Snare of Serpents Page 14
“Did she express interest?”
“I … I don’t remember.”
“Did the maid Ellen Farley tell you she had seen a rat near the kitchen … in the dustbin?”
“No.”
“Did Miss Farley ever speak to you about rats?”
“I don’t think so. She didn’t speak much to me. She wasn’t the talking sort.”
“Are you sure that she did not tell you she had seen a rat jump out of the dustbin?”
“If she did I can’t recall it.”
“That will do.”
Ninian rose.
“Mr. Glentyre was pleased with your services as a coachman, was he not?”
Hamish preened himself. “Oh yes, he reckoned I was very good.”
“So good that you took the place of your father?”
“Well … yes.”
“Excellent,” said Ninian. “And you were naturally proud of your skills?”
Hamish looked pleased. I could see he was enjoying this.
“You like to go out with your friends … in the evenings?” went on Ninian.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“I ask the questions, remember, please. There is nothing wrong with it unless you decide to use the family carriage for these excursions … without your employer’s permission.”
Hamish flushed.
“Did you do this on several occasions?” persisted Ninian.
“I … I don’t remember.”
“You don’t remember? Then I will assure you that you did and I can produce evidence to prove this. But your memory is not good. You forgot. Might it not be that you could also have forgotten that Ellen Farley mentioned to you that she had seen a rat in the dustbin and you recommended her to try the arsenic which had proved effective?”
“I … I …”
“No more questions.”
I saw how successfully Ninian had planted doubts in the minds of the jury as to the reliability of Hamish’s evidence; and he was, after all, a key witness.
Zillah made a good impression on the court, but I felt it was not the Zillah I knew who stood in the witness box.
She even looked different. She was all in black; her face was pale, her hair simply dressed under the small black hat with the veil. She gave the impression of being a young, beautiful and lonely widow, suddenly bereft of a loving husband, looking out in bewilderment on a cruel world which, with one stroke, had taken her husband and put her stepdaughter in the dock.
She was a superb actress and like all her kind enjoyed having an audience to perform to. On the other hand, so well did she play the part that she did not appear to be acting.
She had I supposed cared for my father. She had always behaved to him most lovingly; she had seemed genuinely concerned about his illness. She had made the last months of his life happy. Yet I wondered.
The Lord Justice Clerk was clearly impressed by her—as I think was the whole court. Her beauty seemed the more outstanding because of the simplicity of her dress and her quietly tragic manner.
“Mrs. Glentyre.” The questioner spoke in a gentle voice. “Could you tell us what happened on that tragic night?”
She told them that her husband had not been well on the previous day and she had insisted on his remaining at home.
“Was he very ill?”
“Oh no. I just thought he should have a restful day.”
“That night at dinner he took a glass of port wine?”
“Yes.”
“The wine was in a decanter on the sideboard?”
“Yes.”
“Your stepdaughter, Miss Davina Glentyre, offered to pour it out?”
“Yes. There was nothing unusual about that. Kirkwell, the butler, was not present.”
“He was usually present, was he?”
“Er … yes, mostly. But he had been bringing up another decanter.”
“You did not take a glass of wine on that occasion?”
“No.”
“Nor your stepdaughter?”
“Neither of us did. We rarely did.”
“So it was just Mr. Glentyre who had his glass from the decanter which was poured out by Miss Glentyre?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know that there had been trouble between your husband and his daughter about her determination to marry a young man?”
“Yes … but I didn’t think it was very serious.”
“But he had threatened to cut her out of his will.”
“I just thought it was one of those little upsets that would blow over.”
“Did he talk to you about it?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “He may have mentioned it.”
“Did he want her to marry someone else?”
“Parents do have plans for their children. I think it was all rather vague.”
“And did your stepdaughter speak to you of this matter?”
“Oh yes. We were good friends. I tried to be a mother to her.” She made a little gesture.
“More like a sister, I imagine,” said the Justice Clerk smiling and allowing his admiration for her to show a little.
“And you talked to her about this matter? Did she mention how bitterly she felt against her father?”
“No. Not at all. I convinced her that it would come all right in the end. Parents often disapprove of their children’s marriages.”
It was Ninian’s turn.
“You and your stepdaughter quickly became good friends?”
“Oh yes.”
“You came as governess originally, I believe.”
“That is so.”
“And within a short time you married the master of the house.”
I could see that the court was with her. It was charmingly romantic and the most natural thing in the world that the master of the house should be overcome by her charms. A happy ending for the governess—but, oh, how tragically her happiness had been cut short!
“We have heard that traces of arsenic were found in your husband’s body. Can you give us any idea how they came to be there?”
“I can only say that he must have taken it himself.”
