Sparkling Cyanide Part 22

So they knew! He wondered if they had known all the time.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"You seem very well informed. May I ask why my private affairs should be dragged into the limelight?" be dragged into the limelight?"

"They will not unless they prove to be relevant to the death of George Barton." Barton."

"I see. You are suggesting that I first made love to his wife, and then murdered him." murdered him."

"Come, Mr Farraday, I'll be frank with you. You and Mrs Barton were very close friends - you parted by your wish, not the lady's. She was very close friends - you parted by your wish, not the lady's. She was proposing, as this letter shows, to make trouble. Very conveniently, proposing, as this letter shows, to make trouble. Very conveniently, she died." she died."

"She committed suicide. I daresay I may have been partly to blame. I may reproach myself, but it is no concern of the law's." may reproach myself, but it is no concern of the law's."

"It may have been suicide - it may not. George Barton thought not. He started to investigate - and he died. The sequence is rather started to investigate - and he died. The sequence is rather suggestive." suggestive."

"I do not see why you should - well, pitch on me."

"You admit that Mrs Barton's death came at a very convenient moment for you? A scandal, Mr Farraday, would have been highly prejudicial to for you? A scandal, Mr Farraday, would have been highly prejudicial to your career." your career."

"There would have been no scandal. Mrs Barton would have seen reason." reason."

"I wonder! Did your wife know about this affair, Mr Farraday?"

"Certainly not."

"You are quite sure of that statement?"

"Yes, I am. My wife has no idea that there was anything but friendship between myself and Mrs Barton. I hope she will never learn between myself and Mrs Barton. I hope she will never learn otherwise." otherwise."

"Is your wife a jealous woman, Mr Farraday?"

"Not at all. She has never displayed the least jealousy where I am concerned. She is far too sensible." concerned. She is far too sensible."

The inspector did not comment on that.

Instead he said: "Have you at any time in the past year had cyanide in your possession, Mr Farraday?" your possession, Mr Farraday?"

"No."

"But you keep a supply of cyanide at your country property?"

"The gardener may. I know nothing about it."

"You have never purchased any yourself at a chemist's or for photography?" photography?"

"I know nothing of photography, and I repeat that I have never purchased cyanide." purchased cyanide."

Kemp pressed him a little further before he finally let him go.

To his subordinate he said thoughtfully, "He was very quick denying that his wife knew about his affair with the Barton woman. Why was that, I wonder?" Barton woman. Why was that, I wonder?"

"Daresay he's in a funk in case she should get to hear of it, sir."

"That may be, but I should have thought he'd got the brains to see that if his wife was in ignorance, and would cut up rough, that gives him an if his wife was in ignorance, and would cut up rough, that gives him an additional motive for wanting to silence Rosemary Barton. To save his additional motive for wanting to silence Rosemary Barton. To save his skin his line ought to have been that his wife more or less knew about skin his line ought to have been that his wife more or less knew about the affair but was content to ignore it." the affair but was content to ignore it."

"I daresay he hadn't thought of that, sir."

Kemp shook his head. Stephen Farraday was not a fool. He had a clear and astute brain. And he had been pa.s.sionately keen to impress on the and astute brain. And he had been pa.s.sionately keen to impress on the inspector that Sandra knew nothing. inspector that Sandra knew nothing.

"Well," said Kemp, "Colonel Race seems pleased with the line he's dug up and if he's right, the Farradays are out - both of them. I shall be glad up and if he's right, the Farradays are out - both of them. I shall be glad if they are. I like this chap. And personally I don't think he's a if they are. I like this chap. And personally I don't think he's a murderer." murderer."

Opening the door of their sitting-room, Stephen said, "Sandra?"

She came to him out of the darkness, suddenly holding him, her hands on his shoulders. on his shoulders.

"Stephen?"

"Why are you all in the dark?"

"I couldn't bear the light. Tell me."

He said: "They know."

"About Rosemary?"

"Yes."

"And what do they think?"

