Alan Hunter - Gently Does It

‘Can you remember anything of what you said?’ asked Gently.

‘I said that he was unnatural — that he had sold his soul — that he had no more human feelings left: and I called him names… hypocrite

… miser… satyr…’

‘Did you refer to the bank-note?’

‘Yes. I told him there’d be a time when that note came back to roost… with interest.’

‘What did you mean by that?’

‘I’m not quite sure. I had some idea of returning it in such a way that he would regret it… I don’t know how.’

The super said: ‘Think carefully, now. Was there any violence on either side during this quarrel?’

‘No, none.’

‘Was any offered?’

‘No… my father raised his hand once, but that was all.’

‘Very well. Go on with your statement.’

‘In the end I flung out of the side door and left him to it. The last thing he said was that if I ever showed my face there again he’d have me put in charge.’

‘Why did you leave by the side door?’ asked Hansom.

‘It happened to be open, and I wanted to get out quickly. I went back to the fairground in a flaming temper. I told Cathy what had happened, which upset her, I’m afraid: it wasn’t fair, but I had to let off steam somehow. Anyway, I cooled down a bit and had a cup of tea, and then went over to the Wall for my next ride.’

‘What time was that?’ Gently enquired.

‘It was timed for four-thirty.’

‘Where did you put on your overalls — at the Wall?’

‘No… I put on this spare pair. I had them at the caravan. I tore the seam of the other pair when I took them off.’

‘Did you see anybody you knew as you crossed the fairground?’

‘I shouldn’t have noticed them if I did. I saw Clark, who told me not to take it to heart too much — he said he’d got a pal in London who might put up the money for me. And then I got on with my rides. I rode at four-thirty, five, five-thirty and six. After the show at five I went back to the caravan and had something to eat… also, I tried to cheer Cathy up. By the six ride I’d pretty well got over it. And then I went out and bought a paper…

‘I saw it directly because I looked at the stop-press for the football results. It struck me absolutely numb, like a blow on the head… it almost seemed that I must have done it myself. I felt as though I were… doomed.’

‘Did it not occur to you that the best thing to do would be to come straight to the police?’ asked the super sternly.

‘But what would they think? What could they think? Everything was so much against me that I could hardly believe myself… The quarrel, that must have been heard by everyone in the house — perhaps other people; my relations with my father — my need of money — his intention of changing his will — it was all well known. And then, for it to have happened directly after the quarrel… it seemed that I was caught up in some terrible mechanism. There was only one thing left to do, and I did it.

‘That evening I hid amongst some derelict buildings near Burgh Street. As soon as it was dark I made my way out of town towards Starmouth. I didn’t know quite what I should do, but I felt I should be safer out in the country. I spent the night in a cart-shed somewhere and tried to think things over and make a plan. There was just a chance that the police would find the murderer quite quickly, that I might not have been suspected at all. In that case I intended to give myself up. But if they did not, then it was as good as committing suicide and I resolved that somehow I must get out of the country. At first I thought I would go on to Starmouth, but it was a long way. Then I thought of the timber-boats that came up to Norchester. Some of them were Dutch, and as you know, I am Dutch by extraction and speak the language perfectly. If I could get on one of those to Holland I should be safe, and later on I could get a message back to Cathy and have her brought over to me.

‘I hid all Sunday in some woods not far from the city. In the morning I had ventured out to some cottages and stole a newspaper from a letter-box. I was convinced from what I read in it that I must get away. When the night came again I worked my way back into the city, keeping to all the back roads and side lanes, and made a reconnaissance along Riverside. There I found the Zjytze. I knew her well — also, she was empty, which meant that she would soon be on her way home. So I crept round into the timber-yard and got aboard her.’

The super slashed parallel lines across a pattern he was building up on his pad. ‘You realize, of course, the immediate construction we were obliged to place on your actions?’ he asked.

Peter’s hand opened appealingly. ‘I know… I know… but what else could I have done? It was not my life that was wanted… yet who would believe that?’

‘We were bound to catch you in the long run. It would have been best to come to us straight away.’

‘I don’t know… one must try to save one’s life.’

Hansom said: ‘Was it true that Hoochzjy didn’t know you were on the vessel?’

‘I could not risk letting him know, not until we were clear of England. I know him well and I don’t think he would have given me up; but I was not going to risk it.’

Gently said: ‘I’d like to go back a little bit. You said just now that “the quarrel must have been heard by everyone in the house”. Whom did you have in mind?’

‘There was Susan and my sister… perhaps others.’

‘Did you see your sister?’

‘No, but Susan told me that she was there.’

‘Who were the others?’

‘Other servants, perhaps…’

‘Did you see anyone else at all besides Susan and your father?’

‘No.’

‘Or hear anything, or see any signs of anyone else?’

‘Not… really.’

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘I can’t tell you anything definite, but while I was talking to Susan in the hall I had the impression that there was somebody upstairs on the landing.’

‘You saw them?’

‘It is very dark in the hall. I can’t be certain.’

‘Did you actually look in that direction?’

‘Yes, but I didn’t see anything. It may be I thought I heard a movement up there, or perhaps I actually did catch sight of somebody out of the corner of my eye; anyway, they had gone when I looked.’

‘And you proceeded with the impression that there was another person in the house besides yourself, your father and Susan?’

‘If I thought about it at all, I thought it was Gretchen.’

‘But you did proceed with that impression?’

‘Yes, I did.’

‘Coming now to your interview with your father. Whereabouts did you stand during that interview?’

‘Oh, by the table most of the time.’

‘You are speaking of the large table that stands roughly in the centre of the room, not far from the safe?’

‘Yes.’

‘You were on the near side and your father on the far side?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then you had your back to the inside door?’

‘Most of the time.’

‘During that interview, did you hear anything that might lead you to believe there was somebody outside that door?’

‘I can’t think of anything.’

‘Would you have noticed, for instance, if your father looked at it in a particular way, suggesting that he had heard or seen something?’

‘I wouldn’t have noticed.’

Gently paused for a moment. ‘From where you were standing, you could see through the outer door into the garden, also the outer gate, also part of the summer-house through the small window?’

‘I suppose I could, but I didn’t notice them much.’

‘Can you say whether the outer gate was open or closed?’