And nothing of importance has arisen since. So he must have come on some private business. He saw Walter on his last visit, and he may have recognized him – or perhaps made inquiries about him in the States naturally he has agents all over the world – and found out something really damaging. Gina is a very silly girl. She always has been. It is just like her to marry a man she knows nothing about – she’s always been man mad! A man wanted by the police, perhaps, or a man who’s already married, or some bad character in the underworld.
But my brother Christian wasn’t an easy man to deceive. He came here, I’m sure, to settle the whole business. Expose Walter and show him up for what he is.
And so, naturally, Walter shot him.’ Inspector Curry, adding some out-sized whiskers to one of the cats on his blotting pad, said: ‘Ye – es.’ ‘Don’t you agree with me that that’s what must have happened?’ ‘It could be – yes,’ admitted the Inspector.
‘What other solution could there be? Christian had no enemies. What I can’t understand is why you haven’t already arrested Walter?’ ‘Well, you see, Mrs Strete, we have to have evidence.’ ‘You could probably get that easily enough. If you wired to America ‘ ‘Oh yes, we shall check up on Mr Walter Hudd. You can be sure of that. But until we can prove motive, there’s not very much to go upon. There’s opportunity, of course ‘ ‘He went out just after Christian, pretending the lights had fused ‘ ‘They did fuse.’ ‘He could easily arrange that.’ ‘True.’ ‘That gave him his excuse. He followed Christian to his room, shot him and then repaired the fuse and came back to the Hall.’ ‘His wife says he came back before you heard the shot from outside.’
‘Not a bit of it! Gina would say anything. The Italians are never truthful. And she’s a Roman Catholic, of course.’
Inspector Curry side-stepped the ecclesiastical angle.
‘You think his wife was in it with him?’ Mildred Strete hesitated for a moment.
‘No – no, I don’t think that.’ She seemed rather disappointed not to think so. She went on: ‘That must have been partly the motive – to prevent Gina’s learning the truth about him. After all, Gina is his bread and butter.’
‘And a very beautiful girl.’
‘Oh yes. I’ve always said Gina is good looking. A very common type in Italy, of course. But if you ask me, it’s money that Walter Hudd is after. That’s why he came over here and has settled down living on the Serrocolds.’ ‘Mrs Hudd is very well off, I understand?’
‘Not at present. My father settled the same sum on Gina’s mother as he did on me. But of course she took her husband’s nationality (I believe the law is altered now) and what with the war and his being a Fascist, Gina has very little of her own. My mother spoils her, and her American aunt, Mrs Van Rydock, spent fabulous sums on her and bought her everything she wanted during the war years. Nevertheless, from Waiter’s point of view, he can’t lay his hands on much until my mother’s death, when a very large fortune will come to Gina.’
‘And to you, Mrs Strete.’
A faint colour came into Mildred Strete’s cheek.
‘And to me, as you say. My husband and myself always lived quietly. He spent very little money except on books – he was a great scholar. My own money has almost doubled itself. It is more than enough for my simple needs. Still one can always use money for the benefit of others. Any money that comes to me, I shall regard as a sacred trust.’
‘But it won’t be in a Trust, will it?’ said Curry, wilfully misunderstanding. ‘It will come to you absolutely.’
‘Oh yes – in that sense. Yes, it will be mine absolutely.’ Something in the ring of that last word made Inspector Curry raise his head sharply. Mrs Strete was not looking at him. Her eyes were shining, and her long thin mouth was curved in a triumphant smile.