Agatha Christie - Why Didn't They Ask Evans

'About your brother,' she said. 'Do you still think he should go to the Grange?'

'No,' said Roger. 'I don't. After all, there are heaps of other places where he can be treated. The really important thing is to get Henry to agree.' 'Do you think that will be difficult?' asked Frankie.

'I'm afraid it may be. You heard him the other night. On the other hand, if we just catch him in the repentant mood, that's very different. Hullo - here comes Sylvia.' Mrs Bassington-ffrench emerged from the house and looked about her, then seeing Roger and Frankie, she walked across the grass towards them.

They could see that she was looking terribly worried and strained.

'Roger,' she began, 'I've been looking for you everywhere.' Then, as Frankie made a movement to leave them - 'No, my dear, don't go. Of what use are concealments? In any case, I think you know all there is to know. You've suspected this business for some time, haven't you?' Frankie nodded.

'While I've been blind - blind -' said Sylvia bitterly. 'Both of you saw what I never even suspected. I only wondered why Henry had changed so to all of us. It made me very unhappy, but I never suspected the reason.' She paused, then went on again with a slight change of tone.

'As soon as Dr Nicholson had told me the truth, I went straight to Henry. I've only just left him now.' She paused, swallowing a sob.

'Roger - it's going to be all right. He's agreed. He will go to the Grange and put himself in Dr Nicholson's hands tomorrow.' 'Oh! no -' The exclamation came from Roger and Frankie simultaneously. Sylvia looked at them - astonished.

Roger spoke awkwardly.

'Do you know, Sylvia, I've been thinking it over, and I don't believe the Grange would be a good plan, after all.' 'You think he can fight it by himself?' asked Sylvia doubtfully.

'No, I don't. But there are other places - places not sowell, not so near at hand. I'm convinced that staying in this district would be a mistake.' 'I'm sure of it,' said Frankie, coming to his rescue.

'Oh! I don't agree,' said Sylvia. 'I couldn't bear him to go away somewhere. And Dr Nicholson has been so kind and understanding. I shall feel happy about Henry being under his charge.' 'I thought you didn't like-Nicholson, Sylvia,' said Roger.

'I've changed my mind.' She spoke simply. 'Nobody could have been nicer or kinder than he was this afternoon. My silly prejudice against him has quite vanished.' There was a moment's silence. The position was awkward.

Neither Roger nor Sylvia knew quite what to say next.

'Poor Henry,' said Sylvia. 'He broke down. He was terribly upset at my knowing. He agreed that he must fight this awful craving for my sake and Tommy's, but he said I hadn't a conception of what it meant. I suppose I haven't, though Dr Nicholson explained very fully. It becomes a kind of obsession - people aren't responsible for their actions - so he said. Oh, Roger, it seems so awful. But Dr Nicholson was really kind. I trust him.' 'All the same, I think it would be better -' began Roger.

Sylvia turned on him.

'I don't understand you, Roger. Why have you changed your mind? Half an hour ago you were all for Henry's going to the Grange.' 'Well - I've - I've had time to think the matter over since ' Again Sylvia interrupted.

'Anyway, I've made up my mind. Henry shall go to the Grange and nowhere else.' They confronted her in silence, then Roger said: 'Do you know, I think I will ring up Nicholson. He will be home now. I'd like - just to have a talk with him about matters.' Without waiting for her reply he turned away and went rapidly into the house. The two women stood looking after him.

'I cannot understand Roger,' said Sylvia impatiently. 'About a quarter of an hour ago he was positively urging me to arrange for Henry to go to the Grange.' Her tone held a distinct note of anger.

'All the same,' said Frankie, 'I agree with him. I'm sure I've read somewhere that people ought always to go for a cure somewhere far away from their homes.' 'I think that's just nonsense,' said Sylvia.

Frankie felt in a dilemma. Sylvia's unexpected obstinacy was making things difficult, and also she seemed suddenly to have become as violently pro-Nicholson as she formerly had been against him. It was very hard to know what arguments to use.

Frankie considered telling the whole story to Sylvia - but would Sylvia believe it? Even Roger had not been very impressed by the theory of Dr Nicholson's guilt. Sylvia, with her new-found partisanship where the doctor was concerned, would probably be even less so. She might even go and repeat the whole thing to him. It was certainly difficult.

An aeroplane passed low overhead in the gathering dusk, filling the air with its loud beat of engines. Both Sylvia and Frankie stared up at it, glad of the respite it afforded, since neither of them quite knew what to say next. It gave Frankie time to collect her thoughts, and Sylvia time to recover from her fit of sudden anger.

As the aeroplane disappeared over the trees and its roar receded into the distance, Sylvia turned abruptly to Frankie.

'It's been so awful -' she said brokenly. 'And you all seem to want to send Henry far away from me.' 'No, no,' said Frankie. 'It wasn't that at all.' She cast about for a minute.

'It was only that I thought he ought to have the best treatment. And I do think that Dr Nicholson is rather - well, rather a quack.' 'I don't believe it,' said Sylvia. 'I think he's a very clever man and just the kind of man Henry needs.' She looked defiantly at Frankie. Frankie marvelled at the hold Dr Nicholson had acquired over her in such a short time.

All her former distrust of the man seemed to have vanished completely.

At a loss what to say or do next, Frankie relapsed into silence.

Presently Roger came out again from the house. He seemed slightly breathless.

'Nicholson isn't in yet,' he said. 'I left a message.' 'I don't see why you want to see Dr Nicholson so urgently,' said Sylvia. 'You suggested this plan, and it's all arranged and Henry has consented.' 'I think I've got some say in the matter, Sylvia,' said Roger gently. 'After all, I'm Henry's brother.' 'You suggested the plan yourself,' said Sylvia obstinately.

'Yes, but I've heard a few things about Nicholson since.' 'What things? Oh! I don't believe you.' She bit her lip, turned away and plunged into the house.

Roger looked at Frankie.

'This is a bit awkward,' he said.

'Very awkward, indeed.' 'Once Sylvia has made her mind up she can be obstinate as the devil.' 'What are we going to do?' They sat down again on the garden seat and went into the matter carefully. Roger agreed with Frankie that to tell the whole story to Sylvia would be a mistake. The best plan, in his opinion, would be to tackle the doctor.

'But what are you going to say exactly?' 'I don't know that I shall say much - but I shall hint a good deal. At any rate, I agree with you about one thing - Henry mustn't go to the Grange. Even if we come right out into the open, we've got to stop that.' 'We give the whole show away if we do,' Frankie reminded him.

'I know. That's why we've got to try everything else first.

Curse Sylvia, why must she turn obstinate just at this minute?' 'It shows the power of the man,' Frankie said.

'Yes. You know, it inclines me to believe that, evidence or no evidence, you may be right about him after all - what's that?' They both sprang up.

'It sounded like a shot,' said Frankie. 'From the house.' They looked at each other, then raced towards the building.

They went in by the trench window of the drawing-room and passed through into the hall. Sylvia Bassington-ffrench was standing there, her face white as paper.

'Did you hear?' she said. 'It was a shot - from Henry's study.' She swayed and Roger put an arm round her to steady her.