Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

Inspector Hu Xu looked at them one by one politely.When he spoke, his tone was apologetic but persuasive. "I know it must be very painful for all of you," he said, "to have to go through this all over again. But we really had no choice. You've seen the announcement, I think? It's in all the morning papers." "Amnesty," Leo said. "These terms are always off-putting," Hush said. "Old stuff, like most other legal terms. But the meaning is clear." "It means you made a mistake," Leo said. "Yes," Hu Xu admitted bluntly. "We made a mistake," he added after a minute. "Of course, without Dr. Calgary's testimony, it was really inevitable."

Leo said coldly: "My son told you, when you arrested him, that he hitchhiked that night." "Oh, yes, he did tell us. And we did try to find out--but we couldn't find any. I quite understand, Mr. Argyle, how much you must resent the whole thing. I'm not I'm pleading guilty and apologizing. What we police officers have to do is to collect evidence. The evidence is sent to the prosecutor and he decides whether the case is established. In this case, his decision is established. If possible, I ask you not to save it If there is any resentment, just repeat the facts, time and place at that time."

Inspector Hu Xu turned to look at her. "Maybe that--maybe not," he said mildly. "You'd be surprised how many times we actually found the people we were looking for - sometimes months later, thanks to patience - patience, and never giving up." Hester turned her head away, and Gwenda shivered as if caught by a gust of cold wind.Her active imagination sensed the hidden threat behind the quiet words. "Now it's up to you," Hu Xu said.He looked at Leo expectantly. "We start with you, Mr. Argyle." "What the hell do you want to know? You must have my original confession? It may not be so accurate if I ask you now. The exact time is easy to forget."

"Oh, we understand that. But there's always the chance that some little thing might come up, something that was overlooked at the time." "Isn't it more probable," asked Philip, "that, looking back after all these years, you might see the weight of some things more clearly?" "It's possible, yes." Hu Xu turned his head to look at Philip with interest and said. "Smart guy," he thought to himself. "I don't know if he has his own thoughts on this matter..." "Now, Mr. Argyle, please tell me what happened again. You were having tea?"

"Yes. Tea was ready in the dining-room at five, as usual, and we were all there except Mr. and Mrs. Durant. Mrs. Durant took her own and her husband's tea upstairs to their own Go to the living room." "I was more of a cripple then than I am now," Philippe said. "I had just been discharged from the hospital." "Indeed." Hu Xu turned his head to face Leo. "You are all...in..." "My wife and I, my daughter Hester, Miss Fern, and Miss Lindstrom." "And then? Just tell me in your own words." "After tea I came back to the study with Miss Fern. We were working, revising a chapter of one of my books on medieval economics. My wife went to her sitting-room-office, which is on the first floor. .As you know, she's a busy person. She's looking at some new plans for a playground for children that's going to be presented to the council here."

"Did you hear your son Jack come in?" "No. That is, I didn't know it was him. I did. We both heard the front doorbell. We didn't know who it was." "Who did you think it was, Mr. Argyle?" Leo looked slightly amused. "I was in the fifteenth century, not the twentieth. I didn't even think about it. It could have been anyone. My wife and Miss Lindstrom and Hester and maybe a daytime help were all there." Downstairs. Nobody," Leo said simply, "has ever expected me to answer the front door." "and then?" "Not anymore. Not until my wife comes after a long time."

"how long?" Leo frowned. "I can't really tell now. I must have told you the estimate. Half an hour—no, a little more—perhaps forty-five minutes." "We have afternoon tea just after half past five," Gwenda said. "I think it was about twenty minutes to seven when Mrs. Argyle came into the study." "Then what did she say?" Leo sighed.He spoke unhappily. "We've said all this too many times. She said Jack came to her, he was in trouble, he was rude, asked her for money and said he was going to jail unless he had money right away. Said she refused Give him a dime. She worries if she's doing it right or wrong."

