Crime at Tattenham Corner (9 page)

The two detectives walked to the end of the Square before they managed to pick up a taxi. When they were safely ensconced in it, Stoddart looked at Harbord with a smile.

“Your theory does not seem to hold water, my lad.”

“I don't know,” Harbord said slowly. “I do not like Ellerby: he is keeping something back.”

“I could have told you that on the 3rd of June,” the inspector said at once. “The question is: What is it?”

“I thought you said you were going abroad, Sophie.”

Mrs. Aubrey Dolphin was the speaker. She looked curiously at her sister. The two were in Lady Burslem's sitting-room, a room that had been specially done up by Sir John in the delicate tints that best suited his young wife's colouring. The walls were grey, and panelled in the very faintest blue. A long strip of wonderful tapestry hung between the windows. Only the old rose in the Aubusson carpet gave a touch of colour. The chairs and sofa were covered in grey silk damask. The cushions matched save that pink and black curves and lines ran riot over them. A couple of Chippendale chairs and a table stood near the window. There were no pictures or photographs or ornaments except an impressionist sketch of Sir John Burslem that hung over the mantelpiece, and a big copper bowl of roses on the writing-table.

“I did think of going abroad,” Lady Burslem said wearily. “I thought perhaps when everything was different I might forget. But it seems I can't go until this dreadful inquest is over. They say my testimony may be wanted any time. And – and there is any amount of business that I must do myself. That mine in South Africa – I must see the manager.”

“Sophie! What on earth do you know about mines in South Africa or anywhere else?”

“Oh, John has taught me a lot since we were married,” Sophie said, her lips trembling. “He – he often told me I was the aptest pupil he ever had.”

“I should have said you were one of the most unbusiness-like people in the world,” Mrs. Dolphin remarked politely. “However, one never knows. There was a poisonous looking woman asking for you in the hall just now, Sophie. They were trying to get rid of her.”

“I am not seeing anyone,” Sophie said in an uninterested fashion. “No one but my own people, that is to say. I should be inundated with callers if I allowed myself to be visible.”

There was a tap at the door and Forbes appeared. “My lady, there is a person asking for you in the hall. Henry says they can't get rid of her anyhow.”

“They must tell her to go,” Lady Burslem said impatiently. “Say I am seeing no one.”

“Yes, my lady.” Forbes hesitated. “Only Henry said, your ladyship said no one but the family, and this lady said – said her name was Burslem – Mrs. James Burslem. And while he was telling her that it was impossible for her to see your ladyship, Miss Burslem came in, and – and the lady introduced herself to her, and Miss Burslem took her into the library.”

“Mrs. James Burslem!” Sophie repeated, her white cheeks suddenly flushing crimson. “Oh, I think I must see her. After all, she is my sister-in-law.”

“A sister-in-law your husband took care to keep at a distance,” Mrs. Dolphin said contemptuously. “Don't be an ass, Sophie. Of course you need not be interviewed by this woman because she married your husband's brother. A nice time he has had with her, I should imagine, from the look of her. But, if you feel she is being badly treated, I will ascertain for you what she wants.”

“No,” Lady Burslem said firmly, “I must see her myself.” She got up as she spoke. “No, Clare, I would rather go alone, really. I don't suppose I shall be very long. You stay here –”

“Certainly not!” said Mrs. Dolphin in a tone as decided as her sister's. “I shall not leave you alone to face the brazen-looking creature I saw downstairs.”

Lady Burslem still looked inclined to object, but Clare Dolphin settled the matter by taking her arm and marching her downstairs.

The library door was ajar and they could hear voices inside the room, Pamela's and another's, loud, and with a pronounced cockney twang. As she heard it, Sophie Burslem shivered.

Mrs. James Burslem was standing on the hearthrug with one arm round Pamela, who in her sombre black looked an odd contrast to her stepmother in her loose, white kimono.

Mrs. James Burslem dropped her hold of Pamela and came across the room to greet Sophie. She took Lady Burslem in her arms, the big fur coat she wore, warm though the day was, flopping and seeming to envelop Lady Burslem altogether.

“You poor darling! What you must have gone through! My heart has bled for you!” she said in a loud, raucous tone. “I was just telling Pamela here that I have thought of nothing else since I saw the terrible news in the paper. You had my letter, of course?”

