“M’yes, I can see where the beginning might have been difficult,” Leonidas said. “What did Medora have to say at your leaving her service?”
“She said it was nonsense. Really,” Miss Chard said, “Fm sure I don’t know why I tell you these things. You can’t possibly be interested.”
“We’re being awfully rude and curious, aren’t we?” Cassie said quickly. “But you know me, and you see that Bill holds nothing against you for that crack on the head. And—please, just tell us things, Miss Chard. We’ll explain it all later. It’s important, believe me!”
“Yes, yes,” Miss Chard said, “I supposed you must have some reason for being here. I expected that you’d be at the Voters League. That’s such an important meeting. Perhaps you’re going?”
“Perhaps. Er—tell me about this morning,” Leonidas said. “You took Leslie’s brush box, and her bill, and the gun and the handcuffs back to Dalton, and found the brush box was full of brushes, and the bill not one of those listed in your serial numbers. Then what took place?”
“Medora sent me to see if you’d got back. When you arrived, you frightened me,” Miss Chard said, “rushing at me so, and I knew if you,could run like that, you must be quite well again. When I got back to the house, I told Medora I was leaving her, and she said nonsense, we were going to the club. I told her I thought she should devote herself to the problem of who had stolen her money, and she said she knew. She said she was quite certain it hadn’t been Leslie Horn, but she wished to make sure. So we took the bus to the lecture-luncheon. Really, I don’t understand—”
“Please don’t try to,” Leonidas said. “Just tell me. With whom did she leave the lecture-luncheon?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I tried so hard to find out, too. No one knew. Medora got up and said she saw Estelle Otis, and left me. And people were crowding around, and I lost sight of her completely.”
“Estelle?” Cassie said blankly. “She left you to go see Estelle?”
“Yes. I think she’s rather a dull woman, don’t you?” Miss Chard said in an amazing burst of frankness. “But she’s been around a lot lately, with the judge. That daughter really bores me.”
“She bores everyone. Go on, Miss Chard,” Cassie said. “You lost Medora. Then what?”
“I sat through the luncheon, and the lecture. I couldn’t seem to see Medora anywhere. But it was all very confused, what with the lecturer being late, and people getting their cars stuck in the snow, and all that sort of thing. Later it was proposed that tea be held at Mr. Witherall’s—”
“Who thought that up?” Cassie interrupted. “Was it Estelle?”
“I think she proposed it, yes. She and the judge. But I didn’t feel it would be quite proper for me to attend, under the circumstances. And besides,” Miss Chard said, “I told Medora that I was leaving her at once, and I wanted her to know that I meant it. So I took the bus to Florence Street. And what do you suppose? A man tried to steal my handbag! Really, this has been a most confusing day!”
“Wait till you hear our version,” Cassie said. “By the way, how is your brother George?”
“Much better. The operation won’t be necessary, after all. And the rector’s found him a position as music director of the Carnavon Church. That was one of the reasons I came to the auditorium this evening. I knew the rector would be there, and I wished to thank him. Though, of course, I wrote him a little note. Really, there is quite a gathering at the auditorium. Your brother is there, Mrs. Price.”
“Yeah,” Cuff said. “The colonel’s got on his best uniform, and all his medals and ribbons, and a man with more medals is with him. Margie says it’s the dick from the train—”
“Indeed!” Leonidas said. “Indeed.”
“Yeah. And Jock’s there in his Scout uniform, with the Scout band. They’re having a demonstration later, see? That’s why my brothers was there. They was going to get four bits apiece for demonstrating, see? But I told ‘em you’d make it up to ‘em. This demonstration’s going to be the biggest demonstration—”
“I haven’t a doubt of it,” Cassie said, “but don’t let’s hear another word about it for a few seconds, Cuff. Don’t let’s even wonder what Rutherford and Jock are doing there. Bill Shakespeare, if Medora went to see Estelle, and if Estelle— Oh, dear, Bill, this gets worse and worse! You’d better tell Miss Chard everything, quickly, right away!”
Leonidas drew a long breath.
When he finished speaking, Cassie looked at her watch.
“Five and a half minutes to put that in a nutshell,” she said. “It’s practically incredible. Miss Chard, we’re awfully sorry. I know you and Medora have been together for so many years. But now you understand why we want to know things.”
Miss Chard cleared her throat. She had made no comment during Leonidas’s monologue, nor had her expression changed. Only once or twice she had shivered. But somehow, Cassie knew that the woman was ready to break down, and Leonidas guessed as much.
“I’ve always been afraid,” Miss Chard fought the quiver in her voice, “that something like this might happen, Mrs. Price. I knew that harm would come of keeping money around. After all, even I succumbed and took some. And I told Medora yesterday that she should tell Colonel Carpenter everything. I said again this morning that he should be informed of everything. And, of course, I did call him. That is— well, Medora found that the money was missing around six o’clock yesterday, after the guests had gone. We had guests
