It was as bright as a play in the ancient room. There behind the desk sat the patient, watchful chief inspector, with his steel-wire hair and his clipped moustache, indolently folding his hands. On one side of him sat Sir William, his shrewdness glittering again behind impassive eyes; and on the other was the thin, wry-faced Robert Dalrye. Still bristling, General Mason stood with his back to the fire. And in the largest chair over against the fireplace, Dr Fell bad spread himself out and, he was contemplating with an owlish and naive gaze the opera hat in his hands.
Rampole became aware that Dalrye was speaking, and jerked his thoughts back.
‘so I didn't think much more about it. That was all, until somewhere about one o'clock, the time Phil said he would be here. The phone rang again, and Parker answered it. It was Phil, asking for me. At least,' said Dalrye, squashing out his cigarette suddenly, 'it sounded like Phil. I was in the record-room at the time, working on the notes for the general's book, and Parker transferred the call. Phil was more chaotic than he had been in the morning. He said that, for a reason he couldn't explain over the phone,' he couldn't come to the Tower, but that I had got to come to his flat and see him. He used his old phrase — I'd heard it dozens of times before — that it was a matter of life or death.’
`I was annoyed. I said I had work to do, and I damned well wouldn't do it, and that if he, wanted to see me he could come down here. Then he swore it really was a matter of life or death. And he said I had to come to Town, anyway; his flat was in Bloomsbury, and I had, to take the car to a garage which wasn't very far away; it wouldn't be out of my way if I dropped in. That was perfectly true. So I agreed.
Dalrye shifted in his chair. `I'll admit — well, it did sound more convincing than the other times. I thought he might really have got himself into a genuine mess.'
`Had you any definite reason to believe this?'
`N-no. Yes. Well, make of it what you like.' Dalrye's gaze strayed across to the corner, where Dr Fell was still examining the top-hat with absorbed interest. Dalrye shifted uneasily. `You see, Phil had been in rather high spirits recently. That was why I was so surprised at this change of front. He had been making a play with his stories on this hat-thief thing… you know?'
`We have good reason, to know,' the inspector said. His look had suddenly become one of 'veiled' interest. `Go on, please!’
'It was the sort of story he could do admirably.' He'd been free-lancing, and he hoped the editor might give him a permanent column. So, as I say, I, was astonished when I heard him say what he did. And I remember, I said, "What's the row, anyway? I thought you were following the hat-thief, " And he said, "That's just it," in a sort of queer voice. "I've followed it too, far. I've stirred up something, and it's got me."
The chief inspector leaned forward.
`Yes?' he prompted. `You gathered that Driscoll, thought he was in danger from this hat-thief?'
`Something like that. Naturally, I joked about it. I remember asking, "What's the matter; are you afraid he'll steal your hat?" And he said, "It's' not my hat I'm worried about. It's my head."
There was a silence. Then Hadley spoke casually:
`So you left the Tower. to go to his place. What then?'
`Now comes the odd part of it. I drove up to the garage; it's in Dane Street, High Holborn. The mechanic was busy on a job at the moment. He said he could fix the horn in a few minutes, but I should have to wait until he finished with the car he was working on. So I decided to walk to the flat, and pick up the car later. There was no hurry.'
Hadley reached for his notebook. `The address of the flat?' 'Tavistock Chambers, 34 Tavistock Square, WC. It's number two, on the ground floor…. Well, when I got there I rang at his door for a long time, and nobody answered.` So I went in.'
`The door was open?'
`No. But I have a key. You see, the gates of the Tower of London are closed at ten o'clock sharp every night, and the King himself would have a time getting in after that. So, when I went to a theatre or a dance or something of the sort, I had to have a place to stay the night, and I usually stopped on the couch in Phil's sitting-room…. Where was I? Oh yes. Well, I sat down to wait for him.'
Dalrye drew a long breath. He put the palm of his hand suddenly down on the table.
`About fifteen minutes or so after I had left the Tower, Phil Driscoll appeared at the general's quarters here and asked for me. Parker naturally said I had gone out in response to his phone message. Then, Parker says, Phil got as pale as death; he began to rave and call Parker mad. He had phoned that morning asking to see me at one o'clock… But he swore he had not changed the appointment. He swore he had never telephoned a second time at all.'
5. The Shadow by the Rail
Hadley stiffened. He laid down the pencil quietly, but there were tight muscles down the line of his jaw.
`Just so,' he said quietly. `What then?'
`I waited. It was getting foggier, and it had started to rain, and I got impatient. Then the phone in the flat rang, and I answered it.
`It was Parker, telling me what I've just told you. He had called once before to get me, but I was at the garage and hadn't arrived. Phil was waiting for me at the Tower, in a hell of a stew. Parker said he wasn't drunk, and I thought somebody had gone mad. But there was nothing to do but return; I had to do that, anyway. I Hurried over to get the car, and when I was leaving the garage I met the General…. '
`You also,' inquired Hadley, glancing up, `were in town, General?'
Mason was gloomily regarding his shoes. He looked up with a somewhat satiric expression.
`It would seem so. I had a luncheon engagement, and afterwards I went to the British Museum to pick up some books they had for me. As Dalrye says, it began to rain, so of course there weren't any taxis. Then I remembered the car would probably be at Stapleman's garage or, if it weren't, Stapleman would lend me a car to go back in. It's not far away from the Museum, so I started out. And I saw Dalrye in the car, and hailed him…. I've told you the rest of it. We got here at two-thirty, and found him.'
`Was it a very important luncheon engagement, General Mason?' asked Dr Fell suddenly.
The query was startling in its very naivete, and they all turned to look at him. His round and ruddy face was sunk into his collar, the great white plumed mop of hair straggling over one ear,
The General stared. `I don't think I understand.!
'Was it by any chance,' pursued the doctor, 'a society of some sort, a board of directors' meeting, a gathering of…'
`As a matter of fact,' said Mason, `it was.' He seemed puzzled and his hard eyes grew brighter. `The Antiquarians' Society. We meet for lunch on the first Monday of every month. I don't like the crowd. Gaa-a! Sedentary fossils of the worst type.- I only stay in the organization because you get the benefit of their knowledge, on a doubtful question. Sir Leonard Haldyne — the Keeper of the jewels here drove me up in his car, at noon.'
I suppose your membership in the society is well known?'
`All my friends know of it, if that's what you mean. It seems' to amuse them at the Rag.'
Hadley nodded slowly, contemplating Dr Fell. 'I begin to see what you're driving at. Tell me, General. You and Mr Dalrye were the only people at the Tower whom young Driscoll knew at all well?'