Cat Sitter Among the Pigeons

Cat Among the Pigeons

II

At about the time when Miss Chadwick was rising from bed in search of aspirin, Ann Shapland, looking very attractive in a black dance frock, was sitting at a table in Le Nid Sauvage eating supreme of chicken and smiling at the young man opposite her. Dear Denis, thought Ann to herself, always so exactly the same. It is what I simply couldn't bear if I married him. He is rather a pet, all the same. Aloud she remarked:

“What fun this is, Denis. Such a glorious change.”

“How is the new job?” said Denis.

“Well, actually, I'm rather enjoying it.”

“Doesn't seem to me quite your sort of thing.”

Ann laughed. “I'd be hard put to it to say what is my sort of thing. I like variety, Denis.”

“I never can see why you gave up your job with old Sir Mervyn Todhunter.”

“Well, chiefly because of Sir Mervyn Todhunter. The attention he bestowed on me was beginning to annoy his wife. And it's part of my policy never to annoy wives. They can do you a lot of harm, you know.”

“Jealous cats,” said Denis.

“Oh, no, not really,” said Ann. “I'm rather on the wives' side. Anyway I liked Lady Todhunter much better than old Mervyn. Why are you surprised at my present job?”

“Oh, a school. You're not scholastically minded at all, I should have said.”

“I'd hate to teach in a school. I'd hate to be penned up. Herded with a lot of women. But the work as the secretary of a school like Meadowbank is rather fun. It really is a unique place, you know. And Miss Bulstrode's unique. She's really something, I can tell you. Her steel-grey eye goes through you and sees your innermost secrets. And she keeps you on your toes. I'd hate to make a mistake in any letters I'd taken down for her. Oh, yes, she's certainly something.”

“I wish you'd get tired of all these jobs,” said Denis. “It's quite time, you know, Ann, that you stopped all this racketing about with jobs here and jobs there and - and settled down.”

“You are sweet, Denis,” said Ann in a noncommittal manner.

“We could have quite fun, you know,” said Denis.

“I daresay,” said Ann, “but I'm not ready yet. And anyway, you know, there's my mamma.”

“Yes, I was - going to talk to you about that.”

“About my mamma? What were you going to say?”

“Well, Ann, you know I think you're wonderful. The way you get an interesting job and then you chuck it all up and go home to her.”

“Well, I have to now and again when she gets a really bad attack.”

“I know. As I say, I think it's wonderful of you. But all the same there are places, you know, very good places nowadays where - where people like your mother are well looked after and all that sort of thing. Not really loony bins.”

“And which cost the earth,” said Ann.

“No, no, not necessarily. Why, even under the Health Scheme...”

A bitter note crept into Ann's voice. “Yes, I daresay it will come to that one day. But in the meantime I've got a nice old pussy who lives with Mother and who can cope normally. Mother is quite reasonable most of the time. And when she - isn't, I come back and lend a hand.”

“She's - she isn't - she's never -”

“Are you going to say violent, Denis? You've got an extraordinarily lurid imagination. No. My dear mamma is never violent. She just gets fuddled. She forgets where she is and who she is and wants to go for long walks, and then as like as not she'll jump into a train or a bus and take off somewhere and - well, it's all very difficult, you see. Sometimes it's too much for one person to cope with. But she's quite happy, even when she is fuddled. And sometimes quite funny about it. I remember her saying: 'Ann, darling, it really is very embarrassing. I knew I was going to Tibet and there I was sitting in that hotel in Dover with no idea how to get there. Then I thought why was I going to Tibet! And I thought I'd better come home. Then I couldn't remember how long ago it was when I left home. It makes it very embarrassing, dear, when you can't quite remember things. Mummy was really very funny over it all, you know. I mean she quite sees the humorous side herself.”

“I've never actually met her,” Denis began.

“I don't encourage people to meet her,” said Ann. “That's the one thing I think you can do for your own people. Protect them from - well, curiosity and pity.”

“It's not curiosity, Ann.”

“No, I don't think it would be with you. But it would be pity. I don't want that.”

“I can see what you mean.”

“But if you think I mind giving up jobs from time to time and going home for an indefinite period, I don't,” said Ann. “I never meant to get embroiled in anything too deeply. Not even when I took my first post after my secretarial training. I thought the thing was to get really good at the job. Then if you're really good you can pick and choose your posts. You see different places and you see different kinds of life. At the moment I'm seeing school life. The best school in England seen from within! I shall stay there, I expect, about a year and a half.”

“You never really get caught up in things, do you, Ann?”

“No,” said Ann thoughtfully, “I don't think I do. I think I'm one of those people who are a born observer. More like a commentator on the radio.”

“You're so detached,” said Denis gloomily. “You don't really care about anything or anyone.”

“I expect I shall some day,” said Ann encouragingly.

“I do understand more or less how you're thinking and feeling.”

“I doubt it,” said Ann.

“Anyway, I don't think you'll last a year. You'll get fed up with all those women,” said Denis.

“There's a very good-looking gardener,” said Ann. She laughed when she saw Denis's expression. “Cheer up, I'm only trying to make you jealous.”

“What's this about one of the mistresses having been killed?”

“Oh, that.” Ann's face became serious and thoughtful. “That's odd, Denis. Very odd indeed. It was the games mistress. You know the type. I-am-a-plain-games-mistress. I think there's a lot more behind it than has come out yet.”

“Well, don't you get mixed up in anything unpleasant.”

“That's easy to say. I've never had any chance at displaying my talents as a sleuth. I think I might be rather good at it.”

“Now, Ann.”

“Darling, I'm not going to trail dangerous criminals. I'm just going to - well, make a few logical deductions. Why and who. And what for? That sort of thing. I've come across one piece of information that's rather interesting.”

“Ann!”

“Don't look so agonized. Only it doesn't seem to link up with anything,” said Ann thoughtfully. “Up to a point it all fits in very well. And then, suddenly, it doesn't.” She added cheerfully, “Perhaps there'll be a second murder, and that will clarify things a little.”

It was at exactly that moment that Miss Chadwick pushed open the Sports Pavilion door.