Now, inspector, he said, will you and your officer come in? And the caretakerand you, Kitteridge, and you, Mountain. Mr. Selwood, will you come in, too?
He stood at the door while those he had invited inside passed into the room where Peggie still sat. And as he stood there, and Selwood wound up the little procession, Mr. Tertius rose and also made as if to join the others. Barthorpe stopped him by intruding himself between him and the door.
This is a private inquiry of my own, Mr. Tertius, he said, with a meaning look.
Selwood, turning in sheer surprise at this announcement, so pointed and so unmistakable, saw a faint tinge of colour mount to the elder mans usually pale cheeks. Mr. Tertius stopped sharply and looked at Barthorpe in genuine surprise.
You do not wish me to enterto be present? he faltered.
Frankly, I dont, said Barthorpe, with aggressive plainness. There will be a public inquiryI cant stop you from attending that.
Mr. Tertius drew back. He stood for a moment staring hard at Barthorpe; then, with a slight, scarcely perceivable bow, he turned away, crossed the hall, and went out of the front door. And Barthorpe Herapath laugheda low, sneering laughand following the other men into the waiting-room, locked the door upon those assembled there. As if he and they were assembled on some cut-and-dried business matter, he waved them all to chairs, and himself dropped into one at the head of the table, close to that in which Peggie was sitting.
Now, inspector, he began, you and I must get what we may as well call first information about this matter. There will be a vast amount of special and particular investigation later on, but I want us, at the very outset, while facts are fresh in the mind, to get certain happenings clearly before us. And for this reasonI understand that the police-surgeon is of opinion that my uncle committed suicide. With all respect to himIm sorry hes gone before I could talk to himthat theory cannot be held for an instant! My cousin, Miss Wynne, and I knew our uncle far too well to believe that theory for a single moment, and we shall combat it by every means in our power when the inquest is held. Nomy uncle was murdered! Now I want to know all I can get to know of his movements last night. And first I think well hear what the caretaker can tell us. Hancock, he continued, turning to an elderly man who looked like an ex-soldier, I understand you found my uncles body?
The caretaker, obviously much upset by the affairs of the morning, pulled himself up to attention.
I did, sir, he replied.
What time was that?
Just eight oclock, sirthats my usual time for opening the office.
Tell us exactly how you found him, Hancock.
I opened the door of Mr. Herapaths private room, sir, to pull up the blinds and open the window. When I walked in I saw him lying across the hearth-rug. Then I noticed thethe revolver.
And of course that gave you a turn. What did you do? Go into the room?
No, sir! I shut the door again, went straight to the telephone and rang up the police-station. Then I waited at the front door till the inspector there came along.
Was the front door fastened as usual when you went to it at that time?
It was fastened as it always is, sir, by the latch. It was Mr. Herapaths particular orders that it never should be fastened any other way at night, because he sometimes came in at night, with his latch-key.
Just so. Now these offices are quite apart and distinct from the rest of the buildingmark that, inspector! Theres no way out of them into the building, nor any way out of the building into them. In fact, the only entrance into these offices is by the front door. Isnt that so, Hancock?
Thats quite so, sironly that one door.
No area entrance or side-door?
None, sirnothing but that.
And the only tenants in herethese officesat night are you and your wife, Hancock?
Thats all, sir.
Now, where are your rooms?
Weve two rooms in the basement, sirliving-room and kitchenand two rooms on the top floora bedroom and a bathroom.
On the top-floor. How many floors are there?
Well, sir, theres the basementthen theres thisthen theres two floors thats used by the clerksthen theres ours.
Thats to say there are two floors between your bedroom and this ground floor?
Yes, sirtwo.
Very well. Now, about last night. What time did you and your wife go to bed?
Eleven oclock, sirhalf an hour later than usual.
Youd previously looked round, I suppose?
Been all round, sirI always look into every room in the place last thing at nightthoroughly.
Are you and your wife sound sleepers?
Yes, sirboth of us. Good sleepers.
You heard no sound after you got to bed?
Nothing, sirneither of us.
No recollection of hearing a revolver shot?not even as if it were a long way off?
