‘He told me once that the whole base is hinged so that it opens out. That way, you can get inside the cage to give it a good clean.’
‘Wait for your father. It’s far too heavy for you to handle.’
‘I can manage, I promise you.’
Tilting it at a sharper angle, Dorcas felt for the clips that held the base to the back edge of the cage. She pulled hard and the base flapped down like a trapdoor, spilling the items hidden away beneath it. Dorcas and Maud looked at the things which had just tumbled on to the table. They were absolutely mesmerised.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Madeleine Andrews could see that her father was deeply troubled. While he still talked fondly of Binnie Langton, there was none of his earlier boyish enthusiasm at the rediscovery of love. He now spoke with the caution of a middle-aged man who was weighing up all the possibilities before he made a major decision. When she visited her aunt that evening, Madeleine persuaded him to go with her. Wrapped up warmly against the chill wind, they strolled along side by side. The walk gave them an opportunity to discuss the situation.
‘Are you going to invite her for tea?’ she asked.
‘I don’t know, Maddy.’
‘Do you
‘Part of me wants to,’ he said, ‘but another part is holding me back somehow.’
‘You’re still thinking about her sister, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘Mrs Langton will be expecting some kind of response,’ said Madeleine. ‘You went to her house for tea. The least she’s entitled to is a letter of thanks and I daresay she’ll want to know why you stayed such a short time.’
‘I can hardly tell her that I was scared of her sister.’
‘Then you must invent a polite excuse.’
They paused at a kerb and waited for two cabs and a cart to roll past before crossing the road. Once on the opposite pavement, Andrews spied a possible means of escape.
‘It may all be over, Maddy,’ he said, hopefully. ‘I don’t think that Mrs Young took to me. Why should she? She probably told her sister that there was no future in our friendship and that the best thing Binnie could do was to let me go.’
‘I don’t think she’d say that at all,’ argued Madeleine, hurt by the suggestion that her father was unworthy of the woman for whom he cared. ‘You’d be a very presentable suitor to any unattached lady of that age. Besides, Mrs Langton clearly has no objection to you. She wouldn’t be put off by a few words of criticism.’
‘That’s true.’
‘You should have more faith in the friendship.’
‘If only two of us were involved,’ said Andrews, gloomily, ‘then I would. But there are three of us involved now — Binnie, me and her sister.’
‘You can’t count, Father. The correct number is four and it includes me.’
He looked surprised. ‘Yes, I suppose it does.’
‘Not that you’d ever take my advice,’ she added.
‘I hang on your every word, Maddy,’ he said, laughing. ‘But you’re right. I have been in too much of a rush. I should have introduced you to Binnie earlier. Whenever we’ve been together, she’s always asked after you and about the wedding.’
‘On one thing I must put my foot down,’ said Madeleine, firmly. ‘Mrs Langton will not be invited. It’s a small affair with family and friends. Invitations have already been sent out. There’s no room for anyone else.’
‘That’s fair enough.’
‘Robert wouldn’t be happy about it, I know.’
‘It’s a pity he didn’t come to Binnie’s house with me,’ said Andrews. ‘I could have done with police protection when I was set on by Mrs Young.’
‘She sounds like a real harridan.’
‘Well, she didn’t look it, Maddy. That’s the odd thing. She was a very striking woman. In many ways, she’s a more interesting person than Binnie. But for the sharp tongue, Ivy Young would be a catch for any man.’
Madeleine stopped and turned to face him. She took him by the shoulders.
‘Be honest, Father,’ she advised. ‘What would you really
‘I’d like to go back to my job on the railway.’
She blinked. ‘Why ever do you say that?’
‘When I was driving up and down the country all day long, I had no time for silly thoughts about women. I acted my age, Maddy. I was happy. It’s not the same any more,’ he confessed. ‘I’m cut adrift. That’s why I was so pleased when Binnie crossed my path. Everything seemed so wonderful at first.’
‘I’m sorry that her sister has blighted everything.’
‘She made me look at Binnie in a different way and it sort of changed my mind. Oh, I don’t know what to do,’ he moaned, shaking his head. ‘If you want the truth, right now I’d like to be hundreds of miles away from here.’
Colbeck was both astounded and elated. On the table in the parlour was a pile of banknotes that had been hidden under the false base in the birdcage. Of far more interest to him, however, was the diary belonging to Joel Heygate. Its hiding place had at last been found.
‘I always said that the canary knew his secret,’ said Colbeck. ‘This device is better than a safe because nobody would dream of looking there.’
‘We only found it by accident,’ said Dorcas, meekly.
‘That’s why we sent for you at once, Inspector,’ said Maud.
Colbeck picked up the diary. ‘You did the right thing, Mrs Hope,’ he said. ‘This may give us vital clues that will help to solve the murder.’
She was puzzled. ‘But you’ve already solved it, haven’t you? I thought that you’d caught the man responsible.’
‘We have someone in custody but he’s being very tight-lipped about what actually happened on the night that Mr Heygate was killed. This diary may at least tell us
‘What about the money?’ asked Dorcas.
‘It shows you what a frugal man Mr Heygate must have been. At a glance, I’d say that we have at least two hundred pounds. Having so little to spend his money on, he took the sensible decision to save it.’
‘What will happen to it, Inspector?’
‘First of all,’ said Colbeck, ‘I’ll count it in your presence and give you a receipt for the amount. I’d like to say that you could keep it, because you certainly deserve to do so, but it must be handed over to Mr Heygate’s solicitor. It will then be bequeathed to the person or persons nominated in the will.’
‘That will be his brother, even though Mr Heygate didn’t really like him.’
‘We shall see, Miss Hope. In a sense, the cash is immaterial. This diary is worth much more than two hundred pounds. I’ll study it with the greatest interest.’
Dorcas smiled. ‘Will there be any mention of me in it?’
‘I daresay there will be. You looked after Peter for him.’
The canary cheeped in response and fluttered about in the cage.
‘He always does that when he hears his name,’ noted Maud.
‘Birds are more intelligent than we think, Mrs Hope,’ said Colbeck.
‘What about Mrs Rossiter?’ asked Dorcas.
‘I expect to see her name in the diary.’
‘I didn’t mean that, Inspector. I wondered if you had any news of her.’
‘It’s too early for that,’ replied Colbeck. ‘When I went to the asylum, Dr Swift told me that she needed time to
