“Were you much surprised at your father’s death?”
“It knocked me out. I knew he’d had a weak heart for a long time.”
“Did you? Dr. Dodd didn’t know. Your father had been a good deal worried about you, hadn’t he?”
“No.” She gave Lomas an unflinching stare. “Who’s been telling you that tale?”
“You say he never objected to your way of living?”
“Not a bit. Why should he? Father always let me have everything I wanted. We were in love with each other.”
“Really? You tell me your mother made no complaints of your treatment of your father?”
“Mother? - mother never complained of anything. What do you mean?”
“I meant that she might have thought you responsible for your father’s death.”
“That’s a foul thing to say! Of course she didn’t. She couldn’t. Mother wasn’t a jealous beast.”
“Oh. Nothing was said about jealousy,” Reggie murmured. “Till you said it.”
“No, I didn’t. I said she wasn’t. You were making that up. Mother wasn’t jealous a bit.”
“I’m not accusing her,” said Lomas. “Did you ever quarrel with your mother?”
Faustine laughed. “You are silly. Of course I didn’t. Mother couldn’t quarrel. She hadn’t it in her. She’d always do anything for me.”
“You must be - very sorry - now,” Reggie drawled.
“Of course I am,” Faustine was loud. “I’m absolutely down and out. And then you plague me with all this foul scandal. It’s perfectly ghastly.”
“Yes. That is so. Yes,” Reggie murmured. “How do you think your mother died?”
“Why, what do you mean? How should I know? I wasn’t here. I suppose it was some burglar.” The words came in a rush.
“You say you weren’t here,” Lomas repeated. “You began by asking me why you were brought to this room here. Look.” He turned in his chair and pointed to the one dagger on the wall.
“What am I to look at? “Faustine cried.
“You see that dagger. There used to be another one with it. I want to know what has become of the other.”
“Why? How can I tell? I didn’t even know there were two. I never noticed. I’ve hardly ever been in this room. Father didn’t like anyone here. He only used it when he wanted to be alone - oh, and for men.”
“Which of your friends would be likely to know those daggers were here?”
“I can’t imagine. Father may have brought some man in here to smoke.”
“Some man? Florian?”
“No, of course not. Father never met him.”
“Which man, then?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Lots of men have been here.” She stopped suddenly. She stared. “What does it matter?”
“That dagger which is gone was used to kill your mother and then to kill Dr. Dodd.”
She gave a scream. She sank back in her chair and dabbed at her lips and her eyes, and then, with the handkerchief still held to her mouth, her face half hidden, she looked hungrily at Lomas. “Why - but how can you tell - have you found it?” The words came low and muffled.