No, sirwe never heard anythingnothing unusual, at any rate.
You heard no sound of doors opening or being shut, nor of any conveyance coming to the door?
No, sir, nothing at all.
Well, one or two more questions, Hancock. You didnt go into the room after first catching sight of the body? Just sobut youd notice things, even in a hurried glance. Did you notice any sign of a struggleoverturned chair or anything?
No, sir. I did notice that Mr. Herapaths elbow chair, that he always sat in at his desk, was pushed back a bit, and was a bit on one side as it were. That was all.
And the lightthe electric light? Was that on?
No, sir.
Then all you can tell us comes to thisthat you never heard anything, and had no notion of what was happening, or had happened, until you came down in the morning?
Just so, sir. If Id known what was going on, or had gone on, I should have been down at once.
Barthorpe nodded and turned to the coachman.
Now, Mountain, he said. We want to hear your story. Be careful about your factswhat you can tell us is probably of the utmost importance.
CHAPTER IV
THE PRESSMAN
The coachman, thus admonished, unconsciously edged his chair a little nearer to the table at which Barthorpe Herapath sat, and looked anxiously at his interrogator. He was a little, shrewd-eyed fellow, and it seemed to Selwood, who had watched him carefully during the informal examination to which Barthorpe had subjected the caretaker, that he had begun to think deeply over some new presentiment of this mystery which was slowly shaping itself in his mind.
I understand, Mountain, that you fetched Mr. Herapath from the House of Commons last night? began Barthorpe. You fetched him in the brougham, I believe?
Yes, sir, answered the coachman. Mr. Herapath always had the brougham at nightand most times, too, sir. Never took kindly to the motor, sir.
Where did you meet him, Mountain?
Usual place, sirin Palace Yardjust outside the Hall.
What time was that?
Quarter past eleven, exactly, sirthe clock was just chiming the quarter as he came out.
Was Mr. Herapath alone when he came out?
No sir. He came out with another gentlemana stranger to me, sir. The two of em stood talking a bit a yard or two away from the brougham.
Did you hear anything they said?
Just a word or two from Mr. Herapath, sir, as him and the other gentleman parted.
What were they?tell us the words, as near as you can remember.
Mr. Herapath said, Have it ready for me tomorrow, and Ill look in at your place about noon. Thats all, sir.
What happened then?
The other gentleman went off across the Yard, sir, and Mr. Herapath came to the brougham, and told me to drive him to the estate officehere, sir.
You drove him up to this door, I suppose?
No, sir. Mr. Herapath never was driven up to the doorhe always got out of the brougham in the road outside and walked up the archway. He did that last night.
From where you pulled up could you see if there was any light in these offices?
No, sirI pulled up just short of the entrance to the archway.
Did Mr. Herapath say anything to you when he got out?
Yes, sir. He said he should most likely be three-quarters of an hour here, and that Id better put a rug over the mare and walk her about.
Then I suppose he went up the archway. Now, did you see anybody about the entrance? Did you see any person waiting as if to meet him? Did he meet anybody?
I saw no one, sir. As soon as hed gone up the archway I threw a rug over the mare and walked her round and round the square across the road.
You heard and saw nothing of him until he came out again?
Nothing, sir.
And how long was he away from you?
Nearer an hour than three-quarters, sir.
Were you in full view of the entrance all that time?
No, sir, I wasnt. Some of the time I wassome of it Id my back to it.
You never saw any one enter the archway during the time Mr. Herapath was in the office?
No, sir.
All the same, some one could have come here during that time without your seeing him?
Oh, yes, sir!
Well, at last Mr. Herapath came out. Where did he rejoin you?
In the middle of the road, sirright opposite that statue in the Square gardens.
Did he say anything particular then?
No, sir. He walked sharply across, opened the door, said Home and jumped in.
You didnt notice anything unusual about him?
Nothing, sirunless it was that he hung his head down rather as he came acrosssame as if he was thinking hard, sir.
You drove straight home to Portman Square, then. What time did you get there?
Exactly one oclock, sir.
Youre certain about that time?
