cannot think what drove her to it. I wish I had been able to help. I feel awfully guilty, but I had no idea at all there was anything wrong.'
Charlotte was conscious of the minutes ticking away, mindful that early callers might come at any time after three.
'She didn't kill herself,' she said brutally. 'She was murdered.'
There was total silence. The light died from Caroline's face, and her body hunched into itself; suddenly she looked thinner.
'Murdered?' She repeated the word. 'How could you know? Are you trying to frighten me, Charlotte?'
It was precisely what she was trying to do, but to admit it would rob at least half its effect.
'Thomas told me, of course,' she answered. 'She died of belladonna poisoning, but the dose was far more than there had been in the house. It must have come from somewhere outside, No one else would give her poison for her to kill herself, so it can only have been murder, can't it?'
'I don't understand.' Caroline shook her head. 'Why should anyone kill Mina? She did no harm to anyone. She didn't have any money to leave, nor was she in line to inherit anything, so far as I know.' There was confusion in her face. 'It doesn't make any sense. Alston is the last sort of man to-to be having an affaire with another woman and wish to- No, it's ridiculous!' Her voice regained its conviction and she looked up. 'Thomas must have made a mistake-there is another explanation. We simply have not found it yet.' She sat a little straighter in her chair. 'She must have brought it from somewhere. I'm sure if he looks-'
'Thomas is an excellent policeman and he does not make mistakes,' Emily said, to Charlotte's amazement. It was a very sweeping statement, and less than true, but Emily continued regardless: 'He will have thought of all those things. If he says it is murder, then it is! We had best face it, and conduct ourselves accordingly.' She opened her eyes wide and stared at Caroline, then shifted them a little, unable to look at her and deal the final blow. 'And of course that means police all over the place, investigating everything and everyone! There won't be any secrets left in the entire neighborhood.'
Caroline did not immediately understand. She saw the unpleas shy;antness of it; indeed she could hardly have forgotten Cater Street, and she saw the dangers to those closely involved with Mina, but not her own peril.
Emily sat back, her face tight with pity, feeling a sense of guilt because she did not intend to be the one hurt.
'Mama,' she said slowly, 'Charlotte says you have lost a pendant, and that it is of such a nature that you would prefer, if you were not the one to find it, that it was not found at all. This is a time when the utmost discretion is necessary. Even quite innocent acts can look very odd if they become public and everyone in Society begins to discuss them. Stories frequently grow in the telling, you know.'
They always grow in the telling, Charlotte thought miserably, and almost without exception for the worse- unless, of course, one is telling them oneself! She wondered now if she Tiad done the right thing in bringing Emily here. She might have said the same things herself, but sitting and looking on, listening, it sounded so much harsher than she would have wished. Indeed it had a ring of selfishness to it, as if it were Emily's reputation that was the first fear and Charlotte were merely self-righteous and inquisitive, carried away with her own imagination of herself as a detective.
They had not been very subtle.
She looked across at Emily and saw the pink in her skin, warm even up to her eyes, and she knew that Emily was sud shy;denly conscious of it too.
Charlotte leaned forward and clasped Caroline's hands. They were stiff, and she made no effort to respond.
'Mama!' Charlotte said. 'We must find out all we can about Mina's death, so that the investigation can be over with before there is time for Thomas, or anyone else, to start thinking about other people's lives! She must have been killed for some reason- either love or hate, jealousy, greed-something!' She let out her breath in a sharp little noise. 'Or most probably fear. Mina was clever, you said that. She was worldly wise, she observed a lot. Maybe she knew something about somebody that was worth killing to hide. There is a thief here, that is inescapable. Perhaps Mina knew who the thief was and was foolish enough to let the person see that she knew. Or maybe she was the thief herself and stole something someone would kill to retrieve.'
Emily rushed in, glad to have something practical to say to overlay the emotions. 'For goodness' sake, hasn't Thomas searched the house? He should have thought of that! It's simple enough!'
'Of course he has!' Charlotte snapped, then realized how her voice sounded. She did not need to defend Thomas; Emily thought well enough of him and, in her own way, liked him considerably. 'They didn't find anything,' she continued. 'At least not anything they could understand to be important. But if we ask questions and investigate a little, we may perceive things that they could not. People are not going to tell the police more than they can help, are they?'
'Of course not!' Emily said eagerly. 'But they wiH talk to us! And we can hear things Thomas would not- inflections, lies-because we know the people. That's quite definitely what we must do! Mama, we shall come calling with you this afternoon, immediately! Where shall we begin?'
Caroline smiled bleakly. There was no point in fighting.
'With Alston Spencer-Brown,' Charlotte replied for her. 'We shall express our deepest sympathy and shock. It would be quite appropriate. We will be overcome with the tragedy and not able to think of anything else.'
'Of course,' Emily said, standing up and pulling her skirt into the order she wished it. 'I am quite desolated.'
'You didn't even know her!' Caroline pointed out.
Emily looked at her coolly.
'One must be practical, Mama. I have met her at several soirees. I was most Fond of her. Indeed I am convinced we were just at the beginning of a long and intimate friendship. He is not to know the difference. What did she look like? I will appear foolish if I do not recognize a portrait or a photograph. Although I could always say I was short-sighted- But I don't wish to do that. Then I should have to fall over things to make it seem true.'
Caroline shut her eyes and put her fingers wearily over them.
'She was about your height,' she said, 'but very slender, almost thin, and she had a very long neck. She looked younger than she was. She was fair, with an excellent complexion.'
'What about her features, and her hair?'
'Oh, she had regular enough features-a little small, perhaps? And very soft hair, sort of light mouse. She was really quite charming, when she chose. And she dressed excellently, nearly always in pale shades, especially creams. Very clever of her. It gave her an air of delicate innocence that appeals to men.'
'Good,' Emily said. 'Then we are ready to go. We don't want to be there with a whole lot of other people. We must not stay too long or we will make him suspicious, but we must see him alone. Goodness! I hope he is receiving? He hasn't taken to his bed or anything?'
'I don't think so.' Caroline stood up reluctantly. 'I suppose I would have heard if he had. Servants always talk.' '
Charlotte saw the hesitation in her, the desire even now to escape the necessity.
'You must come, Mama. We can hardly go alone. It would be most awkward. You are the only one who knows him.'
'I am coming,' Caroline said wearily. 'But I won't pretend I wish to. This whole thing is horribly ugly, and I wish we had nothing to do with it. I wish it had been suicide and we could let her rest in peace-be sorry, but not keep on thinking about it.'
'I daresay!' Emily said a little sharply. 'But we can't. And if we wish to have an acceptable outcome to the affair, then we must make it for ourselves! Charlotte is perfectly right.'
Charlotte resented the implication that the whole thing was her idea, but there was nothing to be gained by arguing now. She followed them out obediently.
Alston Spencer-Brown received them in a traditionally dark shy;ened room. All the blinds were drawn halfway down the windows, and there was black crepe around the mirror, several of the photographs, and on the piano. He himself was dressed in the soberest clothes, the only touch of relief the white of his shirt.
'How kind of you to call,' he said in a small voice. He looked stunned, shorter and narrower than Charlotte had imag shy;ined him.
