Patricia Wentworth - The Clock Strikes Twelve

“Yes, madam.”

“I should be glad to know what time it was when you took the tray of drinks into the study on Thursday night.”

Lane looked worried.

“I don’t know that I could say-not to be exact, madam. It was after the quarter to, but it was some way off ten o’clock, I should say.”

“Would that be your usual time?”

“No, madam. Ten o’clock was my time, but if Mr. Paradine wished for the tray earlier he would ring. On the Thursday night his bell went at a quarter to ten. I’d just come back from letting Mr. Ambrose and his party out, when Mrs. Lane told me that the bell had gone.”

Miss Silver said, “Thank you.” And then, “Mr. Paradine was alone in the study when you went in with the tray?”

“Why, no, madam.”

Miss Silver looked brightly expectant.

“Indeed? Pray, who was with him?”

“Well, madam, it was Mr. Pearson. But I don’t want to give any wrong impression. He was just going into the room as I came through the baize door from the hall with my tray.”

“And did he see you?”

“I hardly think so. He was going into the study as I came through.”

“Did he shut the door behind him?”

“He had not time to do so, madam. He must have heard me coming before he could close the door.”

“Did you hear him speak to Mr. Paradine, or Mr. Paradine speak to him?”

The worried look became intensified.

“I hardly like to say.”

Miss Silver looked at him steadily.

“You were with Mr. Paradine for a great many years?”

“Yes, madam.”

She said, “He was murdered.”

Lane had been holding a cut-glass decanter in his hand. It shook. He set it down.

Miss Silver went on speaking.

“Innocent people are under suspicion. There is one guilty person. I hope to find out who it is. Everyone in this house knows something that may help. If everyone will tell me what they know, those innocent people can be cleared. Was it Mr. Pearson who spoke, or Mr. Paradine?”

He had turned a little away to put down the decanter. He remained like that, looking down. He said in a very low voice,

“It was Mr. Paradine.”

“Did you hear what he said?”

“Yes, madam.”

“Will you please tell me what you heard.”

“Madam-”

“Yes, Lane? It will be better if you will tell me.”

He said, “Mr. Paradine said-well, madam, he said, ‘Hullo, Albert, have you come to confess?’ But if I may say so, I took it to be one of Mr. Paradine’s jokes. Being with him as long as I’ve been, I wouldn’t say that it was meant seriously. That was the way Mr. Paradine talked-he’d sound very angry, and be laughing at you all the time. I’ve told you what he said, but I wouldn’t like to think I’d given a wrong impression.”

Miss Silver coughed.

“You have not done so. How long did you remain in the study?”

“No longer than it took me to set down the tray and retire.”

“And where was Mr. Pearson whilst you were doing this?”

“He stayed near the door, madam. If I may say so, he seemed to be rather upset, which I put down to his not being so well accustomed to Mr. Paradine as to relish his way of joking. I can remember being very much taken aback myself when I first come to the River House. Very unexpected, Mr. Paradine could be when you were not accustomed to his way of putting things.”

Miss Silver smiled.

“I can quite understand that. Perhaps it will make you feel easier to know that Mr. Paradine addressed a very similar remark to Mrs. Wray that evening.”

Lane appeared to be very much relieved.

“Then there would be no doubt about its being a joke, madam. Very fond indeed of Mrs. Wray, Mr. Paradine was.”

Miss Silver nodded.

“Well then, Lane, that was all? You came out of the study, leaving Mr. Pearson with Mr. Paradine?”

“You may put it that way, madam. In point of fact Mr. Pearson left the room before me, but just as I was going out Mr. Paradine called him back. I could not avoid hearing what passed. He said, ‘Don’t post that letter to Lewis-I may want to alter it. I’ll see you about it some other time.’ And Mr. Pearson said goodnight and came out and shut the door.”

Emerging from the dining-room, Miss Silver was aware of Mark Paradine on the stairs. He was coming down two steps at a time. He looked like a man driven hard on a road which is none of his choosing. Until Miss Silver pronounced his name, which she did very clearly, it is to be doubted whether he was aware of her presence. In the concentration of his mind upon its own bitter thoughts he might very well have brushed against her as he passed without noticing that she was there. But her “Mr. Mark-” halted him. He turned, looked vaguely in her direction for a moment, and came to.

“Oh-Miss Silver! Did you want me?”

“Just for a moment, if you will be so good.”

After a brief pause of indecision, during which he was remembering painfully that the police were in the study, he opened the first door on the left-hand side of the hall and ushered her into the billiard room, an enormous room with half-drawn blinds and the hot, stuffy feeling of a heated place to which no fresh air has been admitted. Miss Silver thought it a very fine room, but she would have liked to open a window. This not being the moment for such digressions, she gave her whole attention to the matter in hand. But before she had time to speak Mark said in hard, flat tones,

“Well-are they going to arrest me?”

“Are you not rather jumping to conclusions?”

“I think not. I don’t quite see how they can help it. The only question seems to be whether it will be before lunch or afterwards. My uncle’s solicitor, Mr. Harrison, is coming in to see the safe opened at half past two. I thought they might wait till then, though I really don’t know why they should. As far as I know, the only things he kept there were a few private papers and my aunt’s diamonds.” Miss Silver displayed interest. “The ones she is wearing in the portrait?” They had remained standing. Mark leaned against the near end of the billiard table, hands driven deep into his pockets. He nodded.

“That’s it. Nobody’s worn them since she died. They ought to have been in the bank, but he liked having them handy. He used to take them out and look at them. I found him doing it one night, and he told me all about them-what he’d paid for them, how much they’d risen in value, and how well Aunt Clara had looked in them.”

Miss Silver picked out the word value and repeated it with a slight monitory cough.

“They must be of considerable value, Mr. Mark.”

“I suppose they are-” His voice was wearily indifferent.

Miss Silver coughed again.

“To whom are they left?”

“They are divided between my cousin Richard and myself.”

Miss Silver appeared preoccupied. She said,

“They will be valued for probate. Would you object to an earlier valuation?”

“I? Why should I? I don’t take any interest one way or the other.”

She hesitated very slightly.

“Then you would have no objection to a valuer being present when the safe is opened?”

She saw his face change. Eyes and mind seemed to focus upon her for the first time.

“What for?” His voice had a startled sound.

She said gravely,

“Mr. Paradine was murdered. I am not yet sure of the motive behind the murder.”

“I thought you said Elliot’s blue-prints had been taken.”

“They were taken-and they were put back again. The only time that they could have been replaced was between nine and a quarter past. The only person who had an opportunity of replacing them was Miss Paradine. I conclude that it was she who took them. But I do not know whether she returned later and caused her brother’s death by pushing him over the parapet.”