“You have heard that it is a practise among some people to take arsenic for certain purposes. Do you think there is a possibility that your husband may have been one of these people?”
“Well … there is a possibility.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He once told me that some time ago he had taken small doses of arsenic.”
There was tenseness in the court. Everyone was watching her. I felt myself caught up in it. My father … taking arsenic!
“What effect did he say this had on him?”
“It made him better, he said. Someone told him that it was dangerous … and he stopped taking it.”
“Did he tell you where he got this arsenic?”
“I did not ask him and he did not say. He travelled sometimes abroad. He could have got it somewhere on the Continent. He was there on business some years ago. It may have been then.”
“Did he say so?”
“No. I did not think to ask. I was just surprised that he had taken it.”
“This could be important evidence. Why did you not mention it before?”
“I only remembered it when you asked.”
“Did it not occur to you on your husband’s death that the arsenic found in his body might have been taken voluntarily by himself?”
“No … only just now.”
“And now you think that is a possibility?”
“Oh yes, I do.”
There was a hushed silence over the court. I had the feeling that she was lying. I could not believe that my father would take arsenic. It was true that some years ago he had gone to the Continent on business. Could it possibly be that he had acquired the arsenic then? After all, what did I know of his secret life? Much had recently been revealed to me, but there must be so much of which I was ignorant.
I could sense Ninian’s excitement.
The Prosecution wanted to question Zillah further.
“If your husband had a secret store of arsenic in the house, where would he keep it?”
“I don’t know. He had a cabinet in which he kept certain medicines.”
“Did you ever see arsenic there?”
“I hardly looked at it. I had no reason to go there. I don’t think it would have been labelled ‘arsenic’ if it had been there.”
“Was not the bedroom searched at the time of Mr. Glentyre’s death?”
“I think so.”
“No arsenic was found then. If he were taking it, would it not be strange that there was no trace of it in the room?”
“I do not know.”
The Prosecution was shaken; but I could see the dawning triumph in Ninian’s attitude.
I should have been elated, for there was a possibility that my father had killed himself. But was this true? Was Zillah inventing this story in an attempt to save me?
The first day was over. I had an idea that there would be many more to come.
NINIAN CAME TO SEE ME that evening. He was elated.
“It’s a breakthrough,” he said. “This must be our line. If we can prove he has taken the stuff himself, we’ve got the answer. It’s plausible. A man who is no longer young married to a beautiful young wife. Naturally he wants to improve his health. He wants to be young again … so he resorts to this.”
“I cannot believe that my father would ever have taken arsenic.”
“You cannot be sure what people will do. If only we could find this Ellen Farley who would confirm that she asked you to buy the arsenic … we should be in the clear. We could romp home. I can’t think what’s happened to the woman. It’s not easy to find people in London … particularly on such little information. If it had only been some country town … or village … we should have had her by now. They are still searching, of course. But I did think something would have come to light by now. Your stepmother was a wonderful witness. I have the idea that she desperately wants to help you.”
“Yes, I think she does.”
He took my hands and gripped them hard. “Bear up,” he said. “We are going to get there.”
I was thinking: Zillah is my friend, but I never feel I know what is in her mind. As for Jamie, I knew too well what was in his, and it meant that his love was not strong enough to bear this trial.
THE NEXT DAY Jamie went into the witness box.
“You and Miss Glentyre met by chance in the street?” he was asked.
“Yes. She was lost.”
“I see, and she called on you for help?”
“Well … I saw that she was lost.”
“You took her home and arranged to meet again?”
“Yes.”
“And you became engaged to be married?”
“It was not official.”
“Because you, as a student, were unable to support a wife?”
“Yes.”
“What did Miss Glentyre tell you about her father?”
“That he had forbidden her to see me.”
“Yet she continued to do so?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think that was becoming conduct?”
“I was upset by it.”
“You hated deceiving Mr. Glentyre?”
“Yes, I did.”
“But Miss Glentyre insisted?”
Ninian was on his feet. “I protest at the question,” he said.
“Miss Glentyre could not force the witness to the tryst. He must have gone willingly.”
“A forceful young lady,” said the Justice Clerk. “But this was a man in love. The court will realise he went to the meeting willingly as Mr. Grainger insists.”
The questions were resumed. “What did you propose to do about the matter?”
“We were to wait until I had finished my training.”
“That would be in two years’ time at least?”
“Yes. Miss Glentyre suggested …”
“What did she suggest?”
“That we elope.”
I paused. I could see the picture the Prosecution was trying to build up of a forceful woman who knew exactly what she wanted and was determined to get it even if it meant eloping with her lover against her father’s wishes … or alternatively murdering her father.
“And you did not fall in with this suggestion?”
