Miss Silver inclined her head.
“Pray continue.”
“So it wasn’t his fault,” said Jimmy Latter in a dead voice. “It was pretty late, but I hadn’t gone to sleep. I was wondering whether I would go and see if Lois was awake too. I thought perhaps we might make it up. Her room is the other side of the landing. I was just going to open my door, when I heard hers open. When you’ve lived a long time in a house you know just where a sound comes from, and I’ve got very quick ears. I thought perhaps she was coming to me, but she wasn’t. I came out of my room and saw the door of her big clothes-cupboard shutting on the far side of the landing. It’s a room really. It used to be the dressing-room of the room Antony has, and there’s a door through. I went after her. She didn’t hear me, because by the time I got there she was in Antony ’s room talking to him.” The dead voice fell a tone. It had no expression except that it began to drag on the words. “I heard her say, ‘It’s two years since you kissed me. Don’t you want to kiss me now?’ ” His eyes came suddenly back to her with a look of defiant misery. “The police have got it all written down. That girl was listening at the other door- she’s got it all pat. It wasn’t Antony ’s fault. He said she was my wife now, and he said he wasn’t in love with her any more. She said he usedn’t to be such an icicle, and she called him ‘Joseph,’ laughing at him. That’s when I went in. He was asking her if she liked the idea of being Potiphar’s wife. She was in her nightgown. I told her to go back to her room, and she went. That was the last thing I ever said to her.”
“When did this happen, Mr. Latter?”
He put his head in his hands.
“It must have been Tuesday-yes, Tuesday night. Today is Friday, isn’t it?”
She said, “Yes, Friday.”
“Then it was Tuesday. Antony went away in the morning before anyone was up. I went out all day and most of the next. I didn’t sleep-I couldn’t seem to think-I didn’t know what to do. Lois and I didn’t speak. We met at dinner, but we didn’t speak. I came into the drawing-room both evenings and took some of the coffee-because of what you said about her not taking anything that other people didn’t have. They were sending in two cups of coffee, and I was having one of them.”
Miss Silver coughed.
“Were the cups poured out before they came in, Mr. Latter?”
He nodded.
“I took one of them. That’s what the police keep harping on-how could anyone know which one I was going to take? The police have got it all down-they’ll tell you what happened. I went back to the study as soon as I’d drunk my coffee. Julia went for a walk. Ellie and Minnie went to bed. Lois stayed in the drawing-room. She was all alone. When Julia came in and found her it was too late. We got a doctor, but it was too late.” He lifted his head and stared at her. “It was a dreadful thing to happen to a woman, my coming in like that and finding her with Antony. And I let two days go by-I didn’t go near her, and I didn’t speak. I left her alone- even that last evening I left her alone. If that’s why she took the stuff, then I killed her, didn’t I? I don’t want you to tell me I didn’t if I did. I only want you to find out the truth.”
Miss Silver returned his gaze with a very steady one. She said,
“I will do my best, Mr. Latter.”
CHAPTER 21
When Miss Silver came out of the schoolroom she stood for a moment, her hand fallen from the door which she had closed behind her. Under the surface her thoughts were grave and disturbed, but at the moment she was wondering what she had better do next. It was her custom when she came into a household professionally to make contact as soon as might be with every member of it. As the experienced cashier in a bank takes the feel of the coins which run through his fingers and knows the counterfeit by touch, so she had over and over again found her instinct served her in these first contacts. Being temperate in all things, she did not give undue weight to her impressions, but held them in balance with observation and reason. She might have quoted from the Victorian poet whom she so much revered, in his summing up of different types of men: “For good ye are and bad, and like to coins, some true, some light.”
Of the people in this house, she had met only the two men, Jimmy Latter and his cousin Antony. She glanced at her watch. Just on seven o’clock. She would doubtless meet the rest of the family at the evening meal. It was no part of her method to seek any set interview, but rather to observe the give-and-take of family life under conditions as nearly natural as could be. It would be pleasant to go up to her room, unpack her case, and adjust her toilet for the evening, but she had first to ascertain whether Chief Inspector Lamb and Sergeant Abbott were still upon the premises, and to break to them her presence in a tactful manner. She had not wished to see them until she had interviewed her client, but, having learned from him that he had in no way prepared them for her coming, she was now anxious that there should be no delay. They might, of course, have left the house, but this did not seem very likely.
Antony Latter had indicated the position of the study when he brought her in, mentioning that the police officers were using it. The room from which she had just emerged was the old schoolroom. He had mentioned that too-“My cousin has taken refuge in the old schoolroom.”
She began to walk down the hall in the direction of the study, and was almost level with it when the door opened and the massive figure of Chief Inspector Lamb emerged. Frank Abbott, following him, saw her face light up with a welcoming smile. Her hand came out to meet a somewhat reluctant clasp, whilst in tones warm with kindness she declared her pleasure at this encounter. The extraordinary thing was that the pleasure was so perfectly genuine. She really was delighted to meet an old and respected friend. Her enquiries after his family were sincere. She remembered that Mrs. Lamb had been ill in the summer, and hoped so much that all was well with her again. She knew all about the three daughters and showed a deep interest in hearing the latest news of them. She remembered that it was Myrtle who had been in the W.A.A.E.’s, Violet in the Wrens, and Lily in the A.T.S. Lily was now married. Miss Silver knew all about that too. The young man had a nice position in a solicitor’s office, and they were very happy.
Frank’s smile, if sardonic, was admiring. The ice in which the Chief had encased himself was by this time completely melted, the barometer was at Fair and Warmer, and he was informing Miss Silver that he hoped to be a grandfather in the spring.
With her congratulations these preliminaries came to an end. The compliments were over, but the atmosphere remained genial. Lamb’s voice was friendly as he said,
“And what brings you here, if I may ask?”
Miss Silver looked about her. The hall appeared to be empty, but there was no harm in being careful. She passed into the study, and the two men followed her. When Frank had shut the door she said,
“Mr. Latter is a client of mine. He came to see me last Saturday and told me that his wife thought someone was trying to poison her.”
Lamb stared.
“Oh, he did, did he?”
Miss Silver’s manner became slightly more restrained.
“That is what I am telling you, Chief Inspector. If you can spare the time, I will acquaint you with what passed. But of course I do not wish to detain you.”
Lamb said, “No, no-let’s have it.”
Frank Abbott produced a chair. They all sat down.
Miss Silver coughed.
“Naturally, I recommended him to go to the police.”
Frank’s eyebrows rose. He bit the corner of his lip. Lamb’s “Naturally” tried his gravity a good deal. Sarcasm wasn’t really in the Chief’s line. One was reminded of an elephant doing tricks.