"They see, of course, that I had a motive... Oh, my darling, see what I've dragged you into. It's all my fault. If only I'd cut loose after I've dragged you into. It's all my fault. If only I'd cut loose after Rosemary's death - gone away - left you free - so that at any rate you Rosemary's death - gone away - left you free - so that at any rate you shouldn't be mixed up in all this horrible business." shouldn't be mixed up in all this horrible business."

"No, not that... Never leave me... never leave me."

She clung to him - she was crying, the tears coursing down her cheeks. He felt her shudder. cheeks. He felt her shudder.

"You're my life, Stephen, all my life - never leave me..."

"Do you care so much, Sandra? I never knew..."

"I didn't want you to know. But now -"

"Yes, now... We're in this together, Sandra... we'll face it together... whatever comes, together!" whatever comes, together!"

Strength came to them as they stood there, clasped together in the darkness. darkness.

Sandra said with determination: "This shall not wreck our lives! It shall not. It shall not!" not. It shall not!"

Chapter 10.

Anthony Browne looked at the card the little page was holding out to him. him.

He frowned, then shrugged his shoulders.

He said to the boy: "All right, show him up."

When Colonel Race came in, Anthony was standing by the window with the bright sun striking obliquely over his shoulder. He saw a tall the bright sun striking obliquely over his shoulder. He saw a tall soldierly man with a lined bronze face and iron-grey hair - a man whom soldierly man with a lined bronze face and iron-grey hair - a man whom he had seen before, but not for some years, and a man whom he knew he had seen before, but not for some years, and a man whom he knew a good deal about. Race saw a dark graceful figure and the outline of a a good deal about. Race saw a dark graceful figure and the outline of a well-shaped head. A pleasant indolent voice said: well-shaped head. A pleasant indolent voice said: "Colonel Race? You were a friend of George Barton's, I know. He talked about you on that last evening. Have a cigarette." talked about you on that last evening. Have a cigarette."

"Thank you, I will."

Anthony said as he held a match: "You were the unexpected guest that night who did not turn up - just as well for you." well for you."

"You are wrong there. That empty place was not for me."

Anthony's eyebrows went up.

"Really? Barton said -"

Race cut in.

"George Barton may have said so. His plans were quite different. That chair, Mr Browne, was intended to be occupied when the lights went chair, Mr Browne, was intended to be occupied when the lights went down by an actress called Chloe West." down by an actress called Chloe West."

Anthony stared.

"Chloe West? Never heard of her. Who is she?"

"A young actress not very well known but who possesses a certain superficial resemblance to Rosemary Barton." superficial resemblance to Rosemary Barton."

Anthony whistled.

"I begin to see."

"She had been given a photograph of Rosemary so that she could copy the style of hairdressing and she also had the dress which Rosemary the style of hairdressing and she also had the dress which Rosemary wore the night she died." wore the night she died."

"So that was George's plan? Up go the lights - Hey Presto, gasps of supernatural dread! Rosemary has come back. The guilty party gasps supernatural dread! Rosemary has come back. The guilty party gasps out: 'It's true - it's true - I dunnit.'" out: 'It's true - it's true - I dunnit.'"

He paused and added: "Rotten even for an a.s.s like poor old George."

"I'm not sure I understand you."

Anthony grinned.

"Oh, come now, sir - a hardened criminal isn't going to behave like a hysterical schoolgirl. If somebody poisoned Rosemary Barton in cold hysterical schoolgirl. If somebody poisoned Rosemary Barton in cold blood, and was preparing to administer the same fatal dose of cyanide blood, and was preparing to administer the same fatal dose of cyanide to George Barton, that person had a certain amount of nerve. It would to George Barton, that person had a certain amount of nerve. It would take more than an actress dressed up as Rosemary to make him or her take more than an actress dressed up as Rosemary to make him or her spill the beans." spill the beans."

"Macbeth, remember, a decidedly hardened criminal, went to pieces when he saw the ghost of Banquo at the feast." when he saw the ghost of Banquo at the feast."

"Ah, but what Macbeth saw really was a ghost! It wasn't a ham actor wearing Banquo's duds! I'm prepared to admit that a real ghost might wearing Banquo's duds! I'm prepared to admit that a real ghost might bring its own atmosphere from another world. In fact I am willing to bring its own atmosphere from another world. In fact I am willing to admit that I believe in ghosts - have believed in them for the last six admit that I believe in ghosts - have believed in them for the last six months - one ghost in particular." months - one ghost in particular."

