Fourteen

THIRD VISITOR

Superintendent¹ Battle arrived at Wallingford about six o’clock. It was his intention to learn asmuch as he could from innocent local gossip before interviewing Miss Anne Meredith.

It was not difficult to glean² such information as there was. Without committing himselfdefinitely to any statement, the superintendent nevertheless gave several different impressions ofhis rank and calling in life.

At least two people would have said confidently that he was a London builder come down to seeabout a new wing to be added to the cottage, from another you would have learned that he was“one of these weekenders wanting to take a furnished cottage,” and two more would have saidthey knew positively³, and for a fact, that he was a representative of a hardcourt tennis firm.

The information that the superintendent gathered was entirely⁴ favourable⁵.

“Wendon Cottage—Yes, that’s right—on the Marlbury Road. You can’t miss it. Yes, twoyoung ladies. Miss Dawes and Miss Meredith. Very nice young ladies, too. The quiet kind.

“Here for years? Oh, no, not that long. Just over two years. September quarter they come in. Mr.

Pickersgill they bought it from. Never used it much, he didn’t, after his wife died.”

Superintendent Battle’s informant had never heard they came from Northumberland. London,he thought they came from. Popular in the neighbourhood, though some people were old-fashioned and didn’t think two young ladies ought to be living alone. But very quiet, they were.

None of this cocktail-drinking weekend lot. Miss Rhoda, she was the dashing one. Miss Meredithwas the quiet one. Yes, it was Miss Dawes what paid the bills. She was the one had got the money.

The superintendent’s researches at last led him inevitably⁶ to Mrs. Astwell—who “did” for theladies at Wendon Cottage.

Mrs. Astwell was a locquacious lady.

“Well, no, sir. I hardly think they’d want to sell. Not so soon. They only got in two years ago.

I’ve done for them from the beginning, yes, sir. Eight o’clock till twelve—those are my hours.

Very nice, lively young ladies, always ready for a joke or a bit of fun. Not stuck up at all.

“Well, of course, I couldn’t say if it’s the same Miss Dawes you knew, sir—the same family, Imean. It’s my fancy her home’s in Devonshire. She gets the cream sent her now and again, andsays it reminds her of home; so I think it must be.

“As you say, sir, it’s sad for so many young ladies having to earn their living nowadays. Theseyoung ladies aren’t what you’d call rich, but they have a very pleasant life. It’s Miss Dawes hasgot the money, of course. Miss Anne’s her companion, in a manner of speaking, I suppose youmight say. The cottage belongs to Miss Dawes.

“I couldn’t really say what part Miss Anne comes from. I’ve heard her mention the Isle⁷ ofWight, and I know she doesn’t like the North of England; and she and Miss Rhoda were togetherin Devonshire, because I’ve heard them joke about the hills and talk about the pretty coves⁸ andbeaches.”

The flow went on. Every now and then Superintendent Battle made a mental note. Later, acryptic word or two was jotted⁹ down in his little book.

At half past eight that evening he walked up the path to the door of Wendon Cottage.

It was opened to him by a tall, dark girl wearing a frock of orange cretonne.

“Miss Meredith live here?” inquired Superintendent Battle.

He looked very wooden and soldierly.

“Yes, she does.”

“I’d like to speak to her, please. Superintendent Battle.”

He was immediately favoured with a piercing stare.

“Come in,” said Rhoda Dawes, drawing back from the doorway¹⁰.

Anne Meredith was sitting in a cosy¹¹ chair by the fire, sipping¹² coffee. She was wearingembroidered crêpe de chine pyjamas¹³.

“It’s Superintendent Battle,” said Rhoda, ushering¹⁴ in the guest.

Anne rose and came forward with outstretched hand.

“A bit late for a call,” said Battle. “But I wanted to find you in, and it’s been a fine day.”

Anne smiled.

“Will you have some coffee, Superintendent? Rhoda, fetch another cup.”

“Well, it’s very kind of you, Miss Meredith.”

“We think we make rather good coffee,” said Anne.

