Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Former Classmates

1 The small paddock was very much like Inspector Craddock's imagination.He noticed ducks, (again birds) and a not so long ago still charming perennial herbaceous flowerbed with a few remnants of flowering blooms of dying purple beauty.Lawns and paths show a lack of management. On the whole, thought Inspector Craddock, "I don't think there's much money to hire a gardener, but I love flowers and plants, so the way of planning and building the boundary is also very discerning. The house evil needs painting.Today's houses need both.The prosperity of farmers. " As soon as Craddock's car stopped in front of the place name sign, Sergeant Fletcher came out from the evil side of the house.He looked like a guard, with a straight back and a military demeanor. He was good at expressing several different meanings with one word: "Sir."

"So you're here, Fletcher" "Sir." Sergeant Fletcher said. "Anything to report?" "We've gone through the whole house, sir. Shields doesn't appear to have left fingerprints anywhere. He's wearing gloves, of course. There's no sign of forced entry on the doors or windows. He appears to have taken a bus through the door. Came here at six o'clock from Denham. I learned that the side door was locked at five-thirty. It looked as if he had to go through the front door. Miss Blacklock stated that the door was usually not locked until the family was asleep. The maid, on the other hand, stated that the front door was locked all afternoon—but she could talk about anything. You'll find her fickle, like a German."

"Is she difficult to deal with?" "Sir!" said Sergeant Fletcher excitedly. Craddock smiled. Fletcher went on to report: "The lighting system is all right everywhere. It was just one circuit that went bad: the living room and the hall. Of course, today's wall lamps and headlights use the same fuse, but here it is installed in the old fashioned way." Yes, and the wiring is old-fashioned. I don't know how he tampered with the safe box, because it's far away in the pantry, and he has to go through the kitchen so the maid can see it." "Unless she was inside with him at the time?"

"It's quite possible. Both are foreigners, and I don't trust her at all—not at all." Craddock noticed two large, frightened eyes peering out of the front window.The face was barely visible because it was flattened against the pane. "That's her?" "Yes, sir." The face disappeared. Craddock rang the front doorbell. After a long wait, the door was opened by a good-looking young woman with chestnut hair and a bored look. "Inspector Craddock," said Craddock. The young woman gave him a cold, hard look from her charming hazel eyes, and said, "Come in. Miss Blacklock is waiting for you."

Craddock noticed that the hall was long and narrow and had what seemed to be an incredible number of doors. The young woman pushed open the door on the left and said, "Inspector Craddock, Aunt Letty. Mickey won't open the door, she's shut herself in and uttering the most wonderful groans again. I don't think we'll What do you want for lunch?" She added to Craddock in an explanatory tone: "She doesn't like the police." After finishing speaking, she backed out and closed the door behind her. Craddock stepped forward to meet the owner of the paddock.

He saw a woman of about sixty, with an alert face.Her gray hair is naturally slightly bristled, and her hairstyle is noble, which further accentuates an intelligent and resolute face.She has piercing gray eyes and a resolute square jaw.She wore no make-up and was dressed plainly, only a well-tailored tweed suit, skirt and jumper.Around the neck of the jumper was a rather unexpected string of old-fashioned cameo stones; a Victorian relic that seemed to suggest a sentimental melancholy that was otherwise elusive. Next to her was a woman about her age, with a round face, an anxious look, and extremely shaggy hair.

At a glance, Craddock easily recognized the "Dora Bonner-accompany" Sergeant Legge had mentioned in his report. The last sentence "Idiot!" comment. Miss Blacklock spoke in a melodious and cultivated voice. "Good morning, Inspector Craddock. This is my friend, Miss Bonner, who helps me with the housework. Please take a seat. You don't smoke, I suppose?" "I'm afraid I don't smoke on duty, Miss Blacklock." "What a pity!" Craddock scanned the room quickly and carefully.Typical Victorian double living room.This one has two long windows, the other has a bay window...chairs...sofa...a table in the center with a big bowl of chrysanthemums - the other on the windowsill - very Fresh, pleasing to the eye, but not much new.The only thing out of tune with the whole tone was a small silver vase of dead violets.The vase was placed on a table by the arcade leading to the back room.Since it was impossible to imagine that Miss Blacklock could bear the presence of dead flowers in the house, he imagined that this was the only indication that something strange had happened here to upset the routine of the otherwise well-run family.

