Free Devious Murder by George Bellairs Page B

Putting it bluntly, did Leo and Mrs. Havenith sleep together that night?’
    The girl’s lips tightened and she made no answer.
    â€˜What time did you go to bed, Molly?’
    â€˜About midnight. I’d a lot to do with Mrs. Havenith leaving early next day.’
    â€˜Where was your bedroom?’
    â€˜In what they call the mansard … sort of attic on the top floor.’
    â€˜Did you see or hear anything which made you think that Leo had returned to Mrs. Havenith’s bedroom?’
    â€˜No, sir. That’s the truth. All I can say is that she seemedto be so anxious to be left alone that we thought that her and Mr. Leo must have made an arrangement.…’
    â€˜You say “we”. Does that mean that you and Mrs. Morgan discussed it?’
    â€˜No. She’d never do that. It would be too familiar. She believes in keeping the staff in their places.’
    â€˜What did you mean then, Molly?’
    â€˜I overheard Mrs. Morgan say to Mr. Cairncross as she handed him the jewellery … “It looks as though they’re going to have a farewell fling”, and Mr. Cairncross laughed that horrible nasty laugh of his.’
    â€˜You don’t like Cairncross?’
    â€˜I do not. Neither do any other decent girls who come to
The Limes
. For one thing, he can’t keep his hands to himself. Always mauling you. He only tried it on me once and I hit him across the knuckles with a wooden spoon. I told him next time I’d hit him right on the nose.…’
    Cromwell produced a photograph of Charles Blunt, taken by the police after his death, and passed it across to Molly Blower. She looked at it and changed colour again. Cromwell thought she was going to have another fainting fit, but she managed to recover herself.
    â€˜Have you seen that man before, Molly?’
    â€˜Whatever’s the matter with him? He looks awfully ill.…’
    Cromwell thought it better to avoid an answer to that question.
    â€˜Have you ever seen him?’
    â€˜Is he dead?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    She took it quite calmly this time.
    â€˜There’s something familiar about him. I must have seen him somewhere, although he wasn’t a corpse then and must have looked different, if you see what I mean.’
    She sat quietly with a puzzled look on her face, as she turned the matter over in her mind.
    â€˜He lived in one of the flats at
Orchard Court
, Tolham.’
    â€˜Then I must have seen him about the town. I can’t remember ever seeing him at the flats. They don’t have anything to do with the flats at
The Limes
. Even though they’re next-door neighbours. Except for Mr. Cairncross who seems to be friendly with Mr. Pickup, the caretaker of
Orchard Court
. I’m sorry, that’s all I can say about the man. I must have passed him in the street in Tolham.…’
    Mr. Binder suddenly appeared at the door of his temple.
    â€˜Everything all right? I was just beginning to wonder …’
    â€˜We’re just going,’ said Cromwell. ‘And before we leave, I’d like to thank you for your help and commend Miss Blower to you for her discretion and the assistance she’s given us.’
    Mr. Binder assured them of his great pleasure in hearing that and they left him and Miss Blower together discussing her next job.
    When Littlejohn arrived back at Scotland Yard, he found a note on his desk:
    Mrs. Hassock phoned three times
.
    And he had scarcely read it before a young policeman put his head round the door to make sure he’d seen it.
    â€˜
Mrs
. Hassock? Surely you mean
Inspector
, Robbins?’
    â€˜No, sir. It was Mrs. Hassock and she wouldn’t leave a message. Would you ring her as soon as possible? She sounded very distressed.’
    Littlejohn hadn’t met the lady, but knew of her reputation. Many of his colleagues regarded her as the cause of much of Hassock’s bad luck. Since the very day of their marriage she