Overture to Death

Miss Prentice drew in her breath and began to whisper:

“No, no, no! Never at the same table. I can’t—!”

Alleyn sat on her left in the one chair remaining vacant and said, “Miss Prentice — please!”

His voice had sufficient edge to silence Miss Prentice and call the others to a sort of guarded alertness.

His long hands lay clasped before him on the table. He leant forward and looked with deliberation round the circle of attentive faces.

He said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I shall not apologise for calling you together to-night. I am sure that most — not all, but most — of you are only too anxious that this affair should be settled, and I may tell you that we have now collected enough evidence to make an arrest. Each of you in turn has provided evidence; each of you has withheld evidence. From the information you have given, and from the significance of your several reticences, has emerged a pattern which, as we read it, has at its centre a single person: the murderer of Miss Idris Campanula.”

They sat as still as figures in a tableau, and the only sound, when Alleyn paused, was the sound of rain and the uneasy stirring of the wind outside.

“From the begi

Henry rested his head on his hand, driving his fingers through his hair. Templett cleared his throat

“At the inquest this morning you all heard the story of the water-pistol. The booby-trap was ready at 2.30 on Friday. The water-pistol was no longer in position at noon on Saturday when Miss Prentice used the soft pedal. Yet some time between Friday at 2.30 and noon on Saturday, somebody sat at the piano and used the soft pedal and the booby-trap worked.”

Alleyn lifted the cloth from the table. Miss Prentice gave a nervous yelp. He took up the “Venetian Suite” and pointed to the circular blister and discoloured splashes on the back.

“Five hours after the catastrophe, this was still damp. So was the torn silk round the hole in the front of the piano. Miss Prentice has told us that her music was left on the piano earlier in the week. All Saturday morning the hall was occupied. It seems, therefore, that the water-pistol was removed before Saturday morning, and presumably by the guilty person, since an i

“Now for the automatic. If, as we suppose, the water-pistol was discovered on Friday, it is of course possible that the automatic was substituted before Saturday. This possibility we consider unlikely. It was known that the helpers would be in the hall all Saturday morning, and the murderer would have run the risk of discovery. It was only necessary for someone to disarrange the rotten silk in the front of the piano to reveal the nozzle of the Colt. True, this piece of music was on the rack; but it might have been removed. Somebody might have dusted the piano. It is also true that nobody was likely to look in the top, as the person who removed the water-pistol had taken pains to re-fasten the bunting with drawing-pins and to cover the top with heavy pot plants. Still, there would have been considerable risk. It seems more probable that the murderer would leave the setting of the automatic until as late as possible. Say about four o’clock on Saturday afternoon.”

Templett made a sudden movement, but said nothing.

“For four o’clock on Saturday afternoon,” said Alleyn, “none of you has an alibi that would stand up to five minutes’ cross-examination.”

“But—”

“I’ve told you — ”

“I explained yesterday — ”

“Do you want me to go into this? Wait a little and listen. At about half-past three, Mrs. Ross arrived at the hall. Dr. Templett got there a few minutes later. She had come to complete the supper arrangements, he to put his acting clothes in his dressing-room. They had both called at Pen Cuckoo in the morning. Mrs. Ross tells us that while Dr. Templett went into the house she remained in the car. I imagine there is no need to remind you all of the french window into the study at Pen Cuckoo.”

“I knew,” whispered Miss Prentice. “I knew, I knew!”

“You’re going beyond your duty, Mr. Alleyn,” said Mrs. Ross.

“No,” said Alleyn. “I merely pause here to point out how easy it would have been for any of you to come up Top Lane and slip into the study. To return to the 3.30 visit to the hall. Dr. Templett has given what I believe to be a true account of this visit. He has told us that he arrived to find Mrs. Ross already there and occupied with the supper arrangements. After a time they came here on to this stage. They noticed that the last window on the right, near the front door, was a few inches open. Mrs. Ross, who first noticed this, told Dr. Templett that she saw someone dodge down behind the sill. To reach the window this onlooker used a box.”

He turned the cloth farther back and the dilapidated soap-box was revealed. Miss Prentice giggled and covered her mouth with her hand.

“This is the box. It fits into the marks under the window. Do you recognise it, Dr. Templett?”

“Yes,” said Templett dully, “I remember that splash of white on the top. I saw it as I looked down.”

“Exactly. I should explain that when Dr. Templett reached the window he looked out to see if he could discover anybody. He saw nobody, but he noticed the box. He tells me it was not there when he arrived. Now Mrs. Ross said that she did not recognise this person. But I have experimented, and have found that if one sees anybody at all under the conditions she has described, one stands a very good chance of recognising them. One would undoubtedly know, for instance, whether it was a man or a woman whose image showed for a moment and disappeared behind the sill. It will be urged by the police that Mrs. Ross did, in fact recognise this person.” Alleyn turned to Templett.

“Mrs. Ross did not tell you who it was?”

“I didn’t know who it was,” said Mrs. Ross.

“Dr. Templett?”

“I believe Mrs. Ross’s statement.”

Alleyn looked at the squire.

“When you saw Mrs. Ross alone this afternoon, sir, did she refer to this incident?”

“I can’t answer that question, Alleyn,” muttered the squire. Henry raised his head and looked at his father with a sort of wonder.

“Very well, sir,” said Alleyn. “I must remind you all that you are free to refuse answers to any questions you may be asked. The police may not set traps, and it is my duty to tell you that we have established the identity of the eavesdropper.” He took the lid from a small box.