"Mr. Argyle, let me ask you a question. Why didn't your wife come to you when the boy asked for money? Why did you only tell you after the fact? Don't you find it strange?" "No, it's not surprising." "It seems to me only natural that she should come to you. You don't—do you not get along?" "Oh no. It's just that my wife is used to doing all the day-to-day affairs by herself. She often consults with me beforehand, asks my opinion and she usually discusses her decision with me after the fact. In this case, she and I The matter of Jack has been discussed together very seriously - what is best to do. We have been particularly unfortunate with the child's handling. She has paid very handsome sums on several occasions to protect him from the consequences of his own actions. We've decided that if there's a next time, it's best for Jack to learn the hard way."

"But she's still upset?" "Yes. She was disturbed. If he hadn't been so rough and threatening, I think she might have relented and helped him again, but his attitude only made her more determined." "Was Jack gone by then?" "Oh yes." "Did you know it yourself, or did Mrs. Argyle tell you?" "She told me. She said he was gone, swore, threatened to come back, and he said she'd better have some cash ready for him then." "Are you -- and this is important -- alarmed at the thought of the boy coming back?"

"Of course not. We're so used to it, I can only call it Jack's bluff." "You never thought he'd come back and attack her." "No. I told you so. I was dumbfounded." "It seems that you are completely right," Hu Xu said gently. "It was not he who attacked her. Mrs. Argyle left you—when exactly?" "I do remember that. We think about it a lot. Just before seven o'clock—about seven minutes." Hush turned to Gwenda Fern. "Are you sure?" "yes." "And the conversation was just as Mr. Argyle said? You can't add? What hasn't he forgotten?"

