Death of a Delft Blue

have been purchased in England, but, if it was, it seems unlikely that it was bought by these girls. We’ve done everything we can to trace a sale.’

The old man studied him. Then he said quietly:

‘My grandnephew is a foolish, weak, headstrong boy, Mr Gavin. I shall never believe he is a murderer.’

‘I agree, Mr van Zestien. Of course he is not a murderer. I am inclined to think, however, that he may have been a murderer’s intended victim.’

‘So! But who would want to kill Florian? With all his faults, he is harmless.’

‘So I firmly believe. Having admitted that, you must forgive me for asking my next question. I have reason to think, from what my wife has told me from time to time, that there have been occasions on which you have found it proper to alter your Will.’

‘There have. I have never made much of a secret about that.’

‘Quite so. May I ask-would you very much mind telling me—’

‘I have no objection at all to telling you how my Will stands at present. It can do no harm, so far as I can see.’

‘Thank you very much, sir. You are very good.’

‘My fortune and properties are now to be divided in equal parts between my grandnephew Florian Colwyn- Welch and Bernardo Rose. In the event (which Heaven forbid! ) of one of them pre-deceasing me, his share will be divided in equal parts among my elder son Derde, (on the understanding that he will share it, as I know he will, with his brother Sweyn), my daughter Maarte Rose and my sister, Binnen Colwyn-Welch (who will leave all she has, I suppose, to her daughters). This Will is to be, I trust, my last.’

‘I see, sir. And do the beneficiaries and the possible beneficiaries know of these provisions?’

‘Yes, they do. At one time Florian, and at another time Bernardo, was to have been my sole legatee, but Florian was led into temptation. I need not particularise. It seemed reasonable, therefore, to exercise a little — how do you call it in English? — to give him a hope for the future provided that he behaved himself and gave me no more distress of mind.’

‘Benevolent blackmail, in fact.’

‘Those are the words I wished to use. But where is all this tending?’

‘I don’t know yet,’ said Gavin, untruthfully, thankful that the old man had not, so far, seen the point of the conversation. ‘And now I wonder whether I might have a word with Mr Colwyn-Welch?’

‘Certainly, if you will kindly ring the bell. I find that even a slight exertion makes me breathless, so, if you would not mind going down to the library and sending my grandniece to me — Oh, Carrie, take Mr Gavin to the library and ask Miss Binnie to join me here.’

Left alone with Florian, Gavin took out a notebook and seated himself at the library table.

‘Now, then, young man,’ he said, in business-like tones, ‘I want some different answers from the ones you gave me last time.’

‘There aren’t any different answers,’ Florian protested. Gavin tapped on the table with the top of a silver pencil.

‘No?’ he said pleasantly. ‘Well, we can but try. You do realise, don’t you, that the poisoned chocolate-cream was intended to kill you, and not those unfortunate girls?’

Florian went white. His lip quivered.

‘Poisoned chocolate-cream?’ he said huskily.

‘Poisoned chocolate-cream. Dutch chocolate-cream. Chocolate-cream either from Amsterdam or Rotterdam, probably purchased out there and subsequently impregnated with hydrocyanic acid. Let me tell you a story. It is called, The Dog It Was That Died.’ Without a glance at the young man, who, with shaking hands, was attempting to light a cigarette, he unfolded the saga of Toby the Golloper. There was a long silence when he had finished, except that Florian, having succeeded at last in lighting the cigarette, inhaled unwisely and was subjected to a fit of coughing. Gavin waited. The paroxysm over, Florian stared into the fire, his shoulder turned away so that Gavin could not see his face.

The battle of nerves came to a sudden end.

‘All right, then,’ said Florian, turning round. ‘I did have some Dutch chocolate-cream. I did give it to the barmaid because I hate the muck and she was always eating sweets. But I didn’t give anything to the other girl — I didn’t even know the other girl — and I swear to you I had no idea the filthy stuff had poison in it!’

‘That I’m prepared to accept, and there’s no doubt that the poison was intended for you.’

Florian flung his cigarette into the fire and put his head in his hands. Gavin waited again, but this time there was no tension in the silence. Florian raised his head.

‘How much trouble is there in it for me?’ he asked.

‘I don’t know,’ said Gavin briskly, unwilling to let him off the hook until he had obtained from him what he wanted. ‘Not a lot, I daresay, if you’ll co-operate with us instead of treating us to another spate of lying and Artful Dodging. Where did the chocolate-cream come from?’

‘I don’t know, except from Holland. It came by post, with some Dutch cigars.’

‘Any letter with it?’

‘No, nothing except the parcel.’

‘I suppose you didn’t keep the wrappings?’

‘No, of course not. It was only brown paper and so on.’