Death on the Air: and other stories. Ngaio Marsh

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СКАЧАТЬ know, he was a damned unpleasant sort of a man.’

      ‘Tell me about him.’

      Dr Meadows sat down and lit a cigarette.

      ‘He was a self-made bloke,’ he said, ‘as hard as nails and – well, coarse rather than vulgar.’

      ‘Like Dr Johnson perhaps?’

      ‘Not in the least. Don’t interrupt. I’ve known him for twenty five years. His wife was a neighbour of ours in Dorset. Isabel Foreston. I brought the children into this vale of tears and, by jove, in many ways it’s been one for them. It’s an extraordinary household. For the last ten years Isabel’s condition has been the sort that sends these psycho jokers dizzy with rapture. I’m only an out of date GP, and I’d just say she is in an advanced stage of hysterical neurosis. Frightened into fits of her husband.’

      ‘I can’t understand these holes,’ grumbled Fox to Bailey.

      ‘Go on, Meadows,’ said Alleyn.

      ‘I tackled Sep about her eighteen months ago. Told him the trouble was in her mind. He eyed me with a sort of grin on his face and said: “I’m surprised to learn that my wife has enough mentality to—” But look here, Alleyn, I can’t talk about my patients like this. What the devil am I thinking about.’

      ‘You know perfectly well it’ll go no further unless—’

      ‘Unless what?’

      ‘Unless it has to. Do go on.’

      But Dr Meadows hurriedly withdrew behind his professional rectitude. All he would say was that Mr Tonks had suffered from high blood pressure and a weak heart, that Guy was in his father’s city office, that Arthur had wanted to study art and had been told to read for law, and that Phillipa wanted to go on the stage and had been told to do nothing of the sort.

      ‘Bullied his children,’ commented Alleyn.

      ‘Find out for yourself. I’m off.’ Dr Meadows got as far as the door and came back.

      ‘Look here,’ he said, ‘I’ll tell you one thing. There was a row here last night. I’d asked Hislop, who’s a sensible little beggar, to let me know if anything happened to upset Mrs Sep. Upset her badly, you know. To be indiscreet again, I said he’d better let me know if Sep cut up rough because Isabel and the young had had about as much of that as they could stand. He was drinking pretty heavily. Hislop rang me up at ten twenty last night to say there’d been a hell of a row; Sep bullying Phips – Phillipa, you know; always call her Phips – in her room. He said Isabel – Mrs Sep – had gone to bed. I’d had a big day and I didn’t want to turn out. I told him to ring again in half an hour if things hadn’t quieted down. I told him to keep out of Sep’s way and stay in his own room, which is next to Phips’, and see if she was all right when Sep cleared out. Hislop was involved. I won’t tell you how. The servants were all out. I said that if I didn’t hear from him in half an hour I’d ring again and if there was no answer I’d know they were all in bed and quiet. I did ring, got no answer, and went to bed myself. That’s all. I’m off. Curtis knows where to find me. You’ll want me for the inquest, I suppose. Goodbye.’

      When he had gone Alleyn embarked on a systematic prowl round the room. Fox and Bailey were still deeply engrossed with the wireless.

      ‘I don’t see how the gentleman could have got a bump-off from the instrument,’ grumbled Fox. ‘These control knobs are quite in order. Everything’s as it should be. Look here, sir.’

      He turned on the wall switch and tuned in. There was a prolonged humming.

      ‘…concludes the programme of Christmas carols,’ said the radio.

      ‘A very nice tone,’ said Fox approvingly.

      ‘Here’s something, sir,’ announced Bailey suddenly.

      ‘Found the sawdust, have you?’ said Alleyn.

      ‘Got it in one,’ said the startled Bailey.

      Alleyn peered into the instrument, using the torch. He scooped up two tiny traces of sawdust from under the holes.

      ‘Vantage number one,’ said Alleyn. He bent down to the wall plug. ‘Hullo! A two-way adapter. Serves the radio and the radiator. Thought they were illegal. This is a rum business. Let’s have another look at those knobs.’

      He had his look. They were the usual wireless fitments, bakelite knobs fitting snugly to the steel shafts that projected from the front panel.

      ‘As you say,’ he murmured, ‘quite in order. Wait a bit.’ He produced a pocket lens and squinted at one of the shafts. ‘Yees. Do they ever wrap blotting paper round these objects, Fox?’

      ‘Blotting paper!’ ejaculated Fox. ‘They do not.’

      Alleyn scraped at both the shafts with his penknife, holding an envelope underneath. He rose, groaning, and crossed to the desk. ‘A corner torn off the bottom bit of blotch,’ he said presently. ‘No prints on the wireless, I think you said, Bailey?’

      ‘That’s right,’ agreed Bailey morosely.

      ‘There’ll be none, or too many, on the blotter, but try, Bailey, try,’ said Alleyn. He wandered about the room, his eyes on the floor; got as far as the window and stopped.

      ‘Fox!’ he said. ‘A clue. A very palpable clue.’

      ‘What is it?’ asked Fox.

      ‘The odd wisp of blotting paper, no less.’ Alleyn’s gaze travelled up the side of the window curtain. ‘Can I believe my eyes?’

      He got a chair, stood on the seat, and with his gloved hand pulled the buttons from the ends of the curtain rod.

      ‘Look at this.’ He turned to the radio, detached the control knobs, and laid them beside the ones he had removed from the curtain rod.

      

      Ten minutes later Inspector Fox knocked on the drawing-room door and was admitted by Guy Tonks. Phillipa had got the fire going and the family was gathered round it. They looked as though they had not moved or spoken to one another for a long time.

      It was Phillipa who spoke first to Fox. ‘Do you want one of us?’ she asked.

      ‘If you please, miss,’ said Fox. ‘Inspector Alleyn would like to see Mr Guy Tonks for a moment, if convenient.’

      ‘I’ll come,’ said Guy, and led the way to the study. At the door he paused. ‘Is he – my father – still—?’

      ‘No, no, sir,’ said Fox comfortably. ‘It’s all ship-shape in there again.’

      With a lift of his chin Guy opened the door and went in, followed by Fox. Alleyn was alone, seated at the desk. He rose to his feet.

      ‘You want to speak to me?’ asked Guy.

      ‘Yes, if I may. This has all been a great shock to you, of course. Won’t you sit down?’

      Guy sat in the chair farthest away from the СКАЧАТЬ