Out of the Past

CHAPTER 15

It was Colonel Anthony from Ralston who gave the alarm. For seven months in the year irrespective of weather he went down at what his wife called a horrible hour to take his morning dip. Ralston being next to Cliff Edge and served by the same path to the beach, his way across the shingle led him quite close to the Hardwicks’ hut. He at once perceived that there was something wrong. The door, which should have been shut, stood wide, and from it protruded a man’s foot and ankle. There was a stiffness, there was something about the angle of that jutting foot, which halted Colonel Anthony. He took a couple of steps to the right, and saw a dead man lying just inside the hut. He lay on his face. There was a wound in his back, and there was no doubt about his being dead. There had been a lot of blood, but it was dry now. There was no sign of a weapon.

Colonel Anthony gave a sharp exclamation, turned on his heel, and made his way back up the cliff path at a very creditable pace. At a quarter past seven James Hardwick was being informed that Inspector Colt would like a word with him-“if you please, sir.” James said, “All right, Beeston,” pulled on a pair of slacks and an open-neck shirt, and went down.

Inspector Colt was waiting for him in the gloomy study to which it had been Uncle Octavius’ wont to retire when he felt disposed for a nap. It contained a number of monumental chairs covered in rubbed black leather and a very large sofa, but the Inspector had remained upon his feet-a tall man with sandy hair and a face like a horse. He extended a sizable hand with a key on the palm and said,

“Good-morning, sir. May I ask if this is the key of your beach hut?”

James looked at it.

“Well, it might be. But I don’t know how you came by it. We always lock up when we come in, and it ought to be on the hall table. I’ll just have a look.”

“You won’t find it there,” said Inspector Colt. “When the police were rung up to say there was a dead body in the hut-”

James had turned towards the door. He turned back.

“A dead what!”

“A dead body,” said Inspector Colt. Neither his face nor his voice had changed. He continued without any perceptible break. “Proceeding to the spot, we discovered the door of the beach hut standing open, and the body of a man lying just inside. The key was on the floor beside him. I should like to know whether you can throw any light upon its being there.”

James said sharply, “Who was the man?”

“Colonel Anthony identifies him as Mr. Alan Field.”

“Field? Good God-we’ve got his stepmother staying in the house! He was here only last night!”

“So Colonel Anthony informed us.”

James reflected that since the neighbours always knew everything, it was as well not to be outdone in the way of offering information to the police. He said in a suitable tone of distress,

“This will be a most terrible shock to Mrs. Field. She is very fond of him.”

“You are connected?”

“Mrs. Field is my wife’s aunt. Field has been abroad for the last three years-I believe in South America. He turned up quite unexpectedly the evening before last. I myself was away. I only returned last night-at seven o’clock, to be precise. We have a number of guests in the house. They were having drinks in the drawing-room. Field was there, but went away soon afterwards. It looks as if he must have had the key of the hut. He may even have been the one who locked it- I don’t know.”

There was more on these lines. Inspector Colt took down the names of the guests-Colonel and Mrs. Trevor, Lady Castleton, Mrs. Field, Mrs. Maybury.

“Did they all know Mr. Field?”

“I should think so.”

“You are not sure, Major Hardwick?”

James smiled faintly.

“Well, no. You see, I didn’t. As I told you, I only got here last night, and up till then I had only met Field once or twice.”

Colt said in his expressionless voice,

“But Mrs. Hardwick was once engaged to him.”

“Oh, yes-they were more or less brought up together. But it didn’t come to anything. It was before I met her.”

“Was there any disagreement, any quarrel, when he was here last night?”

“Oh, no-nothing like that. Just a social gathering. It broke up almost at once.”

“May I ask why?”

“It was after seven. Everyone had been out in the sun, and I was just off a journey-we all wanted to wash and change. Field was staying at Miss Anning’s-they dine at half past seven. It was like that.”

“There was no quarrel?”

“Of course not.”

He went upstairs.

Carmona was brushing her hair. He shut the door behind him, went over to her, and took the brush out of her hand.

“Listen, darling! Inspector Colt is downstairs from the local police. Alan Field is dead. I’m not asking you whether you knew that already-I’m not asking anything at all. I’m telling you what you will now be expected to know. Colonel Anthony found our beach hut open. Alan was just inside on the floor. The key was lying beside him. He had been stabbed in the back-no, as you were-we don’t know anything about that! He had been stabbed. Now this is what I’ve said.” He told her briefly. And then, “They know you were engaged to him before I met you. They’ll want to see everyone in the house. Colt is very hot on finding out whether there was any quarrel. I said no, of course not. Now you’ll have to go and tell Esther. I’m sorry, but it’s your job. Then there are the others. Use your judgment. Tell them not to say too much. Stick to answering questions, and if it’s any way possible, stick to the truth. Lies have a way of doubling back and tripping you up. And now hurry! I’ll go down and tell him you’re not dressed, but you’ll be as quick as you can.”