Free Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie

eyes that were full of horror, suffering, and a kind of dazed bewilderment.
    ‘My dear,’ said Tuppence, very gently. ‘Can you speak at all? Will you tell me, if you can, who did this?’
    She felt the eyes fix themselves on her face. The girl was sighing, the deep palpitating sighs of a failing heart. And still she looked steadily at Tuppence. Then her lips parted.
    ‘Bingo did it –’ she said in a strained whisper.
    Then her hands relaxed, and she seemed to nestle down on Tuppence’s shoulder.
    Tommy came in, two men with him. The bigger of the two came forward with an air of authority, the word doctor written all over him.
    Tuppence relinquished her burden.
    ‘She’s dead, I’m afraid,’ she said with a catch in her voice.
    The doctor made a swift examination.
    ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Nothing to be done. We had better leave things as they are till the police come. How did the thing happen?’
    Tuppence explained rather haltingly, slurring over her reasons for entering the booth.
    ‘It’s a curious business,’ said the doctor. ‘You heard nothing?’
    ‘I heard her give a kind of cry, but then the man laughed. Naturally I didn’t think –’
    ‘Naturally not,’ agreed the doctor. ‘And the man wore a mask you say. You wouldn’t recognise him?’
    ‘I’m afraid not. Would you, Tommy?’
    ‘No. Still there is his costume.’
    ‘The first thing will be to identify this poor lady,’ said the doctor. ‘After that, well, I suppose the police will get down to things pretty quickly. It ought not to be a difficult case. Ah, here they come.’

Chapter 6
The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper
    It was after three o’clock when, weary and sick at heart, the husband and wife reached home. Several hours passed before Tuppence could sleep. She lay tossing from side to side, seeing always that flower-like face with the horror-stricken eyes.
    The dawn was coming in through the shutters when Tuppence finally dropped off to sleep. After the excitement, she slept heavily and dreamlessly. It was broad daylight when she awoke to find Tommy, up and dressed, standing by the bedside, shaking her gently by the arm.
    ‘Wake up, old thing. Inspector Marriot and another man are here and want to see you.’
    ‘What time is it?’
    ‘Just on eleven. I’ll get Alice to bring you your tea right away.’
    ‘Yes, do. Tell Inspector Marriot I’ll be there in ten minutes.’
    A quarter of an hour later, Tuppence came hurrying into the sitting-room. Inspector Marriot, who was sitting looking very straight and solemn, rose to greet her.
    ‘Good-morning, Mrs Beresford. This is Sir Arthur Merivale.’
    Tuppence shook hands with a tall thin man with haggard eyes and greying hair.
    ‘It’s about this sad business last night,’ said Inspector Marriot. ‘I want Sir Arthur to hear from your own lips what you told me–the words the poor lady said before she died. Sir Arthur has been very hard to convince.’
    ‘I can’t believe,’ said the other, ‘and I won’t believe, that Bingo Hale ever hurt a hair of Vere’s head.’
    Inspector Marriot went on.
    ‘We’ve made some progress since last night, Mrs Beresford,’ he said. ‘First of all we managed to identify the lady as Lady Merivale. We communicated with Sir Arthur here. He recognised the body at once, and was horrified beyond words, of course. Then I asked him if he knew anyone called Bingo.’
    ‘You must understand, Mrs Beresford,’ said Sir Arthur, ‘that Captain Hale, who is known to all his friends as Bingo, is the dearest pal I have. He practically lives with us. He was staying at my house when they arrested him this morning. I cannot but believe that you have made a mistake–it was not his name that my wife uttered.’
    ‘There is no possibility of mistake,’ said Tuppence gently. ‘She said, “Bingo did it –”’
    ‘You see, Sir Arthur,’ said Marriot.
    The unhappy man sank into a chair and covered his face with his hands.
    ‘It’s incredible. What