He said: "I suppose, Miss Blacklock, that this is the house where the accident happened?" "yes." "You should come and see last night," cried Miss Bonner excitedly. "What a mess. Two little tables were knocked over, and a leg of the table was broken—everybody hit me, I bumped you— And someone threw down a lighted cigarette and burned one of the best pieces of furniture. Those people—especially the young ones—don't care a thing about these things. . . . Luckily not a single piece of china was broken—” Miss Blacklock interrupted her kindly but decisively: "Dora, all this, as annoying as it is, is just (again) trifle. I think it's best to just answer Inspector Craddock's questions. "

"Thank you, Miss Blacklock. I will ask about last night in a moment. First, I would like you to tell me when was the last time you saw the deceased—Rudy Shields?" "Rudy Shields?" Miss Blacklock looked slightly startled. "Is that his name? I vaguely remembered... Well, well, it doesn't matter. The first time I met him was when I went to Mendon. It was about—let me see, three weeks ago. We—Miss Bonner and I—we had lunch at the Royal Pleasure Hotel. We were leaving after dinner when I heard my name called, it was this young man.He said then: 'Is it Miss Blacklock? "

Then I said I probably don't remember him, and that he was the son of the owner of the Hotel Alpine in Montero, where my sister and I lived for nearly a year during the war. " "The Montero Alpine Hotel," repeated Craddock, "do you remember him then, Miss Blacklock?" "I, I don't remember. In fact, I can't recall seeing him before. The waiters at the hotel desk all looked alike. My sister and I had a great time in Montero, and the owner of the restaurant was extremely helpful So, when I saw the lad, I treated him as politely as I could and said I hoped he had a good time in England. He said yes, and said his father had sent him here for six months to study hotel management. It all seemed quite natural."