"I didn't hear the whole conversation. After Mrs. Argyle told us about Jack asking for money I thought I'd better walk away, lest they be embarrassed in my presence, and I walked in there" - she pointed to the back of the study -"Go into the little room where I'm typing. I didn't come back until I heard Mrs. Argyle go away." "And it was seven minutes to seven?" "Just before seven in five minutes, yes." "And then, Miss Fern?" "I asked Mr Argyle if he wanted to continue working but he said his train of thought was interrupted. I asked if there was anything else I could do but he said no. So I just packed my stuff and left .” "time?" "Five past seven." "You went downstairs and out the front door?" "yes." "Mrs. Argyle's sitting-room is to the left of the front door?" "yes." "The door is open." "It's not closed—it's about a foot open." "You didn't go in or say goodnight to her?" "No." "Usually do you have?" "No. I'd be foolish to interrupt what she's doing just to say good night to her." "If you had gone in—you might have found her body lying there." Gwenda shrugged. "I guess maybe... but I think—I mean we all thought she was killed later. It's almost impossible for Jack—" She stopped. "You still think on the line that Jack killed her. But not anymore. So she might have been there by then, dead?" "I think about—yes." "You go out and go straight home?" "Yes, my landlady spoke to me when I came in." "True. And you met no one on the way—near the house?" "I don't think... no." Gwenda frowned. "I don't remember much now...It was cold and dark and the road was a dead end; I don't think I met anyone until I got to the 'Red Lion'. A few people were around there." "Did a car pass you by?" Gwenda looked surprised. "Oh yes, I do remember a car. It stained my dress. I'll have to wash the mud off when I get home." "What kind of car?" "I don't remember, I didn't notice. Just passed me at the entrance of our road. Probably going to any house on the road." Hu Xu turned back to face Leo. "You said you heard the doorbell some time after your wife left here?" "Er—I think I heard it. I'm not entirely sure." "What time was that?" "I don't know. I didn't look." "You don't think that could be the return of your son Jack?" "I didn't think about it. I—was working again." "Just a little more, Mr. Argyle. Did you know at the time that your son was married?" "totally no idea." "His mother didn't know either? You don't think she knew and didn't tell you?" "I'm absolutely sure she didn't know about it. If she had known she would have come and told me right away. It was the biggest shock for me when his wife showed up the next day. I could hardly believe that when Miss Lindstrom came into this The room said 'There's a young woman downstairs—a girl—saying she's Jack's wife. It can't be true.' She was very disturbed, wasn't she, Kirsty?" "I can't believe it," Kirsty said. "I had her say it twice before I came up and told Mr Argyle. It seemed unbelievable at the time." "You were very kind to her. From what I understand," Hush said to Leo. "I did my best. She's married again, you know. I'm very happy. Her husband seems like a good, honest guy." Hu Xu nodded.Then he turned to Hester. "Now, Miss Hester, tell me again what you did after tea that day." "I don't remember now," said Hester sullenly. "How do I remember? It was two years ago. I could have done anything." "Actually, I believe you were cleaning Miss Lindstrom's tea set." "Exactly," Kirsty said. "And then," she went on, "you go upstairs to your bedroom. You're going out later, you remember. You're going to see the amateur 'Waiting for Godot' at the Drymouth Theatre." Hester continued to appear unhappy and uncooperative. "You wrote it all down," she said to Hu Xu. "Why ask again?" "Because you never know what might help. Now, Miss Argyle, what time did you leave the house?" "Seven o'clock—or about seven." "Did you hear the quarrel between your mother and your brother?" "No, I didn't hear anything. I was upstairs." "But you saw Mrs. Argyle before you left the house?" "Yes. I need some money. I was going out. And I remembered I was running out of gas in the car. I had to fill up on the way to Drymouth. So when I was about to go, I went in and asked my mother for some Money—only a pound or two—is enough for me." "So she gave it to you?" "Kirsty gave it to me." Hu Xu looked a little surprised. "I don't remember that line in the original transcript." "Well, that's true, as a matter of fact," said Hester defiantly. "I came in and said could I ask for some cash, and Kirsty overheard me in the hall and said she'd have a little over there and she'd give it to me. She was going out herself. And mother said, 'Yes, get cash. Take it, Steele.'" "I was going to the Women's Club with some flower books," said Kirsty. "I know Mrs. Argyle is busy and doesn't want to be disturbed." Hester said in a dissatisfied voice: "It doesn't matter who gives me the money, you want to know when was the last time I saw my mother alive, that's when she was sitting at the desk looking at a bunch of plans. And I said I needed the cash, and gram Stie called and said she'd give it to me. I got the cash from her and went into my mother's room to say goodnight and she