another. For the first time he learned that Hamish Campbell had a room in the same house as Fogarty.
Well, well.
“I wonder who else lives there,” Roger mused aloud, and sending for Danizon, he told him to have all the tenants checked. After telephoning Fulham to have Fogarty charged with driving a car with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and Pearson with loitering, he then settled down to decide what to do next. There was one noticeable fact about the three prisoners: none of them had demanded to see a lawyer. Why not? Did they believe that they would be represented and well-looked after— by Rachel Warrender, for instance?
It was now after six o’clock; Roger flicked a thought towards Janet and Scoop, then lifted a telephone.
“Get me Miss Rachel Warrender of Warrender, Clansel and Warrender, solicitors—Lincoln’s Inn,” he added.
“Very good, sir,” said the operator.
Would the girl be in? Roger wondered. Girl? How old was she?—twenty-three or four, he had thought, but Artemeus was sure she was older. He could recall her face vividly, the sharp features and the arched lips, the imperious brown eyes. He waited for the call to come through, concentrating on her, on Maisie’s outburst, then on Benjamin Artemeus. Suddenly he pressed the bell for Danizon, who came in promptly. He was obviously not planning to go anywhere tonight, thought Roger.
“Yes, sir?”
“Artemeus, Benjamin,” Roger said.
“Yes?”
“Where did you call him?”
“At the Savoy Grill, sir. I left a message.”
“Did he call you from his office, do you know?”
Danizon frowned. He had a rather round, plump, earnest face, and would, Roger frequently thought, need little make-up to look like a circus clown.
“He spoke direct to me, sir. No secretary came on the line first.”
“Check if he came on direct to the operator,” Roger ordered. “In fact check Allsafe for details about him on Monday, and let me have a report as soon as you can.”
“Right, sir!”
“You off, now?”
“I’ll be here for another hour at least, sir. I’m getting my files bang up to date.”
“That’s good.” Roger nodded dismissal, and as Danizon went out the telephone bell rang. Was it Rachel War- render or was he too late for her?
“West here,” he said briskly.
“Your call to Miss Warrender,” the operator told him, and after a brief pause she added, “You’re through.”
Roger said quietly and pleasantly, “Hallo, Miss War- render. This is Superintendent West. I’m glad I caught you before you left the office.”
“I am usually here until seven,” Rachel Warrender replied in a studiously calm voice. “How can I help you?”
“I thought I might be able to give you a little information,” Roger stated.
“If you are going to attempt to justify your arrest of Maisie Dunster, you are wasting your time,” Rachel retorted, coldly.
“That wasn’t exactly the point,” Roger assured her. “I’ll justify that in the court whenever I have to. Did you know she was arrested in the room—in the
“Nonsense!” exclaimed Rachel.
“We’ll prove how true that is on Monday, too,” Roger said. “And I can tell you that I have reason to believe that my other witnesses have been under pressure to withdraw their evidence. Moreover I believe Maisie Dunster was paid to give false evidence. Don’t you think you have gone too far?”
There was a long pause. He wished he could see her face and the expression in her eyes, but he could not even imagine how she looked. But he did not have to imagine the lift in her voice, her obvious and deep satisfaction, when at last she spoke.
“So you haven’t a reliable witness left against Mario?” she remarked.
Roger said rather weakly, “Haven’t I?”
“You can’t have! One is dead and the other terrified of being caught out in a lie.”
“Miss Warrender,” Roger said. “I strongly advise you to discuss this case with one of your senior partners before you jump to any further conclusions. I really do.”
“How very chivalrous of you,” said Rachel, the lilt still in her voice. “Goodnight.” He thought she was on the point of putting the receiver down when she spoke again, quickly, almost eagerly. “Shall I see you in court on Monday? Or will you think better of it this time, and stay away?”
Lightly, Roger retorted, “I thought we might go together.”
He rang off, nothing like as pleased with the remark as he sounded. It had been trite, and the young woman had had the best of the telephone encounter; she was still very sure of herself. He was as nearly sure as he could
