'Oh, I quite understand that the police won't let it drop. They'll probably come here and ask me a lot more questions – I'm prepared for that. But privately, I mean, I don't want to think about it – or be reminded of it in any way. I daresay I'm a coward, but that's how I feel about it.'
'Oh! Anne,' cried Rhoda Dawes.
'I can understand your feeling, but I'm not at all sure that you're wise,' said Mrs. Oliver. 'Left to themselves the police will probably never find out the truth.'
Anne Meredith shrugged her shoulders.
'Does that really matter?'
'Matter?' cried Rhoda. 'Of course it matters. It does matter, doesn't it, Mrs. Oliver?'
'I should certainly say so,' said Mrs. Oliver dryly.
'I don't agree,' said Anne obstinately. 'Nobody who knows me would ever think I'd done it. I don't see any reason for interfering. It's the business of the police to get at the truth.'
'Oh, Anne, you are spiritless,' said Rhoda.
'That's how I feel, anyway,' said Anne. She held out her hand. 'Thank you very much, Mrs. Oliver. It's very good of you to have bothered.'
'Of course if you feel that way there's nothing more to be said,' said Mrs. Oliver cheerfully. 'I, at any rate, shall not let the grass grow under my feet. Good-by, my dear. Look me up in London if you change your mind.'
She climbed into the car and started it, waving a cheerful hand at the two girls.
Rhoda suddenly made a dash after the slowly moving automobile.
'What you said – about looking you up in London,' she said breathlessly. 'Did you only mean Anne, or did you mean me, too?'
Mrs. Oliver applied the brake.
'I meant both of you, of course.'
'Oh, thank you. Don't stop. I – perhaps I might come one day. There's something – No, don't stop. I can jump off.'
She did so and waving a hand ran back to the gate where Anne was standing.
'What on earth -?' began Anne.
'Isn't she a duck?' asked Rhoda enthusiastically. 'I do like her. She had on odd stockings, did you notice? I'm sure she's frightfully clever. She must be, to write all those books. What fun if she found out the truth when the police and everyone were baffled.'
'Why did she come here?' asked Anne.
Rhoda's eyes opened wide. 'Darling, she told you -'
Anne made an impatient gesture.
'We must go in. I forgot. I've left him all alone.'
'Major Despard? Anne, he's frightfully good-looking, isn't he?'
'I suppose he is.'
They walked up the path together.
Major Despard was standing by the mantelpiece, teacup in hand. He cut short Anne's apologies for leaving him.
'Miss Meredith, I want to explain why I've butted in like this.'
'Oh – but -'
'I said that I happened to be passing. That wasn't strictly true. I came here on purpose.'
'How did you know my address?' asked Anne slowly.
'I got it from Superintendent Battle.'
He saw her shrink slightly at the name. He went on quickly. ' Battle 's on his way here now. I happened to see him at Paddington. I got my car out and came down here. I knew I could beat the train easily.'
'But why?'
Despard hesitated just for a minute. 'I may have been presumptuous, but I had the impression that you were, perhaps, what is called 'alone in the world.''
'She's got me,' said Rhoda.
Despard shot a quick glance at her, rather liking the gallant boyish figure that leaned against the mantelpiece and was following his words so intensely. They were an attractive pair, these two.
'I'm sure she couldn't have a more devoted friend than you, Miss Dawes,' he said courteously, 'but it occurred to me that in the peculiar circumstances the advice of someone with a good dash of worldly wisdom might not be amiss. Frankly, the situation is this. Miss Meredith is under suspicion of having committed murder. The same applies to me and to the two other people who were in the room last night. Such a situation is not agreeable – and it has its own peculiar difficulties and dangers, which someone as young and inexperienced as you are, Miss Meredith, might not recognize. In my opinion you ought to put yourself in the hands of a thoroughly good solicitor. Perhaps you have already done so?'
Anne Meredith shook her head.
'I never thought of it.'
'Exactly as I suspected. Have you got a good man – a London man for choice?'
Again Anne shook her head.
'I've hardly ever needed a solicitor.'
'There's Mr. Bury,' said Rhoda. 'But he's about a hundred and two and quite gaga,'
'If you'll allow me to advise you, Miss Meredith, I recommend your going to Mr. Myherne, my own solicitor. Jacobs, Peel and Jacobs is the actual name of the firm. They're first-class people, and they know all the ropes.'
Anne had got paler. She sat down.
'Is it really necessary?' she asked in a low voice.
'I should say emphatically so. There are all sorts of legal pitfalls,'
'Are these people very expensive?'
'That doesn't matter a bit,' said Rhoda. 'That will be quite all right, Major Despard. I think everything you say is quite true. Anne ought to be protected.'
'Their charges will, I think, be quite reasonable,' said Despard. He added seriously, 'I really do think it's a wise course, Miss Meredith.'
'Very well,' said Anne slowly. 'I'll do it if you think so.'
'Good.'
Rhoda said warmly, 'I think it's awfully nice of you, Major Despard. Really frightfully nice.'
Anne said, 'Thank you.'
She hesitated and then said, 'Did you say Superintendent Battle was coming here?'
'Yes. You mustn't be alarmed by that. It's inevitable.'
'Oh, I know. As a matter of fact I've been expecting him.'
Rhoda said impulsively, 'Poor darling – it's nearly killing her, this business. It's such a shame so frightfully unfair.'
Despard said, 'I agree – it's a pretty beastly business, dragging a young girl into an affair of this kind. If anyone wanted to stick a knife into Shaitana, they ought to have chosen some other place or time.'
Rhoda asked squarely, 'Who do you think did it – Doctor Roberts or that Mrs. Lorrimer?'
A very faint smile stirred Despard's mustache.
'May have done it myself for all you know.'
'Oh, no,' cried Rhoda. 'Anne and I know you didn't do it.'
He looked at them both with kindly eyes.
A nice pair of kids. Touchingly full of faith and trust. A timid little creature, the Meredith girl. Never mind, Myherne would see her through. The other was a fighter. He doubted if she would have crumpled up in the same way if she'd been in her friend's place. Nice girls – he'd like to know more about them.
These thoughts passed through his mind. Aloud he said, 'Never take anything for granted, Miss Dawes. I don't set as much value on human life as most people do. All this hysterical fuss about road deaths, for instance. Man is always in danger – from traffic, from germs, from a hundred and one things. As well be killed one way as another. The moment you begin being careful of yourself, adopting as your motto 'Safety first,' you might as well be
