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Eight
I
The assistant commissioner2 was a little surprised.
“Yes,” he said, “St. Mary Mead. Why? Does it—”
“Nothing really,” said Dermot Craddock.
“It’s quite a small place, I understand,” went on the other. “Though of
course there’s a great deal of building development going on there now.
Practically all the way from St. Mary Mead to Much Benham, I under-
stand. Hellingforth Studios,” he added, “are on the other side of St. Mary
Mead, towards Market Basing.” He was still looking slightly inquiring.
Dermot Craddock felt that he should perhaps explain.
“I know someone living there,” he said. “At St. Mary Mead. An old lady.
A very old lady by now. Perhaps she’s dead, I don’t know. But if not—”
The assistant commissioner took his subordinate’s point, or at any rate
he thought he did.
“Yes,” he said, “it would give you an ‘in’ in a way. One needs a bit of
local gossip. The whole thing is a curious business.”
“The County have called us in?” Dermot asked.
“Yes. I’ve got the chief constable’s letter here. They don’t seem to feel
that it’s necessarily a local affair. The largest house in the neighbourhood,
Gossington Hall, was recently sold as a residence for Marina Gregg, the
film star, and her husband. They’re shooting a film at their new studios, at
Hellingforth, in which she is starring. A fête was held in the grounds in aid
of the St. John Ambulance. The dead woman—her name is Mrs. Heather
Badcock—was the local secretary of this and had done most of the admin-
istrative work for the fête. She seems to have been a competent, sensible
person, well liked locally.”
“Very possibly,” said the assistant commissioner. “Still in my experience,
bossy women seldom get themselves murdered. I can’t think why not.
When you come to think of it, it’s rather a pity. There was a record attend-
ance at the fête, it seems, good weather, everything running to plan. Mar-
ina Gregg and her husband held a kind of small private reception in Goss-
ington Hall. About thirty or forty people attended this. The local notables,
various people connected with the St. John Ambulance Association, sev-
eral friends of Marina Gregg herself, and a few people connected with the
studios. All very peaceful, nice and happy. But, fantastically and improb-
ably, Heather Badcock was poisoned there.”
Dermot Craddock said thoughtfully, “An odd place to choose.”
“That’s the chief constable’s point of view. If anyone wanted to poison
Heather Badcock, why choose that particular afternoon and circum-
of twenty or thirty people milling about. Somebody ought to have seen
something.”
“It definitely was in the drink?”
“Yes, it was definitely in the drink. We have the particulars here. One of
those inexplicable6 names that doctors delight in, but actually a fairly com-
mon prescription7 in America.”
“In America. I see.”
“Oh, this country too. But these things are handed out much more freely
on the other side of the Atlantic. Taken in small doses, beneficial.”
“Supplied on prescription or can it be bought freely?”
“No. You have to have a prescription.”
“Yes, it’s odd,” said Dermot. “Heather Badcock have any connection with
these film people?”
“None whatever.”
“Any member of her own family at this do?”
“Her husband.”
“Her husband,” said Dermot thoughtfully.
“Yes, one always thinks that way,” agreed his superior officer, “but the
local man—Cornish, I think his name is—doesn’t seem to think there’s
anything in that, although he does report that Badcock seemed ill at ease
and nervous, but he agrees that respectable people often are like that
couple.”
“In other words, the police there don’t think it’s their pigeon. Well, it
ought to be interesting. I take it I’m going down there, sir?”
“Yes. Better get there as soon as possible, Dermot. Who do you want
with you?”
Dermot considered for a moment or two.
“Tiddler, I think,” he said thoughtfully. “He’s a good man and, what’s
more, he’s a film star. That might come in useful.”
The assistant commissioner nodded. “Good luck to you,” he said.
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