The Wychford Poisoning Case. Anthony Berkeley
it up, Alexander!’ Roger replied this time, with an air of briskness. ‘Take it up and pull it about and scrabble into it and generally turn it upside down and shake it till something drops out; that’s what I’ve a jolly good mind to do.’
‘But there’ll be people doing that for her in any case,’ Alec objected. ‘Solicitors and so on. They’ll be looking after her defence, if that’s what you mean.’
‘Yes, that is so, of course. But supposing her solicitors and so on are just as convinced of her guilt as everybody else is. It’s going to be a pretty half-hearted sort of defence in that case, isn’t it? And supposing none of them has the gumption to realise that it’s no good basing their defence just on explanations of the existing evidence—that their client is going to be hanged on that as sure as God made little apples—that if they want to save her they’ve got to dig and ferret out new evidence! Supposing all that, friend Alec.’
‘Well? Supposing it?’
‘Then in that case it seems to me that somebody like us is pretty badly needed. Dash it all, they have detectives to ferret out things for the prosecution, don’t they? Well, why not for the defence? Of course, her solicitors may be clever men; they may be going to do all this and employ detectives off their own bat. But I doubt it, Alexander; I can’t help doubting it very much indeed. Anyhow, that’s what I’m going to be—honorary detective for the defence. I appoint myself on probation, pending confirmation in writing. Now then, Alec—what about coming in with me?’
‘I’m game enough,’ Alec replied without hesitation. ‘When do we start?’
‘Well, let’s see; the assizes come on in about six weeks’ time, I think the paper said. We shall want to get finished at least a fortnight before that. That gives us a month. I don’t think we ought to waste any time. What about pushing off tomorrow morning?’
‘Right-ho! But what I want to know is, what exactly are we going to do?’
‘My dear chap, I haven’t the least idea! Whatever happens to occur to us. We shall have to make a bee-line for Wychford, of course, and the first thing we shall want to know is what the defence is to be. That’s going to take a bit of finding out too, by the way; but I don’t see that we can take up any definite line until we’ve heard Mrs Bentley’s story. I’ll try and hammer out a plan of some kind in the meantime. And Alec!’
‘Yes?’
‘For heaven’s sake do try and give me a little more encouragement over this affair than you did at Layton Court!’
‘I’VE had one brain-wave at any rate, Alec,’ Roger remarked, settling himself comfortably in the corner of the first-class smoker and hoisting his feet on to the seat opposite.
Alec had just brought the upper part of his body into the carriage after bidding goodbye to a frankly derisive Barbara, and was now lifting their suitcases on to the rack as the train gathered speed—that same half-past ten train, by the way, to which Roger’s attention had been called on the previous morning.
‘Oh?’ he said. ‘What’s that?’
‘Why, the editor of the Daily Courier is by way of being rather a pal of mine. I’m going to call round there on our way through London to ask him if he’ll take me on as unofficial special correspondent.’
‘Are you?’ Alec asked, dropping into his seat. ‘What’s the idea of that?’
‘Well, it occurred to me that we shall be in rather a more favourable position for ramming our way into the heart of things if we’ve got the weight of the Courier behind us than if we just show up as two independent and vulgarly curious gentlemen on their own. The Courier’s name ought to help loosen a hesitating tongue quite a lot. Oh, and by the way, here’s something for you, a list of the important dates in the case that I typed out last night. I’ve got a copy for myself; you can keep that.’
Alec took the paper which Roger was holding out to him and examined it. It was inscribed as follows:
DATES IN THE CASE
| June 27 Saturday | Mrs Bentley stays with Allen. |
| June 29 Monday | Mrs Bentley goes home again. Quarrel. |
| July 1 Wednesday | Mrs Bentley buys fly-papers. |
| July 5 Sunday | Picnic. Bentley first taken ill. |
| July 6 Monday | Bentley better, but stays in bed. |
| July 7 Tuesday | Bentley back to business. Mrs Bentley to Four Arts Ball, and stays with Allen. |
| July 8 Wednesday | Mrs Bentley goes home. Quarrel, and Mrs Bentley is knocked down. |
| July 9 Thursday | Bentley takes flask down to office, subsequently found to contain arsenic. Makes new will in Alfred’s favour. |
| July 10 Friday | Bentley taken ill for a second time. |
| July 11 Saturday | Bentley much the same. |
| July 12 Sunday | Bentley slightly better. |
| July 13 Monday | Bentley better still. |
| July 14 Tuesday | Bentley has a slight relapse. Second doctor called in. |
| July 15 Wednesday | Bentley’s condition unchanged. Mrs Bentley’s letter to Allen intercepted. Nurse arrives. Episode of the Bovril. Bentley taken much worse in evening. |
| July 16 Thursday | Bentley dies. Search of Mrs Bentley’s effects and large quantity of arsenic discovered. Doctors refuse death certificate. |
| July 17 Friday | Mrs Bentley arrested. |
‘Thanks,’ said Alec, tucking the paper away in his pocket. ‘Yes, that’ll be useful. Now then, what are you going to do about finding out the lines of Mrs Bentley’s defence, as you said?’
‘Well, I shall take the bull by the horns; go straight to her solicitor, tell him who I am and simply ask him.’
‘Humph!’ said Alec doubtfully. ‘Not likely to get much change there, are you? Not a solicitor who knows his job.’
‘No, none at all. I don’t expect him to tell me for a minute. But I do expect to be able to catch a glimpse of a word or two between the lines. Anyhow, my name ought to be enough to stop them kicking me point-blank out of the door; they will do it politely at any rate. If they ever have heard of me, that is—which I hope and pray!’
‘Yes, there are advantages in being a best-seller, no doubt. How many editions has the latest run through now?’
‘Pamela Alive? Seven, in five weeks. Thanking you kindly. Bought your copy yet?’
The conversation became personal. Very personal.
Arrived at Waterloo a couple of hours later, Roger gave brisk directions. ‘You take the cases along to Charing Cross and put them in the cloakroom, look up a train for Wychford sometime about three o’clock, and then come along and pick me up at the Courier