The Clocks

‘Very well she did it, too! I believed her all right. And then whoever it was tried to be a little too clever. If she remembered that unimportant little scar as anafterthought, it would carry conviction and clinch the identification. If she had plumped out with it straight away, it might have sounded a bit too glib.’ 

‘So Merlina Rival was in it up to the neck?’

‘Do you know, I rather doubt that. Suppose an old friend or acquaintance goes to her and says: “Look here, I’m in a bit of a spot. A chap I’ve had business dealings with has been murdered. If they identify him and all our dealings come to light, it will be absolute disaster. But if you were to come along and say it’s that husband of yours, Harry Castleton, who did a bunk years ago, then the whole case will peter out.” ’

‘Surely she’d jib at that-say it was too risky?’

‘If so, that someone would say: “What’s the risk? At the worst, you’ve made a mistake. Any woman can make a mistake after fifteen years.” And probably at that point a nice little sum would have been mentioned. And she says O.K. she’ll be a sport! and do it.’

‘With no suspicions?’

‘She wasn’t a suspicious woman. Why, good lord, Colin, every time we catch a murderer there are people who’ve known him well, and simply can’t believe he could do anything like that!’

‘What happened when you went up to see her?’

‘I put the wind up her. After I left, she did what I expected she’d do-tried to get in touch with the man or woman who’d got her into this. I had a tail on her, of course. She went to a post office and put through a call from an automatic call-box. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the box I’d expected her to use at the end of her own street. She had to get change. She came out of the call-box looking pleased with herself. She was kept under observation, but nothing of interest happened until yesterday evening. She went to Victoria Station and took a ticket to Crowdean. It was half past six, the rush hour. She wasn’t on her guard. She thought she was going to meet whoever it was at Crowdean. But the cunning devil was a step ahead of her. Easiest thing in the world to gang up behind someone in a crowd, and press the knife in…Don’t suppose she even knew she had been stabbed. People don’t, you know. Remember that case of Barton in the Levitti Gang robbery? Walked the length of a street before he fell down dead. Just a sudden sharp pain-then you think you’re all right again. But you’re not. You’re dead on your feet although you don’t know it.’

He finished up: ‘Damn and damn and damn!’

‘Have you-checked on-anybody?’

I had to ask. I couldn’t help myself.

His reply came swift and sharp.

‘The Pebmarsh woman was in London yesterday. She did some business for the Institute and returned to Crowdean by the 7.40 train.’ He paused. ‘And Sheila Webb took up a typescript to check over with a foreign author who was in London on his way to New York. She left the Ritz Hotel at 5.30 approx. and took in a cinema-alone-before returning.’ 

‘Look here, Hardcastle,’ I said, ‘I’ve got something for you. Vouched for by an eye witness. A laundry van drew up at 19, Wilbraham Crescent at 1.35 on September the 9th. The man who drove it delivered a big laundry basket at the back door of the house. It was a particularly large laundry basket.’

‘Laundry? What laundry?’

‘The Snowflake Laundry. Know it?’

‘Not off-hand. New laundries are always starting up. It’s an ordinary sort of name for a laundry.’

‘Well-you check up. Aman drove it-and aman took the basket into the house-’

Hardcastle’s voice came suddenly, alert with suspicion.

‘Are you making this up, Colin?’

‘No. I told you I’ve got an eye witness. Check up, Dick. Get on with it.’

I rang off before he could badger me further.

I walked out from the box and looked at my watch. I had a good deal to do-and I wanted to be out of Hardcastle’s reach whilst I did it. I had my future life to arrange.

Chapter 28

Colin Lamb’s Narrative

I arrived at Crowdean at eleven o’clock at night, five days later. I went to the Clarendon Hotel, got a room, and went to bed. I’d been tired the night before and I overslept. I woke up at a quarter to ten.

I sent for coffee and toast and a daily paper. It came and with it a large square note addressed to me with the wordsBY HAND in the top left-hand corner.

I examined it with some surprise. It was unexpected. The paper was thick and expensive, the superscription neatly printed.

After turning it over and playing with it, I finally opened it.

Inside was a sheet of paper. Printed on it in large letters were the words:

CURLEW HOTEL 11.30

 

ROOM 413

(Knock three times)

I stared at it, turned it over in my hand-what was all this?

I noted the room number-413-the same as the clocks. A coincidence? Ornot a coincidence.

I had thoughts of ringing the Curlew Hotel. Then I thought of ringing Dick Hardcastle. I didn’t do either.

My lethargy was gone. I got up, shaved, washed, dressed and walked along the front to the Curlew Hotel and got there at the appointed time.