Murder of a Lady (25 page)

Chapter XXXVIII

The Face in the Water

Eoghan rose and ran to the window. As he approached it he saw the large form of Dr. Hailey bending over someone who lay on the ground on the spot where Inspector Barley had fallen. The doctor lit an electric lamp and illuminated the face of the man. A cry broke from Eoghan's lips. It was his father.

The old man spoke his name again. He threw himself on his knees beside him.

“Here I am, father—Eoghan.”

The long withered eyelids opened wide. A smile of wonderful contentment appeared on the thin lips.

“Give me your hand…”

Eoghan took his father's hands in his own. He bent and kissed the old man on the brow.

“I'm killed, boy…” A fresh groan broke from Duchlan's lips and his features became convulsed. But the spasm of pain passed. “He struck me on the head…as he struck the policeman.” He broke off, gasping for breath. Dr. Hailey bent forward.

“Please don't try to talk, sir, it's only wasting your strength.”

Duchlan shook his head. His grip of his son's hands tightened.

“It was my fault,” he whispered, “from the beginning. But you've forgiven me. Tell me again, Eoghan, boy, that you've forgiven me?”

“Yes, father.”

He smiled again. His face, Dr. Hailey thought, looked younger. But suddenly they saw the light in his eyes grow dim. A cold rigidity spread over his features, fixing them in an expressionless stare. He moved convulsively, like a man who tries to break strong bonds; he managed to raise himself on his elbow.

“This must be death…”

Suddenly his voice rang out clear and full of passion. He pronounced the name “Kathleen”. A moment later he was dead in Eoghan's arms. Dr. Hailey opened his dressing-gown and put his ear to his chest.

“He's dead.”

“What happened, doctor? What is this frightful thing?”

Eoghan's voice was hoarse with emotion.

“Your father came out through the window. I wasn't able to warn him in time. He came on in spite of my shout.”

The young man's breath had become laboured. He bent his head.

“It passed close to me going down to the burn. If I hadn't promised you to obey orders I could have prevented It. I saw It swimming away.”

His voice faded in horror.

“We must carry him into the house,” the doctor said. “Unhappily there's something that remains to do. You must prepare your courage.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come—”

As he spoke Dr. Hailey passed his hands under the old man's body and after a moment of hesitation Eoghan followed his example. They lifted the body and began to walk slowly towards the french-window.

“We had better take him to the study.”

They moved very slowly in the darkness and several minutes elapsed before they found the couch. As they laid Duchlan on this bed, on which his wife had been laid, a sob broke from Eoghan's lips. Dr. Hailey struck a match to light the lamp. He saw the young man kneeling beside the couch, with his arms outstretched over his father's body.

The sound of a thud, dull, sickening, came to them through the open door.

Eoghan jumped to his feet.

“What was that?”

He strode out into the hall and stood listening. Dr. Hailey joined him. The sound of heavy breathing came to them through the open window of the writing-room. The doctor lit his torch. Suddenly a shrill cry rang out. It was followed by a splash. Eoghan gripped his companion's arm so that the beam of the torch was turned on to his face. His face was bloodless and his brow shone with sweat.

“There it is again.”

They rushed to the french-window. The first breathing of dawn showed them the mouth of the burn, black as old pewter. The surface of the water was troubled though no wind blew.

They ran down the bank to the water's edge. The troubling had ceased and the surface of the little estuary lay, mirror-like, under the lightening sky. Dr. Hailey plunged into the water, which reached above his waist, and then bent down. Eoghan saw a white object, which he recognized suddenly as a human face, emerge from the water.

Chapter XXXIX

Dr. Hailey Explains

An hour later Dr. McDonald came limping into the study where Oonagh, Eoghan, and Dr. Hailey awaited him. He sat down and arranged his wooden leg.

“Well?” Dr. Hailey asked.

“I agree with you. Duchlan was murdered exactly as Dundas and Barley were murdered. Christina died from drowning but her arm had been broken. There are herring scales on Duchlan's wound and on one of Christina's hands.” McDonald's face expressed a lively horror. He added: “And still we remain without an explanation.”

“I don't think so. I know the explanation.” Dr. Hailey put his eyeglass in his eye as he spoke. He turned to Eoghan: “The first gleam of light,” he said, “came when your father told me that during the epidemic of diphtheria here your mother nursed Christina's son through his last illness and so gave her life for the boy. I know the Highland character. Gratitude is one of its strongest elements.”

He rose and stood in front of the fire.

“Christina from that hour, I feel sure, gave you all the mother-love which had belonged to her son and, in addition, all the kindness which your mother's sacrifice had awakened in her warm heart.”

“She did,” Eoghan exclaimed. “She was my real mother.”

