“Oh, no. He’s waiting. Mr. Lomas has been hearing the reports on this.”
“All right. Let’s collect him and resume.” They turned back through the hall, where a detective - inspector was working at the telephone with his notebook, into the dining - room, and Lomas dismissed the men before him and lit a cigarette.
“Well, Reginald?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Not very neat work. But it will do, what? Is the woman going to survive?”
“Oh, yes. Yes. No danger. Only disfigured. I should say that’s what he meant.”
“Nice fellow. Well, this fixes it on the two of ‘em. I suppose we shall have to make Florian the murderer and mix up the woman with him as far as we can. Public opinion wouldn’t let her be hanged. It will do well enough.” He produced a quizzical smile. “Not much left of your suicide theory, is there?”
“You think not?” Reggie gazed at him.
“My dear fellow!” Lomas laughed. “I sympathise in your bereavement. An expert, when his pet theory dies, is very pathetic. Well, come along; we must put this fellow Lindsay out of his pain.”
They found Lindsay in an easy chair, with his feet on the table and a pipe in his mouth. “Sorry to keep you so long,” Lomas apologised.
Lindsay brought his feet down lazily. “No need,” he smiled. “It’s been quite interesting to reconstruct the events from the sounds. Do you want me any more?”
“What was your reconstruction?” Reggie asked meekly.
“I inferred that Faustine and our Florian had fallen out.”
“And why?” Reggie murmured.
“I’m not in their confidence. I should suppose it was over the question of responsibility.”
“Why should either of them kill Dodd?” Reggie asked.
“My dear sir, I am not here to find you motives. But some must be obvious. Florian’s jealousy of Dodd, for example. Poor Dodd also had favours from Faustine. Which gives you another. Faustine would not be patient of his mentioning them to Florian.”
“Oh. You tell me Dodd was that kind of man.” Reggie looked him over with dislike and contempt.
Lindsay laughed. “Not I. A blameless person. But Faustine would think any man that kind of man.”
While he spoke, the detective - inspector came in and gave Bell his notebook. Bell read, frowning, and passed it to Lomas and Reggie… . They also read while Lindsay fidgeted… . Lomas gave careful attention to polishing his eyeglass, and when he looked up at Lindsay his face was blandly devoid of expression.
“You were telling me,” he said, “when you left your rooms in Chelsea last night you went by underground to Bloomsbury. Any omission in that you’d like to fill up?”
Reggie rose. “I’ll go and have a look,” he murmured, and Lomas nodded.
Lindsay gave a quick glance from one to the other. “There was no omission,” he said, and Reggie went out.
“Think again,” said Lomas. “I have information that two taxi - drivers in the road at the end of this street were hailed by two men last night. The first man ordered his taxi to go to Miss Rook’s house in Bloomsbury. The second man gave the same address. The first man stopped his taxi just before he got to the dead end where Miss Rook’s house is. Then the second man stopped his just behind. The first man was in tweeds and the second in evening dress. His driver has identified him as Dr. Dodd. The driver of the first taxi has given a description of the fare which resembles you. The drivers agree they left the two of you talking together. What is your explanation?”
Lindsay glared at him. “I have nothing to explain. I was not here last night. I went, as I told you, straight from my rooms to Miss Rook’s. I never saw Dodd.”
“And if the taxi - driver should identify you?” Lomas asked.
“He would be lying,” Lindsay exploded.
Reggie came back with a tweed jacket over his arm. To Lomas’s quick, questioning look he answered one word: “Yes.” He laid the jacket on the table, and beside it something thin wrapped in paper. The paper he loosened, and Lindsay, staring at the jacket in a pallor of rage and amazement, saw a Malay dagger. Reggie pointed at it, and pointed to its twin on the wall. Lomas and Lindsay too obeyed the gesture, looking from one dagger to the other. Lomas frowned at the jacket, and again his eyes questioned Reggie.
“What is all this play - acting?” Lindsay sneered.
Reggie wrote a few words and passed them across the table to Lomas. Lomas read; took his time over it; settled back in his chair again.
“You won’t frighten me by these tricks,” Lindsay roared. They could see sweat glistening on his forehead.
“I advise you not to say any more,” Lomas said quietly. “Anything you do say may be used against you. Your explanations have been quite unsatisfactory. I am going to charge you with the murder of Dr. Dodd. Take him away, Bell.”
