The India Fan (24 page)

tell you what,said Eff. ou find out if she like the job and Il have a word with Second Floor 32. Perhaps we could arrange a meeting.

should like to do that.

o you know where she lives?

es, I have her address. I might write.

t would be a feather in Second Floor 32 cap if she found this educated young woman and she turned out to be just what they was looking for.

I asked a few questions about Second Floor 32, who was, according to Eff, he genuine article, a lady who had come down in the world.

If I wrote to Janine she would tear the letter up, I guessed. If I talked to her it might just possibly be different. Perhaps I flattered myself, but I did imagine I had made some impression on her.

The next day I took a cab and did the same as before. I was deposited in the same spot and made my way to No. 20 Fiddler Green. I walked quickly, making up my mind what I would say to Janine as I went along.

As I came into the street I noticed a group of people standing near No. 20. They looked at me curiously as I approached. I mounted the broken steps and knocked three times on the door.

It was opened by a man. He said, hat do you want?

have come to see my friend Miss Janine Fletcher,I told him.

His expression became alert. ou better come in,he said.

I went in. A woman opened a door and looked at me.

etter wait here,said the man.

He went up the stairs. It was very strange. I could not understand what it meant. The woman was looking at me. errible, ain it?she murmured. young woman like that.

hat happened?

he must have been up to something. It not good for the house.

I was getting very worried. I knew something awful had happened to Janine.

I heard the sound of a carriage drawing up at the door.

hat them,said the woman. heye come to take her away.

don understand,I said.

There was a knocking on the door. As the woman went to open it the man who had let me in appeared on the stairs.

There were two men at the door carrying a stretcher.

t all right,said the man on the stairs. ome up.

They went up the stairs carrying the stretcher. The woman had retreated into her room, but she left the door open. I was still standing in the hall.

There was a movement from upstairs. The men emerged with the stretcher; they were carrying someone on it this time body covered with a sheet. As they passed me I caught a glimpse of sandy-coloured hair. It was matted with blood.

I knew that under that sheet lay Janine.

A man followed the stretcher bearers down the stairs. He came to me and said, am a police officer. I am here to investigate the death of Miss Janine Fletcher. What are you doing here?

came to see her.

ou are a friend of hers?

I felt sick. I tried to suppress the thought that persisted in my mind. I was telling myself that Lavinia had done this. She would never get away with it never.

was at school with her,I heard myself say.

o you visit her often?

o. I came once before.

hen?

hree days ago.

nd she was all right then? Did she seem frightened? Worried?

I shook my head.

here do you live?

I gave him the rectory address.

ou have come some way to visit Miss Fletcher.

am staying with my old nurse for a few days.

A younger man had joined us and the first said to him, ake the lady address. We shall be wanting to ask you a few questions as we shall be visiting you at some time. Please remain in London.

ell, I have to go back

e must ask you to stay. You may have something important to tell us. It is necessary.

I murmured, l stay.

My legs were trembling and I felt myself sway a little. I wanted to run away from this macabre scene. There was so much I wanted to know. How had this happened? Who had done it? Whom did they suspect? I kept saying to myself: You would never do this, Lavinia. You always left others to do your dirty work.

The man turned to the other who had joined us. h, Smithson,he said, ake the young lady to the cab she is alleged to have waiting for her.And to me, ne of our men will be wanting to ask you a few questions about your relationship with the deceased. It just a formality.

I was only too glad to escape. I noticed the man who was accompanying me was very young and he looked a little nervous.

it of a shock,he said as we walked away.

feel shaky.

a bit nervous myself,he admitted. t my first murder.

Murder! It was a word that set me shivering. I could not believe it. Janine! To think that we had all been to school together and now in a short time Lavinia had become a mother and Janine a corpse. I tried to shut out the idea that these two facts were in some way connected.

As we moved away a young man approached us. He took off his hat and bowed.

ay I ask you if you are a friend of the young lady?he asked.

I thought he was another policeman and I said, es.

ould you tell me your name?

I told him and he produced a notebook from his pocket.

o you live near here?

o in the country. I just staying here.

nteresting. Did you know the young lady well?

e were at school together. I have just told your people this.

ust a few questions. We have to get this right, you see.He went on, here abouts in the country?

I gave him the address of the rectory.

o you are the rector daughter?

I nodded.

nd you were at school together. Have you any idea why anyone would want to kill your friend?

o,I said emphatically.

My escort nudged me. oue talking to the press,he whispered.

ou needn worry about that, Miss,the other assured me. ust a few questions, that all.

I stammered, thought you were connected with the police.

He smiled disarmingly. here is a sort of connection,he said.

don want to say anything more. I know nothing about this.

He nodded, smiling, lifted his hat and walked away.

I felt I had behaved in a very indiscreet manner.

The young man walked with me to where the cab was waiting. He came with me back to the house.

ou should never talk to the press,he said. e don like it. We like to give them the information we want them to have.

hy didn you tell me sooner?

He blushed. He did not like to admit that the identity of the reporter had not immediately dawned on him.

His parting words struck a note of doom. reckon youl be hearing from us soon,he said. heyl have to check up and all that.

Polly and Eff were in the hall wondering what had happened.

ere,said Polly, hat all this? Who was that young man with you?

policeman,I said.

Polly turned pale.

Eff said, olice here. What police doing with respectable people? What are the neighbours going to think?

Polly interrupted her. et a drop of brandy. Can you see how upset she is?

I was lying on my bed and Polly was seated beside me. I had told her everything that had happened.

y goodness,she murmured. his is something. Murder, eh? That Janine, she was a nasty piece of work if you was to ask me, going round blackmailing people.

feel sure her death has something to do with that, Polly.

houldn be surprised. Do you reckon that Lavinia had a hand in this?

