i 024767349a4cae9a (35 page)

your rickety knees. He'd be surprised to see at, wouldn't he? because you've kept him by yor side for years pretending you couldn't walk. Ncy d advise you to stay there. And you lot' comshe thst out her arm towards the three women now hudd together- "the same applies to you, because it's going to be a long night. Three o'clock in the mning is when they die, isn't it? Three o'clock. It" very quiet around three o'clock. Have you ever ben outside in the middle of the night at three o'clock? Even the birds don't rustle, and the rooks are frightened to make a sound.

Did you know that? you know that? Because the world is dead at tee o'clock in the morning and it takes the dying vth it.

It takes the dying with it. Oh, yes. Yes. So, ie the old girl, I'm going to sit on the floor.?...

Mary Simmons was flying up the drive. She'd have to get help. he'd have to get help. Mr Macintosh next door. he'd get Mr

Macintosh.

The young girl ow let out a loud scream as a figure emerged roid the curve of the drive and al-K) bumped into he in fact, it caught hod of her

bar oulder But whn the voice that spoke to her waPeople

*"'* ft. her gasping breath eased.i * *:.

:

What is it? What is if Daisy drew the shiverinS[*reg]".

bar ri out of the shadow of the trees into a narrow bar li ?"'

bar child of moonli And staring into her face sheFrom -

l What is it was dear?"' "p:!

bar *0h, ma'ain i, shes...she's gone madPeople

es kied the doctor. Kicked him downstairs andPeople be

e won't et them send for Doctor Comwallis.

I IH

as going for Macintosh next door. They are all the hall; she on't let them pass, the cook orI pybody. She's g a stck.'i bar Have 'It's all right, my dear. It's all right. You go on d tell Mr Macitosh to come quickly. But listenp ly carriage is on the road. Tell the driver there'sPeople een an accident and Miss Daisy says he has to go IJ-OD fetch Doctor

Cornwalis. Now, can you remem-bar H Yes, ma'am. Tell your driver

to fetch Doctors ornwallis and I'll tch...

I'll fetch Robbie, I meant bar rather Macintosh.'I bar hat's it! That's a good girl.

Off you go now.t

I Then Daisy herself actually ran down the remain-ler of the driv The annexe door was open. She did

ttot immediately nter, but paused and listened to aj bar oice, its soud "g d falling. Then she was tip-F

eing throug the small hall and to the door that edf to the corridor Peering along it, she coud just seea

Dto the hall, w a Swe standing there, its arms'v

ving. And now she could hear the voice quite"

plainly: 'What are you saying, old woman? You are making one last request? Oh, people who are going to die always make one last request. If he could talk, he would make one last request, wouldn't he? Oh, yes, he would make one last request, all right. Your son would make one last request, and it would be to see his dear Helen. Wouldn't it?

Wouldn't it now? And if he did, he'd know what I would say." There was a pause here before the tone rose to almost a scream as it said, "I'd say that the only way Helen will see you is over your dead body. That's how she'll see you, over your dead body."

"He's bleeding, Beatrice. You can see he's bleeding."

"Oh, yes, dear Mrs Falconer, I can see he's bleeding, and from the mouth now. And I expect him to bleed a lot more. Then he'll suddenly stop bleeding because dead people don't bleed, do they? Well, I don't think they do. I think I've read it somewhere that they don't bleed."

"He's not dying; he's not!" Mrs Falconer protested loudly; "and the blood's coming from his nose, not his mouth."

"Well, wherever it's coming from it'll soon stop."

Daisy bent quickly down and slipped off her shoes. And now she could have been one of the jungle animals she had become acquainted with in Africa, so stealthy was her approach.

Her appearing from the passage brought a gasp from the two women huddled together and from Cook who was now at John's other side. Then everything happened so quickly.

% There was a mingling of concerted yells before ye actually jumped on Beatrice, her hands going lover her shoulders and under her oxters, and pinning Iber arms. And Beatrice herself let out a scream of pain as she was boe to the floor. She fell flat with jpaisy on top of her, and it was evident that Daisy l bar vas winded, too, because she couldn't speak for a oment. But then she was shouting up at the cook, j'Something to tie her hands and feet!

Quickly!"

1 The three women were looking around desperately Hwhen Daisy's voice came at them: 'allyour apron Istraps! Tear them off woman! Your apron straps!" bar Cook pulled off her apron from her well-padded body andwitha twist of her wrist tore the crossed glinen straps from their base.

