Rollison said: “I’m going back into the living-room. Make sure that Madam Melinska comes in ahead of the others.”
“Very good, sir,” said Jolly.
For a few seconds Lucifer Stride appeared to be undecided as to whether he should stay in the hall or follow Rollison. Then, as Rollison strode forward, he asked:
“May I join you?”
“Yes,” said Rollison briskly. He hurried back to the living-room, followed by Lucifer. “Go over by the far window—you can see them both from there.”
Lucifer obeyed, moving very soft-footedly, and Rollison stood with his back to the fireplace so that he too could see both Mrs Abbott and the doorway; he recalled the venom in her voice and the way she had tossed the ammonia ball at him. All she could throw this time was the cup and saucer; uneasily, he wished he had taken them away from her but it was too late now, for Jolly was saying:
“Good afternoon, madam.”
“Is Mr Rollison in?” asked Olivia Cordman.
“Yes, madam, if you will please step this way—”
Jolly manoeuvred so that Madam Melinska came forward first. Rollison tried to glimpse the faces of both women, but he was most anxious to see Mrs Abbott’s. So far, she had no idea who was coming in.
Then Madam Melinska appeared.
Rollison saw her stop short; heard Mrs Abbott exclaim and saw her spring to her feet. For a moment he was afraid that he had done the wrong thing, that she would attack the other woman; but all she did was to stand by the chair.
Madam Melinska glanced towards her, her face expressionless. Then she saw Rollison, and the smile she gave him was gentle and quite delightful.
“I am very glad to meet you, Mr Rollison.”
Olivia Cordman, obviously puzzled, followed her. She looked at Mrs Abbott, started to speak, and then thought better of it, obviously thinking it wise to await events.
Then Mona Lister appeared.
Rollison realized on the instant that Mona Lister both knew and feared Mrs Abbott. He saw her expression of astonishment, the way she stood stock still, hands raised as if ready to fend off an attack. Olivia Cordman’s eyes sparked with interest. Lucifer took two long strides forward.
Then Mona cried: “Don’t let her touch me! Keep her away? She cowered back against an astonished Jolly.
Mrs Abbott actually raised the cup, as if to throw it, but Rollison stepped forward swiftly and knocked her arm aside. The cup fell on to the carpet but did not break.
“Take that girl out of here,” hissed Mrs Abbott. “Take her away or I’ll choke the life out of her.”
She took a step forward, as if to prove that she meant exactly what she said.
CHAPTER FIVE
Protection
Rollison watched with bated breath, keenly aware of the reactions around him: Olivia Cordman’s fascinated interest, the calmness of Madam Melinska, the anger of Mrs Abbott, the fear of Mona Lister.
Of her fear, there was no doubt at all.
“I tell you—” hissed Mrs Abbott between clenched teeth. She looked about to launch herself forward.
Mona screamed.
Lucifer Stride moved very quickly, stepping between the woman and the girl. He thrust his left arm towards Mrs Abbott, pushing her back into her chair, then put his right arm protectively round Mona’s shoulders.
“Mr Rollison,” he declared, in that affected drawl, “I would have you know that that woman is dangerous.”
“If it comes to that, so am I,” said Rollison. “If you manhandle anyone else in my flat, I’ll run you out by the seat of your pants.” He moved forward to Mrs Abbott, and looked down at her. “What’s this? A hate campaign?”
She sat back in the chair, face suffused, eyes glittering.
“Let’s have it,” demanded Rollison. “You wanted to kill me because I befriended Madam Melinska. What’s Mona Lister done to make you want to choke the life out of her?”
The woman glared at the girl, but said nothing.
“Listen to me!” ordered Rollison. “You threw ammonia into my face, you can get a long prison sentence for that kind of crime. Do you want me to charge you?” When she still didn’t answer but stared up at him defiantly, Rollison snapped his fingers at Jolly. “Jolly, telephone Scotland Yard, tell Mr Grice I’ve changed my mind about making a charge against the woman Abbott. I want—”
Mrs Abbott gasped: “No! No, please— please don’t!”
Rollison spun round on her.
“Why do you hate Mona Lister?” When there was still no answer, he raised his voice: “Jolly!”
“Mr Rollison,” interrupted Madam Melinska, “I think I can tell you. And it is quite understandable.”
Rollison said gruffly: “Oh, is it?”
“And I believe you will think so, also,” said Madam Melinska. “Mona is Mrs Abbott’s niece. They have been like mother and daughter for many years. After a conflict of loyalty Mona came to me, deserting her aunt. Can you be surprised at Mrs Abbott’s bitterness?”
The soft, modulated voice held all of them in a kind of thralclass="underline" especially Olivia Cordman.
When the older woman stopped, heads turned towards Mrs Abbott, and it seemed to Rollison that now they felt much as he, sorrow, not anger, for the woman who had lost first a husband then a niece who was like a daughter, to this gentle creature.
Rollison asked gently: “Is that the truth, Mrs Abbott?”
Mrs Abbott nodded; and there were tears in her eyes, tears, which seemed to create a relaxed silence until Lucifer Stride let Mona go, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat as he did so. Mona stood for a moment without speaking. Then she said gruffly:
“She drove me into leaving her.”
“Mona, my child—” began Madam Melinska.
“It’s no use trying to stop me—and it’s no use keeping on defending everybody,” Mona went on with unexpected spirit. “She made life absolutely unbearable both for me and for Uncle Harry. She—she’s so possessive, she thinks she owns everybody. And if they do any little thing she doesn’t like she gets into these terrible rages—terrible rages. They frighten me—they even frightened Uncle Harry. Oh, I’m sorry, Aunt Hester—” Mona turned towards her aunt— “I don’t want to hurt you, I really don’t—but you do know it’s true.”
She passed a shaking hand over her forehead, and Rollison could see that she too was close to tears.
“And that was why you went to live with Madam Melinska?” he asked gently.
The girl looked at him without speaking, and Madam Melinska answered for her.
“Mr Rollison, it may help you to know that Mona has a remarkable natural gift of second sight, or clairvoyance. It was this gift which brought us together. Mrs Abbott is still a sceptic where foreknowledge of the future is concerned. But—” Madam Melinska’s mildly amused smile appeared again— “aren’t most people? Aren’t you?”
Rollison felt as if he were at the wrong end of a rapier which pinned him against the wall.
“Yes,” he admitted.
“Most Virgoans are,” declared Madam Melinska.
“Most Virgo—oh.” Rollison had been born late in August and knew his sign of the Zodiac, but this had always been a matter for fun rather than serious consideration. He had a momentary flash of thought: How had she known his birth date? Then he told himself that she had only to glance at a Who’s Who to discover it.
“As a matter of personal interest,” put in Lucifer quietly, “what is my sign?”
Madam Melinska looked at him very directly. “You are a Gemini, probably born on the cusp. You have the fixity of purpose of all Taureans and the love of movement of Gemini people. I imagine you were born later than your mother had expected.”