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Chapter 19
Superintendent Vyner sat in a solid armchair and faced the Chief Constable across a comfortable hearth. The Chief Constable was Colonel Bostock, a wiry little man with a brown wrinkled face, bright twinkling eyes, and a cheerful expression. He was sixty years old, and had the air of having enjoyed every minute of them. Since he was a widower, it is to be supposed that this was not quite the case, but Mrs. Bostock had been dead for so many years that any sad memories must long ago have been obliterated. His three daughters, at present serving their country, were healthy and pleasant young women who had never given him a moment’s anxiety. One of them was overseas, but the other two had seven days’ leave and were spending it at home. Vyner had just used the word murder. Colonel Bostock was regarding him with the cocked head and bright attention of a terrier to whom someone has just said “Rats!”
“You don’t say so!”
“It’s not me, sir-it’s Dr. Frith. And Dr. Horton couldn’t contradict him, though he’d have been glad enough if he could. Of course if you put it to me, I’d say that Dr. Frith was in the right of it. It was murder all right. He was pushed, and I’d say he was pushed by someone who knew that he’d got the habit of standing by that parapet and having a look at the view. The butler says he did it every night as regular as clockwork before he went to bed.”
“That’s all very well, but who was to know what time he’d go to bed? Or did that go by clockwork too?”
“Oh, no, sir. But last night, you see, all those ten people who had di
Colonel Bostock gave a short, dry sniff.
“Mrs. Ambrose? Let’s see-she’s Irene. Lydia ’s the red-haired one. Old Pe
Vyner considered it time to recall his Chief Constable from these reminiscences. He did so with respect, but firmly.
“Well, sir, you see, once I had got that statement from Mrs. Ambrose it wasn’t any good the others holding out. I had the sister in next, Miss Lydia Pe
“Well, that’s true enough. Everyone knows that. Very able man-very able indeed. Bit of an autocrat. Bit of a tyrant, I shouldn’t wonder.”
“Yes, sir-that’s the impression Miss Pe
Colonel Bostock ran his eye over it.
“Yes-yes. Well, it’s all quite true. Who did you have next?”
“Mr. Ambrose. You’ve got his statement there. Very short and to the point. But he didn’t like making it. Looked like fury when I read him what his wife had said. She’ll be hearing about it, I expect. But he didn’t deny it-said he had no idea what his stepfather meant, but thought there wasn’t much in it- said Mr. Paradine had been overworking, and considered he’d gone off the deep end about something that was probably not very important. When I asked him whether he was out again after he got home, he said yes, he went out to look for his wife. When I asked him how he knew where to look for her he said he didn’t, but she might have gone round to the doctor’s because she was always getting into a state about the children and the telephone was out of order. It sounds a bit thin, you know, sir.”
Colonel Bostock said, “Oh, I don’t know.” And then, “Good lord, man, what are you suggesting- that Ambrose trekked all the way back to the River House to push old Paradine off?”
Vyner looked up quickly.
“Well, sir, when you say all the way back-it’s not that far.”
“Took them a quarter of an hour to drive it.”
“Yes, sir-to drive it. But it wouldn’t be more than six or seven minutes by the foot-bridge and along the river path.”
Colonel Bostock gave a long whistle.
“The foot-bridge! No more it would! Of course the Ambroses are in Meadowcroft. It’s no distance at all by the foot-bridge. Did he say how long he was out, or when he came in?”
“He said he couldn’t say-said he didn’t look at his watch. And that doesn’t sound natural to me, sir, because when a man’s waiting for a woman, and especially if he’s a bit worked up, why, he’d keep looking at his watch all the time-I’ve done it myself.”
“Mightn’t have a luminous dial,” said Colonel Bostock reasonably. “You’re forgetting the blackout.”
“Very bright moon, sir, till a quarter before midnight.”
“H’m! Let’s have a look at what the fellow says. Short and sharp. Well, thank the Lord for that.” He sca
Vyner had allowed himself to smile.
“Well, yes, sir-she struck me that way.”
“Not much of a head on her shoulders? She used to come about the house when my girls were at home, but I don’t know that I’ve said three words to her since she married. Nice people the Pe
The smile lingered for a moment in the Superintendent’s eyes.
“Well, yes, sir.”
“All right-there you are. If a woman’s a fool she’s a fool. Might do anything.”
The Superintendent abandoned Mrs. Ambrose.
“Yes, sir. I saw the other four men after Mr. Ambrose-Mr. Mark Paradine, Mr. Richard Paradine, Mr. Pearson, and Mr. Wray. I didn’t get anything that you could add to the Ambrose statements. You’ll see if you look at them, the wording varies a little, that’s all. There isn’t any doubt that Mrs. Ambrose gave a pretty fair account of what took place. I didn’t read them her statement, and they’d had no opportunity of seeing either her or her husband again before I had them in-one at a time of course. So they’d no means of knowing what she had said. I just told each of them that both she and Mr. Ambrose had described a painful incident which took place at the di