There were tears in his eyes. He brushed them hastily aside.

“For which reason her feelings towards your aunt cannot have been other than bitterly hostile. In fact she admitted to me that they were hostile. She knew to what distresses your aunt had subjected your father's bride, she knew that your mother's happiness had been ruined by a process of exhaustion against which no happiness could be proof and she knew that, in a sense, at any rate, Miss Gregor was directly responsible for your mother's death.” The doctor leaned forward. “But she was a Highland woman, a member of this household, in whose faithful eyes duty to your father, her master and chief, overshadowed every other duty. Since your aunt was Duchlan's sister, she must continue to serve her.

“That attitude endured right through your childhood, till your marriage. Christina's behaviour towards your aunt was respectful and solicitous until the illness of your little son began. But Hamish's illness effected a great change…”

The doctor broke off. He readjusted his eyeglass.

“That illness was undoubtedly most alarming both to nurse and mother. To a superstitious mind, and Christina shared the mental outlook of her race, fits, even the mildest and least serious fits, always seem to partake of the supernatural. It is for that reason that epileptic children are called ‘fey' in so many country villages all the world over. Christina undoubtedly felt that some evil influence was at work. She did not need to look far in order to discover it. Your aunt was already behaving towards your wife as she had behaved towards your mother. The tragedy of your father's marriage was being re-enacted before the eyes of the woman who loved you as only a mother can love. To the strong emotions of motherhood was added, therefore, that fear which haunts superstitious minds and, sooner or later, compels them to action. Your aunt, in Christina's eyes, was become the deadly enemy of the Duchlan family in that she was secretly, by evil influences, destroying the health of its youngest heir, possibly even threatening his life. Thus the reason which had existed for serving your aunt faithfully was changed into a reason for opposing her by every means. Motherhood and loyalty to this family were joined against the enemy of both.”

Dr. Hailey allowed his eyeglass to drop. It touched one of the buttons of his waistcoat and the sound struck sharply on the silence which filled the room.

‘‘Christina told me,” Oonagh said, “that she was sure some evil influence was at work against Hamish's health. She said the child would not recover until that influence was destroyed.”

“Exactly.”

“She repeated it again and again.”

Dr. Hailey readjusted his eyeglass.

“Bearing this in mind, let us come to the night of Miss Gregor's death. That event had been preceded by two important happenings, namely, your flight from this house, Mrs. Gregor, and the discovery of your meetings with Dr. McDonald on the shore. In the first instance Christina was sent as an ambassador to bring you home and from what you, McDonald, told me I conclude that, though Christina exonerated her young mistress from all blame, she was less ready to pardon you. You told me that she quoted the words: ‘Whom God hath joined together…'”

“She did, yes, as she was leaving the house.”

“Note how jealous she was of the Duchlan honour. That jealousy was certainly re-awakened when she learned about the meetings on the shore. Hers was not a mind, I think, able to understand the need of asking advice in a difficulty. Her own feelings compelled her so powerfully that she could not imagine the state of mind in which such compulsion is absent.” He turned to Eoghan. “Consequently she foresaw the immediate disruption of your marriage if news of what was afoot reached you. Here again the danger was your aunt.” Oonagh had flushed hotly. She put her hand on her husband's hand.

“Christina told me,” she stated, “that she was very much afraid of Eoghan's return, because his aunt was going to poison his mind.”

“Did she urge you to see as little as possible of Dr. McDonald?”

“Yes. I told her Eoghan was incapable of misunderstanding.”

“Which she did not believe?”

“Which she did not believe.”

Dr. Hailey nodded. “Very well, now we come down to the night of the murder. The important fact to grasp is that, on that night, you, Mrs. Gregor, had gone early to bed after a severe quarrel with your aunt. But you were roused because Hamish was ill again. You put on a blue dressing-gown to go to the nursery. Incidentally you received a letter from your husband in which he told you of his financial loss and begged you to keep on good terms with Miss Gregor. This letter was the cause of your going downstairs, while Dr. McDonald was busy with Hamish, to report to Miss Gregor on the boy's condition. Christina was coming out of Miss Gregor's bedroom candle in hand. As soon as she saw you your aunt showed the liveliest terror and drove you from the room, locking the door behind you.”

He glanced at Oonagh for confirmation. She nodded.

“Yes.”

“Why should Miss Gregor have reacted in that extraordinary way? I believe the answer is that, standing in the dim candlelight, in your blue gown, you looked exactly like Eoghan's mother. So, years before, Eoghan's mother had come into that room, knife in hand, and with the light of a feverish insanity in her eyes.”

Dr. Hailey's voice fell to a whisper.

