“It might be as well for the police to hear it when they visit us again,” said Henry. He turned to Dame Beatrice. “Don’t you agree?”
“I think you are right. It is better that they should hear it from us than that it should come to them in a roundabout way from a student.”
“I think it might be better to let the story die a natural death, once I have interviewed Kirk and made him retract his accusation,” said the Warden.
“In any case, nothing will be of very much importance until we know the verdict following the inquest,” said Dame Beatrice.
“The verdict can be anticipated. It must surely be that of accidental death, followed by panic on the part of the student who caused it,” said the Warden. “All I am still hoping is that Dame Beatrice’s researches will uncover the unhappy culprit before the inquest takes place. It will save a great deal of trouble if we can help the coroner in such a way.”
Dame Beatrice pursed up her little mouth and shook her head. The Warden’s expression changed. His unctuous look was replaced by one of concern and gravity.
“You do not agree?” he asked.
“I do not think it is our business to help the coroner. He would not appreciate our facing him with what he might regard as a
“Well, he’s an accomplished little snooper,” said Henry, “so it’s quite likely he’s seen or heard something, I suppose. He certainly knows that James and I went to the stoke-hole that night.”
chapter
9
Speeches off the Record
« ^ »
I say,” said Martin to Hamish, when the meeting had broken up and they were back in Martin’s room, “is that handsome, fit-looking woman really your mother?”
“So she has always told me. I am not at all flattered by your surprise and doubt.”
“No offence. She doesn’t look old enough, that’s all. Tell me, what do you really think about this Jonah business?”
“I think it was murder, premeditated, and carried out in cold blood.”
“But by whom?”
“Well, in a way, Medlar would be the likeliest suspect, I suppose, being next of kin and all that.”
“That might be all right if it had been the other way about.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well, I thought you murdered your rich relations, not your hangers-on. Jonah hadn’t a bean except his salary. He was always making indirect allusions to the fact that his sister had left every penny to Gassie.”
“Well, being her husband, naturally Medlar would expect to come in for what she had to leave. I see no hardship for Jones in that.”
“According to Jonah, she could have left him a few thousands and Gassie would never have missed them.”
“Oh, well, if it was her money I suppose she had the right to do as she liked with it, and a husband or wife usually has the first claim.”
“It was money which her parents had left her, though, and Jonah thought some of it—the bulk of it, in fact— should have come to him, not her.”
“Why didn’t it? He was the son. It seems to me that it speaks for itself. I suppose the parents realised what a weak and vicious specimen he was.”
“Vicious, maybe, but would you call him weak? He seems to have had Gassie well tied up. I mean, I know they were related and that Jones had done him some big favour or other in the past, but it isn’t Gassie’s style to let anything like that stand in the way of his reputation.”
“You mean the reputation he gained through the College, I suppose.
“Well, given a few more Berthas, Joynings’s name would soon be mud. It’s no longer the fashion to get the maids into trouble and then sack them.”
“Was Bertha sacked?”
“I don’t know, but she had to leave, so it comes to the same thing in the end.”
“Well, hardly, but I see what you mean.”
“Why does Gassie want that terrifying old lady to vet the students?”
“That terrifying old lady is my godmother, so watch what you have to say about her. I think he meant exactly what he said. It will give the students something else to think and gossip about, besides Jones’s death.”
“Funny that she and your mother should have picked this day of all days to visit you here.”
