Mrs. Prescott looked helplessly at her daughter who regarded her with kindly contempt. ‘Baby-girl, you know you didn’t. You mustn’t waste this gentleman’s time. Now go in and do your painting.’
Angel looked at Terrell.?‘Mummy has always been stupid about me. She never believes anything I say. I saw them last night.’
‘Angel!’ Mrs. Prescott exclaimed with feeble anger. Do what I say! Go in and do your painting!’
The child lifted her beautiful little hands in a gesture of impatience.?‘That’s all she thinks about… she imagines I’m going to be a famous artist. I have less talent than a cow.’
‘She’s really very talented,’ Mrs. Prescott said to Terrell ‘You have no idea. She just says…’
‘Would you let me talk to her?’ Terrell asked gently. ‘May I come in?’
Mrs. Prescott again pushed her hair off her forehead. She looked distracted.?‘Mummy! For goodness sake! Don’t be so corny!’ Angel said sharply. ‘You know you’re dying for me to get some publicity.’
Giving her mother a little shove, she smiled at Terrell. ‘Come on in,’ and she turned and walked into the shabby sitting room.
‘Well, I suppose you’d better,’ Mrs. Prescott said helplessly. ‘She’s really quite unusual for her age. I’m sure she can’t tell you anything, but if you don’t mind…’
‘I don’t mind,’ Terrell said and entered the room where Angel was already sitting, her hands clasped around her sun tanned knees.
‘Mummy, would you go away,’ Angel said. ‘I can’t talk to him with you fluttering around like a moth.’
‘You see?’ Mrs. Prescott said with pride. ‘She isn’t like an ordinary child. She …’ ‘Mummy! Please…!’
Mrs. Prescott hesitated fluttered then said as she was leaving the room. ‘She really doesn’t know anything. She’s always romancing.’
There was a pause until the door shut, then Terrell took out his pipe and began to fill it. ‘Tel] me about it, Angel,’ he said. ‘What did you see last night?’?‘Do you know what I want more than anything else in this world?’ the child asked, staring intently at Terrell.
Terrell was startled.?‘That’s not answering my question. Listen, Angel, it is very important that I should find who killed Mr. Henekey. If you can help me, it’s your duty to do so.’
Angel scratched her left leg.?‘I want a Teddy Bear as big as myself and that growls,’ she said. ‘That’s what I want more than anything else in the world.’
Terrell shifted. He paused to light his pipe.
‘If you ask your mother nicely, she’ll probably give it to you.’ he said. ‘Now who did you see last night?’
‘Mummy never gives me anything. She hasn’t any money. I’ll never get a Teddy Bear as big as myself and that growls from her.’
‘Let’s forget about the Teddy Bear,’ Terrell said firmly. ‘Who did you see last night? Was it someone going into Mr. Henekey’s cabin?’
Angel scratched her right leg while she stared at Terrell, her blue eyes innocent and wide. ‘Yes, that’s right. There were two of them.’?‘Do you remember the time when you saw them?’?‘It was five minutes to one. I have a dock by my bed. I woke up suddenly and the first thing I did was to put my torch on and look at my clock.’
‘Then what did you do?’
The child smiled at him.?‘I don’t remember.’?‘You looked out of the window,’ Terrell said patiently, ‘and you saw two men go into Mr. Henekey’s cabin. That’s right, isn’t it?’
‘I don’t remember.’
Terrell puffed at his pipe while he regarded the child, then he said, ‘Why did you say you could help me, Angel?’
‘Oh, I can help you.’ She got to her feet and walked over to the radio. She switched it on. While waiting for the sound to come up, she said, ‘The thing I want more than anything else in the world is…’
‘I know,’ Terrell said. ‘You’ve already told me, but can’t do anything about that. You must ask your mummy.’
Dance music came over the air and Angel began to move her beautiful little body in time with the music.
‘Goodbye,’ she said. ‘I’m busy now.’
‘Now, listen, young lady,’ Terrell said sharply. ‘You have to tell me about these two men. Turn that off!’
Rather to his surprise she did so immediately and went back to her chair. She sat down and arranged her golden hair, lifting herself a little so she could see herself in the mirror on the opposite wall.
‘What I want more than anything else in the world…’ she began, stopped and smiled at Terrell who looked helplessly at her.
‘Where do you sleep?’ he asked.?‘In the next room. Go and look.’
He got up and left the room Mrs. Prescott was standing nervously in the kitchen doorway. ‘May I go in?’ Terrell said, pausing outside Angel’s room. She nodded and Terrell entered the tiny room. He crossed to the window and saw that he was looking straight at Henekey’s cabin.
The child’s bed was close to the window. He saw that if she had sat up and looked out of the window she could have seen anyone entering Henekey’s cabin.
Mrs. Prescott came to the door.?‘Please don’t take Angel seriously. She is too advanced for her age and she does romance. You really shouldn’t listen to her.’
‘That’s all right,’ Terrell said. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ and he went back into the sitting room and shut the door.
Angel was standing before the mirror, examining herself with concentrated interest. She turned and smiled at him.
‘If I bought you a Teddy Bear,’ Terrell said, ‘would you tell me who you saw going into Mr. Henekey’s cabin?’
‘Of course, but it has to be as big as myself and it has to growl.’?‘You really did see these two men? You see, Angel, I would have to pay for your bear out of my own pocket. It wouldn’t be very nice if you were telling stories just to get what you want.’
The child shook her head.
‘I wouldn’t do that. There were two of them. I can describe them.’ She smiled brightly at him. ‘The trouble is I keep asking Mummy and she hasn’t any money. I do really want a Teddy Bear that’s…’
‘All right,’ Terrell said, ‘I’ll get it for you and then you’ll help me… right?’
She gave him her charming smile?‘Thank you. Yes, I’ll help you.’
Terrell left the cabin and went in search of Beigler. When he had found him, he said, ‘Joe, I have an important job for you. I want you to drive fast to Miami and get a Teddy Bear, about three and a half feet tall that growls,’ Terrell said, keeping his face straight with an effort.
Beigler stared at Terrell.?‘A Teddy Bear? Look, Chief …’?‘It’s an order, Joe. Get going. It’s got to growl and make sure it is at least three and a half feet tall.’
Beigler’s face was a study. He drew in a long, choking breath and dragged at his shirt collar with hooked fingers.
‘Who’s going to pay for it?’ he demanded.
Terrell handed over a fifty dollar bill.?‘She’s a curie,’ he said and grinned. ‘She knows something, so we’re doing a trade. Go get it, Joe, and hurry.’
Beigler opened and shut his mouth, took the bill and then plodded away towards his car.?*****
Val walked along the path of the ornamental garden to where her husband was sitting. She found hint under a shady tree, listlessly staring down at his hands. Some twenty yards behind him, sat an Amazon of a nurse who gave Val an encouraging smile when she saw her, her knitting needles ceaselessly clicking.
There was a vacant chair near Chris’, and as Val drew nearer, he looked up, frowned, then smiled and reaching out, pulled the chair closer to him.’
‘Hello,’ he said. ‘I was wondering if you were coming.’
‘I’ve been waking all the morning to come,’ she said. ‘How are you, darling?’?‘I’m all right. What have you been doing with yourself?’ He looked steadily at her. The blankness of his eyes tugged at her heart. ‘You’re looking very brown. Been swimming?’
‘Yes. The water is marvellous.’ She groped for something else to say but could find nothing. The weight of what Homer Hare had said paralysed her mind.
