Ladislaus Malinowski looked from one to the other ofthe two police officers and flung back his head and laughed.
"It is very amusing!" hesaid. "You look solemn as owls. It is ridiculous that youshould ask me to come here and wish to ask me questions. You have nothing against me,nothing."
"We think you may be able to assist us in ourinquiries, Mr. Malinowski." Chief-Inspector Davy spoke withofficial smoothness. "You own a car, Mercedes-Otto,registration number FAN 2266."
"Is there any reason why I should not own such acar?"
"No reason at all, sir. There's just a little uncertainty as to the correct number. Your car was on a motorroad, M. 7, and the registration plate on that occasion was a different one."
"Nonsense. It must have been some other car."
"There aren't so manyof that make. We have checked up on those there are."
"You believe everything, I suppose, that yourtraffic police tell you! It is laughable! Where was all this?"
"The place where the police stopped you and askedto see your licence is not very far from Bedhampton. It was on the night of the Irish Mailrobbery."
"You really do amuse me," said Ladislaus Malinowski.
"You have a revolver?"
"Certainly, I have a revolver and an automaticpistol. I have proper licences for them."
"Quite so. They are both still in your possession?"
"Certainly."
"I have already warned you, Mr. Malinowski."
"The famous policeman'swarning! Anything you say will be taken down and used against you at your trial."
"That's not quite thewording," said Father mildly. "Used,yes. Against, no. You don't want to qualify that statement ofyours?"
"No, I do not."
"And you are sure you don't want your solicitor here?"
"I do not like solicitors."
"Some people don't.Where are those firearms now?"
"I think you know very well where they are,Chief-Inspector. The small pistol is in the pocket of my car, the Mercedes-Otto whoseregistered number is, as I have said, FAN 2266. The revolver is in a drawer in my flat."
"You're quite rightabout the one in the drawer in your flat," said Father, "but the other – the pistol – is not in your car."
"Yes, it is. It is in the left-hand pocket."
Father shook his head. "Itmay have been once. It isn't now. Is this it, Mr. Malinowski?"
He passed a small automatic pistol across the table.Ladislaus Malinowski, with an air of great surprise, picked it up.
"Ah-ha, yes. This is it. So it was you who took itfrom my car?"
"No," said Father, "we didn't take it from your car. It was not inyour car. We found it somewhere else."
"Where did you find it?"
"We found it," saidFather, "in an area in Pond Street which – as you no doubt know – is a street near ParkLane. It could have been dropped by a man walking down that street – or running perhaps."
Ladislaus Malinowski shrugged his shoulders. "That is nothing to don with me – I did not put itthere. It was in my car a day or two ago. One does not continually look to see if a thingis still where one has put it. One assumes it will be."
"Do you know, Mr. Malinowski, that this is thepistol which was used to shoot Michael Gorman on the night of November 26th?"
"Michael Gorman? I do not know a Michael Gorman."
"The commissionaire from Bertram's Hotel."
"Ah yes, the one who was shot. I read about it.And you say my pistol shot him? Nonsense!"
"It's not nonsense.The ballistic experts have examined it. You know enough of firearms to be aware that theirevidence is reliable."
"You are trying to frame me. I know what youpolice do!"
"I think you know the police of this countrybetter than that, Mr. Malinowski."
"Are you suggesting that I shot Michael Gorman?"
"So far we are only asking for a statement. Nocharge has been made."
"But that is what you think – that I shot that ridiculous dressed-up military figure. Why should I? I didn't owe him money, I had no grudge against him."
"It was a young lady who was shot at. Gorman ranto protect her and received the second bullet in his chest."
"A young lady?"
"A young lady whom I think you know. Miss ElviraBlake."
"Do you say someone tried to shoot Elvira with mypistol?"
He sounded incredulous.
"It could be that you had had a disagreement."
"You mean that I quarrelled with Elvira and shother? What madness! Why should I shoot the girl I am going to marry?"
"Is that part of your statement? That you aregoing to marry Miss Elvira Blake?"
Just for a moment or two Ladislaus hesitated. Thenhe said, shrugging his shoulders:
"She is still very young. It remains to bediscussed."
"Perhaps she had promised to marry you, and then –she changed her mind. There was someone she was afraid of. Was it you,Mr. Malinowski?"
"Why should I want her to die? Either I am in lovewith her and want to marry her of if I do not want to marry her I need not marry her. Itis as simple as that. So why should I kill her?"
"There aren't manypeople close enough to her to want to kill her." Davy waited amoment and then said, almost casually: "There's her mother, of course."
"What!" Malinowskisprang up. "Bess? Bess kill her own daughter? You are mad! Whyshould Bess kill Elvira?"
"Possibly cause, as next of kin, she might inheritan enormous fortune."
"Bess? You mean Bess would kill for money? She hasplenty of money from her American husband. Enough, anyway."
"Enough is not the same as a great fortune,"said Father. "People do do murder for alarge fortune, mothers have been known to kill their children, and children have killedtheir mothers."
"I tell you, you are mad!"
"You say that you may be going to marry MissBlake. Perhaps you have already married her? If so, then you would be the one o inherit avast fortune."
"What more crazy, stupid things can you say! No, Iam not married to Elvira. She is a pretty girl. I like her, and she is in love with me.Yes, I admit it. I met her in Italy. We had fun – but that isall. No more, do you understand?"
"Indeed? Just now, Mr. Malinowski, you said quitedefinitely that she was the girl you were going to marry."
"Oh that."
"Yes – that. Was ittrue?"
"I said it because – itsounded more respectable that way. You are so – prudish inthis country –」
"That seems to me an unlikely explanation."
"You do not understand anything at all. The motherand I – we are lovers – I did notwish to say to – I suggest instead that the daughter and I –we are engaged to be married. That sounds very English and proper."
"It sounds to me even more far-fetched. You're rather badly in need of money, aren't you, Mr.Malinowski?"
"Mr dear Chief-Inspector, I am always in need ofmoney. It is very sad."
"And yet a few months ago I understand you wereflinging money about in a very carefree way."
"Ah. I had had a lucky flutter. I am a gambler. Iadmit it."
"I find that quite easy to believe. Where did youhave this 'flutter'?"
"That I do not tell. You can hardly expect it."
"I don't expect it."
"Is that all you have to ask me?"
"For the moment, yes. You have identified thepistol as yours. That will be very helpful."
"I don't understand –I can't conceive – he broke off and stretched out his hand. Give it me please."
"I'm afraid we'll have to keep it for the present, so I'll writeyou out a receipt for it."
He did so and handed it to Malinowski.
The latter went out slamming the door.
"Temperamental chap," saidFather.
"You didn't press himon the matter of the false number plate and Bedhampton?"
"No. I wanted him rattled. But not too badlyrattled. We'll give him one thing to worry about at a time –And he is worried."
"The Old Man wanted to see you, sir, as soon asyou were through."
Chief-Inspector Davy nodded and made his way to SirDonald's room.
"Ah! Father. Making progress?"
"Yes. Getting along nicely – quite a lot of fish in the net. Small fry mostly. But we're closing in on the big fellows. Everything's intrain –」
"Good show, Fred," saidthe A.C.
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