thing does happen, LadySedgwick. Oftener than you'd think. Can you give me any ideawho might want to kill your daughter?"
"Nobody – nobody atall!"
She spoke vehemently.
Chief-Inspector Davy sighed and shook his head.
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