“That insanity, the result of a fatal attack of diphtheria, had momentarily deprived its victim of her self-control, Miss Gregor was stabbed over the heart and severely wounded. The memory of that hour remained, quick and terrible, in her spirit. Panic seized her. In her panic she locked herself in, closing the windows as well as the door.” He turned to McDonald: “You heard the windows being shut?”

“I did.”

“She was therefore shut up in her bedroom. There is no question that the door was locked. Now consider the case of Inspector Dundas. That poor man made one important discovery, namely, that you, Captain Gregor, had just suffered a heavy loss at cards and must, if possible, obtain money from your aunt. I take it that you told your wife that Dundas had learned of this necessity?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Where did you tell her?”

Eoghan looked surprised. He frowned and then his brow cleared.

“I remember. I told her one night while we were sitting in the nursery.”

“Was Christina present in the room?”

“Yes, she was. I remember it all quite distinctly now. Christina said she didn't trust Dundas who, she was sure, would give us great trouble. She had suffered cross-examination at his hands, and in addition he had dared to order her about like a servant.”

“I see. Dundas threatened your safety. There could be no greater crime in Christina's eyes. Barley's case resembled that of Dundas except that the threat in this instance was to your wife.” Dr. Hailey turned to Oonagh. “Was Christina in the nursery when you heard the splashes and saw the black, shining object swimming down the burn?”

“No, she wasn't. She'd gone into the pantry…”

“Was she in the nursery when Dundas was killed? You were there then, if you remember, awaiting my coming to see Hamish?”

Oonagh started; fear dawned in her eyes.

“She was going back and forwards to the pantry that night too,” she said.

The eyeglass fell. Dr. Hailey sat down and took out his snuff-box.

“In each of these wounds, as you know, one or more herring scales have been found. Throughout this investigation, therefore, efforts have been made to find a weapon likely to bear such scales. They have been unsuccessful. No weapon was found in Miss Gregor's room; none in Dundas's room; none near Barley's body, though the wardress in the car says she saw the gleam of steel.” He addressed Eoghan. “You say you saw the gleam of steel when your father was struck down?”

“I'm certain I saw it.”

“Yet there was no weapon in that case either?”

The young man shook his head.

“No.”

“Your aunt's wound was of a terribly severe nature but it was not mortal. In these circumstances one would have expected very severe bleeding. In fact there was very little bleeding. Only two explanations are possible; either she died of shock the moment she was wounded or the weapon remained impacted in the wound. She did not die the moment she was wounded because there is a trail of blood from the window to the bed. Nobody escaped from her room. That is certain, not only because your wife and McDonald were in the room below when the windows were shut and had a clear view of the only place to which an escaping murderer could descend but also because the windows were bolted on the inside. We arrive at the apparently absurd conclusion that the weapon which killed your aunt vanished away as soon as that lady's heart had stopped beating, that is to say as soon as her blood had ceased to flow.”

He took a pinch of snuff.

“In each case the weapon vanished after the blow had been struck. Come back to the murder of the lady. You, Mrs. Gregor, were the last person who saw her alive. She was then stricken with panic. I imagine that her first impulse was to return to bed and hide there. But soon the open windows attracted her notice. What if an attack was made from that direction? Panic does not reason; it acts. She jumped up and shut one of the windows. She was about to shut the other when she heard, far away, the sound of Captain Gregor's motor-boat. That sound, with its promise of safety and triumph, reassured her. She leaned out of the window the better to hear it. As she leaned there was a crash above her and she was wounded. She staggered back, shocked and panic-stricken. One arm was helpless but she managed to close and bolt the window with the other. She staggered across to her bed and sank down…Her heart stopped…”

The doctor leaned forward.

“You all know how much importance Barley attached to that spike in the wall above Miss Gregor's window. He observed, from the pantry on the top floor, that the rust on the spike had been rubbed away at one place and concluded that a rope had been used. There is another explanation. The weapon which struck Miss Gregor as she leaned out of the window may have struck the spike in the course of its descent. And that, in fact, is what happened.”

He rose and resumed his place in front of the fire.

“When Miss Gregor leaned out of her window, Christina, in the pantry above, saw her. The sound of the motor-boat reached Christina's ears also. That faithful, superstitious woman heard in the sound the doom of all those she loved, of you Captain Gregor, of you Mrs. Gregor, of your child. Of Duchlan himself. In a few minutes Miss Gregor's evil influence would be exerted to blast your marriage as it had been exerted to blast your father's marriage, as it was being exerted to destroy your son's health.”

Dr. Hailey paused and then added in quiet tones.

“At the moment when she heard the sound of the motor-boat, Christina was engaged in chipping ice from a large block to refill the ice-bag on Hamish's brow.”