imagine, at a juncture the nature of which must be only too clear to us all – but for something extremely disturbing which came to my notice only today. Even so, my dear John, I may well have committed an error of judgement.’
Pendleton had produced this last reflection not without a detectable air of mentioning a circumstance wildly improbable. Having done so, and having – Appleby couldn’t help feeling – elevated the whole matter to a suitable pitch of the mysterious – he now seemed to feel that this particular conference was concluded, and his own mind in some measure relieved.
‘Dear me!’ Pendleton said. ‘The household keeps early hours, does it not. But it is very understandable, of course. You and I had better be off to bed too.’
‘So we had.’ Appleby moved towards the door of the deserted music room – in which this conversation had been taking place. ‘By the way,’ he said casually, ‘would I be right in supposing that, at one time, our friend Fell was an anaesthetist?’
‘Yes.’ Edward Pendleton not only gave this reply curtly; he swerved away from Appleby as he did so. ‘I’ll just find those light-switches,’ he said. ‘Don’t wait for me, my dear fellow. Good night.’
‘Edward’s attitude may seem odd,’ Appleby said, when reporting this interview to Judith a few minutes later. ‘But at least it’s tolerably clear. He lays an information against Fell with Charles – I think that’s the fair description of it – and then simply leaves the ball in Charles’ court. As if Charles hadn’t enough on his plate already.’
‘It’s hard to believe that anything can be tolerably clear that produces such a muddle of metaphors.’ Judith, who was already in bed, put down the book she had been reading. ‘What’s it all about, anyway?’
‘I imagine that Fell may at some time have been in trouble with a professional body – the General Medical Council, or whatever – of which Edward was an august member. I imagine, too, that the trouble came to nothing – perhaps because of lack of evidence, or the like. But it meant a switch in Fell’s career – a switch by no means for the better. And it has put him in the position of a suspected person. If trouble of a certain kind blows up in his neighbourhood, the police will make no bones about pulling him in and searching under his bed for housebreaking implements.’
‘Really housebreaking implements?’
‘Don’t be silly. Of course it would be a matter – at the start, at least – simply of unprofessional conduct. But eventually the police might arrive, all the same.’
‘But why does Edward simply shove this on poor Charles?’
‘Because nothing was ever brought home to Fell, and it is really highly improper in Edward to breathe a word to Fell’s disadvantage. At the same time, he feels his old friend Charles must be warned.’
‘The man’s a menace.’
‘Fell?’
‘He may be, for all I know. But I mean that Edward is. Coming at Charles with such stuff at this particular time.’
‘Quite so. As a matter of fact, Edward is making quite a to-do about the point himself. He calls it being in a peculiarly difficult position.’
‘Whatever Edward told Charles, I don’t see why Charles need have had an immediate row with Fell because of it. Suppose that Fell has been at some time a confirmed alcoholic–’
‘Or a drug addict.’
‘All right – that. If it’s a thing of the past, and hasn’t in any way interfered with Fell’s professional skill in looking after Grace, I can’t see why Charles, who’s the gentlest of men–’
‘I don’t think I told you about Ronny Clandon and Tim Gorham.’ Appleby was now in pyjamas. ‘They’re the key.’
‘Whoever are they?’
‘Two young gentlemen resident in the county – or formerly resident in the county. Ronny has been put in a home. An even worse fate has befallen Tim. He’s been sent to Australia.’
‘You certainly didn’t tell me about
Pendleton had produced this last reflection not without a detectable air of mentioning a circumstance wildly improbable. Having done so, and having – Appleby couldn’t help feeling – elevated the whole matter to a suitable pitch of the mysterious – he now seemed to feel that this particular conference was concluded, and his own mind in some measure relieved.
‘Dear me!’ Pendleton said. ‘The household keeps early hours, does it not. But it is very understandable, of course. You and I had better be off to bed too.’
‘So we had.’ Appleby moved towards the door of the deserted music room – in which this conversation had been taking place. ‘By the way,’ he said casually, ‘would I be right in supposing that, at one time, our friend Fell was an anaesthetist?’
‘Yes.’ Edward Pendleton not only gave this reply curtly; he swerved away from Appleby as he did so. ‘I’ll just find those light-switches,’ he said. ‘Don’t wait for me, my dear fellow. Good night.’
‘Edward’s attitude may seem odd,’ Appleby said, when reporting this interview to Judith a few minutes later. ‘But at least it’s tolerably clear. He lays an information against Fell with Charles – I think that’s the fair description of it – and then simply leaves the ball in Charles’ court. As if Charles hadn’t enough on his plate already.’
‘It’s hard to believe that anything can be tolerably clear that produces such a muddle of metaphors.’ Judith, who was already in bed, put down the book she had been reading. ‘What’s it all about, anyway?’
‘I imagine that Fell may at some time have been in trouble with a professional body – the General Medical Council, or whatever – of which Edward was an august member. I imagine, too, that the trouble came to nothing – perhaps because of lack of evidence, or the like. But it meant a switch in Fell’s career – a switch by no means for the better. And it has put him in the position of a suspected person. If trouble of a certain kind blows up in his neighbourhood, the police will make no bones about pulling him in and searching under his bed for housebreaking implements.’
‘Really housebreaking implements?’
‘Don’t be silly. Of course it would be a matter – at the start, at least – simply of unprofessional conduct. But eventually the police might arrive, all the same.’
‘But why does Edward simply shove this on poor Charles?’
‘Because nothing was ever brought home to Fell, and it is really highly improper in Edward to breathe a word to Fell’s disadvantage. At the same time, he feels his old friend Charles must be warned.’
‘The man’s a menace.’
‘Fell?’
‘He may be, for all I know. But I mean that Edward is. Coming at Charles with such stuff at this particular time.’
‘Quite so. As a matter of fact, Edward is making quite a to-do about the point himself. He calls it being in a peculiarly difficult position.’
‘Whatever Edward told Charles, I don’t see why Charles need have had an immediate row with Fell because of it. Suppose that Fell has been at some time a confirmed alcoholic–’
‘Or a drug addict.’
‘All right – that. If it’s a thing of the past, and hasn’t in any way interfered with Fell’s professional skill in looking after Grace, I can’t see why Charles, who’s the gentlest of men–’
‘I don’t think I told you about Ronny Clandon and Tim Gorham.’ Appleby was now in pyjamas. ‘They’re the key.’
‘Whoever are they?’
‘Two young gentlemen resident in the county – or formerly resident in the county. Ronny has been put in a home. An even worse fate has befallen Tim. He’s been sent to Australia.’
‘You certainly didn’t tell me about
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