"I think it's very haphazard of you," Mrs James said. "Calling me back like this. Am I to spend the rest of the night being dragged from one compartment to another?" "Sorry," Tegan said, not sounding as if she meant it. "But we do need to go into a bit more detail on some points." "Well, since you are trying to sort out this atrocious business, I suppose I had better do what I can." She sat down, and delved in her handbag for her gold-plated cigarette lighter. Taking her time, she lit a scented cigarette and placed it in its holder. "Ready?" Rose asked. "Yes." "You said you put money into Mr Gilbert's business. What was that all about?" "Whatever do you mean?" "My dad runs a business. A big one. And he always says not to get things mixed up -- you know, business and friendship? Even when he was starting out, he wouldn't ask for money from his mates. Well, looks like Mr Gilbert didn't think the same way. I was wondering just how much he did tell you before he took your money off you." "I can't be expected to be bothered with trivial details," Mrs James protested. "But you could get an accountant to do that for you. Unless Mr Gilbert told you not to. The way I see it, either he was cheating you or you'd got some other reason to give him a lot of money for nothing." Rose leaned forward, her face alive with excitement. "What did he have on you?" Mrs James made no answer. The colour had drained from her face, her mouth was open, her cigarette holder frozen in mid-air. "Hello?" Rose waved a hand in front of her face. "Anyone home?" "How did you know?" Mrs James asked. "He swore he wouldn't tell a soul." "He didn't." Rose smiled triumphantly. "I guessed. I didn't know I was right until you said that. Look, I don't know what happened between you, and I don't care. But he was blackmailing you, right?" Mrs James nodded, slowly. "And all that stuff about maybe marrying him?" "Just an excuse. To keep me close, but not too close." She set down her cigarette holder. "I'm not sorry he's been killed. I didn't do it, but I knew if I told you the full story you wouldn't believe me." "I believe you," Liz said, calmly. "May I go now?" "I think you should take a minute or two to compose yourself," Sara suggested. "I think there's an empty compartment in the other direction, before you come to the dining area. Perhaps Tegan could see you to it?" By the time Tegan had led Mrs James away and returned to the compartment, she found the other three already deep in discussions. "It's bad for us if he actually was a blackmailer," Liz said. "Unless we can bring the crime home to the real killer. Do you think it _was_ Mrs James?" "I'd like to," Rose said. "But I dunno. It sounds almost too easy." "Then let's make some more enquiries. What about the steward?" "I'll talk to him," Sara said. "We need to find out about that business with the lights, remember?" "And here's something for the rest of us to think about," Tegan said. "When we were talking to Maria earlier, she called Mr Sutton 'Tom'. I wonder just how well those two knew each other." "You think they were close?" "They could have been. What do you think? Is he the sort to get ahead by marrying the boss's daughter?" "Wouldn't surprise me," Rose said. "I'll leave him to you three, then." Sara rose to her feet. "I'll let him know you want to see him, and then chat to the steward. I don't imagine it'll take too long." She departed, and was shortly afterwards replaced by Thomas Sutton. "Can't get enough of me, then?" he said, turning a charming smile on Tegan, Rose and Liz in turn. "We have a few more questions to ask you," Liz said, keeping her voice carefully cool and neutral. "We've heard that you were present tonight because of your employment in Mr Gilbert's company. How well do you know the other people? The Colonel and the ladies?" "Oh, we've dined together quite a few times now. I could tell you their taste in books, their political views..." Tegan leaned forward. "So Maria's just a friend, then? Nothing more?" "Should there be more?" "From the way she spoke of you, I didn't get the impression you were just friends." Sutton laughed, and removed his glasses; without them, he was a very handsome young man. "Maria can't keep a secret, poor thing," he said. "She's been crazy about me for a long time." "And what about you?" Liz asked. "She's a very beautiful young woman. Do you reciprocate her feelings?" "So convenient, isn't it?" He laughed again, apparently without malice. "She's a lovely girl. She's also my employer's daughter. You think I was planning to whisper a