Alan Hunter - Gently Down the Stream

‘Yes, why not?’

‘When you are in town every day of the week?’

‘One doesn’t get much time, in business.’

‘Why in fact did you come home at all, Miss Lammas? Wouldn’t it have been easier for you to have had tea in the city and to have gone to the rehearsal from there?’

Pauline Lammas laughed again, this time well on cue.

‘You are a detective, aren’t you, inspector? It wouldn’t do to have any secrets from you!’

‘This isn’t answering the question.’

‘But it scarcely needs answering. I came home not long after lunch. Friday afternoon is slack and I am a privileged employee… why are you trying to catch me out, inspector?’

Gently grunted and struck a light for his extinguished pipe.

‘I shouldn’t have to remind you that this is a serious business, Miss Lammas… we want the truth, and not a special selection from it. I put it to you that you haven’t given me the real reason why you took the earlier bus to town on Friday evening.’

A sullen look crept over the girl’s face. ‘And if I put it to you, inspector, that my real reason had nothing to do with my father’s death — won’t that be sufficient answer?’

‘You must let me be judge of that.’

‘I’m sorry, but I don’t propose to.’

‘That may be unfortunate, Miss Lammas. It may lead me to attach more importance to the circumstance than it deserves.’

‘Then you’ll simply have to, inspector, won’t you?’

Gently puffed silently a few moments, aware of a delighted Hansom at his elbow. Pauline Lammas lit a second cigarette from her first. She reached forward to stub out the butt in the ashtray on the table and Gently noticed a slight tremor in her well-groomed hand.

‘You were very fond of your father, were you not, Miss Lammas?’

‘I understood Daddy. We always got on together.’

‘Your brother, on the other hand, was antagonistic towards him.’

‘Paul is a spoiled little fool. It was Mother who set him against Daddy. He’s been spoiled and pampered until he’s no good to himself or anyone else.’

‘There was some trouble about him refusing to enter the business, wasn’t there?’

‘Dear me yes! It was quite typical of Paul. He knew Daddy wanted so badly to have him in the business and to change the name to “Lammas amp; Son Ltd.” — he could have walked right into a partnership as soon as he left the Grammar School. But Paul do what was expected of him? Paul soil his hands with dirty commerce? Good heavens, he was a poet — he wasn’t going to waste his time in bourgeois money-grubbing!’

‘You supported your father, of course?’

‘He needed someone to support him, inspector! His life here has been hell ever since I can remember. He was nobody in this house, except an intruder. If it hadn’t been for us I feel pretty sure he would have got out long ago. But that wasn’t his way. He hung on and tried to make something out of it. I think it was the dust-up with Paul that finally broke his heart.’

‘You were not surprised, then, to learn that he was apparently planning to disappear?’

Pauline Lammas hesitated. ‘No,’ she said defiantly. ‘I wasn’t.’

Gently’s mild glance sought her eyes.

‘Would it be too much to say, Miss Lammas, that you were quite well aware of what he had in mind?’

She tried valiantly to out-stare him, but there was something peculiarly undeniable about Gently’s glances. Her eyes dropped to the table.

‘It would be a great deal too much.’

‘How long have you worked at the business?’

‘Just over a year.’

‘During that year, Miss Lammas, your father must slowly have been realizing his assets. The stock was being progressively reduced, employees dismissed, items such as trucks and vans being sold, and towards the end, at all events, business being turned away. Can you truthfully say that all this went on without your noticing it?’

‘I did — but he didn’t tell me why he was doing it!’

‘And you didn’t ask him, though it happens that you are one of the minor shareholders?’

‘That’s only a form, as you know!’

‘Or warn your mother, the other minor shareholder?’

‘It doesn’t mean anything — we had only a share each so he could form the company!’

‘Setting that aside, Miss Lammas, wouldn’t you have naturally asked him as his daughter, or have been told without asking?’

‘I tell you he didn’t tell me — neither did I ask!’

‘At least you will not deny that you had strong suspicions.’

She bit her lips. ‘No. I guessed what it was about.’

‘And you saw fit to keep it to yourself, not even exchanging a word with him about it?’

‘Why?’ she broke out. ‘Why are you bothering about all this? It’s the murder that matters, not how poor Daddy was planning to run away!’

Gently tapped his pipe with a stubby forefinger and sighted the stem at her.

‘As a result of that plan, Miss Lammas, your father had a very large sum of money with him when he was murdered… we are naturally interested to know who was aware of the fact.’

There was silence. Pauline Lammas hung her head sullenly, an obstinate set to her mouth. Hansom tilted his chair back and gave his best impression of being bored. The Constable’s pencil hovered dutifully beside the last crossed stop.

‘Well?’ prompted Gently.

Pauline Lammas hunched her shoulders. ‘I’ve said I guessed. What more can I say? You know it couldn’t have been me that killed Daddy.’

‘I’m not suggesting it… but I think you could be a little more frank.’

‘If I knew anything that would help I would tell you.’

‘It is your place to tell us everything, not just what you think might help.’

‘I am telling you everything! What else is it you want to know?’

Gently lowered his pipe and laid it on the table beside him.

‘You must have known about your father and Miss Brent… when did that affair begin?’

‘Oh… she was engaged soon after I went there. I really can’t tell you when Daddy first took a serious interest in her.’

‘It was a serious interest, was it? I mean, it wasn’t merely a flirtation?’

‘Oh no. It was the real thing. If only he’d found someone like that to start with!’

‘I take it you approved?’

‘Yes. I was pleased about it. Daddy deserved a little compensation for all he had to put up with.’

‘You did not see it as your duty to warn your mother, for instance?’

‘Good heavens no! What right had she to know, after the way she had treated him? And what sort of a daughter would I have been to him if I had told her? You don’t understand, inspector!’

‘Would it have been possible for her to find out?’

‘I don’t think so, or we should have heard about it.’

‘What about the other members of the office staff?’

‘I suppose our head clerk, Mr Page, may have guessed something. But Daddy was always very careful in front of them.’

‘He wasn’t so careful in front of you.’

She drew back her head proudly.

‘He knew he could trust me.’

Gently brooded a moment.

‘They used to go away together, did they?’

‘Away? No — never! He used to take her out sometimes, but it was only to do a show at Starmouth or somewhere. He might have been recognized in Norchester.’

‘How did they get to these places?’

‘He’d drive her in the Hillman the traveller uses.’

‘Never in his own car?’

‘No. It would have gone straight back to Mother through Hicks.’

‘But Hicks knew Miss Brent, did he?’

‘I suppose he’d seen her. He used to drive us to and from the office.’

‘But he wasn’t friendly with her?’