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He hung up the receiver.
“Get Chase again, will you, Fox?”
Chase, recalled, was most insistent that Mr. Hislop had spoken about it to Dr. Meadows.
“It was when Mr. Hislop had flu, sir. I went up with the doctor. Mr. Hislop had a high temperature and was talking very excited. He kept on and on, saying the master had guessed his ways had driven him crazy and that the master kept on purposely to aggravate. He said if it went on much longer he’d… he didn’t know what he was talking about, sir, really.”
“What did he say he’d do?”
“Well, sir, he said he’d—he’d do something desperate to the master. But it was only his rambling, sir. I daresay he wouldn’t remember anything about it.”
“No,” said Alleyn, “I daresay he wouldn’t.” When Chase had gone he said to Fox: “Go and find out about those boys and their alibis. See if they can put you on to a quick means of checking up. Get Master Guy to corroborate Miss Phillipa’s statement that she was locked in her room.”
Fox had been gone for some time and Alleyn was still busy with his notes when the study door burst open and in came Dr. Meadows.
“Look here, my giddy sleuth-hound,” he shouted, “what’s all this about Hislop? Who says he disliked Sep’s abominable habits?”
“Chase does. And don’t bawl at me like that. I’m worried.”
“So am I, blast you. What are you driving at? You can’t imagine that… that poor little broken-down hack is capable of electrocuting anybody, let alone Sep?”
“I have no imagination,” said Alleyn wearily.
“I wish to God I hadn’t called you in. If the wireless killed Sep, it was because he’d monkeyed with it.”
“And put it right after it had killed him?”
Dr. Meadows stared at Alleyn in silence.
“Now,” said Alleyn, “you’ve got to give me a straight answer, Meadows. Did Hislop, while he was semi-delirious, say that this habit of Tonks’s made him feel like murdering him?”
“I’d forgotten Chase was there,” said Dr. Meadows.
“Yes, you’d forgotten that.”
“But even if he did talk wildly, Alleyn, what of it? Damn it, you can’t arrest a man on the strength of a remark made in delirium.”
“I don’t propose to do so. Another motive has come to light.”
“You mean — Phips — last night?”
“Did he tell you about that?”
“She whispered something to me this morning. I’m very fond of Phips. My God, are you sure of your grounds?”
“Yes,” said Alleyn. “I’m sorry. I think you’d better go, Meadows.”
“Are you going to arrest him?”
“I have to do my job.”
There was a long silence.
“Yes,” said Dr. Meadows at last. “You have to do your job. Goodbye, Alleyn.”
Fox returned to say that Guy and Arthur had never left their parties. He had got hold of two of their friends. Guy and Mrs. Tonks confirmed the story of the locked door.
“It’s a process of elimination,” said Fox. “It must be the secretary. He fixed the radio while deceased was upstairs. He must have dodged back to whisper through the door to Miss Tonks. I suppose he waited somewhere down here until he heard deceased blow himself to blazes and then put everything straight again, leaving the radio turned on.”
Alleyn was silent.
“What do we do now, sir?” asked Fox.
“I want to see the hook inside the front-door where they hang their keys.”
Fox, looking dazed, followed his superior to the little entrance hall.
“Yes, there they are,” said Alleyn. He pointed to a hook with two latchkeys hanging from it. “You could scarcely miss them. Come on, Fox.”
Back in the study they found Hislop with Bailey in attendance.
Hislop looked from one Yard man to another.
“I want to know if it’s murder.”
“We think so,” said Alleyn.
“I want you to realize that Phillipa—Miss Tonks—was locked in her room all last night.”
“Until her brother came home and unlocked the door,” said Alleyn.
“That was too late. He was dead by then.”
“How do you know when he died?”
“It must have been when there was that crash of static.”
“Mr. Hislop,” said Alleyn, “why would you not tell me how much that trick of licking his fingers exasperated you?”
“But — how do you know! I never told anyone.”
“You told Dr. Meadows when you were ill.”
