`What about the time of death, Watson? The doctor here says he died between one-thirty and one-forty- five.'
`Oh,' he does, does he?' said the police surgeon. `Wasn't a bad guess, though. He died about ten minutes to two. I'll take him along in the ambulance for a good look, and let you know.'
He doddered out, swinging his black bag.
`But look here!' protested Sir William, when the door had closed. 'He can't possibly know it so exactly, can he? I thought doctors gave a good deal of leeway on a thing like that.'
`He doesn't,' said Hadley. `That's why he's so invaluable. And in twenty years I've never known him more than ten minutes wrong about the, time of death.'
He turned to Laura Bitton.
`To proceed, Mrs Bitton. Let's assume that this bolt came from your house. Who knew it was there?'
`Why, everybody, I imagine. I don't remember, but I suppose I must have shown the junk we accumulated on that trip.'
'Had you seen it before, Sir William?'
`I'm not sure,' the other answered, slowly. `I may, have. But I can't recall ever having seen it. Ah yes. Ha! Now I know, Laura. You and Lester made the trip while I was abroad in the States, and I came back after you. That accounts for it.'
Hadley drew a long breath. `There's no use speculating,' he said, `We shall have to make inquiries at the house…and now, Mrs Bitton, I, don't think we need detain you any longer. One of the warders will escort you to a cab. Or perhaps Sir William will do it… And look here, old man he put his hand on the knight's arm `you've a perfect right to stay, if you like; at least, I shan't try to drive you away.. But you've had a trying day. Don't you think it would be better if you went home with Mrs Bitton?'
`No — I'm waiting to hear what you have to say to Arbor.'
`Which is exactly what you mustn't do, don't you see? It would spoil everything.'
`Tell you what, Bitton,' the General suggested, gruffly, `go up to my rooms. Parker will give you a cigar and a brandy, and if there's any news we'll let you know. That Devereux record is in the portfolio in my desk; have a look at it.'
Sir William rose to his great height. As he turned towards the woman, Rampole turned also and Rampole was startled to see on Laura's face an expression of stark terror. It was riot caused by anything she saw; it was the expression of one who remembers something momentarily forgotten; who stops breathless, eyes opening wide. It was gone immediately, and Rampole wondered whether Hadley had noticed it.
`I don't suppose I might be allowed to remain?' she asked, in her cool voice. But two kinks were working at the corners of her nostrils, and she seemed 'almost to have stopped breathing. `I might be helpful.' As Hadley smiled and shook his head, she seemed to weigh something in her mind. Then she shrugged. `Ah, well. Excuse the morbid curiosity. And I will go home in a cab. Good afternoon, gentlemen.'
She nodded curtly. Followed by her brother-in-law, she swung out of the room.
`Hum!' said General Mason, after a long pause. The fire was getting low, and. he kicked at it. Then he noticed Sergeant Hamper, who had been standing, patient and forgotten, since Dr Watson's entrance; and the general did not continue. `Oh, ah yes,' the chief inspector coughed, as though he had just noticed it, too. `Sorry, Hamper, for keeping you waiting. Those are the contents of the pockets you have there, eh? Put them down, and see if you can pick up any news from the chief warder. But before you do, go across the way and find Mrs Amanda Larkin. Wait about five minutes, and send her in here.'
The sergeant saluted and withdrew. Hadley contemplated the small bundle on the desk before him, but he did not immediately open it.
`I say, Mr Hadley,' said the General. `What did you make of that woman?'
`Mrs Bitton? I wonder… She's an old hand at evasion, and a very good one. She sees the traps as soon as you set them. What do you know about her?'
`I'd never met her. But I know her husband slightly, through Bitton.'
'What's this Lester Bitton like?.
'I don't like to say,' the General answered, doubtfully. `Don't know the man well enough. He's older than she is; considerably, I should think. Can't imagine him enjoying these athletic activities of hers. I believe he made a lot of money in some financial scheme.'
Hadley turned his attention to the handkerchief, knotted up like a bundle, which contained the dead man's effects.
`Here we are. Wrist-watch; crystal broken, but still running. Bunch of keys. Fountain-pen and stylo pencil. Banknotes, silver and coppers. Only one letter…. Pure trash pale mauve envelope, and scented; woman's handwriting.'
He drew out a single sheet of paper, and Rampole and the General bent over it as he spread it out on the table. There was no date or heading. The message was written in the centre of the sheet: `Be careful. Tower of London, one-thirty. Suspect. Vital.- Mary.'
Hadley read it aloud, scowling. `Mary?' he repeated. 'Now we've got to find a Mary. Let's see. Postmarked London, W, ten-thirty last night. This thing is beginning to get on my nerves.' Pushing the letter out on the desk, he turned to the contents of the handkerchief again. `I must say the sergeant is thorough. He even included the dead man's ring and tie-pin. But here's our hope. Loose-leaf note-book, black leather.'
Opening the note-book, he let his eye run along the few scrawled lines on the first sheet.
`Listen to this! Notes of some sort, with dashes between. Apparently it's in Driscoll's handwriting:
` 'Best place?.:. Tower?… Track down hat… Unfortunate Trafalgar… can't transfix… 10… Wood Hedges or shield. Find out'.'
`But that's gibberish!' General Mason protested, somewhat — superfluously. `It doesn't mean anything. At least, it may have meant something, but….'
`But he's left out the connecting words,' Hadley supplied. `It seems to refer to some clue for following our hat-man.'
`Read that again!' Dr Fell. suddenly boomed from his coreer. On his big face was a blank expression which slowly turned to something like amusementas the chief inspector; repeated the words….
`Mrs Larkin is here, sir,' said the voice of Sergeant Hamper from the door.
A series of chuckles were running down the bulges of Dr Fell's waistcoat. His small eyes twinkled, and ashes' from his pipe were blown about him. He looked like the Spirit of the Volcano.
Mrs Amanda Georgette. Larkin looked about carefully before she entered, rather as though she expected to find a bucket of water balanced on the top of the door. Then she marched in, saw the empty chair beside Hadley's' desk, and sat down without further ado. She was a tall, rather heavy, woman, well dressed in dark clothes of the sort called 'sensible'; which word, as in its usual context, means an absence of charm.
Hadley hitched his own chair round. `Mrs Larkin, I am Chief Inspector Hadley. Naturally, you understand, I dislike having to inconvenience any of you. But you may be able to give us some very important information.'
`Maybe,' grunted Mrs Larkin, hitching her shoulders. 'But, first, before you ask me any questions, give me your word anything I say will be treated as a confidence.'
Hadley considered gravely. 'I can make no promises. If anything you say has a direct bearing on this investigation, I can't treat it as a confidence. Is that clear?'.. Besides, Mrs Larkin, I'm almost positive I've seen you somewhere before.'
She shrugged, `Maybe you have, and maybe you haven't. That's as it may be. But there's no slop in the business who's got anything on me. I'm a respectable widow. I don't know anything, about your investigation, and I haven't anything to tell you.'
All this time Mrs Larkin seemed to be having: some difficulty with her cuff. Under her dark coat she, seemed to have on some sort of tailored suit, with turned-up white cuffs; whether the, left-hand one was sliding down, or her capable fingers had a habit of, playing with it, Rampole could not tell. If Hadley, noticed it, he gave no sign.
'Do you know what happened here, Mrs Larkin?'
`Certainly I know. There was enough talk from the crowd over the way.'
`Then you may know that the, dead man is Mr Philip Driscoll, of Tavistock Chambers, Tavistock Square. On the paper you filled out you say that you lived in this building also. What is the number of your flat?'
