Seven

I
When they were outside Jefferson’s door, Superintendent Harper said:

“Well, for what it’s worth, we’ve got a motive, sir.”

“H’m,” said Melchett. “Fifty thousand pounds, eh?”

“Yes, sir. Murder’s been done for a good deal less than that.”

“Yes, but—”

Colonel Melchett left the sentence unfinished. Harper, however, under-stood him.

“You don’t think it’s likely in this case? Well, I don’t either, as far as thatgoes. But it’s got to be gone into all the same.”

“Oh, of course.”

Harper went on:

“If, as Mr. Jefferson says, Mr. Gaskell and Mrs. Jefferson are already wellprovided for and in receipt of a comfortable income, well, it’s not likelythey’d set out to do a brutal murder.”

“Quite so. Their financial standing will have to be investigated, ofcourse. Can’t say I like the appearance of Gaskell much—looks a sharp, un-scrupulous sort of fellow—but that’s a long way from making him out amurderer.”

“Oh, yes, sir, as I say, I don’t think it’s likely to be either of them, andfrom what Josie said I don’t see how it would have been humanly possible.

They were both playing bridge from twenty minutes to eleven until mid-night. No, to my mind there’s another possibility much more likely.”

Melchett said: “Boy friend of Ruby Keene’s?”

“That’s it, sir. Some disgruntled young fellow — not too strong in thehead, perhaps. Someone, I’d say, she knew before she came here. This ad-option scheme, if he got wise to it, may just have put the lid on things. Hesaw himself losing her, saw her being removed to a different sphere of lifealtogether, and he went mad and blind with rage. He got her to come outand meet him last night, had a row with her over it, lost his head com-pletely and did her in.”

“And how did she come to be in Bantry’s library?”

“I think that’s feasible. They were out, say, in his car at the time. Hecame to himself, realized what he’d done, and his first thought was how toget rid of the body. Say they were near the gates of a big house at the time.

The idea comes to him that if she’s found there the hue and cry will centreround the house and its occupants and will leave him comfortably out ofit. She’s a little bit of a thing. He could easily carry her. He’s got a chisel inthe car. He forces a window and plops her down on the hearthrug. Being astrangling case, there’s no blood or mess to give him away in the car. Seewhat I mean, sir?”

“Oh, yes, Harper, it’s all perfectly possible. But there’s still one thing tobe done. Cherchez l’homme.”

“What? Oh, very good, sir.”

Superintendent Harper tactfully applauded his superior’s joke, al-though, owing to the excellence of Colonel Melchett’s French accent he al-most missed the sense of the words.