"And if you think you can order me about, you can think again."
They glared at each other.
It was at this moment that Colonel Melchett seized his opportunity and cleared his throat loudly.
Basil Blake swung round on him.
"Hullo, I forgot you were here. About time you took yourself off, isn't it?
Let me introduce you Dinah Lee. Colonel Blimp, of the county police... And now, Colonel, that you've seen that my blonde is alive and in good condition, perhaps you'll get on with the good work concerning old Bantry's little bit of fluff.
Good morning."
Colonel Melchett said,
"I advise you to keep a civil tongue in your head, young man, or you'll let yourself in for trouble," and stumped out, his face red and wrathful.
Chapter 9
In his office at Much Benham, Colonel Melchett received and scrutinized the reports of his subordinates. "... so it all seems clear enough, sir," Inspector Slack was concluding. "Mrs Bantry sat in the library after dinner and went to bed just before ten.
She turned out the lights when she left the room, and presumably no one entered the room afterward.
The servants went to bed at half past ten, and Lorrimer, after putting the drinks in the hall, went to bed at a quarter to eleven.
Nobody heard anything out of the usual, except the third housemaid, and she heard too much!
Groans and a bloodcurdling yell and sinister footsteps and I don't know what.
The second housemaid, who shares a room with her, says the other girl slept all night through without a sound.
It's those ones that make up things that cause us all the trouble."
"What about the forced window?"
"Amateur job, Simmons says, done with a common chisel, ordinary pattern; wouldn't have made much noise.
Ought to be a chisel about the house, but nobody can find it.
Still, that's common enough where tools are concerned."
"Think any of the servants know anything?"
Rather unwillingly Inspector Slack replied,
"No, sir.
I don't think they do.
They all seemed very shocked and upset.
I had my suspicions of Lorrimer - reticent, he was, if you know what I mean - but I don't think there's anything in it."
Melchett nodded.
He attached no importance to Lorrimer's reticence.
The energetic Inspector Slack often produced that effect on the people he interrogated.
The door opened and Doctor Haydock came in.
"Thought I'd look in and give you the rough gist of things."
"Yes, yes, glad to see you.
Well?"
"Nothing much.
Just what you'd think. Death was due to strangulation.
Satin waistband of her own dress, which was passed round the neck and crossed at the back.
Quite easy and simple to do.
Wouldn't have needed great strength -that is, if the girl was taken by surprise.
There are no signs of a struggle."
"What about time of death?"
"Say between ten o'clock and midnight."
"You can't get nearer than that?"
Haydock shook his head with a slight grin. "I won't risk my professional reputation.
Not earlier than ten and not later than midnight."
"And your own fancy inclines to which time?"
"Depends.
There was a fire in the grate, the room was warm - all that would delay rigor and cadaveric stiffening."
"Anything more you can say about her?"
"Nothing much.