Ngaio Marsh - Spinsters in Jeopardy

“You have, rather,” Ricky said. He saw Dupont and Callard. “How do you do,” he said. He looked at Troy and his lip trembled. He ran savagely into her arms and fastened himself upon her. His fierce hard little body was rammed against hers, his arms gripped her neck and his face burrowed into it. His heart thumped piston-like at her breast.

“We’ll take him out to the car,” Alleyn said.

Troy rose, holding Ricky with his legs locked about her waist. Alleyn steadied her and they went out through the secretary’s room and the lobby and the entrance hall to where Raoul waited in the sunshine.

ii

When they approached the car Ricky released his hold on his mother as abruptly as he had imposed it. She put him down and he walked a little distance from her. He acknowledged Raoul’s greeting with an uncertain nod and stood with his back turned to them, apparently looking at M. Dupont’s car which was occupied by three policemen.

Alleyn murmured: “He’ll get over it all right. Don’t worry.”

“He thinks we’ve let him down. He’s lost his sense of security.”

“We can do something about that. He’s puzzled. Give him a moment and then I’ll try.”

He went over to the police car.

“I suppose,” Ricky said to nobody in particular, “Daddy’s not going away again.”

Troy moved close to him. “No, darling, I don’t think so. Not far anyway. He’s on a job, though, helping the French police.”

“Are those French policemen?”

“Yes. And the man you saw in that place is a French detective.”

“As good as Daddy?”

“I don’t expect quite as good but good all the same. He helped us find you.”

Ricky said: “Why did you let me be got lost?”

“Because,” Troy explained with a dryness in her throat, “Daddy didn’t know about it. As soon as he knew, it was all right, and you weren’t lost any more. We came straight up here and got you.”

The three policemen were out of the car and listening ceremoniously to Alleyn. Ricky watched them. Raoul, standing by his own car, whistled a lively air and rolled a cigarette.

“Let’s go and sit with Raoul, shall we,” Troy suggested, “until Daddy’s ready to come home with us?”

Ricky looked miserably at Raoul and away again. “He might be cross of me,” he muttered.

“ Raoul cross with you, darling? No . Why?”

“Because — because — I—lost — I lost—”

“No, you didn’t!” Troy cried. “We found it. Wait a moment.” She rooted in her bag. “Look.”

She held out the little silver goat. Ricky’s face was transfused with a flush of relief. He took the goat carefully into his square hands. “He’s the nicest thing I’ve ever had,” he said. “He shines in the night. Il s’illume . Raoul and the lady said he does.”

“Has he got a name?”

“His name’s Goat,” Ricky said.

He walked over to the car. Raoul opened the door and Ricky got into the front seat casually displaying the goat.

“ C’est ça ,” Raoul said comfortably. He glanced down at Ricky, nodded three times with an air of sagacity, and lit his cigarette. Ricky shoved one hand in the pocket of his shorts and leaned back. “Coming, Mum?” he asked.

Troy got in beside him. Alleyn called Raoul, who swept off his chauffeur’s cap to Troy and excused himself.

“What’s going to happen?” Ricky asked.

“I think Daddy’s got a job for them. He’ll come and tell us in a minute.”

“Could we keep Raoul?”

“While we are here I think we can.”

“I daresay he wouldn’t like to live with us always.”

“Well, his family lives here. I expect he likes being with them.”

“I do think he’s nice, however. Do you?”

“Very,” Troy said warmly. “Look, there he goes with the policemen.”

M. Dupont had appeared in the factory entrance. He made a crisp signal. Raoul and the three policemen walked across and followed him into the factory. Alleyn came to the car and leaned over the door. He pulled Ricky’s forelock and said: “How’s the new policeman?” Ricky blinked at him.

“Why?” he asked.

“I think you’ve helped us to catch up with some bad lots.”

“Why?”

“Well, because they thought we’d be so busy looking for you we wouldn’t have time for them. But, sucks to them, we didn’t lose you and do you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because you waved from the balcony and dropped your silver goat and that was a clue and because you called out to us and we knew you were there. Pretty good.”

Ricky was silent.

Troy said: “Jolly good, helping Daddy like that.”

Ricky was turned away from her. She could see the charming back of his neck and the curve of his cheek. He hunched his shoulders and tucked in his chin.

“Was the fat, black smelly lady a bad lot?” he asked in a casual tone.

“Not much good,” Alleyn said.

“Where is she?”

“Oh, I shut her up. She’s a silly old thing, really. Better, shut up.”

“Was the other one a bad lot?”

“Which one?”

“The Nanny.”

Alleyn and Troy looked at each other over his head.

“The one who fetched you from the hotel?” Alleyn asked.

“Yes, the new Nanny.”

“Oh, that one. Hadn’t she got a red hat or something?”

“She hadn’t got a hat. She’d got a moustache.”

“Really? Was her dress red perhaps?”

“No. Black with kind of whitey blobs.”

“Did you like her?”

“Not extra much. Quite, though. She wasn’t bad. I didn’t think I had to have a Nan over here.”

“Well, you needn’t. She was a mistake. We won’t have her.”

“Anyway, she shouldn’t have left me there with the fat lady, should she, Daddy?”

“No.” Alleyn reached over the door and took the goat. He held it up admiring it. “Nice, isn’t it?” he said. “Did she speak English, that Nanny?”

“Not properly. A bit. The man didn’t.”

“The driver?”

“ ’M.”

“Was he a chauffeur like Raoul?”

“No. He had funny teeth. Sort of black. Funny sort of driver for a person to have. He didn’t have a cap like Raoul or anything. Just a red beret and no coat and he wasn’t very clean either. He’s Mr. Garbel’s driver, only Mr. Garbel’s a Mademoiselle and not a Mr.”

“ Is he? How d’you know?”

“May I have Goat again, please? Because the Nanny said you were waiting for me in Mademoiselle Garbel’s room. Only you weren’t. And because Mademoiselle Garbel rang up. The lady in the goat shop has got other people that light themselves at night too. Saints and shepherds and angels and Jesus. Pretty decent.”

“I’ll have a look next time I’m there. When did Miss Garbel ring up, Rick?”

“When I was in her room. The fat lady told the Nanny. They didn’t know about me understanding which was sucks to them.”

“What did the fat lady say?”

“ ‘ Mademoiselle Garbel a téléphoné .’ Easy!”

“What did she telephone about, do you know?”

“Me. She said they were to take me away and they told me you would be up here. Only—”

Ricky stopped short and looked wooden. He had turned rather white.

“Only—?” Alleyn said and then after a moment: “Never mind. I think I know. They went away to talk on the telphone and you went out on the balcony. And you saw Mummy and me waving on our balcony and you didn’t know quite what was up with everybody. Was it like that?”

“A bit.”

“Muddly?”

“A bit,” Ricky said tremulously.

“I know. We were muddled too. Then that fat old thing came out and took you away, didn’t she?”