few honeyed words in her ear, marry into the family, and save myself a lot of tedious hard work on my way to the boardroom? Of course, I'd have to make a few changes after what happened tonight. Depends who takes over, doesn't it?" "You haven't answered my question," Liz said patiently. "I won't deny that I'm fond of Maria. But I couldn't support her on what I earn. Not yet, anyway." "Changing the subject," Rose said. "Mrs James put money into the company from time to time. Do you know anything about that?" "Not a thing, sorry. At the time I was just a travelling salesman." "Yeah, you said. Flogging electrical goods out of a car, wasn't it?" "Not quite that bad. I was trying to get our products picked up by the trade." "I know the sort of thing." Rose nodded. "Talking to shopkeepers and department stores. Been on a couple of those with my dad. How was the company doing? I mean, when Mrs James made her investments." Sutton lowered his voice. "The tale was that she'd got us out of a nasty hole. Of course, that wasn't official, just gossip among the staff." "And if we said he'd got the money out of her dishonestly?" Tegan asked. "Then you'd be saying a lot. Oh, RG was sharp all right, but I'm sure everything was above board. Nothing our learned friends would object to." Tegan made no answer, bar a noise that suggested she wasn't entirely convinced. Sutton put his glasses back on, as if to give the impression that the time for open questioning had passed. "What do you know about Colonel Harris?" Liz asked. "Is he a rich man?" Sutton shrugged. "No idea. He doesn't look it." "Thank you, then. I think that's all." She glanced at Tegan and Rose, but neither seemed inclined to gainsay her. "Will you come with me? I'd like you to wait in the next compartment with Mrs James, if that's convenient." She escorted Sutton from the compartment, returning a few moments later. "I suppose we'd better get confirmation from Maria, hadn't we?" Tegan said. "Yes, I think we better had." Liz sat down and began to scribble in her notebook. "I'm not sure how all this fits together. Suppose she's in love with him but he's just toying with her?" "That wouldn't explain why he'd kill her dad. More likely it'd be the other way round. Or he'd just sack him." "Good points." The door slid open, and Tegan led Maria in, looking beautiful, pale and tense. "Do sit down," Liz said. "Now, please will you tell us precisely what relationship exists between you and Mr Sutton?" Maria's face turned a few degrees paler, but she answered quite calmly. "I love him," she said. "And he loves me, too." "Is that what he told you?" Rose asked. "Of course." Maria shot her a glare, as if to condemn Rose for being a cynical pessimist. "And he was speaking the truth. I *know* it." "How long have you two been... together?" Tegan asked. "A year or so. Such a silly thing. I'd looked in on father at his office in the city, and there was Tom, picking up samples of electric irons with the new counter-rotating starch reservoir or some such dreary thing. How anyone can bear to spend all day selling that stuff I can't imagine. It was raining, so Tom offered to drive me home. By the time he dropped me off, we both knew how we felt for each other." "And is that when he started putting more effort into his work?" Rose asked. "The Colonel said that was a recent thing." "Yes. Isn't it wonderful? I'm sure he feels he's like a knight in armour, on a quest to rescue his princess, locked away in a lonely tower. He'd need to feel he was worthy, of course. He wouldn't want anyone to be able to say he was just marrying me for my money." "Did anyone else know?" "Not a soul, I could swear." "Would your father have disapproved of the engagement, if he'd known?" Liz asked. "Did he, for example, have other plans for you?" "I don't see what that's got--" Maria broke off, and put her hand to her mouth. Her face flushed red. "You think Tom killed father, don't you? You think father wouldn't have let us marry, and so Tom killed him! You hateful, evil, witch!" She jumped to her feet. For a moment it seemed that she was about to try and strike Liz, but instead she burst into tears. Instinctively, Tegan stood and put her arms around Maria, holding her until she recovered her composure. She found herself remembering that other fatherless girl she'd spent so many hours with; but Nyssa had never cried. Over Maria's shoulder, she gave Liz her severest glare. Liz countered with a how-could-I-know-she-was-going-to-do-that face, but at least took the hint not to speak. "Look," Rose said