Patricia Wentworth - The Key

‘I don’t know. – I didn’t think about it… Oh-’

‘You have remembered something?’

‘I don’t know. He said – he was talking about coming over here and making a new life when the old one had been destroyed. He said, “You say such things are dead and buried and the door is shut – you think that it will never open again. And then all at once some day you find it is open and someone standing there like a ghost.” And then he said, “But we will not talk of things like that – it is not good. You may come to fancy something that is not there, and to see your own thoughts. That is not good.” ’

‘What did you think he meant by that?’

Janice looked at her.

‘I thought something had reminded him of the things he didn’t want to remember. I said, “Don’t think about it any more”, and he said, “No – it is not wise – and besides I am not sure.” ’ She clasped her hands and leaned forward. ‘Do you think that something happened when he was in Marbury – something that reminded him?’

Miss Silver said, ‘In Marbury – yes-’ She paused and repeated, ‘In Marbury-’ Then, very quickly, ‘Did he say any more than that?’

‘No, he didn’t.’

‘Did he say anything about Marbury – anything at all to you?’

‘Not after that. But before – oh, when we were having tea, I think it was – I asked how he had got on, and he said, “I missed my train, and so I missed my bus.” I said, “How did you do that?” and he said, “I could not make up my mind. That is a very bad fault. I thought I would have some tea because I was tired and thirsty, so I went into a bad hotel which is called the Ram, and I was no sooner in than I had come out again, and I had forgotten all about my tea and I missed my train.” No, it wasn’t when we were having tea – it was later on, after he had put through his telephone call to Sir George. And then he went on to talk about coming away from Germany. He said it was like shutting a door and you thought it would never open again, but you couldn’t be sure. He repeated that in rather an odd sort of way – “You can’t ever be sure.” ’

Miss Silver sat in silence for a moment. Then she said, ‘Did he mention seeing anyone he knew in Marbury – anyone at all?’

‘He saw Bush – I do know that, though it wasn’t Mr Harsch who told me. It was Mrs Bush. She said Bush had gone over to see his sister who is married to an ironmonger in Ramford Street. She said he saw Mr Harsch, so I suppose Mr Harsch saw him.’

‘Dear me!’ said Miss Silver. ‘And is the Ram in Ramford Street?’

‘Yes, it is – and very nearly opposite the shop. But quite a lot of Bourne people were in Marbury that afternoon. Miss Doncaster went over because someone told her you could get suet there, but she couldn’t find any and she came back frightfully cross. And Mr Everton was over too. As a matter of fact he goes over quite often. They have all the best films, you know, and he is a tremendous fan. But how I know he was there on Monday is that Ida Mottram told me he got a new valve for her wireless.’

‘Yes, she told me that too. And was Mr Madoc also in Marbury?’

Janice looked startled. She said, ‘Oh!’ And then, ‘I don’t know where he was.’

‘You mean that he was not at home?’

Janice went on looking startled.

‘No, he wasn’t. He went out after lunch on his bicycle, and he didn’t come home until well after seven.’

‘And the distance to Marbury is, I believe, no more than twenty miles by road – he could have been there?’

Janice said, ‘I suppose he could.’ And then, ‘But, Miss Silver, none of these people had anything to do with Mr Harsch’s past. I mean, he wouldn’t have called any of them a ghost, would he? He wouldn’t have meant any of them when he talked about an opening door.’

Miss Silver said soberly, ‘No, he wouldn’t have meant any of them. But I think perhaps the door he spoke of opened in the Ram, and it is possible that one of them was there.’

SERGEANT ABBOTT ESCORTED Miss Silver to Marbury next morning, having slept the night at the Black Bull upon a bed whose mattress, a genuine antique, appeared to be stuffed with period paving stones. To offset this, he had a new-laid egg for breakfast – the Bull keeping its own hens and being very sharply in competition with Mr Everton in the matter of laying averages. They took the bus to the Halt and caught the 9.40, an exceptionally slow train which not only stopped at everything that could be called a station but occasionally paused by the way and puffed when there was no station at all. They had a carriage to themselves, and beguiled the way with conversation. Miss Silver produced three quotations from Tennyson, two of which were quite unknown to Frank. He was rather pleased with:

Act first, this Earth, a stage so gloomed with woe

You all but sicken at the shifting scenes.

And yet be patient. Our Playwright may show

In some fifth Act what this wild Drama means.

and listened respectfully to a eulogy upon the bard. After which Miss Silver opened her shabby handbag and produced an envelope containing half a dozen snapshots which she extracted and handed to him.

‘Miss Brown has an excellent camera. I was so pleased to find that Miss Fell had these photographs. They are very good and clear, are they not? The first two were taken at the Mother’s Strawberry Tea in the Rectory garden. It has been an annual treat for the last fifty years, but since the war they just have tea and buns, and the fruit is gathered and taken to the Village Institute to be made into jam. Bush has come out very well in the first photograph, but his wife has turned her head away. Miss Doncaster is very good in both of them. Then there are two excellent snapshots of Mr Madoc. In one of them he is walking with Mr Harsch. In the other he is conversing with Mr Everton. It is really very good of them both, I am told. I have not had the pleasure of meeting Mr Madoc as yet, but Miss Sophy informs me-’

‘Yes, it’s like him.’

Miss Silver beamed.

‘And very like Mr Everton. Most characteristic.’ She displayed the last two photographs. ‘The judges in the competition for the best allotment – Miss Fell, Bush, Mr Everton, and Dr Edwards. They are all great gardeners. Such a healthy pursuit. Two views, both very good and clear, I think.’

He assembled the photographs fanwise, gazed at her over the top of them, and cocked an eyebrow.

‘And what might you be getting at, teacher?’ he enquired.

Miss Silver gave her faint dry cough.

‘I thought, whilst I was talking to Mr Madoc, that it might be of interest if you were to show these photographs at the Ram and enquire whether they recognise anyone in them as having visited their establishment on Monday afternoon last week.’

‘The Ram?’

‘In Ramford Street. Bush’s sister is married to a man who has an ironmongery shop across the way. He was visiting her on Monday. The name is Grey. Miss Doncaster and Mr Everton were also in Marbury that afternoon. Mr Madoc was absent from Bourne for some hours on his bicycle, but his whereabouts are not known.’

Frank said, ‘I know I’m stupid, but do you mind telling me what it’s all about? I mean, why Monday, and why the Ram?’

Miss Silver told him.

‘Mr Harsch was also in Marbury that afternoon. He went to the Ram to have tea there, but he came out as soon as he went in. He came home late, and Miss Madoc having apparently been shocked at his appearance, he told her that he had seen a ghost. He did not see Miss Meade at all that night, nor alone until Tuesday evening, when he told her about going into the Ram for tea and coming out again directly. He did not say anything about seeing a ghost, but he made some very interesting remarks which I should like you to read for yourself. I wrote them down, and asked Miss Meade to check them over.’ She extracted a doubled-up exercise-book from the handbag and gave it to him, after which she folded her hands in her lap and watched his face whilst he read the pages she had indicated.