Nest of Vipers

‘What other explanation can you offer?’

‘Explanations of other people’s dreadful deeds are beyond me. And now, Mrs Farintosh, I am a very busy person.’

‘Of course. I thought you might like to know that there may be help at hand for Mr Piper.’

‘Help? Just to get him into Broadmoor instead of Dartmoor? A distinction without a difference!’

‘Ah, well, we shall see. My researches are beginning to make certain matters clearer. Oh, one other thing: did Miss Minnie ever have visitors?’

‘Not to my knowledge.’

‘Not even at night?’

Niobe changed colour. She looked both angry and frightened.

‘Have you been questioning my tenants?’ she demanded.

‘Certainly.’

‘Then I must ask you to go. Enough mud has been stirred up already.’

‘And enough sea-sand, too. I understand that grains of it were found in the nasal passages, around the dentures and under the tongue of the corpse.’

‘Your remarks are revolting!’

‘The truth often is. I could cite you many instances.’

‘Please go. You frighten me. Leave my house and take your manservant – if that’s what he is – with you.’

‘Well, he is not a plain-clothes police officer,’ said Dame Beatrice, ‘although I think that is hardly what you inferred.’ She cackled with real mirth. ‘Well, Miss Nutley, I understand your feelings. I still think it was a stupid crime. If a verdict of suicide would not have fitted in with the murderer’s plans, would it not have been much simpler to have murdered her inside the bungalow and left the body there? Obviously the murderer knew how to get in. That is why I asked about visitors.’

‘Now that I come to remember,’ said Niobe reluctantly, ‘I believe you have hit on the explanation. I found my gardener carrying buckets of sea water up to the bungalow door. He said they were for Miss Minnie’s sea water baths.’

‘Ah, that would explain everything,’ said Dame Beatrice in a tone of deep satisfaction. ‘But had you never thought of it before?’

‘Never. I have been so confused and so upset that my normal faculties simply have not been functioning. Well, I am set on your leaving us, but I had no intention of deceiving you. I thought everybody knew about Chelion’s arrest and the awful accusation against him, yet you say you did not know. Now you admit—’

‘I did not say I did not know. I said you should have told me when you let me the rooms, and particularly when you let me the bungalow for my manservant.’

‘That is not the way to do business, and, if you knew, you knew, so there is no need to reproach me. Had I realised that you were connected with the police—’

‘With the Home Office.’

‘What is the difference? If I had known what you were, I would never have let to you at all. I am the one who was deceived.’

‘So I am rejected and ejected and, withal, not without a stain on my character,’ said Dame Beatrice to Laura, giving her a ferocious grin.

‘How come? Though I’m glad to have you back.’

Dame Beatrice gave the substance of her conversation with Niobe.

‘Well, I should think you’d expect her to chuck you out after you had led her up the garden with all that rot about how she ought to have told you about the murder, and then let her know that you’d known about it all along.’

‘True. If I were able to feel contrition I should feel it now. Incidentally, she had already turned me out before we reached the last stages.’

‘But I suppose there was method in your madness, as usual. Did you want to get slung out?’

‘Sometimes summary dismissal is preferable to a long-drawn-out departure accompanied by tears.’

‘Oh, Lord! She is Niobe both by name and nature, eh? So what’s the next job? Those two girls who, so your letters inform me, have fled the joint, I suppose.’

‘How right you always are! Yes, indeed. They are now the only pebbles left on my beach.’

‘Oh, well, you won’t need to stub your toe on them, then. Do you know where to find them?’

‘I traced Miss Kennett through the newspaper she works for. I sent a letter to her in care of the editor, he passed it on and I have had an answer from her with her new address. She has invited me to call on Sunday and where she is we shall also find Miss Barnes, no doubt.’

This did not turn out to be the case. Billie herself opened the front door to them.

‘Oh, yes,’ she said, ‘Dame Beatrice, isn’t it? And Mrs Gavin? Oh, yes, do come in. Sorry Elysee isn’t here. I believe you wanted to see both of us.’