I shook my head. can believe that.

believe anything of that piece of goods and this will put paid to her and her great romance if it true. I reckon not even the mighty Framlings would be able to hush this up.

h, Polly, it terrible.

only hope to God you can keep out of it. What a pity you went there. Don want to be mixed up in this sort of thing.

afraid I am involved now, Polly.

hat Lavinia she spells trouble. I think there a very good chance she has had a hand in this.

can believe it, Polly. She would lie if necessary but I am sure she could not commit murder. She could never bring herself to do it. Where would she get a gun?

hey have guns at Framling. That wouldn be hard for her. I reckon she capable of doing anything to save her own skin. I not telling Eff any of this. She go stark raving mad if she thought we be having the police here.

erhaps I better go back to the rectory.

t would be worse still there. No, I keeping you here till this blows over.

I just clung to her. I was bewildered and frightened. I could not get out of my mind the thought of Janine lying under that sheet dead.

The police came. They asked more questions. What did I know of Janine life? What friends had she? I told them I knew nothing of her friends. I had met her only a few days ago for the first time since we left school.

he was the daughter of a Miss Fletcher, who ran a nursing home.

hat was her aunt,I said.

The two policemen exchanged glances.

I thought: They discover everything. They will learn who Fleur is. This is going to be terrible for Lavinia and just when she was about to get married.

I was so relieved when they went, but there was worse to come. Polly saw it first in the morning paper and she knew then that it was no use trying to keep it from Eff.

She read it to me in a shaky voice: ho was Janine Fletcher? Why should someone take this young girl life? I had the opportunity of speaking with an old school friend of hers. This was Miss Drusilla Delany who is at present staying with her onetime nurse.Theye given this address.Polly went on: he is the daughter of the rector of Framling and was on a visit to her school friend when she found her lying on a stretcher being conducted out of her lodgings. Janine had been shot through the head. Miss Delany said she knew of no one who would want to kill her friend. Janine was the daughter of Miss Emily Fletcher, who ran an exclusive nursing home for the well-to-do in the New Forest. Police at the moment are saying nothing, but it is rumoured that they have hopes of an early arrest.

Polly finished reading and looked at me in dismay.

h, Polly,I said, t terrible.

wonder if theyl find out about Fleur. Police has noses for sniffing out nasty tit-bits.

t would be terrible, just as the wedding is about to take place. I do hope Lavinia is not involved in this. I am sure she isn, but all sort of things could come out.

t might be better for that earl or whatever he is to know something about the girl he marrying before the ceremony. Hel find out quite enough after, I shouldn wonder.

h, Polly I frightened.

othing for you to be frightened of. If anything comes out youe got to stand up and tell the truth. Never mind covering up for Madam Lavinia. It time she came out in the open.

It was comforting to be with her, but I felt I should return to the rectory, for I knew how concerned Eff was for the respectability of the house. Polly was, too, but her love for me overcame her desire for respectability.

It was the day after we read that piece in the paper when Fabian appeared at the house. I heard the knock and I had an uneasy feeling that it might be the police. I went to open it and there was Fabian.

ood afternoon,he said, stepping into the hall without invitation. want to talk to you.

ut I began.

here can we go?he asked.

I took him into the parlour, that prim little room with the straight velvet-backed chairs and the sofa to match, the whatnot with the precious ornaments on itusted only by Effthe marble mantelpiece, the aspidistra in the big brown pot on the table standing by the window and the paper flowers in the vase in the fireplace. It was the unlived-in room, the sanctum of respectability used for callers, interviewing would-be tenants and, sometimes, on very special occasions, Sunday afternoon tea.

hat has brought you here?I asked.

eed you ask? Ie seen the paper. This girl Janine what has she to do with you?

f you read the paper you would know that we were at school together.

he girl been murdered and you were there at the time.

arrived after she was dead.

fter she was murdered,he said. ood God! What does it mean?

think that is what the police are deciding.

ut you have been mentioned in regard to this case.

happened to be there. I was questioned.

he police don question just to be sociable, you know. The fact that they questioned you means they think you know something.

did know her. I was going to call on her.

or what purpose?

urpose? She was an old school friend.

ust renewing acquaintance? I want to know the truth. Do you hear me? You can go on lying forever. You better tell me. I insist on knowing.

At that moment the door burst open and Polly stood there. She told me afterwards that she had heard him come in and had been listening at the door.

She stood there, her cheeks aflame, her arms akimbo.

ow, Sir High and Mighty Whatever Your Name Is, I going to tell you a few things. Il not have you coming here and upsetting my girl. She worth the lot of you all tied up in a bundle, and I wouldn give you tuppence for it either.

He was taken aback, but I saw the amused look in his eyes.

olly!I said reproachfully.

o. You let me have my say. Ie had enough of this, if you haven. I going to tell these Framlings a thing or two.

Coming here upsetting you. He going to have the truth.

othing would please me more,said Fabian.

h! You won be so pleased when you hear it, I can tell you, and if them policemen come here trying to trap Drusilla into saying what they want, Il tell them, too. Drusilla done a lot for your sister. Whose child do you think it is wee got here? Your sister, that whose. Drusilla tried to help her and gets insulted for it. Who was it went away with her to that home? Pretending they were at Princess something or other place? Who was it brought the baby to me? It was plain to me when they come here that your sister didn know the difference between a baby and a pound of butternd cared just about as much. So I am not having you here bullying Drusilla. You go back and bully your sister. She the cause of the trouble.