"Really - and whose ghost is that?"

"Rosemary Barton's. You can laugh if you like. I've not seen her - but I've felt her presence. For some reason or other Rosemary, poor soul, I've felt her presence. For some reason or other Rosemary, poor soul, can't stay dead." can't stay dead."

"I could suggest a reason."

"Because she was murdered?"

"To put it in another idiom, because she was b.u.mped off. How about that, Mr Tony Morelli?" that, Mr Tony Morelli?"

There was a silence. Anthony sat down, chucked his cigarette into the grate and lighted another one. grate and lighted another one.

Then he said: "How did you find out?"

"You admit that you are Tony Morelli?"

"I shouldn't dream of wasting time by denying it. You've obviously cabled to America and got all the dope." cabled to America and got all the dope."

"And you admit that when Rosemary Barton discovered your ident.i.ty you threatened to b.u.mp her off unless she held her tongue." you threatened to b.u.mp her off unless she held her tongue."

"I did everything I could think of to scare her into holding her tongue," agreed Tony pleasantly. agreed Tony pleasantly.

A strange feeling stole over Colonel Race.

This interview was not going as it should. He stared at the figure in front of him lounging back in its chair - and an odd sense of familiarity front of him lounging back in its chair - and an odd sense of familiarity came to him. came to him.

"Shall I recapitulate what I know about you, Morelli?"

"It might be amusing."

"You were convicted in the States of attempted sabotage in the Ericsen aeroplane works and were sentenced to a term of Ericsen aeroplane works and were sentenced to a term of imprisonment. After serving your sentence, you came out and the imprisonment. After serving your sentence, you came out and the authorities lost sight of you. You were next heard of in London staying authorities lost sight of you. You were next heard of in London staying at Claridge's and calling yourself Anthony Browne. There you sc.r.a.ped at Claridge's and calling yourself Anthony Browne. There you sc.r.a.ped acquaintance with Lord Dewsbury and through him you met certain acquaintance with Lord Dewsbury and through him you met certain other prominent armaments manufacturers. You stayed in Lord other prominent armaments manufacturers. You stayed in Lord Dewsbury's house and by means of your position as his guest you Dewsbury's house and by means of your position as his guest you were shown things which you ought never to have seen! It is a curious were shown things which you ought never to have seen! It is a curious coincidence, Morelli, that a trail of unaccountable accidents and some coincidence, Morelli, that a trail of unaccountable accidents and some very near escapes from disaster on a large scale followed very closely very near escapes from disaster on a large scale followed very closely after your visits to various important works and factories." after your visits to various important works and factories."

"Coincidences," said Anthony, "are certainly extraordinary things."

"Finally, after another lapse of time, you reappeared in London and renewed your acquaintance with Iris Marle, making excuses not to visit renewed your acquaintance with Iris Marle, making excuses not to visit her home, so that her family should not realise how intimate you were her home, so that her family should not realise how intimate you were becoming. Finally you tried to induce her to marry you secretly." becoming. Finally you tried to induce her to marry you secretly."

"You know," said Anthony, "it's really extraordinary the way you have found out all these things - I don't mean the armaments business - I found out all these things - I don't mean the armaments business - I mean my threats to Rosemary, and the tender nothings I whispered to mean my threats to Rosemary, and the tender nothings I whispered to Iris. Surely those don't come within the province of the law?" Iris. Surely those don't come within the province of the law?"

Race looked sharply at him.

"You've a good deal to explain, Morelli."

"Not at all. Granted your facts are all correct, what of them? I've served my prison sentence. I've made some interesting friends. I've served my prison sentence. I've made some interesting friends. I've fallen in love with a very charming girl and am naturally impatient to fallen in love with a very charming girl and am naturally impatient to marry her." marry her."

"So impatient that you would prefer the wedding to take place before her family have the chance of finding out anything about your her family have the chance of finding out anything about your antecedents. Iris Marle is a very rich young woman." antecedents. Iris Marle is a very rich young woman."