She indicated a chair, and Superintendent Battle sat down. Rhoda brought a cup, and Annepoured out his coffee. The fire crackled and the flowers in the vases made an agreeable impressionupon the superintendent.

It was a pleasant homey atmosphere. Anne seemed self-possessed and at her ease, and the othergirl continued to stare at him with devouring¹⁵ interest.

“We’ve been expecting you,” said Anne.

Her tone was almost reproachful. “Why have you neglected me?” it seemed to say.

“Sorry, Miss Meredith. I’ve had a lot of routine work to do.”

“Satisfactory?”

“Not particularly. But it all has to be done. I’ve turned Dr. Roberts inside out, so to speak. Andthe same for Mrs. Lorrimer. And now I’ve come to do the same for you, Miss Meredith.”

Anne smiled.

“I’m ready.”

“What about Major Despard?” asked Rhoda.

“Oh, he won’t be overlooked. I can promise you that,” said Battle.

He set down his coffee cup and looked towards Anne. She sat up a little straighter in her chair.

“I’m quite ready, superintendent. What do you want to know?”

“Well, roughly, all about yourself, Miss Meredith.”

“I’m quite a respectable person,” said Anne, smiling.

“She’s led a blameless life, too,” said Rhoda. “I can answer for that.”

“Well, that’s very nice,” said Superintendent Battle cheerfully. “You’ve known Miss Meredith along time, then?”

“We were at school together,” said Rhoda. “What ages ago, it seems, doesn’t it, Anne?”

“So long ago, you can hardly remember it, I suppose,” said Battle with a chuckle¹⁶. “Now, then,Miss Meredith, I’m afraid I’m going to be rather like those forms you fill up for passports.”

“I was born—” began Anne.

“Of poor but honest parents,” Rhoda put in.

Superintendent Battle held up a slightly reproving hand.

“Now, now, young lady,” he said.

“Rhoda, darling,” said Anne gravely. “It’s serious, this.”

“Sorry,” said Rhoda.

“Now, Miss Meredith, you were born—where?”

“At Quetta, in India.”

“Ah, yes. Your people were Army folk?”

“Yes—my father was Major John Meredith. My mother died when I was eleven. Father retiredwhen I was fifteen and went to live in Cheltenham. He died when I was eighteen and leftpractically no money.”

Battle nodded his head sympathetically.

“Bit of a shock to you, I expect.”

“It was, rather. I always knew that we weren’t well off, but to find there was practically nothing—well, that’s different.”

“What did you do, Miss Meredith?”

“I had to take a job. I hadn’t been particularly well educated and I wasn’t clever. I didn’t knowtyping or shorthand, or anything. A friend in Cheltenham found me a job with friends of hers—two small boys home in the holidays, and general help in the house.”

“Name, please?”

“That was Mrs. Eldon, The Larches¹⁷, Ventnor. I stayed there for two years, and then the Eldonswent abroad. Then I went to a Mrs. Deering.”

“My aunt,” put in Rhoda.

“Yes, Rhoda got me the job. I was very happy. Rhoda used to come and stay sometimes, and wehad great fun.”

“What were you there—companion?”

“Yes—it amounted to that.”

“More like undergardener,” said Rhoda.

She explained:

“My Aunt Emily is just mad on gardening. Anne spent most of her time weeding or putting inbulbs.”

“And you left Mrs. Deering?”

“Her health got worse, and she had to have a regular nurse.”

“She’s got cancer,” said Rhoda. “Poor darling, she has to have morphia and things like that.”

“She had been very kind to me. I was very sorry to go,” went on Anne.

“I was looking about for a cottage,” said Rhoda, “and wanting someone to share it with me.

Daddy’s married again—not my sort at all. I asked Anne to come here with me, and she’s beenhere ever since.”

“Well, that certainly seems a most blameless life,” said Battle. “Let’s just get the dates clear.

You were with Mrs. Eldon two years, you say. By the way, what is her address now?”