And now Daisy, pulling herself up knelt on Beatrice's thrashing legs, then I cried to the girls, "Tie her wrists together!" And this jdiey did only too willingly, and when Daisy had .

strapped them tight with one piece of the linen, she used the other to do the same with her ankles. Now j turning Beatrice onto her back, she stood up gasping, staring down at the mouth opening and shutting as she repeated one word, "You! You! You!"

I "Hoist her into the chair." t Cook dragged the trussed figure none too gently towards a carved, bog oak hallchair, and with help t from the girls pulled her up and dropped her into it, i causing Beatrice to emit a groan as her bound hands j hit the back of it, the while Daisy, bending over Mrs I alconer, said, "Come on, my dear, sit up, sit up. It's j all right.

We've sent for the doctor."

It must have been the word doctor that brought Beatrice fully back inffconsciousness, for she screamed, "No doctor... no doctor's coming here! No!" She tossed herself backwards and forwards in the chair, and Daisy, looking at Frances who was visibly trembling, said, "Does she take sleeping tablets?"'

"Yes, ma'am. Yes, she does. She does."

"Go and get them."

This order brought forth another scream from Beatrice.

When within a minute Frances handed the box of sleeping tablets to Daisy, Daisy said, "I hear she eats chocolates?"'

"Oh yes, ma'am, yes, by the boxful. There's an opened box in the drawing-room."

"Fetch it!"

With the chocolates to hand Daisy approached the writhing figure and, bending over her, she said,

"Open your mouth, woman," which caused Beatrice only to clamp her jaw tighter together, until Daisy gripped her nose and gave it a twist.

And when the mouth opened wide and she thrust in a sleeping tablet, it was immediately spat out back at her. Then taking another tablet from Frances's trembling fingers, Daisy also picked up a chocolate, gave the nose another twist and inserted the two together into the gaping mouth. This time, however, she immediately clamped down hard on the jaws; and after hearing the guttural swallowing, she repeated the process.

Beatrice was now staring at her, and the look in her eyes was so malevolent that Daisy had to turn away, and going to John now, she looked pityingly Iown on to his twisted body, and her hand went Irihtlally across her mouth. Then, her eyes closing, she ltteed, Oh my God!" And she added, Oh, my tdear John. Dear John.

What has she done to you?

'Couldn't...cdn't we straighten him out a bitst IMS Falconer asked brokenly now; and Daisy said. bar "No, dear. Better leave him until the doctor comes.

1"...And he's on his way." i Catherine Falconer turned an enquiring look on er as if to say, "How could he be...?"' And Daisy said, "The little maid, I told her to send my driver,

land she's gone for Robbie." It was as if the mention of his name had created Robbie, for there he was hurrying along the passage. But at the entrance to the hall he gazed in amazejment from the trussed figure in the chair to the twisted form on the floor.

"God in heaven!" he cned. t When Robbie knelt down by John's side Daisy tsd

"I...I wouldn't touch him until the doctor bar comes. He's bleeding profusely, and I don't know

where it's coming from." I Robbie nodded, then looked down on the pallid

face of the man who had been such a friend to him bar and found himself unable to find words to express us feelings. . . I She kicked him! She kicked the doctor in the

tback. Yes! she did. Yes! she did;"

Frances's voice twas touching on hysteria, and Cook first admonished I her then drew the girl tightly towards her. Looking questioningly at Daisy, Robbie said, tHe'll have to be taken to hospital.

It'll need the ambulance. Have you sent for one?"'

"No. No." Daisy shook her head.

"Oh." He got to his feet; but still looking down on John, he said, "He can't be left like that for long. The doctor won't be here for at least twenty minutes, that's if he's in; I'll go and see about it." And with this he ran from the hall, and as he did so there came a weird laugh from the tied figure in the chair and a drowsy voice said,

"Too late, too late."...

And those were almost the words that Doctor Comwallis muttered to himself when, twenty-five minutes later, he entered the house. And as he gently cut the trouser leg and small clothes down from the bent limb, he muttered, "Almighty...!" for now he was looking at the bones piercing the flesh.

When he heard Mrs Falconer's drawn-out cry of pain, "O...h!" he said to Daisy,

"Take her away into another room."

