“Yes, sir.”

“Bring them in. Keep the servants in their own quarters. Shut up any rooms she’s been in since she got here. Herd the family together and keep them together.”

“That’s all been fixed, Mr. Alleyn. They’re in the drawing-room.”

“Good. I don’t want to leave her yet.”

Fox jerked his thumb. “Any chance of a statement?”

“None at the moment, far as I can see. Have you got anything, Fox?”

Fox moved closer to him, and in a toneless bass began to mutter rapidly: “She and the doctor and Miss Able had tea together in Miss Able’s room. He’d come up to see the kids. She sent the little Kentish girl through to order it. Didn’t fancy schoolroom tea. Tea set out for the rest of the family in the dining-room. Second tray brought from the pantry by Barker with tea for one. Second pot brewed by Mrs. Kentish in the dining-room. Miss Desdemona put some biscuits on the tray. It was handed over to Miss Panty by Mrs. Ancred. Miss Panty brought it back here. Miss O. was taken bad straight away before the other two had touched anything. The little girl was there and noticed everything.”

“Got the tea things?”

“Thompson’s got them. Mrs. Ancred kept her head and said they ought to be locked up, but in the fluster of getting the patient out the tray was knocked over. She left Mrs. Kentish to carry on, but Mrs. Kentish took hysterics and Isabel swept it up in the finish. Tea and hot water and broken china all over the shop. We ought to get a trace, though, somewhere, if there’s anything. That little girl’s sharp, by gum she is.”

Alleyn laid his hand swiftly on Fox’s arm. In the room the broken sounds changed into a loud and rapid babbling—“Baba-ba-ba”—and stopped abruptly. At the same moment the uniformed driver appeared at the far end of the passage carrying a small case. Alleyn met him, took the case, and, motioning to Fox to come after, re-entered the room.

“Here’s your case, Dr. Withers.”

“All right. Put it down. When you go out, tell those women to get in touch with her people if she’s got any. If they want to see her, they’ll have to be quick.”

“Fox, will you—”

Fox slipped away.

“I said: When you go out,” Dr. Withers repeated angrily.

“I’m afraid I must stay. This is a police matter, Dr. Withers.”

“I’m perfectly well aware of what’s happened. My duty is to my patient, and I insist on the room being cleared.”

“If she should become conscious…” Alleyn began, looking at the terrible face with its half-open eyes and mouth.

“If she regains consciousness, which she won’t, I’ll inform you.” Dr. Withers opened the case, glanced up at Alleyn and said fiercely: “If you don’t clear out I’ll take the matter up with the Chief Constable.”

Alleyn said briskly: “That won’t do at all, you know. We’re both on duty here and here we both stay. Your patient’s been given thallium acetate. I suggest that you carry on with the treatment, Dr. Withers.”

There was a violent ejaculation from Caroline Able. Millamant said: “That’s the ringworm stuff! What nonsense!”

“How the hell…” Dr. Withers began, and then: “Very well. Very well. Sorry. I’m worried. Now, Mrs. Ancred, I’ll want your help here. Lay the patient—”

Forty minutes later, without regaining consciousness, Sonia Orrincourt died.

ii

“The room,” Alleyn said, “will be left exactly as it is. The police surgeon is on his way and will take charge. In the meantime, you’ll all please join the others in the drawing-room. Mrs. Ancred, will you and Miss Able go ahead with Inspector Fox?”

“At least, Alleyn,” said Dr. Withers, struggling into his jacket, “you’ll allow us to wash up.”

“Certainly, I’ll come with you.”

Millamant and Caroline Able, after exchanging glances, raised a subdued outcry. “You must see…” Dr. Withers protested.

“If you’ll come out, I’ll explain.”

He led the way and they followed in silence. Fox came out last and nodded severely to Bream, who was in the passage. Bream moved forward and stationed himself before the door.

Alleyn said: “It’s perfectly clear, I’m sure, to all of you that this is a police matter. She was poisoned, and we’ve no reason to suppose she poisoned herself. I may be obliged to make a search of the house (here is the warrant), and I must have a search of the persons in it. Until this has been done none of you may be alone. There is a wardress coming by car from London, and you may, of course, wait for her if you wish.”

He looked at the three faces, all of them marked by the same signs of exhaustion, all turned resentfully towards him. There was a long silence.

“Well,” Millamant said at last, with an echo of her old short laugh, “you can search me. The thing I want to do most is sit down. I’m tired.”

“I must say,” Caroline Able began, “I don’t quite—”

“Here!” Dr. Withers cut in. “Will this suit you? I’m these ladies’ medical man. Search me and then let them search each other in my presence. Any good?”

“That will do admirably. This room here is vacant, I see. Fox, will you take Dr. Withers in?” Without further ado, Dr. Withers turned on his heel and made for the open door. Fox followed him in and shut it.

Alleyn turned to the two women. “We shan’t keep you long,” he said, “but if, in the meantime, you would like to join the others, I can take you to them.”

“Where are they?” Millamant demanded.

“In the drawing-room.”

“Personally,” she said, “I’m beyond minding who searches me and who looks on.” Bream gave a self-conscious cough. “If you and Miss Able like to take me into the children’s play-room, which I believe is vacant, I shall be glad to get it over.”

“Well, really,” said Miss Able, “well, of course, that is an extremely sane point of view, Mrs. Ancred. Well, if you don’t object.”

“Good,” Alleyn said. “Shall we go?”

There was a screen, with Italian primitives pasted over it, in the play-room. The two women, at Alleyn’s suggestion, retired behind it. First Millamant’s extremely sensible garments were thrown out one by one, examined by Alleyn, collected again by Miss Able, and then, after an interval, the process was reversed. Nothing was discovered, and Alleyn, walking between them, escorted the two ladies to the bathroom, and finally through the green baize door and across the hall to the drawing-room.

Here they found Desdemona, Pauline, Panty, Thomas and Cedric, assembled under the eye of Detective-Sergeant Thompson. Pauline and Desdemona were in tears. Pauline’s tears were real and ugly. They had left little traces, like those of a snail, down her carefully restrained make-up. Her eyes were red and swollen and she looked frightened. Desdemona, however, was misty, tragic and still beautiful. Thomas sat with his eyebrows raised to their limit and his hair ruffled, gazing in alarm at nothing in particular. Cedric, white and startled, seemed to be checked, by Alleyn’s arrival, in a restless prowl round the room. A paperknife fell from his hands and clattered on the glass top of the curio cabinet.

Panty said: “Hallo! Is Sonia dead? Why?”

“Ssh, darling! Darling, ssh!” Pauline moaned, and attempted vainly to clasp her daughter in her arms. Panty advanced into the centre of the room and faced Alleyn squarely. “Cedric,” she said loudly, “says Sonia’s been murdered. Has she? Has she, Miss Able?”

“Goodness,” said Caroline Able in an uneven voice, “I call that rather a stupid thing to say, Patricia, don’t you?”

Thomas suddenly walked up to her and put his arm about her shoulders.

“Has she, Mr. Alleyn?” Panty insisted.

“You cut off and don’t worry about it,” Alleyn said. “Are you at all hungry?”

“You bet.”

“Well, ask Barker from me to give you something rather special, and then put your coat on and see if you can meet the others coming home. Is that all right, Mrs. Kentish?”