you, I'd get out there and make it quite clear to them all that they're suffering from arsenic poisoning. That will probably put the fear of the Lord into our murderer and he won't dare to carry out his plan. He's probably been banking on the food-poisoning theory.'
The telephone rang on the inspector's desk. He picked it up and said:
'O.K. Put her through.' He said to Quimper , 'It's your nurse on the phone. Yes, hallo – speaking… What's that? Serious relapse… Yes… Dr. Quimper's with me now… If you'd like a word with him…'
He handed the receiver to the doctor.
' Quimper speaking… I see… Yes… Quite right… Yes, carry on with that. We'll be along.'
He put the receiver down and turned to Bacon.
'Who is it?'
'It's Alfred,' said Dr. Quimper. 'And he's dead.'
Chapter 20
I
Over the telephone, Craddock's voice came in sharp disbelief.
'Alfred?' he said. 'Alfred?'
Inspector Bacon, shifting the telephone receiver a little, said: 'You didn't expect that?'
'No, indeed. As a matter of fact, I'd just got him taped for the murderer!'
'I heard about him being spotted by the ticket collector. Looked bad for him all right. Yes, looked as though we'd got our man.'
'Well,' said Craddock flatly, 'we were wrong.'
There was a moment's silence. Then Craddock asked:
'There was a nurse in charge. How did she come to slip up?'
'Can't blame her. Miss Eyelesbarrow was all in and went to get a bit of sleep. The nurse had got five patients on her hands, the old man, Emma, Cedric, Harold and Alfred. She couldn't be everywhere at once. It seems old Mr. Crackenthorpe started creating in a big way. Said he was dying. She went in, got him soothed down, came back again and took Alfred in some tea with glucose. He drank it and that was that.'
'Arsenic again?'
'Seems so. Of course it could have been a relapse, but Quimper doesn't think so and Johnson agrees.'
'I suppose,' said Craddock, doubtfully, 'that Alfred was meant to be the victim?'
Bacon sounded interested. 'You mean that whereas Alfred's death wouldn't do anyone a penn'orth of good, the old man's death would benefit the lot of them? I suppose it might have been a mistake – somebody might have thought the tea was intended for the old man.'
'Are they sure that that's the way the stuff was administered?'
'No, of course they aren't sure. The nurse, like a good nurse, washed up the whole contraption. Cups, spoons, teapot – everything. But it seems the only feasible method.'
'Meaning,' said Craddock thoughtfully, 'that one of the patients wasn't as ill as the others? Saw his chance and doped the cup?'
'Well, there won't be any more funny business,' said Inspector Bacon grimly. 'We've got two nurses on the job now, to say nothing of Miss Eyelesbarrow, and I've got a couple of men there too. You coming down?'
'As fast as I can make it!'
II
Lucy Eyelesbarrow came across the hall to meet Inspector Craddock. She looked pale and drawn.
'You've been having a bad time of it,' said Craddock.
'It's been like one long ghastly nightmare,' said Lucy. 'I really thought last night that they were all dying.'
'About this curry –'
'It was the curry?'
'Yes, very nicely laced with arsenic – quite the Borgia touch.'
'If that's true,' said Lucy. 'It must – it's got to be – one of the family.'
'No other possibility?'
'No, you see I only started making that damned curry quite late – after six o'clock – because Mr. Crackenthorpe specially asked for curry. And I had to open a new tin of curry powder – so that couldn't have been tampered with. I suppose curry would disguise the taste?'
'Arsenic hasn't any taste,' said Craddock absently. 'Now, opportunity. Which of them had the chance to tamper with the curry while it was cooking?'
Lucy considered.
'Actually,' she said, 'anyone could have sneaked into the kitchen whilst I was laying the table in the dining- room.'
'I see. Now, who was there in the house? Old Mr. Crackenthorpe, Emma, Cedric –'
'Harold and Alfred. They'd come down from London in the afternoon. Oh, and Bryan – Bryan Eastley. But he left just before dinner. He had to meet a man in Brackhampton.'
Craddock said thoughtfully, 'It ties up with the old man's illness at Christmas. Quimper suspected that that was arsenic. Did they all seem equally ill last night?'
Lucy considered. 'I think old Mr. Crackenthorpe seemed the worst. Dr. Quimper had to work like a maniac on him. He's a jolly good doctor, I will say. Cedric made by far the most fuss. Of course, strong healthy people always do.'
'What about Emma?'
'She has been pretty bad.'
'Why Alfred, I wonder?' said Craddock.
'I know,' said Lucy. 'I suppose it was meant to be Alfred?'
'Funny – I asked that too!'
'It seems, somehow, so pointless.'
'If I could only get at the motive for all this business,' said Craddock. 'It doesn't seem to tie up. The strangled woman in the sarcophagus was Edmund Crackenthorpe's widow, Martine. Let's assume that. It's pretty well proved by now. There must be a connection between that and the deliberate poisoning of Alfred. It's all here, in the family somewhere. Even saying one of them's mad doesn't help.'
'Not really,' Lucy agreed.
'Well, look after yourself,' said Craddock warningly. 'There's a poisoner in this house, remember, and one of your patients upstairs probably isn't as ill as he pretends to be.'
Lucy went upstairs again slowly after Craddock's departure. An imperious voice, somewhat weakened by illness, called to her as she passed old Mr. Crackenthorpe's room.
'Girl – girl – is that you? Come here.'
Lucy entered the room. Mr. Crackenthorpe was lying in bed well propped up with pillows. For a sick man he was looking, Lucy thought, remarkably cheerful.
'The house is full of damned hospital nurses,' complained Mr. Crackenthorpe. 'Rustling about, making themselves important, taking my temperature, not giving me what I want to eat – a pretty penny all that must be costing. Tell Emma to send ' em away. You could look after me quite well.'