said she hoped I'd like the show and drive carefully, she always does Said. Then I went to the garage and got the car out." "And Miss Lindstrom." "Oh, she left as soon as she gave me the money." Kirsty Lindstrom said quickly: "Hester drove past me just as I came to the end of the road. She must have started right after me. Her car was crawling when I turned left toward the village. Go up the hill to the road." Hester opened his mouth as if to speak, and then closed it quickly. Hu Xu was suspicious.Was Kirsty Lindstrom trying to prove that Hester wouldn't have time for that crime?Could it be that Hester had not gone to say goodnight to Mrs. Argyle but had had an argument with her--had a quarrel, and Hester had beaten her to death? He turned steadily to Kirsty and said: "Now, Miss Lindstrom, let's hear what you remember." She looked tense, her hands twisted uncomfortably. "We had tea and cleaned up. Hester helped me. Then she went upstairs. Then Jack came." "Did you hear him coming?" "Yes. I let him in. He said he had lost his key. He went straight in to find his mother. As soon as he got in he said, 'I'm stuck. You've got to get me out.' I didn't do anything else. Listen. I'm going back to the kitchen. I have something to prepare for dinner." "Did you hear him leave?" "Yes. He was yelling. I came out of the kitchen. He was standing in the hall—very angry—yelling that he would come back, that his mother had better get the money ready for him. Otherwise! That He said, 'Otherwise!' It was a threat." "and then?" "He slammed the door and went away. Mrs. Argyle came out into the hall. She was very pale and very angry. She said to me, 'Did you hear that?'" "I said, 'He's in trouble?'" "She nodded. Then she went upstairs to the study to find Mr. Argyle. I set the dinner table and then went upstairs to put on my gown. The Women's Association had a floral competition the next day. We promised them some Book." "You take those books to the Women's Association—when will you be back in the house?" "It must have been about half-past seven. I opened the door myself with my key. I went straight into Mrs. Argyle's room--to convey the thanks of the Women's Society and a note--and she sat at her desk with her head to Leaning on her hands. The poker was on the floor—the desk drawers were pulled out, robbed, I thought. She was attacked. And I was right, and now you know I was right! It's a thief—someone from outside!" "Someone Mrs. Argyle let in herself?" "Why not?" Kirsty said defiantly. "She's so nice--always very kind. And she's not afraid of--anyone or anything. Besides, she's not alone in the house. There are other people--her husband, Gwenda, Mary. She just has to call Enough." "But she didn't bark." Hu Xuming said. "No. Because whoever that person must have told her a very reasonable story. She always listened to people. So, she sat back at her desk again--maybe looking for her checkbook--because she didn't suspect-- — so he had the opportunity to hit her with the poker. Or maybe he didn't mean to kill her, he just wanted to scare her unconscious and run away when he found the money and jewels." "He didn't look much—just pulled out a few drawers." "Perhaps he heard voices in the house—or was frightened. Or found that he had killed her. So, in a panic, he fled quickly." She leaned forward. There was a look of fear and pleading in her eyes. "It must be so—it must be!" Her persistence interested him.Was she terrified for herself?She may have killed her employer at the time, pulling out some drawers to make it look like she was actually being robbed.The closest medically proven time of death can only be narrowed down to a range between 7:00 and 7:30. "Looks like it must be," he agreed kindly, and she was slightly relieved.She sat back in the chair.He turned to the Durants. "You didn't hear anything, did you two?" "No." "I brought the tea up to our room," said Mary. "The room was pretty isolated from the rest of the room. We were there until we heard someone screaming, and it was Kirsty. She had just found out her mother was dead." You never left that room before that? " "No." Her clear eyes met his. "We're playing cards." Philip wondered why he felt slightly uncomfortable.Polly was doing as he was told.Maybe it was her attitude that was flawless, calm and unhurried. Totally convincing. "Polly, dear, you're a great liar!" he said to himself. "And I, the Inspector General," he said, "was, and still am, completely incapable of moving about." "But you're much better now, aren't you, Mr. Durant," said the Inspector-General cheerfully. "Soon you will be able to walk again." "It's a long time from now." Hu Xu turned to the other two family members who had been sitting silent so far.Michel sat with his arms folded, a slightly mocking expression on his face.Tina, petite and elegant, leaned back in her chair, looking at the others from time to time. "You two weren't in the house, I know that," he said. "But maybe you can strengthen my memory by repeating what you did that night?" "Does your memory really need to be strengthened?" Michel asked more deeply with a mocking expression. "I can still tell what I said. I went out to test the car. Faulty clutch. I tried a long