With some difficulty Sophie extricated herself from the voluminous embrace. “Yes, I think so,” she said, putting her hand to her head. The flush that had been called up by the news of Mrs. James's arrival had faded now, leaving her by contrast more ghastly looking than ever.

“Just to explain how it was Jimmy couldn't come to the funeral, you know,” Mrs. James went on. “Now just you sit down, you poor dear,” giving Lady Burslem a push into the nearest chair. “I went to the church, of course, and I thought maybe you would have asked me to come back after; but of course you were not there or anybody that knew me. You expected Jimmy, naturally.”

“No, I didn't expect anybody,” Sophie returned faintly.

“Then I am sure you would not be disappointed,” Mrs. Jimmy returned with a loud laugh that set her sister-in-law's teeth on edge.

“Well, I should have liked to have seen you then, of course. But today I simply had to come. I have a message for you – a special message.” 

Lady Burslem did not look particularly interested. “I have such heaps of letters and messages every day.”

“Ah!” Mrs. Jimmy's raddled face assumed a portentous look. “But not this sort of message. You don't know much about me, Sophie, or you would know that I am possessed of great psychic powers. Now, my friend, Winnie Margetson, is simply the most wonderful medium in the world. We had a séance the other day with the most marvellous results. A message came through to you – I promised to deliver it myself. It is really why I am here today, and I must give it to you alone.”

“Why?” Lady Burslem inquired in a lifeless tone. “Was it anything important?”

“Well, it depends on what you call important,” Mrs. James said, with a glance at Mrs. Dolphin, which that lady, rightly interpreting as a desire to dismiss her, quietly ignored. It is a message from your husband.”

“My husband!” There was no mistaking the effect of the words on Lady Burslem. She sprang up in her chair as if electrified, flushing hotly red. “You couldn't!”

“Now don't get excited,” Mrs. Jimmy returned, with the accent on the first syllable. “The message came through right enough and I was to give it to you when you were alone. I have one for you too, Pamela.”

“Oh, what is it?' The girl caught her aunt's arm. 

That lady quietly removed it.

“Well, first he said that you were not to fret about him. That he was in a beautiful garden and that he was happier than he had ever been on earth.”

“Oh, did he say so, really? Do tell me –”

“Don't be so silly, Sophie,” Mrs. Dolphin burst out. “I beg your pardon, Mrs. Burslem, but I have not one atom of faith in Spiritualism. As for John Burslem, if he says he is happy in a beautiful garden, his tastes have altered. I can imagine him happy on a racecourse, or reading the Stock Exchange reports, but in a beautiful garden – no.”

“Ah, his eyes are open now. Some day yours will be,” Mrs. Jimmy retorted.

As she spoke she threw off her coat and stood with her ample proportions revealed in what looked remarkably like a black satin chemise. It was very short and extremely skimpy, and Mrs. James Burslem's figure was not of the kind to look well in short, skimpy garments. Her fleshy arms were bare to the shoulder, her neck betrayed a tendency to lie in rolls of fat. Her hair, obviously owing its colour to peroxide, had been shingled and lay in a fashionable curl on each cheek. Her complexion might almost have been scraped off with a spoon, and the scarlet lips, like those of most of her fellows, owed their colour to the universal lip-stick. Her teeth were her own undoubtedly by right of purchase, and Mrs. Burslem was proud of them and showed them very frequently in an expansive smile. Her eyes were big and prominent and of a very light blue.

Mrs. Dolphin, watching her, observed that, though the full lips smiled, the blue eyes never lost their greedy, rapacious look.

“Everybody seems to have a lot of bother in this world,” she went on. “I am sure that while my heart has been bleeding for you, I have been that worried I have scarcely known whether my name was Kitty Burslem or not. Oh, Sophie! – I may call you Sophie, I suppose?”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Lady Burslem assented. Her colour had died away now. She was very pale. “I am sorry to hear you have had a lot of worry. I hope it is nothing serious.”

“Oh, well, it depends what you call serious,” Mrs. Jimmy said with a loud, grating laugh. “You don't ask me to sit down, Sophie. But I suppose I may, even if Pam and this other lady stand.”

