Spotted Hemlock

tickets. Anyway, I thought I had to put a stop to her nonsense. “You can take it from me, my girl,” I said, “that, what with treating them to cigars and drinks, and taking them for outings and giving them parting presents, you spend quite as much staying with relations as you pay at a posh hotel. What’s more,” I said, “at the hotel you don’t have to help wash up and make the beds.” She saw it my way, in the end, I suppose, although I can’t see her doing much for her keep or giving presents, either!’

‘Yes, I see. So you all three travelled home together? She joined you on the boat at Naples?’

‘Yes, but we said good-bye at Victoria.’

‘Oh, yes? And did you see Carrie after that?’

‘No. I wasn’t having her in my house again! There was quite a bit of her school holiday still to run, and she’d got a job as temporary shop-girl, or so she said.’

‘Do you know where?’

‘Well, you couldn’t rely on her word, exactly, but she said it was the B. and T. shop in Canby New Town.’

‘The B. and T. shop?’

‘Babies and Toddlers. I don’t know it myself. She said it was a new shop in a nice district, and they were going to pay commission over and above her wages, and that the shop had been opened in response to a big demand for babies’ and toddlers’ clothes and toys and that.’

‘I see.’

‘They—they won’t dig Carrie up, will they? To know whether it is Carrie, I mean.’

‘Not at present. As things stand, your identification of the body as that of your younger daughter will not be challenged.’

‘Then…’

‘It is obvious, isn’t it, that if we find Norah, it will prove that Carrie is dead,’ said Dame Beatrice gently. ‘What can you tell me about that? Have you no idea at all where Norah might be?’

‘You’d better ask that young Coles. Do you think he really married her? He never seemed the marrying sort to me.’

‘It should not prove impossible to obtain a copy of the marriage certificate, if such a document exists. Just one more question, Mrs Biancini, if you won’t resent it. Do I understand that Carrie was left out of her father’s will?’

‘You do, and serve her right. “If she can lift the money off somebody else, she can do without mine,” he said. “It’s for you and little Norah,” he said. “You’ve been a good wife to me,” he said, “and if you can find a man to suit your fancy, that’s quite all right with me,” he said, “and it won’t make any difference to the way I leave my money.” Well, I waited seven years, Dame Beatrice, before I took up with Tony, so nobody can’t say I didn’t respect a good man’s memory.’

chapter thirteen

Nobody Asked for Bloodhounds

‘ “My dear,” said I, “I see so many things wanting to be done, that I know not to which to give the preference.”’

Ibid.

« ^ »

So I take Hamish with me to this B. and T. shop and set him up with a garment or so and a toy or two and generally snoop around collecting data on Carrie Palliser, do I?’ said Laura, who had listened with deep interest to the story of the Italian holiday.

Dame Beatrice cackled.

‘It could do no harm, I suppose,’ she conceded, ‘but I doubt very much whether it would do good. You cannot furnish a convincing description of Miss Palliser and, of course, she may not have been employed there under that name.’

Laura was not prepared to be influenced by such arguments. Short of an absolute veto, she was determined to assume responsibility for finding out the truth about Carrie Palliser’s employment at the shop in the hope that this might furnish a clue to the mystery of her death. She borrowed Dame Beatrice’s car and chauffeur and drove in state with her infant son to Canby New Town, a dormitory suburb to the south-west of London.

The shop was in the High Street. George pulled up, opened the door and handed Laura out. She scooped up her lively baby and together they went into the shop. Laura made several small purchases and then asked to see the manageress.

This request was received with a curious mixture of hauteur and alarm by the assistant to whom she proffered it.

‘Well, I don’t know, madam, I’m sure. It wouldn’t be a complaint?’

‘Kindly arrange for me to see her,’ said Laura haughtily. This attitude was scarcely backed up by Hamish who, toddling tipsily towards a small push-chair, thrust it into a mountain of babies’ toilet requisites and knocked over the lot.

‘Bang, bang!’ said Hamish, delighted.

‘Oh, dear!’ said Laura. ‘Now you’ll have to get the manageress, won’t you?’ she added in a fierce aside to the woman who had served her. This assistant, helped by another, both with pursed lips, cleared up the mess. Nothing was broken. Hamish helped them by