way. From Gankou all the way to Mingqingpo, along the Moore Road and back via Ipsley. Unfortunately The car can't talk, it can't be verified." Tina finally turned her head away.She stared straight at Michael.Her face remained expressionless. "What about you, Miss Argyle? You work in the Hongming Library?" "Yes. It closes at five-thirty, and I go out to the high street to do some shopping. Then I go home. I have a one-story apartment—a small apartment, actually—in the Morkan Building. I cook my own dinner and listen to gramophone records for a quiet one night." "You didn't go out at all?" She paused slightly and then said: "No, I didn't go out." "Quite sure, Miss Argyle?" "yes, I'm sure." "You have a car, don't you?" "yes." "She has a bubble car," Mike said. "Bubble, bubble, hard work, flying like a dog." "I have a bubble car, yes," Tina said solemnly and poisedly. "Where did you park?" "On the street. I don't have a garage. There's a side street near the apartment. Some cars are parked along the street." "So you—have nothing to tell us?" Hu Xu hardly knew why he persisted in asking. "I don't think I have anything to tell you." Michel shot her a quick look. Hu Xu sighed. "I'm afraid it won't be of much help to you, Chief Inspector," said Leo. "Hard to say, Mr. Argyle. You probably know the strangest thing about the whole thing, I suppose?" "Me? I don't quite understand what you mean." "That money." Hu Xu said. "Mrs. Argyle made the money from the bank including the £5 note on the back of No. 16, Mrs. Porterberry, Banger Road. The worst evidence against Jack Argyle in this case is the one at the time of his arrest. The five-pound note was found on him with the other notes. He swore it was Mrs. Argyle who gave him the money, but Mrs. Argyle assured you and Miss Fern that she hadn't given Jack any money--so he was How did he get the fifty pounds? There's no way he'd come back here—Dr. Calgary's testimony makes that perfectly clear. So he must have had the money when he left here. Who gave it to him? Was it you? " He turned sharply to Kirsty Lindstrom, who blushed with indignation. "Me? No, of course not. How could I?" "Where is the money that Mrs. Argyle has withdrawn from the bank?" "She usually keeps it in a drawer of her desk," Kirsty said. "Locked?" Kirsty thinks about it. "She might lock the drawers before going to bed." Hu Xu looked at Hester. "Did you take that money out of the drawer and give it to your brother?" "I didn't even know he was here. And how could I take it without my mother knowing?" "You may easily take the money away when your mother goes upstairs to the study to discuss with your father." Hu Xu reminded. He wondered if she saw the trap and avoided it at all. She plunged in. "But Jack was gone by then. I—" She paused, looking frustrated. "I understand that you do know when your brother left." Hu Xu said. Hester said quickly and violently: "I—I—knew now—I didn't know then. I was upstairs in my room. I tell you I didn't hear anything at all. And anyway I didn't Would have wanted any money for Jack." "And I'm telling you," Kirsty said.Her face flushed with anger. "If I gave Jack the money - it would be my own money! I'm not going to steal that money!" "I'm sure you don't," Hush said. "But you know what it makes us think. Mrs. Argyle, whatever she's telling you," he looked at Leo, "must have given him the money herself." "I can't believe it. Why didn't she tell me if she did that?" "She wouldn't be the first mother to be soft on her son and not want to admit it." "You're wrong, Hu Xu. My wife never escapes reality." "I think she ran away this time," said Gwenda Fern. "As a matter of fact she must be... as the Inspector General said, that's the only answer." "After all," Hu Xu said gently. "We've got to look at the whole thing from a different angle now. At the time of the arrest we thought Jack Argyle was lying. But now we find out it was true that he said he hitchhiked Calgary, so there's no doubt about that. It must be true what he said about the money, he said it was given to him by his mother. So she must have given it rightly." There was a silence—an uncomfortable silence. Hu Xu stood up. "Okay, thank you all, I'm afraid there are quite few clues now, but it's hard to say." Leo walked him to the door, and when he came back, he sighed and said, "Well, it's over. For now." "It's gone forever," Kirsty said. "They'll never know." "What good is that to us?" cried Hester. "My dear." Her father walked towards her. "Calm down, kid. Don't be so nervous. Time will heal." "There are some that can't be cured, what should we do? Oh! What should we do?" "Hester, come with me." Kirsty put a hand on her shoulder. "No one is needed." Hester rushed out the door.After a while, they heard the front door slam. Kirsty said: "All this! Not good for her." "I don't think it's true either," Philip Durant mused. "What isn't true?" Gwenda asked. "To say that we will never know the truth... I feel a little tricky." He had an eerie smile on his sly, almost mischievous face. "Be careful, Philip," said Tina. He looked at her in surprise. "Little Tina. What do you know about all this?" "I hope," Tina said very clearly and distinctly. "I do not know anything."