"Half a dozen, more like. I'll see Mrs. Haddington next."
Mrs. Haddington walked calmly into the room five minutes later. She looked quite as well-groomed and as well made-up as when she had stood within the drawing room to receive her guests, many hours earlier; but she had removed her diamonds, and her gloves. She inclined her head in a stately fashion to Hemingway, and disposed herself in a chair beside the fireplace. "What is it that you wish to ask me - er - Chief Inspector, I believe?"
"I want first to ask you, madam, where you were when the telephone rang this evening. In fact, I should like you to tell me just what your recollection is of what happened then, and up till the moment that Sir Roderick Vickerstown found Mr. Seaton-Carew dead in this room.
She replied without hesitation: "When the telephone rang, I was standing just inside the front drawing-room. I went out on to the landing, meaning to tell whoever answered the call that I could not speak on the telephone at that moment."
"You thought the call was for you?"
"I did think so," she admitted. "That, however, was forgetfulness: I knew that Mr. Seaton-Carew expected to be rung up, for he had mentioned it to me at dinner. I was not best pleased, though it seems heartless to say that now. Telephone conversations in the middle of a Bridge evening hold up the game, and are extremely annoying for everyone else. Miss Birtley answered the call, and I told her to fetch Mr. Seaton-Carew up from the library, where he was playing, to do his talking where he would not be disturbed - and where he would not disturb others. I can't tell you when he came up to this room, because by that time I had myself gone upstairs to my bedroom. Nor can I tell you how long I was absent from the drawing-room: not, I think, many minutes. When I came down again, there was no one either on the landing, or on the staircase, and the door into this room was shut. I assumed that Mr. Seaton-Carew was still telephoning, and went back into the drawing-room. There was a slight dispute going on at one of the tables, which occupied my attention. I recall that I was very much displeased with my secretary - Miss Birtley - for not keeping an eye on the smooth running of things while I was absent from the room, as I had asked her to do. She was not even in the room, but only entered it some minutes after I did. Then Dr Westruther came up from the library, to say that everyone was waiting for Mr. Seaton-Carew to return, and I asked Sir Roderick to come down to this room, and - well, put an end to all this telephoning."
"I think you expressed surprise, didn't you, madam, that Mr. Seaton-Carew should still be speaking on the 'phone?"
"Did I? Quite likely: I remember thinking that he had had ample time to have made two calls."
"Can you form any estimate of the time that had elapsed between your going up to your room, and Sir Roderick's coming here to look for Mr. Seaton-Carew?"
"Really, I would rather not commit myself," she said. "I wasn't paying any particular heed to the time, you see. It might have been ten minutes - I think not less - or it might have been longer. I have no idea."
"I see. And did anyone, other than yourself and Miss Birtley, know of this call?"
"Everyone who dined here knew that the call was expected. I assume that those people who were in the library must all have known that he was fetched to answer the telephone. Mr. Butterwick also knew: he was standing at my elbow when I told Miss Birtley to fetch Mr. Seaton-Carew."
"You are quite sure of that, Mrs. Haddington?"
She stared at him. "Perfectly."
"You don't think that there is any doubt that he heard your conversation with Miss Birtley?"
"Not the slightest. He is not deaf."
"That wasn't quite my meaning. You don't think it possible that he came out on to the landing after you had finished speaking to Miss Birtley?"
"Certainly not. At one moment I was speaking to Miss Birtley; at the next I became aware of young Butterwick hovering just behind me."
"Thank you, that's very clear. Now, I understand that the wire found twisted round Mr. Seaton-Carew's neck has been identified as part of a length bought yesterday afternoon by Miss Birtley, and left by her on the shelf in the cloakroom."
"So I have been told. I never saw the wire myself."
"You didn't go into the cloakroom?"
"I had no occasion to do so. I am aware that Miss Birtley has stated that she left what she did not use of the wire on the shelf. I can only say that if this is true she had no business to do so: the shelf in the cloakroom is not the place for odds and ends. Furthermore," she added, "it seems to me a very peculiar circumstance that not one of my guests saw the wire in the cloakroom."
"Have you any reason for thinking, madam, that Miss Birtley did not leave the wire there?"
She shrugged. "I should not, myself, place any very great reliance on what Miss Birtley said," she replied.
"How long has Miss Birtley been in your employment?"
"About five months."
"I take it that she doesn't give entire satisfaction," said Hemingway. "Would you mind telling me if her references were all in order?"
"I'm afraid I can't help you over that. I engaged her on the recommendation of Mr. Seaton-Carew."
"Is that so, madam? Was Miss Birtley a friend of his?"
"Mr. Seaton-Carew had - most kindly - interested himself on her behalf. A form of charity rather than of friendship. I should have said that Miss Birtley cordially disliked Mr. Seaton-Carew. It would be better, perhaps, if you questioned Miss Birtley her self I am very reluctant to say anything more about her than that she is in my employment, and that while she has been with me I have had no reason to complain of her conduct. Now, if that is all - ?"
"Not quite, madam. How long have you known Mr. Seaton-Carew?"
She had made as if to rise from her chair, but she relaxed again. "For very many years. He was a close friend of my husband's - almost one of the family. Since my husband's death, twelve years ago, he has advised me on business matters. His death has been a terrible shock to me: I can scarcely realise it yet. I find it very painful to be obliged to discuss it."
"I'm sure you must," agreed Hemingway sympathetically. "I understand he dined with you tonight?"
"Yes, he did."
"Was there any sort of disagreement between you, madam?"
She looked at him, her tinted lips thinning. "I see. You have been listening to servants' gossip, I think, Chief Inspector. It is quite true that I had occasion to be most annoyed with Mr. Seaton-Carew, and equally true that I took him sharply to task, after dinner, and before my Bridge-guests arrived."
"I'm afraid I shall have to ask you what was the cause of this quarrel, madam."
"There was no quarrel. Mr. Seaton-Carew never quarrelled with anyone. He was not a man who took things seriously. He was sometimes, in fact, far too flippant, which made him very irritating. This was by no means the first time he had succeeded in making me lose my temper, I can assure you!"
"Very understandable, madam. And the reason?"
"If you must know, I told him that I would not allow him to philander with my daughter! My daughter is an extremely lovely girl, but quite inexperienced, and Mr. Seaton-Carew's manner towards her was putting ridiculous ideas into her head. He was a very attractive and handsome man, and I expect you know as well as I do how flattered a young girl can be when a man of his age makes a pet of her. He meant nothing, of course, but a child of nineteen couldn't be expected to realise that. I told him that this foolish flirtation must stop, or I should be obliged to stop inviting him to my house. He tried to make a joke of it, and I lost my temper. That is all. Is there anything else I can tell you?"
Just one thing, madam. Is Mr. Butterwick a frequent visitor to your house?"