Certain, sir. It was just five minutes past one when I drove into our mews.
Now, then, be careful about this, Mountain. I want to know exactly what happened when you drove up to the house. Tell us in your own way.
The coachman looked round amongst the listeners as if he were a little perplexed. Why, sir, he answered, turning back to Barthorpe, there was nothing happened! At least, I mean to say, there was nothing happened that didnt always happen on such occasionsMr. Herapath got out of the brougham, shut the door, said Good night, and went up the steps, taking his latch-key out of his pocket as he crossed the pavement, sir. That was all, sir.
Did you actually see him enter the house?
No, sir, replied Mountain, with a decisive shake of the head. I couldnt say that I did that. I saw him just putting the key in the latch as I drove off.
And thats all you know?
Thats all I know, sirall.
Barthorpe, after a moments hesitation, turned to the police-inspector.
Is there anything that occurs to you? he asked.
One or two things occur to me, answered the inspector. But Im not going to ask any questions now. I suppose all you want at present is to get a rough notion of how things were last night?
Just so, assented Barthorpe. A rough notionthats it. Well, Kitteridge, its your turn. Who found out that Mr. Herapath wasnt in the house this morning?
Charlesworth, sirMr. Herapaths valet, replied the butler. He always called Mr. Herapath at a quarter past seven every morning. When he went into the bedroom this morning Mr. Herapath wasnt there, and the bed hadnt been slept in. Then Charlesworth came and told me, sir, and of course I went to the study at once, and then I saw that, wherever Mr. Herapath might be then, he certainly had been home.
You judged that fromwhat? asked Barthorpe.
Well, sir, its been the rule to leave a supper-tray out for Mr. Herapath. Not much, sirwhisky and soda, a sandwich or two, a dry biscuit. I saw that hed had something, sir.
Somebody else might have had iteh?
Yes, sir, but then you see, Id had Mountain fetched by that time, and he told me that hed seen Mr. Herapath letting himself in at one oclock. So of course I knew the master had been in.
Barthorpe hesitated, seemed to ponder matters for a moment, and then rose. I dont think we need go into things any further just now, he said. You, Kitteridge, and you, Mountain, can go home. Dont talkthat is, dont talk any more than is necessary. I suppose, he went on, turning to the inspector when the two servants and the caretaker had left the room. I suppose youll see to all the arrangements we spoke of?
Theyre being carried out already, answered the inspector. Of course, he added, drawing closer to Barthorpe and speaking in lower tones, when the bodys been removed, youll join me in making a thorough inspection of the room? We havent done that yet, you know, and it should be done. Wouldnt it be best, he continued with a glance at Peggie and a further lowering of his voice, if the young lady went back to Portman Square?
Just so, just soIll see to it, answered Barthorpe. You go and keep people out of the way for a few minutes, and Ill get her off. He turned to his cousin when the two officers had left the room and motioned her to rise. Now, Peggie, he said, you must go home. I shall come along there myself in an hour or twothere are things to be done which you and I must do together. Mr. Selwoodwill you take Miss Wynne out to the car? And then, please, come back to meI want your assistance for a while.
Peggie walked out of the room and to the car without demur or comment. But as she was about to take her seat she turned to Selwood.
Why didnt Mr. Tertius come into the room just now? she demanded.
Selwood hesitated. Until then he had thought that Peggie had heard the brief exchange of words between Barthorpe and Mr. Tertius at the door.
Didnt you hear what was said at the door when we were all coming in? he asked suddenly, looking attentively at her.
I heard my cousin and Mr. Tertius talking, but I couldnt catch what was said, she replied. If you did, tell meI want to know.
Mr. Barthorpe Herapath refused to admit Mr. Tertius, said Selwood.
Refused? she exclaimed. Refused?
Refused, repeated Selwood. Thats all I know.
Peggie sat down and gave him an enigmatic look.
You, of course, will come back to the house whenwhen youve finished here? she said.
I dont knowI supposereally, I dont know, answered Selwood. You see, II, of course, dont know exactly where I am, now. I suppose I must take my orders fromyour cousin.
Peggie gave him another look, more enigmatic than the other.