the inside of that affair from the beginning. Didn't I tell you they threw me out of Hadley's office when I tried somewhat bumblingly to explain what I really did mean? Then Joyce Ellis was acquitted. Somebody turned the police's attention straight back to you."
Now Lucia's voice was almost a whisper. "Who turned their attention back to me?"
"Mr. Butler did," said Dr. Fell. "He proved, to the satisfaction of a jury, that the locked house was not really locked at all. He proved that an outsider must have got in. He proved many things even more damaging to you."
(And I did it with a fake defence. Joyce herself kept teUing me, in private, that the hack door was locked all night.)
"Shall I outline the case, Mrs. Renshaw, as it might appear to the police?" said Dr. Fell.
Butler did not look at Lucia, who had raised her head. Yet he was strung up to alertness.
"Before I let you ask any question, Dr. Fell—which side are you on?"
"Side?"
"Are you running with the hare or hunting with the hounds? You're either for us or against us. Which is it?"
"Look here," said Dr. Fell, nibbing his forehead under the tumbled hair. "This whole affair is too tangled for an unqualified 'yes' or 'no.' If I can get a few things straight, I am on your side with a bang. But perhaps I had better go." His eyes wandered up to the crucifix on the wall. "I am much disturbed."
"No!" cried Lucia. "Please! Patrick! Make him tell us!"
Butler shrugged his shoulders. Dr. Fell studied Lucia, who in a hypnotized way had been incredulously murmuring "Principal suspect" and "Kill Aunt Mildred?" as though she had walked through a valley of snakes without ever seeing one. Dr. Fell cleared his throat.
"Did you tell the police, today, that you had wanted a divorce?"
"Yes!"
"Is it true, as Miss Cannon said, that your husband lived above his income?"
"Dick never talked to me about money. But I think he was in debt."
"H'mf, yes. Were you—confound it alll—were you entirely dependent on him for support? Had you any money of your own?"
The blue eyes opened wide. "No. Not a bean. I never had."
"Then, if you simply up and left him, you would have no means of financial support?"
"No, I—suppose not. I never thought of it. Besides, Dick wouldn't have allowed me to leave him."
"Now we know," persisted Dr. Fell, trying to cover his embarrassment by looking fierce, "that you and your husband were Mrs. Taylor's only relations. To be strictly accurate: you were her only relative. And her heiress."
Lucia's body grew rigid. But she did not reply.
"Tonight, before Mr. Butler came downstairs, I had a word with young Denham about Mrs. Taylor's will. You inherited three prop-
erties: Mrs. Taylor's home, called The Priory'; this house, called 'Abbot's House,' and a third property called The Chapel.' Curious flavour of religion about those names, isn't there?"
Lucia merely gave a jerk of her head, as at some irrelevant question, and scarcely seemed to breathe.
"In cash and securities, with all taxes deducted," said Dr. Fell, "you inherited fifty thousand pounds. That sum would free any woman from dependence on her husband."
"Dr. Felll You don't think I'd . . . oh, no!"
"On the afternoon preceding Mrs. Taylor's death during the same night," pursued Dr. Fell, "I think you paid an unexpected call on her?"
"Yes! But . . ."
"It was not your habit to pay calls at Balham, was it?"
"N-not exactly. But I went when I could. She was old and lonely."
"During your talk with her, Mrs. Taylor was already mentioning her craving for Nemo's salts, and protesting that there weren't any in the house? Do you remember hearing your aunt talk about it?"
Lucia hesitated. "She did say something, yes. But I didn't pay any attention to it."
"You see," rumbled Dr. Fell, again making motions of distress, "Dr. Bierce can testify that she did talk about it. By the way, did you know about the antimony which was kept in a tin in the stable."
"Don't answer that question!" snapped Patrick
Now Lucia's voice was almost a whisper. "Who turned their attention back to me?"
"Mr. Butler did," said Dr. Fell. "He proved, to the satisfaction of a jury, that the locked house was not really locked at all. He proved that an outsider must have got in. He proved many things even more damaging to you."
(And I did it with a fake defence. Joyce herself kept teUing me, in private, that the hack door was locked all night.)
"Shall I outline the case, Mrs. Renshaw, as it might appear to the police?" said Dr. Fell.
Butler did not look at Lucia, who had raised her head. Yet he was strung up to alertness.
"Before I let you ask any question, Dr. Fell—which side are you on?"
"Side?"
"Are you running with the hare or hunting with the hounds? You're either for us or against us. Which is it?"
"Look here," said Dr. Fell, nibbing his forehead under the tumbled hair. "This whole affair is too tangled for an unqualified 'yes' or 'no.' If I can get a few things straight, I am on your side with a bang. But perhaps I had better go." His eyes wandered up to the crucifix on the wall. "I am much disturbed."
"No!" cried Lucia. "Please! Patrick! Make him tell us!"
Butler shrugged his shoulders. Dr. Fell studied Lucia, who in a hypnotized way had been incredulously murmuring "Principal suspect" and "Kill Aunt Mildred?" as though she had walked through a valley of snakes without ever seeing one. Dr. Fell cleared his throat.
"Did you tell the police, today, that you had wanted a divorce?"
"Yes!"
"Is it true, as Miss Cannon said, that your husband lived above his income?"
"Dick never talked to me about money. But I think he was in debt."
"H'mf, yes. Were you—confound it alll—were you entirely dependent on him for support? Had you any money of your own?"
The blue eyes opened wide. "No. Not a bean. I never had."
"Then, if you simply up and left him, you would have no means of financial support?"
"No, I—suppose not. I never thought of it. Besides, Dick wouldn't have allowed me to leave him."
"Now we know," persisted Dr. Fell, trying to cover his embarrassment by looking fierce, "that you and your husband were Mrs. Taylor's only relations. To be strictly accurate: you were her only relative. And her heiress."
Lucia's body grew rigid. But she did not reply.
"Tonight, before Mr. Butler came downstairs, I had a word with young Denham about Mrs. Taylor's will. You inherited three prop-
erties: Mrs. Taylor's home, called The Priory'; this house, called 'Abbot's House,' and a third property called The Chapel.' Curious flavour of religion about those names, isn't there?"
Lucia merely gave a jerk of her head, as at some irrelevant question, and scarcely seemed to breathe.
"In cash and securities, with all taxes deducted," said Dr. Fell, "you inherited fifty thousand pounds. That sum would free any woman from dependence on her husband."
"Dr. Felll You don't think I'd . . . oh, no!"
"On the afternoon preceding Mrs. Taylor's death during the same night," pursued Dr. Fell, "I think you paid an unexpected call on her?"
"Yes! But . . ."
"It was not your habit to pay calls at Balham, was it?"
"N-not exactly. But I went when I could. She was old and lonely."
"During your talk with her, Mrs. Taylor was already mentioning her craving for Nemo's salts, and protesting that there weren't any in the house? Do you remember hearing your aunt talk about it?"
Lucia hesitated. "She did say something, yes. But I didn't pay any attention to it."
"You see," rumbled Dr. Fell, again making motions of distress, "Dr. Bierce can testify that she did talk about it. By the way, did you know about the antimony which was kept in a tin in the stable."
"Don't answer that question!" snapped Patrick
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