Chapter 28 Section 6

Inspector Jones deftly made Neville leave the hall and dining room, and then led Kay into the study through the French doors so that the husband and wife would not meet. "He's still going to see all the other guys," Leech said. "That's better," Barto said, "only because I want to deal with her while she's still in the dark." It was a very windy day.Kay wore a tweed dress, a purple pullover, and her hair flowed like a gleaming copper bowl.She looked half frightened, half excited.Her beauty and vigor bloomed against the gray Victorian background of books and saddleback chairs.

Li Qi easily guided her to tell her whereabouts last night. She has a headache and goes to bed early—about a quarter past nine, she thought.She slept soundly and heard nothing until someone's screaming woke her up the next morning. Ba Tuo took the hand to ask questions. "Didn't your husband come to see you in your room before he went out?" "No." "You haven't seen him since you left the drawing room until the next morning. Have you?" Kay nodded. "Mrs. Shi Chunji. The door between your room and your husband's room is locked. Who locked it?

Kay replied curtly, "Me." Bardo said nothing--but he waited--waited like a seasoned old cat--waited for the mouse to come out of the hole it was watching. His silence did what the questioning might not, and Kay blurted out impulsively: "Well, I reckon you must know! That secretive old Hustow must have heard what we said before tea, and would have told you if I hadn't. He may have told you. Neville and I had a quarrel - a hot one! I hated him! I went upstairs and locked the door because I was mad at him!" "I see—I see," said Bardo, trying to sympathize with him. "What is it about?"

"Does that matter? Oh, I might as well tell you that Neville is a complete idiot. Although it's all that woman's fault," "What woman?" "His first wife. She brought him here." "You mean—to meet you?" "Yes. Neville thought it was all his idea--poor fool! It wasn't. It never occurred to him until he met her in the park one day, and she gave him the idea, and at the same time Convince him it was his own idea. He really thought it was his idea, but I could see that Audrey was behind the scenes, like a good Italian hand." "Why did she do such a thing?" Batu asked.

"Because she wanted him again," Kaye said.She spoke quickly, out of breath. "She never forgave him for leaving her and marrying me. It was her way of revenge. She asked him to arrange for us to meet here together so that she could work on him. She has been working on him since we got here. She Clever, you know. Knows how to be charming and elusive--yes, and knows how to win over another man. She puts Thomas Lloyd, a man who, like a faithful dog, has always adored her And at the same time, she pretended to marry him to drive Neville crazy." She stopped, breathing angrily.

Ba Tuowen said to him: "I suppose he should be glad she's - er - finding joy with an old friend." "Happy? He's so jealous that he wants to die!" "Then he must be very fond of her." "Oh, he's very fond of her," Kay remarked rather distastefully. "She made it all by herself!" Ba Tuo's fingers were still touching his chin. "Perhaps you object to the arrangement of being here?" he suggested. "How could I object? It would appear as if I were jealous!" "Oh," Barto said, "you're jealous after all, aren't you?"

Kay blushed. "Always! I've always been jealous of Audrey. From the beginning—or nearly to the beginning. I used to feel like she was in our house. It was like it was hers instead of mine. I changed the house. Hue, re-enacted it all, but it didn't work! I feel like she's haunted, furtive, there. I know Neville is worried because he thinks he's wronged her. He can't get over her— She was there all the time—there was a sense of guilt in him. You know, some people are like that. They seem a little featureless and not very interesting—but they just make me feel pitiful. "

Ba Tuo nodded thoughtfully.He said: "Oh, thank you, Mrs. Schunger. That's all for now. We've had to ask—er—a lot of questions—especially with Mrs. Strix and Mrs. Trecilian's fortune—50,000 pounds—" "Is there that much? We got it in Sir Marceau's will, didn't we?" "You know everything?" "Oh, yes. He made a will and the property was divided between Neville and Neville's wife. I'm not glad the old man is dead. I'm not. I don't like her very much—maybe because she doesn't like me— But the thought of some burglar coming in and blowing her brains out is just awful."

She finished and walked out.Ba Tuo looked at Li Qi. "What do you think of her? She's gorgeous, I think. Men can easily get carried away with her." Li Qi agreed. "It doesn't seem very dignified, though," he said suspiciously. "That's the way women are these days," Barto said. "Shall we meet the first wife? No, I think we'll meet Miss Odin first, to get an outsider's view of the marital affair." Mary Odin walked in poisedly and sat down.Beneath her calm exterior, her eyes showed concern. She answered Li Qi's question clearly, confirming the whereabouts that Neville explained last night.She goes to bed about ten o'clock.

