[Mrs Bradley 55] - Nest of Vipers

potty on him and if she thought poor old Minnie was going to have the law on him and try to get Weston Pipers and the money herself, Niobe would remove her from the scene of operations without a qualm, and it's my firm belief that's what she did, not realising it would land Piper in the soup.'

'Interesting. Did Miss Minnie ever confide such an intention to you - that she meant to contest the will?'

'No, and, if she had, the last person I would have retailed it to would have been Niobe. She got rid of Billie and me, you know - anonymous letters.'

'That, according to my information, was Mrs Constance Kent.'

'Oh, I know all about Connie Kent. The letters from Niobe were ever so much worse. Billie doesn't know about them because they used to come while I was in the flat and Billie was working. I've never told her about them. I insisted, though, that we had better get out.'

'How do you know that Miss Nutley wrote them?'

'I thought it was obvious. Her reason was the same as Connie Kent's. Both of them were horribly envious just because Billie and I were happy together and they were not happy at all. Connie makes Evesham Evan's life a misery, and her own, too, and Niobe can't get Piper, although she chases him all the time.'

'But you and Miss Kennett were not entirely happy together, I think - not lately, at any rate.'

'You mean because I went off with Polly? Well, Billie is so bossy, you know, and when she told me I was burning my fingers with Polly, I thought, Right. I'll burn my whole hand.'

'Very childish.'

'Besides, I wanted a man.'

'Ah, yes, very natural, of course.'

'I expect Billie was jealous. She got to know, of course. I can't stand jealous people. Can you?'

'I am extremely sorry for them.'

'Well, they're hell to live with, anyway.'

'No doubt. Do you happen to know which shops Miss Minnie patronised?'

'Oh, the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, like everybody else, I suppose. Oh, there was one shop she went to which was a bit different. I only knew about it by accident. She'd left her shopping-bag in the car and my train that morning was cancelled for some reason or other and there was an hour to wait for the next one, so I thought I might as well chase after her because she'd probably need the shopping-bag. I parked the car in the usual place outside the station and walked back to where I'd set her down. She didn't walk very fast, so she hadn't got far along the sea-front where some of the shops are, and I could see her in the distance. I hurried up, and saw her turn into a little side street, so I followed and spotted her going into a little, very scruffy antique shop. I went in after her, but when I got inside there was nobody there. I waited a bit, then I rapped on the counter, but nobody came. I rapped again, then I banged and shouted, but still nothing happened. I didn't like just to leave the bag there - it was rather a decent one - so I went back to the car with it and locked it in the boot.'

'So when did you return it?'

'I forgot it until Billie and I had to put our suitcases in the boot when we left Weston Pipers.'

'I see. Well now, Miss Barnes, there are one or two points which interest me very much. Of course you are not obliged to answer any of my questions, some of which will not please and may possibly alarm you.'

'Oh, dear!' said Elysée, turning pale and appearing alarmed even before the questioning began.

'Yes. Remember, however, that I am the soul of discretion and that my profession has schooled me to keep secrets a good deal more disgraceful, I am certain, than any of yours can be. In addition, I assure you that I am; unshockable, so fear nothing. You gave Miss Minnie fairly frequent lifts in your car?'

'Yes, I picked her up fairly often,' agreed Elysée.

'Why did you not pick her up outside her bungalow?'

'I suggested it, but she didn't want it that way. She said she had refused lifts from one or two people and did not want to offend them by taking lifts from me. Actually, as I now know, she didn't want anybody at Weston Pipers to see us together.'

'Do you know why?'

'Yes, I do now. That's why I wanted Polly Hempseed to seduce me.'

'I take it you are unwilling to enlarge on that point, so I will not pursue the subject for the present. Did you ever go to the little antique shop on any other occasion besides the one when you tried to return Miss Minnie's bag?'

'What if I did?'

'I see. You did.'

'I was curious to know why she had gone there and disappeared.'

'Of course. Did you ever enter her bungalow?'

'Oh, no. I wouldn't have dreamt of trying to do that. She wouldn't have let me in.'

'You mentioned Miss Kennett's jealousy. Originally it was not Mr Hempseed of whom she was jealous, was it?'

'I don't know what you mean.'

'I mean that the jealousy was first sparked off when Mr Piper began to show interest in you. This was some time ago, I believe, and it died what may be called a natural death when Mr Piper was arrested.'

'Billie never believed that Chelion killed Miss Minnie.'

'Nevertheless, she was not averse, I take it, to seeing the back of him. Your interest in Mr Hempseed must have shocked her very much.'

'I wouldn't know about that.'

'Oh, come, now! Incidentally, the most wounding letter you received came not from Constance Kent, but from Niobe Nutley.'

'I told you that.'

'Tell me, did Miss Minnie never enquire about her lost bag?'

'Actually, when she left it in the car, that was the last time I ever gave her a lift. Anyway, she never asked about the bag and the next I