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By the time he reached Vicky’s side, Janet and Alan White had also joined her, and Robert Steel was making his way towards the group. Janet at once began to describe her sensations at finding herself giving evidence in a murder-case, and Hugh, feeling that there was no reason why he should listen to this recital, said good morning to the Inspector, and asked him, with a twinkle, whether he had recovered from the shocks of the previous day.
‘I have,’ responded Hemingway. ‘I’m told you hold a watching brief for Miss Fanshawe, sir.’
‘By Miss Fanshawe, I should think,’ said Hugh. ‘I wish you’d put her under lock and key till all this is over.’
‘The trouble is, I’m hampered,’ explained the Inspector. ‘Who’s the gentleman with the jaw, sir?’
‘Steel.’
Robert Steel had broken into the flood of Janet’s conversation to address Vicky, in rather a rough voice. ‘Vicky, what are you doing here? You’d no business to come!’
‘Oh, but I had, Robert! I told you I’d been entangled in the meshes.’
&
nbsp; ‘And I told you you were a little idiot! You’ve nothing to do with the case at all.’
‘But, darling Robert, I’ve got far more to do with it than you have, because I was there, and you weren’t,’ Vicky pointed out.
‘Oh, how thankful you must be that you weren’t there!’ said Janet earnestly. ‘It was dreadful! And you might have been, only, of course, I’m very glad you weren’t, because it would have made it worse for me. I mean, inviting you, and then that happening!’
‘What on earth are you talking about?’ said Steel. ‘You didn’t invite me!’
‘Yes, I did. Don’t you remember, when we came out of church, and I was asking you about King Edward raspberries?’
‘No, I don’t,’ said Steel shortly.
‘Oh, but you must!’ insisted Janet. ‘Because I always think it must be so lonely for you, living all by yourself, and I asked you if you wouldn’t drop in at about five, only Father said he’d asked Mr Carter, and you probably wouldn’t want to come, which I’m afraid you must have thought was awfully rude of him, but it’s only his way, you know, and he doesn’t mean anything.’
‘Oh!’ said Steel, looking rather annoyed. ‘Yes, I do remember now that you said something about dropping in to tea.’
Hugh cast a covert glance at the Inspector. That gentleman’s bird-like gaze was fixed with an expression of the deepest interest on Steel’s frowning countenance.
Thirteen
Alan White, never one to pay much heed to other people’s utterances, was not interested either in his sister’s artless disclosure, or in Steel’s obvious annoyance. He plucked at Vicky’s sleeve, and said in a portentous undertone that he wanted to talk to her.
‘Oh, not now!’ Vicky replied, not looking at him but at the Inspector. ‘I can’t think of anything but this afflictive murder!’
‘Well, it’s about that. I think you ought to know. I may say that I’m absolutely horrified!’
This was arresting enough to drag Vicky’s attention from the Inspector. She bent an inquiring gaze upon Alan. ‘About Wally’s murder?’
‘In a way. I mean, it’s something I’ve found out, only I can’t tell you here.’
Vicky saw that the Inspector had made himself known to Steel, and that both he and Steel had moved out of earshot. She said: ‘Well, all right, but let’s go into the lounge, if there is one, only I must tell Hugh, because he thinks he’s looking after me.’
‘I can’t see what you can possibly have to say to Vicky!’ exclaimed Janet, when Alan informed her that she would have to leave the King’s Head without him.
‘It’s just as well that you can’t,’ said Alan darkly.
‘Oh, Alan, I do wish you wouldn’t be so theatrical!’ Janet said. ‘You know how Father hates it!’
‘Father!’ he said, with a crack of bitter laughter.
‘Well, I’m sure I don’t want to pry into any secrets. I’ve got some shopping to do anyway,’ said Janet.
Vicky found Hugh talking to his father in the hall of the hotel. He was not much impressed by the news that Alan had important tidings to disclose, for he held a poor opinion of that young gentleman, but he agreed to await the outcome of the interview.