“She’s in Palestine. Her husband has some Government appointment out there—I’m not surewhat.”

“Ah, well, I can soon find out. And after that you went to Mrs. Deering?”

“I was with her three years,” said Anne quickly. “Her address is Marsh¹⁸ Dene, Little Hembury,Devon.”

“I see,” said Battle. “So you are now twenty-five, Miss Meredith. Now, there’s just one thingmore—the name and address of a couple of people in Cheltenham who knew you and yourfather.”

Anne supplied him with these.

“Now, about this trip to Switzerland—where you met Mr. Shaitana. Did you go alone there—orwas Miss Dawes here with you?”

“We went out together. We joined some other people. There was a party of eight.”

“Tell me about your meeting with Mr. Shaitana.”

Anne crinkled her brows.

“There’s really nothing to tell. He was just there. We knew him in the way you know people ina hotel. He got first prize at the fancy dress ball. He went as Mephistopheles.”

Superintendent Battle sighed.

“Yes, that always was his favourite effect.”

“He really was marvellous,” said Rhoda. “He hardly had to make up at all.”

The superintendent looked from one girl to the other.

“Which of you two young ladies knew him best?”

Anne hesitated. It was Rhoda who answered.

“Both the same to begin with. Awfully¹⁹ little, that is. You see, our crowd was the skiing lot, andwe were off doing runs most days and dancing together in the evenings. But then Shaitana seemedto take rather a fancy to Anne. You know, went out of his way to pay her compliments, and allthat. We ragged²⁰ her about it, rather.”

“I just think he did it to annoy me,” said Anne. “Because I didn’t like him. I think it amused himto make me feel embarrassed.”

Rhoda said laughing:

“We told Anne it would be a nice rich marriage for her. She got simply wild with us.”

“Perhaps,” said Battle, “you’d give me the names of the other people in your party?”

“You aren’t what I call a trustful man,” said Rhoda. “Do you think that every word we’re tellingyou is downright lies?”

Superintendent Battle twinkled.

“I’m going to make sure it isn’t, anyway,” he said.

“You are suspicious,” said Rhoda.

She scribbled²¹ some names on a piece of paper and gave it to him.

Battle rose.

“Well, thank you very much, Miss Meredith,” he said. “As Miss Dawes says, you seem to haveled a particularly blameless life. I don’t think you need worry much. It’s odd the way Mr.

Shaitana’s manner changed to you. You’ll excuse my asking, but he didn’t ask you to marry him—or—er—pester you with attentions of another kind?”

“He didn’t try to seduce²² her,” said Rhoda helpfully. “If that’s what you mean.”

Anne was blushing.

“Nothing of the kind,” she said. “He was always most polite and—and—formal. It was just hiselaborate manners that made me uncomfortable.”

“And little things he said or hinted?”

“Yes—at least—no. He never hinted things.”

“Sorry. These lady-killers do sometimes. Well, goodnight, Miss Meredith. Thank you verymuch. Excellent coffee. Goodnight, Miss Dawes.”

“There,” said Rhoda as Anne came back into the room after shutting the door after Battle.

“That’s over, and not so very terrible. He’s a nice fatherly man, and he evidently doesn’t suspectyou in the least. It was all ever so much better than I expected.”

Anne sank down with a sigh.

“It was really quite easy,” she said. “It was silly of me to work myself up so. I thought he’d tryto browbeat²³ me—like K.C.s on the stage.”

“He looks sensible,” said Rhoda. “He’d know well enough you’re not a murdering kind offemale.”

She hesitated and then said:

“I say, Anne, you didn’t mention being at Croftways. Did you forget?”

Anne said slowly:

“I didn’t think it counted. I was only there a few months. And there’s no one to ask about methere. I can write and tell him if you think it matters; but I’m sure it doesn’t. Let’s leave it.”

“Right, if you say so.”

Rhoda rose and turned on the wireless²⁴.

A raucous²⁵ voice said:

“You have just heard the Black Nubians play ‘Why do you tell me lies, Baby?’”

 

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