"Mr. Shi Chunji and Mrs. Cui Xilian were together then?" "Yes, I can hear them talking." "Conversation or quarrel, Miss Odin?" She blushed, but answered calmly: "Mrs Tricilian, you know, likes to discuss things. She's often harsh and harmless. Also, she has a tendency to be domineering and dominating—not so easy for a man to accept as for a woman." "Like you, maybe," Baduo thought to himself. He looked at her intelligent face.It was she who broke the silence. "I don't want you to think I'm stupid - but it's unbelievable to me - quite unbelievable, how can you suspect someone in this house did it. Why can't it be an outsider?"

"For several reasons, Miss Odin, first, nothing has been lost, and the doors and windows have not been damaged. I don't need to remind you of the location and surroundings of this house, but you should remember this. The cliffs that fall to the sea, on the south side are one or two courtyard balconies, blocked by walls, facing the sea, and on the east side, the garden slope extends almost to the coast, but is surrounded by a high wall. The only way out is a road leading to The little door, which was latched well this morning from the inside as usual, and the gate facing the main road. I'm not saying that no one can climb that wall, or that they can't use a spare key or even a root Wire or something to open the front door—though, as far as I know, no one does. Whoever did the crime knew that Barrett was taking a laxative every night, and adding Anesthetized—that means someone in the house. The irons were brought out of the cupboard under the stairs. It wasn't done by outsiders, Miss Odin." "Not Neville! I'm sure it's not Neville." "Why are you so sure?" She raised her hands helplessly. "It's not like him - that's why! He wouldn't kill a defenseless old woman lying in bed - Neville wouldn't!" "Seems unlikely," Barto said reasonably, "but you'd be amazed at some of the things people do when they have good reason. Mr. Schunji may be in dire need of money." "I'm sure he doesn't need to, he's not a luxury man - never was." "Well, but his wife is." "Kay? Yes, maybe—but, oh, that's ridiculous. I'm sure Neville hasn't been thinking about money at all lately." Chief Inspector Baduo coughed. "As far as I know, does he have other worries?" "Kay told you, I suppose? Yes, it's been a bit tricky. However, it has nothing to do with this horrible thing." "Perhaps it doesn't matter, but I'd like to hear your version of the matter, Miss Odin." Mary said slowly: "Oh, like I said, that made for a tricky—situation. Whoever had the idea in the first place—" He interrupted her swiftly. "Mr. Neville Schunge's idea, as far as I know?" "He said it was his idea." "But you don't think so yourself?" "I - no - it's not like Neville. I've always had the feeling that someone gave him the idea." "Perhaps Mrs. Audrey Schunk?" "It's hard to believe that Audrey would do such a thing." "Then who might it be?" Mary shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. It just feels—odd." "Odd," Barto said thoughtfully. "That's how I feel about this case. Odd." "Everything is eccentric. There's a feeling—I can't describe it. A certain atmosphere, an oppressive feeling." "Everyone's on edge, on tenterhooks?" "Yes, that's it... we're all tortured. Even Mr. Latimer—" She stopped. "I was going to see Mr. Latimer. What can you tell me about Mr. Latimer, Miss Odin? Who is Mr. Latimer?" "Oh, really, I don't know much about him. He's a friend of Kay's." "Is he Shi Chunji's friend? Have you known each other for a long time?" "Yes, she knew him before marriage." "Does Mr. Shi Chunji like him?" "Not bad, I believe." "No—trouble?" Ba Tuo said implicitly.Mary immediately replied emphatically: "of course not!" "Does Mrs Tricilian like Mr Latimer?" "do not like it so much." Ba Tuo noticed her cold tone and changed the subject. "That maid, Jane Barrett, has she been with Mrs. Tricilian for a long time? Do you think she is reliable?" "Oh, sure. She's loyal to Lady Tricilian." "Actually, you don't think about the possibility of Barrett striking Mrs. Trixilian's head, and then taking anesthesia himself to avoid suspicion?" "Of course not. Why would she do that?" "She got an inheritance, you know." "Me too," said Mary Odin. She looked directly at him with steady eyes. "Yes," Barto said, "and you too. Do you know how many there are?" "Mr Treroney has just arrived, and he told me." "You didn't know that before?" "No idea. Of course, from Mrs. Tricilian's occasional revelations, I guess she left me something. I don't have much of my own, you know. It's not enough to live without continuing to work. I think Mrs. Tricilian will leave me at least one year a year." A hundred pounds—but she has some cousins, and I don't know at all how she plans to divide her estate. Of course, I know that Sir Marceau's estate is inherited by Neville and Audrey." "It turned out that she didn't know what Mrs. Trixilian left her before," said Li Qi after Mary Odin left. "At least, that's what she said." "That's what she said," Barto agreed. "Now it's the turn of Qingbeard's first wife."