Spotted Hemlock

He proved to be correct about the writing-room being private, for they had it entirely to themselves. He switched on the electric fire, drew forward an armchair for Dame Beatrice and another for himself and took out cigarettes. Dame Beatrice declined his offer of one, and prepared herself to receive confidences.

‘It’s like this,’ he said, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and gazing not at Dame Beatrice but at the toes of his shoes, ‘I’m in a bit of a spot. You see, I haven’t been over here quite all the time I said I had.’

‘No?’

‘You couldn’t be definite, I suppose, about the date Mrs Coles disappeared?’

‘Why do you not say at once that you were the ghostly horseman who abducted her?’

‘What ghostly horseman? What on earth do you mean?’

‘A student named Good was out on a late leave pass that night, and saw you.’

‘But—not to know me?’ He did meet Dame Beatrice’s eye this time.

‘She certainly did not recognise you or Mrs Coles. But what was the idea of the abduction?’

‘It was nothing of the sort. I was a bit bored with pigs and what not, and, as we’d had a pretty good time together at the camp place, I thought she might be willing to team up with me again.’

‘But what did you suppose the college would do when they discovered that she was missing?’

‘Oh, but she wasn’t going to be missing. That wasn’t on the agenda at all. I’ve got a cottage where I spend weekends sometimes. It’s quite near the college. I thought of going there with her and bringing her back in plenty of time for college breakfast.’

‘Then how was it she did not return to college at all?’

‘How should I know? I’d given her plenty of notice that I was going to see her again. The horse and the sheets were her idea. It was essential, of course, that neither of us should be recognised. She broke out of her hostel, as we had planned, we togged up in the kitchen garden, which isn’t overlooked in any way, and got to my cottage by about a quarter to twelve. We had a couple of drinks and a cigarette and went to bed, and when I went to rouse her in the morning she was gone. Naturally I concluded that she had woken up early and decided to get back to college while it was still dark. Equally naturally, I couldn’t follow her there. The arrangement had been for her to show up at the same time on the following night, but she didn’t come, and I thought she’d got cold feet at the thought of the risk she was running by breaking out at night, and that was that.’

‘Are you a sound sleeper, Mr Basil?’

‘No. I wake very easily. You do when you’re accustomed to looking after animals.’

‘So Mrs Coles must have stolen very gently from your side, not to wake you.’

‘Good heavens!’ exclaimed Piggy, opening his eyes very wide. ‘You don’t think I slept with the girl? One of my own students! Really, the suggestion is most indelicate!’

‘This is astounding,’ said Dame Beatrice. ‘Are you serious?’

‘Of course I’m serious. The thing is, what am I to do? If I go to the police and tell them what I’ve told you, I’m going to find myself in a very, very awkward situation. They couldn’t help but think that I know more than I do. They might even arrest me. I shall have to think things over, unless you can help me. Where can the girl have gone, and why did she go?’

Dame Beatrice shook her head.

‘I think you had better tell the police the truth,’ she said. ‘The whole truth,’ she added gently.

‘Then you don’t believe my story?’

‘It rings strangely in my ears. I also must think things over.’

‘If you go to the police, and tell them what I’ve told you, I shall probably deny it, you know. It would be your word against mine.’

‘The police are accustomed to accepting my word. I do not know how much experience you have had of confiding in them.’

She got up, but, before she reached the door, it was opened and two men walked in. Although they were in plain clothes there was no doubt about their being police officers. Basil rose and looked at them.

‘The decision appears to have been taken out of my hands,’ he said quietly. ‘I suppose I am under arrest.’

‘Not at all, sir,’ said the foremost man, ‘but I shall be obliged if you will answer a few questions.’

‘The whole truth, mind,’ said Dame Beatrice, grinning at the younger policeman as he opened the door for her.

‘Well?’ said Laura, who had come in to a late lunch after her walk and was just finishing her coffee in the lounge. ‘Any luck? Did he spill any interesting beans?’

‘He told me—or, rather, I believe I told him—that he and Mrs Coles were the ghostly horseman seen by Miss Good.’

‘But I thought he was over here at the time!’

‘It seems that he thirsted for Mrs Coles’ society, but not connubially.’

‘What! Why, the man’s known to be a satyr,’

‘I am telling you what he told me.’

‘You don’t believe him, do you?’