“They’re all busy but Nell,” Madame said.“And I think I ought to be present when you speak with her.”
Sure you do, Cobb thought, so you can makecertain she doesn’t say anything to disturb the smooth running ofthe business.
“Alone,” Cobb said.
“Very well. I’ll fetch her.”
Madame LaFrance went into an adjoining roomand came out with Nell, a big-haired, florid woman with too muchmake-up and tired, world-weary eyes.
“Nell, this policeman would like to ask yousome questions.” Madame LaFrance gave Nell a knowing look anddrifted over to the Cavaliers.
“Sally and I were close,” Nell said, chokingup.
“Good. Then you’ll know if there was anyonehere in the house who might’ve been pesterin’ her in some way.”
“Many of the gentlemen was attracted to her,”Nell said. “It was that pretty blond hair. And, of course, shewasn’t available, was she?”
“That made her more attractive, did it?”
“Yes, it did.”
“Was there anyone in particular who standsout? Who might’ve pursued her more than the others?”
“Well,” Nell said hesitantly, “I reallycouldn’t say.”
“You want me to catch the man who killed yerfriend, don’t you?”
“Oh, yes. I’d like to strangle himmyself.”
“Then tell me who the gentleman was, Nell,”Cobb said bluntly.
Nell paused, then said, “Mr. Gawain overthere.”
“Did he approach her directly?”
“He’d come up to her after she finished asong and try to get her to go upstairs with him. In a banterin’sort of way, but I know he was serious. I can always tell.”
“And she rebuffed him?”
“She was awful nice about it, but, yes, shedid.”
“And did he keep on approachin’ her?”
“Just about every night he was in here.”
“And how often does he come here?”
“Three, sometimes four evenin’s a week. Andalways with his pals, the Cavaliers.” She stifled a giggle.
“Thank you, Nell, you’ve been a bighelp.”
“You won’t tell him I told on him, willyou?”
“No-one will know what you’ve told me,” Cobbassured her.
As she turned to leave, Cobb thought of afinal question. “Did anyone come in here tonight askin’ about alost glove?”
Nell was taken aback for a moment. Then shesaid, “Yes, they did.”
“Who?”
“It was Mr. Gawain.”
Cobb thanked her and stared over at Pugh, whowas busy chatting comfortably with his fellow knights. Cobbrealized that he had to get Pugh alone and at a disadvantage togrill him about the glove and about his obsession with Sally Butts.His own home, with his wife hovering, would be the ideal place. Andhe had the address.
He nodded to Madame LaFrance and headed forthe anteroom. Beside the several halltrees crammed with hats andcoats sat two rows of boots — in assorted shapes and sizes. Cobbspotted one very large pair among them and turned one of them over.There was no design cut into the sole. Well, he thought, hecouldn’t be that lucky. But he had found out a fair amount in ashort time.
As he turned to go, Nell came up to him. “Iforgot to mention that Sally had a boy friend.”
Cobb stared at her and said, “He camehere?”
“Oh, you know about him, then? A Mr. JohnKray.”
“I do. But I didn’t know he came here.”
“Oh, he didn’t come inside, ever. But we’dsee him hangin’ about, and Sally told me he followed her sometimes.She wouldn’t speak to him though.”
“He wasn’t around here last night by anychance?”
“That’s just it. He was. When I was lettin’ agentleman in — oh, about nine-thirty — I saw him at the corner ofthe house, just lurkin’ in the snow.”
So, Cobb thought, another lie. Kray had notbeen gambling all night. And Pugh had indeed lost a glove. Cobbthanked Nell again, and left — much satisfied with his evening ofdetection.
***
Cobb was at Kray’s house at nine the next morning.Kray himself answered the door.
“I’ve got a bone to pick with you, Mr. Kray,”Cobb said as he entered the front room of the small cottage.
“I answered your questions yesterday,” Kraysaid. He looked dreadful, a combination of hangover and grief, orregret.
“But you didn’t answer them with the truth,sir.”
“What do you mean?”
“You were seen skulkin’ about MadameLaFrance’s about nine-thirty on the night of the murder.”
Kray heaved a huge sigh. “So I was. But thatwas all I did. I could hear her sing, even see her, standing nearthe window by the piano. Sometimes she would wander close enoughfor me to see her beautiful hair. Like a halo, it was. She was anangel.”
“Why did you lie to me?”
“I didn’t want you to suspect me. You knewI’d been turned down and that I continued to follow her. I didn’twant to be involved. I wanted to grieve quietly. I been up to seeher parents. They’ve been kind to me, despite everything.”
“You didn’t wait fer her to come out?”
Kray looked at his feet. “She surprised me bycoming out at ten o’clock. I was just getting ready to go back toDowd’s.”
“And you spoke with her?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“That’s the gospel truth, sir. We argued. Shetold me to stop following her. I told her it was dangerous inDevil’s Acre. If only she’d listened — ”
“So she left — on her own?”
Kray choked back a sob. “Yes, she did. I wentback to my gambling. And she was killed by some brute.”
Who might well have been you, Cobb thought.And these tears are after the fact and fraught with remorse. Cobbthen did a strange thing. He stared down at Kray’s feet. They werevery large despite the fellow’s medium build.
“You have very large feet, Mr. Kray.”
Kray looked startled by the comment. “I do.So what of it?”
“May I see the boots you were wearing twonights ago?”
“If you must. But I don’t see what you’d wantto do that for.”
“Just show them to me.”
Kray went over to a mat near the door andpicked up a large pair of walking boots. Cobb took one and examinedthe sole. There was a manufacturer’s logo cut into the sole, butthe design was not similar to the one he was looking for.Nevertheless, there could be other boots — perhaps jettisoned orburned.
“So you’re denyin’ you followed Sally Buttsand slashed her throat?”
Kray dropped the other boot. “Of course Ididn’t,” he said. “I loved her.”
Cobb backed out the door, thinking hard.
***
Cobb had planned to write up another report forChief Cyril Bagshaw — to prove that he was using his timeproductively — but never got the chance. Bagshaw was waiting forhim.
“In my office, Constable,” he said, alertingGussie French, fussing with his pens, to the fact that trouble wasin the wind.
Cobb followed the Chief inside.
Bagshaw stood behind his desk and glared atCobb, still standing. “I’ve just had Bartholomew Pugh in here, sir,and he was not a happy gentleman.”
“About the man, sir, I — ”
“I don’t want excuses, Cobb, because therearen’t any. You had the brazen gall to disturb three respectablegentlemen of the town in their evening of relaxation and pleasure.And you practically accused them of murdering Sally Butts!”
“But, sir, I treated them as potentialwitnesses. They were out there — ”
“You don’t get the point, do you, Cobb. Theseare gentlemen. They must be treated as gentlemen. If we wishto interview them, we make an appointment, we do not spring uponthem unannounced in a brothel! You embarrassed them, Cobb. For nogood reason.”
“I didn’t know their names to make anappointment,” Cobb pleaded. “I figured they’d be there and I’d atleast find out who they were.”
“Then why did you, having gotten their names,not make an appointment then and there? And apologize forinterrupting them so rudely?”
Cobb paused, lowered his voice and said,“Pugh was lyin’ to me, sir.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He denied losin’ a glove. I found one,remember, near the crime. And Nell, one of the girls, told me hehad earlier been askin’ after it. If it is his glove, and I’m sureit is, then he was within a block of the crime at about the time itwas bein’ committed.”