Yours faithfully,
J.L. WINTER,
Chief Inspector, C.I.D., Scotland Yard, S.W.
A card was inclosed, as a sort of credential. But, somehow, it was not needed. Doris had seen "Mr. Franklin" more than once, and she had heard him singing the hymns in church. He looked worthy of credence. His written words had the same honest ring. She resolved to go.
Her father, sad to relate, had found three dead queens in the hives. He was busy, but spared a moment to tell her that Mr. Siddle was coming to tea at four o"clock. Doris was rather in a whirl, and seemed to be unnecessarily astonished.
"Mr. Siddle! Why?" she gasped.
"Why not!" said her father. "It"s not the first time. You can entertain him. I"ll look after the letters."
"I must get some cakes. We have none."
"Well, that"s simple. I wonder if that fellow Hart really understands apiaculture? You might invite him, too."
With that letter in her pocket Doris had suddenly grown wary. Hart and Siddle would not mix, and her woman"s intuition warned her that Siddle had chosen the tea-hour purposely in order to have an uninterrupted conversation with her. She disliked Mr. Siddle, in a negative way, but the very nearness of the detective was stimulating. Let Mr. Siddle come, then, and come alone!
"No, dad," she laughed. "Mr. Hart"s knowledge will be available to-morrow. In his presence, poor Mr. Siddle would be dumb."
CHAPTER XIII
CONCERNING THEODOEE SIDDLE
Winter, being a cheerful cynic, had not erred when he appealed to that love of mystery which, especially if it is spiced with a hint of harmless intrigue, is innate in every feminine heart. Indeed, he was so a.s.sured of the success of his somewhat dramatic move that as he walked to a rendezvous arranged with Superintendent Fowler on the Knoleworth road he reviewed carefully certain arguments meant to secure Doris"s a.s.sistance.
Pa.s.sing The Hollies, he smiled at the notion that Furneaux would undoubtedly have brought Grant to the conclave. It was just the sort of difficult situation in which his colleague would have reveled. But the Chief Inspector was more solid, more circ.u.mspect, even, singularly enough, more sensitive to the probable comments of a crusty judge if counsel for the defense contrived to elicit the facts.
"Anything fresh?" inquired the superintendent, when a smart car drew up, and Winter entered.
Mr. Fowler was in plain clothes, and the blinds were half drawn. No one could possibly recognize either of the occupants unless the car was halted, and the inquisitor literally thrust his head inside. The motor was a private one, borrowed for the occasion.
"Yes, a little," said Winter, as the chauffeur put the engine in gear.
"Your man, Robinson, has been drawing Elkin, or Elkin drew him--I am not quite sure which, but think it matterless either way."
He sketched Robinson"s activities briefly, but in sufficient outline.
"A new figure has come on the screen--Siddle, the chemist," he added thoughtfully.
"Siddle!" Mr. Fowler was surprised. "Why, he is supposed to be a model of the law-abiding citizen."
"I don"t say he has lost his character in that respect," said Winter.
"Still, he puzzles me. Elkin is a loud-mouthed fool. The verbal bricks he hurls at Grant are generally half baked, and crumble into dust. Hitherto, Siddle has tried to repress him, with a transparent honesty that rather worried me. On Friday night, however, Siddle attacked Grant with poisoned arrows. He did more damage in two minutes than Elkin could achieve in as many months."
"How?"
"He showed very clearly that Grant was guilty of gross bad taste in inviting Mr. Martin and his daughter to dinner that evening. I"m inclined to agree with him, if the story has been told fairly. But that is beside the main issue. Siddle aroused the sleeping dogs of the village, and the pack is in full cry again. Grant seems to have been popular here; he had almost recovered from the blow of Miss Melhuish"s death by the straightforward speech he made before the inquest. But Siddle threw him back into the mud by a few skillful words. What is Siddle"s record? Is he a local man?"
"I think not. Robinson can tell us."
"Robinson says he "believes" Siddle is a widower. That doesn"t argue long and close knowledge."
"We must look into it. Robinson has been stationed here four years.
Siddle is not old, but he has been in business in Steynholme more years than that. But--you"ll pardon me, I"m sure, Mr. Winter--may I take it that you are really interested in the chemist"s history?"
The superintendent was perplexed, or he would not have adopted his professional method of semi-apologetic questions with a man from the C.I.D.
"I hardly know what I"m interested in," laughed Winter. "Grant didn"t kill the lady. I shall be slow to credit Elkin with being the scoundrel he looks. Siddle, and Tomlin, if you please, are regarded as starters in the Doris Martin Matrimonial Stakes, and I don"t think Tomlin could ever murder anything but the King"s English. It is Siddle"s _volte face_ that bothers me."
"Um!" murmured Mr. Fowler. He was not an uneducated man, but _volte face_, correctly p.r.o.nounced, was unfamiliar in his ears.
"The change was so marked," went on the detective. "I gather that Siddle is a stickler for charity and fair dealing. He didn"t abandon the role, of course. It was the sheer ingenuity of his method that caught my attention. So I simply catalogue him for research."
"Has Miss Martin promised to meet us?" inquired the other, feeling that he was on the track of _volte face_.
"No. But there she is!" cried Winter. "She has just heard the car.
Tell your chauffeur to slow up. The road is empty otherwise. By the way, you help her in. She might be a bit shy of me, and I don"t want a second"s delay."
Winter"s judgment was not at fault. Doris _was_ feeling a trifle uncertain, seeing that she was about to encounter a complete stranger.
Moreover, she had come a good half mile from the shop whence the cakes for tea were to be procured at the back door, and as a favor. Her eyes were fixed on the slowing car with a timid anxiety that betrayed no small degree of doubt as to the outcome of this Sunday afternoon escapade. She was pale and nervous. At that moment Doris wished herself safe at home again.
"One word," broke in the superintendent hurriedly. "Why are you so sure that Grant is innocent, Mr. Winter?"
"I"m sure of nothing with regard to this case. But I have great faith in Furneaux"s flair for the true scent. It has never failed yet."
Mr. Fowler wished his companion would not use such uncommon words.
However, he got out, and took off his hat with a courteous sweep. Doris had to look twice at him. Hitherto, she had always seen him in uniform.
Winter smiled at the unmistakable expression of relief in her face. She was almost self-possessed as she took the seat by his side.
"Good day, Mr. Winter," she said.
"Mr. Franklin, please. Better become used to my pseudonym.... Plenty of room for your feet, Mr. Fowler? That"s it. Now we"re comfy. The chauffeur will bring us back here in half an hour, Miss Martin. Will that suit your convenience?"
"Oh, yes. I am free till nearly four o"clock. We have a guest to tea then."
"I have a well-developed b.u.mp of curiosity these days. Who is it, may I ask?"
"Mr. Siddle, the local chemist."
"Indeed. An old friend, I suppose?"
"We have known him seven years, ever since he came to Steynholme."