"What about the next encounter?" "About—well, it must have been ten days ago, he popped up here. I was very surprised when I saw him.He apologized for bothering me, saying I was the only person he knew in England.He told me that his mother was critically ill, so he urgently needed travel expenses back to Switzerland. " "Coliddy didn't give it to him," Miss Bonner put in feebly. "That's a totally unbelievable story," said Miss Blacklock plausibly. "I'm pretty sure he's a bad fellow. The story about needing money back to Switzerland is sheer nonsense. His father could have easily telegraphed the British It's all sorted out. Restaurant owners everywhere help each other out. I suspected he embezzled money or something like that." She paused, and then he said dryly, "Suppose you think I'm a hard-hearted man. Man, let me tell you, I worked for many years as a secretary to a great financier, so I am very cautious about asking for money. I know this so-called bad luck story. " "There's only one thing that astonishes me," she added thoughtfully, "that he gave up so easily. He gave up no other reason, and went away, as if he had no hope of ever making it." get the money." "Recalling the situation at that time, do you now think that the real purpose of his coming was to explore the way, but he just made up an excuse?" Miss Blacklock nodded vigorously. "That's what I think now. I saw him out and he said something - about the house. He said: 'Your dining room is beautiful.' Of course it wasn't - it was dark and poor. He just wanted an excuse to look inside. Then he jumped in front of me and unlatched the front door and said, 'Let me come.' Now that I think about it he wanted to look inside. Actually , just like the people around us, we don’t lock the door until dark, anyone can come in.” "And the side door? I understand there is a side door leading to the garden?" "Yes. I went out that door to shut the ducks last night, shortly before the others arrived." "Was the door locked when you went out?" Miss Blacklock frowned. "I can't remember...I think so. I must have locked it when I came in." "Would that be a quarter past six?" "It's about this time." "Where's the front door?" "It's usually locked a little later." "Then Shields could have easily come in there, or he could have slipped in while you locked up the duck. He's scoured the terrain, and he's probably looked out for the hideouts here and there—"Cabinets and stuff."Yes, everything seems clear. " "I beg your pardon, but not all is clear," said Miss Blacklock. "Why would anyone bother to come in and put on such a foolish burglary?" "Have you kept much money at home, Miss Blacklock?" "There was about five pounds in that drawer, and I had about a pound or two in my purse." "Where's the jewelry?" "A ring or two and a brooch, and the cameo stone I wear. You must agree with me, Inspector, that the whole thing is absurd." "This isn't breaking and entering at all," cried Miss Bonner. "That's what I've been telling you, Litty. It's revenge! Because you didn't pay him! He shot you on purpose—and shot Shot twice." "Ah," said Craddock, "let's talk about last night. What happened, Miss Blacklock?" Tell me as much as you can remember in your own words. " Miss Blacklock reflected for a moment. "Ring the bell," she said, "the one on the mantelpiece. I remember saying that if anything happened it would begin at once. Then the bell rang. We all listened in silence. It rings, you know. It struck half past six, and suddenly all the lights went out. " "Which lights were originally on?" "The wall lamps here and in the back room. The standard lamp and the two reading lamps are off." "When the lights go out, do you see the flashlight first or hear the sound first?" " "I don't think it's a flashlight." "I'm sure it was the flashlight," said Dora Bonner, "and then the rattling noise. How dangerous!" "And then, Miss Blacklock?" "The door opened—" "Which one? There are two doors in this room." "Oh, this one. The door of that room wouldn't open, it was for decoration. It opened, and there he was--a man with a revolver in his hand and a mask on his head. I thought it was too wonderful then , of course I just thought it was a stupid joke. He said something—I forget—” "'Hands up, or I'll shoot!'" Miss Bonner took over with alacrity. "Like that," said Miss Blacklock dubiously. "And you all raised your hands?" "Ah, yes," said Miss Bonner, "we all put our hands up. I mean, it's part of the game." "I haven't," said Miss Blacklock decisively. "It seemed stupid at the time. And I'm very annoyed by the whole thing." "and then?" "The flashlight hit me right in the eye and it made me dizzy. Then, unbelievably, I heard a bullet whiz past my ear and hit the wall behind me. Someone screamed, Then I just felt a burning pain in my ear, and then I heard a second shot." "It's frightening," put in Miss Bonner. "What happened next, Miss Blacklock??" "It's hard to tell - I was stumbling around in pain and shock. The shadow turned around and seemed to stumble, then there was another gunshot, his flashlight went out, and then everyone started shoving and yelling at each other, you hit me, I Hit you." "Where were you standing, Miss Blacklock?" "She's at the table. She still has the bottle of violets in her hand," said Miss Bonner, panting. "Here I am," said Miss Blacklock, going to the little table by the arcade, "with the cigarette case in my hand." Inspector Craddock looked at the wall behind her. Two bullet holes were evident.The bullets have been removed and sent for comparison with the revolver. He said