She dropped into a chair opposite Lady Burslem as she spoke. “It is about Jimmy. You see, I know where he is, but it is jolly difficult to get at him or to get any money out of him. It always is when he is in Tibet or farther away. And I don't know whether he told you, but poor John always made me an allowance. He was good in that way, though I don't say he was as friendly as I should have liked, but if I was in any difficulty, or Jimmy either, he was always ready with his purse.”

“Yes, I know,” Lady Burslem said with more warmth than she had yet shown. “He – my husband would have wished me to help you, I am sure. He always made you an allowance when you were alone. We will have a talk about it presently.”

“You are very good,” Mrs. Jimmy said gratefully. “I must say I thought you would be. ‘She has just lost her husband,' I said to myself. ‘That will open her heart to all widows, grass, or otherwise.' This little talk about – funds now, when can we have it?” Her glance at Mrs. Dolphin and Pamela plainly showed her desire for their absence. But neither of them moved.

“Yes,” Sophie said feverishly. “Of course we must have it now. Clare, Pam, do you mind –”

“Certainly not,” Mrs. Dolphin said in a huffy tone. “Come, Pamela.”

But Pamela looked distinctly unwilling to move.

“I suppose if I go away now I shall see you again, Aunt Kitty?”

“You bet!” Aunt Kitty replied in tones that were an odd contrast to the girl's. “But I don't know about today. I expect I shall have to get on when I have had my little talk with your stepma. So I think I will say good-bye now.”

She got up and laying a hand on each of Pamela's shoulders kissed her heartily on both cheeks.

“And, mind, you must come soon to pay me that little visit you spoke of, but I shall be in another day before long and we will fix it up then. I am sure you would be happy in my house, and I should love to have a girl with me. I would take you to a séance.” She turned her niece round to the door.

“Now this is nice and real friendly of you, Sophie,” they heard Mrs. Jimmy say before they closed the door.

“Well” – Clare Dolphin drew a long breath – “what an appalling woman! I think both you and Sophie must have taken leave of your senses, Pam, to make this fuss of her!”

“I have not,” Pam said coldly. “You forget that she is my uncle's wife, and he is my only living relative now that Dad – is dead!” her breath catching in a sob.

“I always understood that James Burslem went exploring to get rid of his wife,” Mrs. Dolphin returned. “Now I have seen her I am not surprised. If you want any more relatives like that –”

“I never look down upon people because they have not much money,” Pamela said with dignity.

“Neither do I,” Mrs. Dolphin returned equably. “I have precious little myself, but I do not fraternize with people of Mrs. James Burslem's stamp. However, every man to his taste. At least I hope that neither you nor Sophie will be silly enough to go to these séances she talks about.”

“I want to go to one above all things,” Pamela said perversely. “And now that we can get into communication with Daddy –”

“Rubbish! But I have no time to waste talking about Mrs. James Burslem. I just wanted to speak to Ellerby. I suppose we might ask for him.”

“Of course.” Pamela rang the bell. “Please send Mr. Ellerby here,” she said to the man who answered it.

“Yes, miss.” The man looked at her rather oddly. “We can't find Mr. Ellerby, miss.”

“Can't find Mr. Ellerby?” Pamela echoed. “What do you mean?”

“Well, miss, he isn't anywhere in the house as far as we know. We can't make it out, none of us.

“But of course he must be in the house,” Mrs. Dolphin interrupted. “He was here last night, I suppose?”

“Yes, ma'am,” James said, turning round to her. “Henry saw him at twelve. But when he did not appear this morning at his usual time, I went to see if he was ill or anything. It looked as if he had just jumped out of bed and gone off!”

“Extraordinary! What on earth should he go out for?” Mrs. Dolphin questioned blankly. Then, after a moment's cogitation, “Stay! did I not hear her ladyship say Ellerby was a married man with a wife living near?”

“Yes, ma'am, married he is, and his wife lives somewhere down Battersea way, and lets rooms to single gentlemen.”

“That is where Ellerby is, you may depend upon it,” Clare Dolphin said with an air of relief.

“Perhaps he did not feel well after he had gone to his room, and he thought he would go home for his wife to look after him. It is quite natural, but of course he ought to have let some one know. Perhaps he has, or some letter or message has miscarried.”