As he felt the erratic pulse on the limp wrist, he made no outward sign but inwardly he was shaking his head.

He looked up at Daisy now and said, "An ambulance."

"Robbie... Mr Macintosh... has gone for one."

The doctor now turned to look at the drooping figure in the chair and he asked quietly, "How did that come about?"'

And Daisy answered simply, "With some effort," and her left hand was bearing witness to this for she knew that, in falling to the floor, she had sprained it.

As Doctor Comwallis lumbered to his feet his words were enigmatic: "He's got all the proof he

needs for his release, but it may be too late now." It was just five minutes later when the ambulance

arrived and under orders from Doctor Cornwallis, the men did not attempt to straihten the twisted leg as they laid John gently on this stretcher. I "I'll follow you there," Doctor Cornwallis said to like':

them; but before doing so he turned to Beatrice, p

whose chin was now resting on her breast, then en- S

I quiringly to Daisy, who said, "I've given her a cou-pie of sleeping tablets." Bl "Oh, wise, the best thing. es. Two, you say?"' p

"Well, she'll sleep till tomorrow morning, when bar bar I'll be along to see her; but I won't be alone. Oh no, II I won't be alone. And whoever else is here, I want B bar that girl" comhe pointed to Prances- "to remain as a bar bar bar witness to what happened," to which Daisy said, "I'll W * coni bar be here, too." i He nodded, then said, "Good," before leaving. bar

When Daisy saw Mary sidling along the passage bar towards her, she called to her, It's all right. Everything's all right now, dear." And then she patted her were shoulder, adding, 'Good girl."

I

Emerging from the drawig-room and seeing her bar helpmate, Cook said to her, "You did well, Mary;" I then turning to Daisy, she added,

"We've made the couch ready for her, ma'am."

"Good," said Daisy. he just before I leave I'll untie her. But what are you going to do Cook?

"I'm away this very night to my sister's, ma'am, i be

and I'm taking Mary and Janie with me. We had His

already decided to leave, and Janie's got herself a job; she can walk into it tomorrow. That only leaves Frances."

All attention was now set on Frances, who was standing shaking her head, and it was Catherine alconer who put in quietly, 'If you have no other plans, Frances, I'd be glad of your help: I need someone with me" comshe now turned to Daisy- "that is, if Lady Spears will agree to the arrangement for the time being."

"Oh yes; yes, I can give you her word on that," Daisy answered immediately. "So that's settled; and as Cook says, it's the outside man's day off, and he always makes for his little stable rooms at the far end of the grounds; so he won't know anything until tomorrow morning. And neither will she, once we leave her on the couch; so we can lock up and go."

lUawn was just breaking when Beatrice came to;

bar be although she remained curled up on the couch for I some time, for she was feeling distinctly odd; only gradually did she become aware of her aching head, also of the pain in her body, particularly in her arms and ankles. Slowly, she pulled herself up into a sitting position to discover that she was in the drawingroom and that the gas chandelier was still alight. What had happened?

Then, as if a gate in her mind had suddenly swung open, realisation of all that had taken place came to her, passing like a series of pictures before her eyes, one rapidly falling into the other. She had killed him. Her foot had landed right in the middle of his back. Oh, that had given her a feeling of joy, as had seeing him lying there, his life's blood ebbing away. There returned to her a moment of elation, quickly blotted out by the feeling of that strange creature jumping on her and tying her up.

She suddenly put her hand to her mouth, for she could feel the woman stuffing in the chocolates in order to make her swallow the

pills. They had been sleeping pills, which is why she had slept so long. But why hadn't Prances taken her upstairs and put out these lights?

She pulled herself up from the couch and staggered down the drawing-room and into the hall. Where were they? Where were the servants? Oh, it ust be early. Yes, it must be early. But she'd waken them. Yes, she would. She needed a drink; she was dry.

Still walking as though drunk she entered the kitchen, there to be met by a dead fire. She went from the room shouting, "Cook! Cook! Frances!" and when she received no reply, she staggered to their quarters, only to see open doors with the early light revealing empty rooms and here and there a cupboard with drawers left open.

Back in the hall she walked round in a circle, then came to a stop at the foot of the stairs and peered at the polished boards, where large dark patches showed here and there. As she now bent down and ran her fingers over a large patch of the dried blood, she again experienced that ecstatic feeling.