reasonably. "This isn't fair to Miss Gilbert, not after what's happened to her today." Circumspect as her reference to the murder was, it wasn't circumspect enough for Maria, who buried her face in Tegan's shoulder with a renewed wail. "You two," Tegan said fiercely. "Find something else to do. Now." "I suppose we could have another talk to the Colonel," Liz suggested, picking up her handbag. "Yeah. That's what we'll do." Rose hustled her into the corridor, and they walked the half-dozen or so steps to the compartment the Gilbert party had originally occupied, and which now contained only Colonel Harris. "Ah," he said. "There you are. Wondered if I was going to be called back for another session. Seeing you've done everyone else, you know." "We've come to see you instead." Rose sat down and leaned towards him. "We was wondering about Mr Gilbert." "Anything in particular?" "It's about Mrs James investing money in his business..." * "I'm sorry," Maria said shakily, kneading her damp handkerchief in her hands. Her eyes were red, her makeup smeared. "You don't have to be," Tegan reassured her. She'd managed to get Maria to sit down, and had taken the adjacent seat herself. "I mean for losing my temper like that. Tegan-- may I call you Tegan?" "Of course." Tegan privately wondered how Maria would react if she knew that she was now on first-name terms with a waitress. "When you were all asking me questions before... I didn't tell you everything. I just couldn't, not with all of those other women listening. You're different." "Thanks. But you know whatever you say, I might have to let them know what it was? If it turns out to be a clue, I mean." "It'll be easier for you." Maria gave her a weak smile. "Well, if you're sure." "I'm sure." Maria swallowed. "Last month, I couldn't sleep, and I went downstairs to get a book I'd been reading. Halfway down the stairs, I heard people talking. One of them was my father, and the other one was Colonel Harris." "Was that unusual?" "Normally I'd know if the Colonel was visiting. He'd come and see me. Maybe they thought I was in bed." "Or maybe not." "Well, I wonder. If he visited in secret once, maybe there were other times. They were talking about Manchester." She looked at Tegan's puzzled expression. "The business is going to build a new factory there -- that isn't a secret. But the way they were talking, that night..." She thought back. "My father was saying 'Now, now, Charles. You know the terms of the agreement.' "Then the Colonel said 'As well as you do. But I simply haven't got the sort of influence you credit me with.' "Father said 'But can't you see how ideal this site is?' "And the Colonel said 'Of course I can. But I'm one man, Dick, not the whole War Office. You'll just have to pay what they're asking.' "I didn't hear what Father said next, because he lowered his voice. But the Colonel said 'Publish and be' -- well, you know. And then I heard him walking away, and the door slamming." "Did anything else happen after that?" Tegan asked. "I don't know. I went back to bed and tried to forget all about it." "And when did you see the Colonel again?" "The next week. He looked perfectly normal." She leaned back against the lavishly-upholstered seat. "That was all I had to say. Can I go now?" "Don't see why not." Tegan wriggled out of her seat. As Maria followed suit, she knocked Liz's notebook off the table; it fell open. Before Tegan could intervene, she'd retrieved the book. "Oh!" she said. Tegan looked at the page; it showed Sutton's version of the seating plan. "Yes, we were wondering about that," she said. "I mean, you've both said you were sitting next to the aisle. Which one of you's telling the truth?" Maria blushed. "I shouldn't have tried to deceive you," she said. "Tom was the one by the aisle. But I thought, if I said I was there, you wouldn't suspect him." "That's very generous of you. Who was really in the other aisle seat?" "The Colonel." "Thank you. I'll take you back to your friends now." She deposited Maria in the same compartment as Sutton and Mrs James. As she emerged, she nearly bumped into Sara, returning from her talk with the steward. "Where are the others?" Sara asked. "Talking to the Colonel, I think. I just wanted them out of the way." "Oh. Why?" "They made Maria cry." Sara tutted. "I can't leave you three to do the simplest things on your own, can I? Let's collect them, and then we can all go over what we've learned." Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 7 - Part 8
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