Till Death Do Us Part

certainty that I was right I even heard from Lord Ashe, in your presence, that the 'Bible-salesman', Sam De Villa, visited only Ashe Hall. I daresay he was scouting by feeling out the nature of his reception: by making an estimate of the leading light in this district But, by the Lord Harry, he could never have got all that information about village-people just from a talk with Lord Ashe. It confirmed belief in an accomplice.

‘I,ve already given you the various indications which led to the certainty, after my interview with Mr Markham late in the afternoon, that we had the thing taped. From Middlesworth's confession we know that he tumbled to the trick about the stamps because he bought a book of stamps; and poor Laura marked them rather clumsily.

'He'd already sent a letter to me, of all people, accusing Miss Grant of being a noted poisoner and dropping hints - not saying anything definite, but dropping hints - about

how the murder might have been committed. Don't you see he had to provide basis for his fictional plot? He had to show there was an enemy of Lesley Grant who still believed in 'Sir Harvey Gilman', and was trying to frame her. That was the only way he could do it, and the surest way -in his own estimation - of turning suspicion away from himself.

'He wrote the letter. Then, in horror, he tried to get the letter back. And Laura Feathers died.'

'But his letter,' said Dick, 'didn't actually hint broadly at the real way of committing the murder?'

'Oh, no. That was too dangerous. And also unnecessary. All he had to do was plug, and plug, and plug away, at the idea of someone trying to frame Miss Grant. But he tumbled to the marked book of stamps; he got away; he took refuge in Miss Grant's house because three persons were closing in on him from different sides.

'You see,' Dr Fell hesitated, 'I was rather sure I caught a glimpse of him up in that bedroom when I was coming up the path. Mr Markham's story confirmed it. So I had the house covered. He couldn't get away. But... I talked to him, I let him hear me, and I let him die. I think that explains everything.'

There was a long silence, while the sun lay drowsy in the room.

'Not every thing,' said Dick. 'It was Cynthia, I suppose, who listened outside these windows on Thursday night? And overheard De Villa's tale about Lesley ?'

'Oh, yes. Miss Drew is a good girl. But she's a little erratic'

'And Lesley didn't actually wallop her with a mirror up in that bedroom when they were having the argument?'

'Of course I didn't!' cried Lesley.

They were sitting in chairs not far away from each other. Dick worked up his courage to face a last question.

'Are you thinking,' asked Lesley, 'what I've heard about since? That I was out of the house, and somebody saw me here in the front garden, at three o'clock in the morning?

And you got this horrible idea that I might be the guilty one after all.'

'Well... not exactly the guilty one. But -'

' You did! Don't deny it!'

'All right, darling, I did,'

'And I don't blame you,' said Lesley, 'It's rather sad that the explanation should be so very foolish. But I can't help it! It worries me; it's always worried me. I've been to a number of doctors, but they say not to worry. They say it often happens to people like me: overstrung, tending to brood, making much of a trifle.

'But I did think I'd killed that man, don't you see? I mean I thought I'd killed 'Sir Harvey Gilman' when the rifle went off accidentally! And I dreamed about it! I couldn't help dreaming about it! I had an awful night, and woke up very tired. So I knew it must have happened again, though I had only a hazy idea of what had happened or where I'd been. When I saw a different frock across the chair - that is, when I woke up in the morning and saw it -!'

'Look here,' said Dick. 'Are you telling us ... ?'

' It was just another devilment added to the rest,' said Lesley. 'Nothing more or less than sleep-walking. I must have come out here, maybe with an idea of finding out what was wrong or how badly he'd been hurt; but I don't remember it. The horrible thing is that I might even have run into the murderer. But I shouldn't have known it if I had. I'm not much good to you, am I? Lily Jewell's daughter, nervous tantrums, and being afflicted with sleepwalking because ...'

Dick put his hand over hers.

'Your nervous state,' he said, 'is yours and I like it. But one thing I can promise you: as Dr Fell would say, with my hand on my heart. You will not be troubled with sleepwalking again.'

'Why?'

'I,' said Dick Markham, 'will see to that.'

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PENGUIN BOOKS IN ASSOCIATION WITH HAMISH HAMILTON

Penguin Book Ltd, Harmondsworth, Middlesex

Pint published 1944

Reprinted 1953