“I knew we could not do it.”
“Because you had no money of your own. All you had came from your family and if Miss Glentyre were cut off as her father had threatened she would have nothing either.”
I felt sick, praying for him to stop. I knew that Jamie was regretting that we had ever met; and that was the most cruel realisation of all.
It was Ninian’s turn.
“Had you discussed marriage with Miss Glentyre before you were aware of her father’s disapproval of the match?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think that because she was indifferent as to whether you would be poor or rich she wanted to show her loyalty by being prepared to endure a few years of hardship before you could become established in your profession?”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
It was the best he could do with Jamie, and I wondered if we had lost the advantage won by Zillah’s evidence.
Two MORE DAYS dragged on. The coming and going of witnesses continued. There were more doctors and a great deal of scientific terms which I could not understand, but I knew that it was not going well for me.
There was no news of Ellen’s whereabouts. I thought: there is only one consolation. It will soon be over.
Then something happened. Ninian visited me and I saw at once that he was excited.
He sat down opposite me and smiled.
“If this works out, we’ve done it,” he said. “Thank God for the divine Zillah.”
“What’s happened?”
“You remember she told the court that her husband had once confessed to taking arsenic?”
“Yes.”
“She has discovered a piece of paper, screwed up, she says, at the back of a drawer in which your father kept things like socks and handkerchiefs. A piece of white paper with the remains of a seal on it. She opened this paper. There was nothing on it … no writing to show what it might have contained, but she thought she detected a few grains of powder on it.”
“Powder?” I echoed.
He grinned at me, nodding. “In her husband’s drawer! She immediately thought … you know what she thought. Wise woman. She took it to the police. It is now being analysed.”
“What does this mean?”
“That if the paper contained what we hope it did, there is a possibility … a great possibility … that the dose that killed your father could have been self-administered.”
“When shall we know?”
“Very soon. Oh, Davina … Miss Glentyre … don’t you see?”
I had rarely seen anyone as overjoyed as he was at that moment; and in the midst of all my muddled thoughts I wondered whether he brought such feeling to all his cases.
EVENTS MOVED QUICKLY from there.
Dr. Camrose was recalled. There was no doubt that the piece of paper had contained arsenic.
The court was astounded. Zillah was recalled.
“Can you explain why this piece of paper was not brought to light before?”
“It was right at the back of the drawer.”
“Can you explain why it was not seen when the room was searched?”
“I suppose because the searchers were not careful enough.”
There was a ripple of mirth throughout the court.
Zillah went on: “You know how things get caught up in chests of drawers? It was not actually lying in the drawer. It had got caught up and really was midway between the upper and lower drawers, if you know what I mean.”
She smiled beguilingly at her questioner who grunted. But there was nothing he could do to spoil the impression she had made on the c
ourt.
Ninian said he had no questions to ask.
From that time the atmosphere changed and it was time for the speeches from the Prosecution and the Defense.
The Prosecution was first. The Lord Advocate spoke for a long time. He set out all the facts against me. First there was the disappearance of the elusive Ellen Farley which seemed highly suspicious. Then there was the fact that I wished to marry and my father had threatened to disinherit me if I did. There was motive for murder.
As I listened I thought how strange it was that so much that was innocent could be misconstrued.
When the day ended with this speech I felt that everything had turned against me.
Ninian came to see me.
“You look troubled,” he said.
“Aren’t you?”
“No. I am certain that you will soon be free.”
“How can you be so certain?”
He leaned towards me. “Experience,” he said.
“Tomorrow …” I began fearfully.
“Tomorrow is our turn. You shall see.”
He took my hand and put it to his lips and we looked steadily at each other for a few moments.
“This means more to me than anything,” he said.
“I know. There has been a great deal of notice given to the case. If you win you will have that partnership surely.”
“Perhaps. But I wasn’t meaning that.”
Then he released my hand.
“Now you must have a good night’s sleep,” he said. “I’ve asked them to give you a mild sedative. Please take it. It’s necessary. You have been through a trying ordeal and now we are nearing the end. But remember this: we are going to win.”
“You are so certain.”
“I am absolutely sure. We can’t fail. Things looked black at the start, I admit. But it’s working out now in our favour. A good night’s rest … and I’ll see you in court tomorrow. I promise you you won’t be there much longer.”
I fell asleep thinking of him.
He was magnificent. His eloquence carried the jury along with him. He was so confident.
“Members of the jury, can you convict this young woman who is so clearly innocent?” He went through it all. I had met a young man. Most young women meet young men at some time in their lives. I was carried along on the stream of young love. I had been prepared to elope and lose all chance of my inheritance. Was that the attitude of one who could plan cold-blooded murder?