Charles Todd - An Impartial Witness

"You couldn't have. I didn't see your motorcar-"

"I left the motorcar at your friend's house. Alicia. I thought you were there. When she told me she hadn't seen you, I went to the Hart house. Mrs. Hart sent me here, and I found Hart just by the church. I thought it best to send him home."

"Did you see Michael?" I asked, remembering why he was here, why he was late. "Is he all right? Please tell me he'll let us help him!" I could deal with anything, once I knew Michael was willing to work with us.

"He wouldn't see me." Simon was curt, clearly still angry about what had happened at the prison. "Short of a full cavalry charge, there was no way to reach him."

"Did you leave a message for him? Anything that would make him see the light?"

"I told him he was a damned fool to hang for another man's murder. Whether the guards will carry that to him or not, I can't be sure. The only person who could get in to see him now would be his lawyer."

"I saw Mr. Forbes. I don't think he was impressed by what I had to say." I turned my ankle and nearly pitched forward, but Simon steadied me. "He told me to bring the police Mrs. Calder's attacker, and then they'd consider listening to me." I was still bitter about that.

We had reached the Hart house. "I must go and thank them. And tell them about Victoria."

"No. They live here. It's not wise."

"They know part of the story already," I protested.

"Listen to me, Bess. In less than a week, they could very well lose Michael. Don't make it any harder for them to face that."

"They sent me to Victoria. She knows Mr. Hart walked with me to her house."

He let me have my way. They were expecting us and opened the door almost at once. I thanked them for all they'd done to help. "As for Victoria-" I began, and saw hope shining in their eyes, even though anything I'd learned was not evidence. "As for Victoria," I went on, "she's so twisted by hate that she can't see herself clearly. Or anyone else, for that matter. But I don't believe she killed Marjorie."

"What about Melton, Serena's husband?" Mr. Hart asked. "Is there any hope there?"

"I think it would be best if Inspector Herbert spoke to him. I'm going to London now to try. I'll stay in touch."

Their faces had fallen into the sadness I'd seen when I arrived. They thanked me, Mrs. Hart gave me a kiss on the cheek, and they both wished me Godspeed. But I could see, all too well, that I had intruded on the careful shell they'd built around themselves this last week, and for a little time had made them feel anything was possible. And now they must build it up again, and mend the cracks I'd caused, to carry them through what was to come.

Simon and I wished them a good night, their door shut behind us with what sounded like finality, and we walked on through the heavy mist toward his motorcar.

"Didn't you think to bring a heavier coat?" he asked as I shivered.

"No. It was warm enough when I left London. This one will do."

Exasperated, he opened the boot and brought out a rug, handing it to me. I got in and hugged it to me, waiting for the shivers to subside. But they were the aftermath of my encounter with Victoria, not the night's chill.

He started the motorcar and said to me, "Where do you want to go, Bess?"

"Home," I said, "but I don't have that luxury. Scotland Yard."

Without answering, he pulled away from Alicia's house and turned the bonnet toward the northeast. I sat huddled in my seat, thinking about Jack Melton as the miles slipped by.

It was late when we reached London. Simon threaded his way through what was left of the evening's traffic, and found a space to leave the motorcar a few steps from the entrance to the Yard.

Coming around to open my door, he said, "Do you want me to stay here or come with you?"

"I spoke to him before. Let me try again."

The constable on duty told me that he thought Inspector Herbert had gone home.

"Could you send someone to see? Please. It's quite urgent."

But I was told that Inspector Herbert's door was closed and his light off.

"Is there anywhere I could sit to write a message? Something that can be given to him as soon as he comes back here in the morning?"

They showed me to an anteroom and brought me pen and paper. I sat in the time-scarred chair and tried to think what to say, how best to say it. Finally I wrote a few lines, signed my name, and folded the message.

It read simply, I know now how Jack Melton discovered that Michael Hart was in London to visit Mrs. Calder. He was at the theater, with several American visitors, and he saw Victoria Garrison in the audience. They talked. Victoria was angry that Michael hadn't returned. She told lies concerning his whereabouts. Afterward Jack Melton made his excuses to his guests, and left the theater. Victoria continued to sit there, doing nothing to stop him. I believe he saw this as an opportunity to throw suspicion on Lieutenant Hart, just as he'd done before. That means he could have attacked Mrs. Calder. Mr. Forbes told me that if I could bring you evidence that showed someone else had stabbed her, you would consider reopening Michael Hart's case. Well, I've done that. It's up to the Yard to fill in the details. One more thing. I think you'll discover that Jack Melton seduced Lieutenant Fordham's sister, and Fordham swore he'd kill Jack Melton when he'd recovered from his wounds. Victoria Garrison has in her possession a.45-caliber revolver. Jack Melton gave it to her. I'd see if Melton had used it to murder Lieutenant Fordham. I wouldn't be surprised if she shot at Michael as well. If you solve the Fordham case, you owe it to me to pursue Michael Hart's innocence. It would be a tragedy to discover after his hanging that you were wrong. I found a bullet in the Hart gardens. If you look, you'll find its mate there as well."

I handed my message to the constable, and asked him to see to it that Inspector Herbert received it as soon as he came in the next morning. I'd marked it Urgent, all that I could do.

Simon, waiting by the motorcar for me, said, "That was quick. Were you shown the door?"

"His office was dark. He's gone home. I left a message."

He held the door for me, then got behind the wheel.

"Bess, there are circles under your eyes. You've had no rest since you got home. You've done everything that's humanly possible. More, in fact, than anyone ever dreamed could be done. Michael doesn't want to be saved-for the wrong reasons, I must admit. Or perhaps he is guilty after all, and it's hard to accept. Who knows?"

I fidgeted with the fringe of the rug. "If I could talk to Jack Melton, I'd know whether or not he was guilty. I don't think Victoria is. She's just vicious, cruel, wanting to hurt because she's hurt. If she'd killed her sister, I think she'd have met me at the door with a knife in her pocket, not that revolver. It was probably to protect herself, not to shoot me. She knew who was at her door, she'd had time to plan what to do."

Simon chuckled in the darkness of the motorcar, a deep chuckle in his chest that reminded me of Michael.

"What's funny?" I demanded angrily.

"Nothing. You. Rationalizing why you weren't killed tonight."

"Well," I retorted, "if you'd thought I was in any danger, you wouldn't have let me walk down that path with my back to the woman!"

His mouth tightened into a hard line.

"You should go back to Somerset. Tonight," he said finally. "It's safer. I have a bad feeling about this business."

"I know. But I can't abandon Michael."

"In spite of all you've done, you can't be certain he's innocent. Your theories are no better and no worse than the one that put him in jail."

"I know. But by the same token, I can't be certain he's guilty. I don't want his death on my conscience. There must be something else I can do. I'll think of something, I'm sure I will. And I want to be here, in London, where I can act on it. It takes hours to drive in from Somerset. Besides, Inspector Herbert knows where to find me."