Dennis Wheatley: To The Devil A Daughter

`No,' said John slowly. `I suppose not. But how on earth did you manage to do it?'

`I didn't go into the inn for the reason you thought I did. It was to write a brief message. I gave it with a five hundred franc note to the woman I found behind the bar, in exchange for a promise that she would telephone it at once to Inspector Drouet. I knew that would bring our friends to St. Michael as soon as they received it. But I thought I ought to make certain of being able to find you as well; so I went up to the top of the hill with you, then threw a weak woman act as soon as the smugglers had pointed out the entrance to the cave. Immediately you were out of sight I hurried back to the inn, so that when the police arrived there I was able to lead them straight up to it.'

`Bless you, Mumsie; you really are a wonder.' John laughed. `And if it is true that you are not still on the secret list as Molly Polloffski the beautiful spy, that's a great loss to the nation.'

The arrival of the police at the inn an hour before had resulted in the good woman who ran it keeping it open a little later than usual, and it was still not eleven o'clock when the stretcher party arrived there. In the public room a warm fire was glowing in the stove, and Christina, now fully conscious again, was made comfortable in borrowed wraps beside it. C. B. ordered coffee laced with cognac for them all to warm them up, and when John carried two cups over to the corner where Christina was sitting the others discreetly took theirs to the far end of the room.

When John had settled himself beside Christina, he told her how Jules had enabled him to trace her to the Cave of the Bats, and how his mother's quick wits had brought the police on the scene in time to save them; but she smilingly shook her head.

`It was clever of you to think of making use of Jules, and wonderful of your mother to think of a way of getting help to us; but your first attempt to rescue me failed, and the police would have arrived too late if it hadn't been for your eleventh hour inspiration.'

`What do you mean by that?' he asked with a puzzled look.

`Why, that frightful lie you told about my no longer being a virgin.'

`By Jove!' he grinned. `D'you know, I'd already forgotten about that. It was a whopper, wasn't it? What's more I swore it, and that is perjury, or something. Do you think I'll be forgiven?'

`I'm sure you will. It must have gained us the best part of five minutes, and so saved my life. But that is not all. It was your ring that really saved us both.'

`Yes. There must have been some blessed magic in it for a single tap from it to have shattered that thick glass. Would you like to keep it?'

`Do you want me to?'

He hesitated, then asked, `Do you know that your father is dead?'

`No,' she replied calmly. `I was absolutely staggered to see him there. How did he come to be with you?'

`That is a long story, and I'll tell it to you to morrow. For the present it is enough to say that just after we got out of the cave there was an explosion and I saw him with his head half ... well, so badly injured that he couldn't possibly recover.'

`Poor Father,' she sighed. `It is sad to hear that; but he never loved me or I him; and you haven't told me yet how you induced him to come in with you.'

`Up to last night he was a Satanist himself. He sold you to the Devil when you were a baby. That was what made you so unlike your real self during the hours of darkness. But last night he repented and released you.'

`That would explain, then, why I felt so different soon after I was taken out of the prison, and again this evening after sunset.'

`Yes. He abjured Satan and all his works on your behalf; then he came back here with us to help to try to rescue you. But he is dead now. I am certain of it, and I have a reason for telling you so at once, instead of waiting until later.

Before he died he had no chance to alter his will; so nobody can yet know how he has left his money.'

`I don't quite see what you are driving at,' she murmured.

`Simply that I would like to ask you to marry me before it is known whether you are a great heiress or a pauper.'

`Oh John,' she smiled. `What has money got to do with it? Only one thing matters. Did you really mean it or not when, just before I snapped the stuff that bound my wrists and smashed the jar with your ring, you called out to me, “Darling, I love you! I love you! ”?'

`Of course I did.'

Her big brown eyes shone with happiness as she leaned towards him and whispered, `Then your own words are my answer.'

Inspector Drouet joined the party at the inn about half an hour later, and he confirmed that Henry Beddows was among the dead who had been recovered from the cave. As Christina was still technically under arrest he discussed her position with Malouet, then agreed to her provisional release on the ex inspector's stating that he would go surety for her.

Very tired now, John, Christina and C. B. went out to Molly's car, and it was she who drove them home. When they arrived at the villa it was after one o'clock, and John and Christina went straight up to their rooms; but C. B. asked Molly for a night cap.

Knowing his preference, she mixed him a whisky and soda; then made one for herself. He raised his glass, said, `Chin, chin!', then added in his most conspiratorial voice

`Can you tell me, Mrs. Fountain, any good and sufficient reason why I should not hand you over to the police on a charge of having committed mass murder?'

She suppressed a start, then asked with a bland smile, `What are you talking about, C. B.? I'm afraid all this excitement has proved a little too much for even you.'

`No, Molly,' he said seriously. `You can't laugh this thing off. I saw you drop that Mills bomb on to the heads of those wretched people.'

`Did you?' She smiled archly. `Well, I don't mind if you did. They were all horrors and menaces to everything decent in life. It is a good thing they are dead. Perhaps it was a pity about Beddows; but I'm not even certain about that, since he had lived as a Satanist all his adult life. And it ... er . . . did the job perfectly, didn't it?'

`Yes. I'm not questioning your act on ethical grounds or its efficiency. But the thing that troubles me is that someone else might have seen you do it. If they had you would be in prison now and well on your way to the scaffold. Really, Molly, it's time that you had somebody to look after you.'

`Meaning you, C. B.?'

He rubbed his big nose, then looked up at her. `Yes, dear one; meaning me.'

She came across and sat down on his knees. Suddenly she gulped. `It was a frightful thing to do, wasn't it?' Next moment she was crying, with her cheek pressed against his, and she murmured, `Oh, you're so right, darling! I'm a horrible irresponsible sort of woman. Please, please take care of me.'