“I don’t remember.” He stopped short. His lips trembled. Then, suddenly he began to speak.
“Very well. It’s true. For two years he’s tortured me. You see, he knew something about me. Two years ago when my wife was dying, I took money from the cash-box in that desk. I paid it back and thought he hadn’t noticed. He knew all the time. From then on he had me where he wanted me. He used to sit there like a spider. I’d hand him a paper. He’d wet his thumbs with a clicking noise and a sort of complacent grimace. Click, click. Then he’d thumb the papers. He knew it drove me crazy. He’d look at me and then… click, click. And then he’d say something about the cash. He never quite accused me, just hinted. And I was impotent. You think I’m insane. I’m not. I could have murdered him. Often and often I’ve thought how I’d do it. Now you think I’ve done it. I haven’t. There’s the joke of it. I hadn’t the pluck. And last night when Phillipa showed me she cared, it was like Heaven—unbelievable. For the first time since I’ve been here I didn’t feel like killing him. And last night someone else did!”
He stood there trembling and vehement. Fox and Bailey, who had watched him with bewildered concern, turned to Alleyn. He was about to speak when Chase came in. “A note for you, sir,” he said to Alleyn. “It came by hand.”
Alleyn opened it and glanced at the first few words. He looked up.
“You may go, Mr. Hislop. Now I’ve got what I expected —what I fished for.”
When Hislop had gone they read the letter.
Dear Alleyn,
Don’t arrest Hislop. I did it. Let him go at once if you’ve arrested him and don’t tell Phips you ever suspected him. I was in love with Isabel before she met Sep. I’ve tried to get her to divorce him, but she wouldn’t because of the kids. Damned nonsense, but there’s no time to discuss it now. I’ve got to be quick. He suspected us. He reduced her to a nervous wreck. I was afraid she’d go under altogether. I thought it all out. Some weeks ago I took Phips’s key from the hook inside the front door. I had the tools and the flex and wire all ready. I knew where the main switchboard was and the cupboard. I meant to wait until they all went away at the New Year, but last night when Hislop rang me I made up my mind to act at once. He said the boys and servants were out and Phips locked in her room. I told him to stay in his room and to ring me up in half an hour if things hadn’t quieted down. He didn’t ring up. I did. No answer, so I knew Sep wasn’t in his study.
I came round let myself in, and listened. All quiet upstairs, but the lamp still on in the study, so I knew he would come down again. He’d said he wanted to get the midnight broadcast from somewhere.
I locked myself in and got to work. When Sep was away last year, Arthur did one of his modern monstrosities of paintings in the study. He talked about the knobs making good pattern. I noticed then that they were very like the ones on the radio and later on I tried one and saw that it would fit if I packed it up a bit. Well, I did the job just as you worked it out, and it only took twelve minutes. Then I went into the drawing-room and waited.
He came down from Isabel’s room and evidently went straight to the radio. I hadn’t thought it would make such a row, and half expected someone would come down. No one came. I went back, switched off the wireless, mended the fuse in the main switchboard, using my torch. Then I put everything right in the study.
There was no particular hurry. No one would come in while he was there and I got the radio going as soon as possible to suggest he was at it I knew I’d be called in when they found him. My idea was to tell them he had died of a stroke. I’d been warning Isabel it might happen at any time. As soon as I saw the burned hand I knew that cat wouldn’t jump. I’d have tried to get away with it if Chase hadn’t gone round bleating about electrocution and burned fingers. Hislop saw the hand. I daren’t do anything but report the case to the police, but I thought you’d never twig the knobs. One up to you.
I might have bluffed through if you hadn’t suspected Hislop. Can’t let you hang the blighter. I’m enclosing a note to Isabel, who won’t forgive me, and an official one for you to use. You’ll find me in my bedroom upstairs. I’m using cyanide. It’s quick
I’m sorry, Alleyn. I think you knew, didn’t you? I’ve bungled the whole game, but if you will be a super-sleuth… Goodbye.
Henry Meadows