calmly, "You almost died, Miss Blacklock." "He shot at her," said Miss Bonner, "at her on purpose! I saw him. The flashlight went one by one until he found her, and then aimed and shot at her. It was you he wanted to kill, Litty." "Dora dear, you're messing that up in your head again." "He shot you," repeated Dora stubbornly. "He tried to kill you, but he missed, and he shot himself. I'm sure that's what happened!" "I don't at all think he meant to shoot himself," said Miss Blacklock. "He's not the type to shoot himself." "You tell me, Miss Blacklock, that you thought it was all a joke until the shooting?" "Of course, what else can I think of?" "Who do you think planned this joke?" "You're starting to think Patrick did it," Dora Bonner reminded her. "Patrick?" asked the inspector sharply. "My young cousin, Patrick Simmons," continued Miss Blacklock sharply, annoyed by her friend, "I did think when I saw the advert that it might be an attempt at humor, but he decided deny." "But you're worried, Litty," said Miss Bonner, "you are, though you're pretending it's not. And you're right to be worried.The papers said the murder announcement - actually announced the murder of ... a pair of you!If the man hadn't missed, you'd have been killed.So what should we do? " Dora shuddered as she spoke.She frowned, as if she was about to burst into tears. Miss Blacklock patted her on the shoulder. "It's all right, Dora dear—don't get excited, it's not good for you. It's all right. We had a bad experience, but it's over," she went on, "just because of my For your sake, Dora, you have to pull yourself together. To maintain this family, you know, I depend on you.Is the laundry room supposed to come today? " "Smell, my God, Litty, thanks for reminding me! I wonder if they're going to return that missing pillowcase. I'll have to make a note of that in the relevant blotter. I'll get to it right away." "Take these violets, too," said Miss Blacklock. "I hate nothing more than dead flowers." "What a pity. I just picked it yesterday. They didn't survive - oh yes, I must have forgotten to put water in the bottle. I can't imagine! I always forget this and that. Now I have to go To take care of the laundry, they could be here any minute." She showed a happy look again, and hurried out. "She's not in very good health," said Miss Blacklock. "Agitation is not good for her. Is there anything else you need to know, Inspector?" "I just want to know exactly how many people are in your family and what they are like." "Well, besides me and Dora, there are two young cousins ​​living here now, Patrick and Julia Simmons." "Cousin and cousin? Not nephew and niece?" "No. Although they call me aunt, they are actually distant cousins. Their mother is my second cousin." "Have they always called you home?" "Oh no, only the last two months. Before the war they lived in the south of France. Patrick was in the navy and Julia, I believe, was in a ministry or something. She was in Llandudno. After the war she Mother wrote to ask if they could come to me as a paying guest - Julia is training as a pharmacist at Milchester General Hospital and Patrick is doing an engineering degree at Milchester University. Milchester, you You know, it's only fifty miles by bus, so I'm happy to have them here. The house is a bit too big for me. They pay very little for room and board, and it's all going well." She smiled Added, "I like having a little youth around me." "And then, I believe, there's a Mrs. Haymes?" "Yes. She's in Dayas, Mrs. Lucas, as the gardener's helper. The cabin there was taken by an old gardener and his wife, and Mrs. Lucas asked me if I could give her one." She is a very nice girl whose husband was killed in Italy. She has a boy of eight who goes to a preparatory school, and I arrange for him to live here during the holidays." "She also helps with housework?" "Temporary gardener, come on Tuesdays and Fridays. A Mrs. Huggins from the village comes five mornings a week. There is also a foreign refugee whose name cannot be pronounced who works with me as a cook or something. I'm afraid you will find Midian quite Difficult to get along with, she has a persecution paranoia." Craddock nodded.Another precious remark from Sergeant Legge came to his mind.He learned about Dora Bonner's "Moon" and Letitia.Blacklock's "Nothing," adding another word to Mickey's comment, "Liar." As if reading his mind, Miss Blacklock said: "Please don't judge the poor creature too much for being a liar. I do believe that behind her lies, like so many liars, there is a part of the truth." .I mean, for example, that although her atrocity stories swelled so much that every unpleasant report that came out in print had to do with her relatives, she did turn out to be quite agitated, And indeed saw at least one of her relatives killed. I think many of these uprooted people felt—perhaps rightfully so—that they were entitled to our attention and sympathy. It all stemmed from their values ​​of atrocity , so they exaggerate and make things out of thin air." She added: "But frankly, Mickey is nuts. She annoys us all, pissed off, she's suspicious, sullen, always 'mixed feelings' and thinks she's being insulted. But nevertheless , I really feel sorry for her." She smiled, "Besides, as long as she wants, she will cook good food." "I'll try not to offend her," Craddock reassured. "Is it Miss Juliet Simmons who opened the door for me?" "Yes. You want to see her now? Patrick is out. You'll find Philippa Haymes at work at Dayas House." "Thank you, Miss Blacklock. I should like to see Miss Simmons, if I may."