‘I mean, it’s just one of those things that are going on – that have always gone on really. But they’re very well organized now, like businesses. There’s nothing really dangerous, you know, not about the criminal part of it. It’s the other. It’s knowing just where the danger is and how to guard against it.
You must be careful, Mrs Beresford, you really must. You’re one of those people who rush into things and it wouldn’t be safe to do that. Not here.’ Tuppence said slowly, ‘My old aunt – or rather Tommy’s old aunt, she wasn’t mind – someone told her in the nursing home where she died – that there was a killer.’ Emma nodded her head slowly.
‘There were two deaths in that nursing home,’ said Tuppence, ‘and the doctor isn’t satisfied about them.’ ‘Is that what started you off?.’ ‘No,’ said Tuppence, ‘it was before that.’ ‘If you have time,’ said Emma Boscowan, ‘will you tell me very quickly – as quickly as you can because someone may interrupt us – just what happened at that nursing home or old ladies’ home or whatever it was, to start you off?.’ ‘Yes, I can tell you very quickly,’ said Tuppence. She proceeded to do so.
‘I see,’ said Emma Boscowan. ‘And you don’t know where this old lady, this Mrs Lancaster, is now?’
‘No, I don’t.’ ‘Do you think she’s dead?’ ‘I think she – might be.’ ‘Because she knew something?’ ‘Yes. She knew about something. Some murder. Some child perhaps who was killed.’ ‘I think you’ve gone wrong there,’ said Mrs Boscowan. ‘I think the child got mixed up in it and perhaps she got it mixed up. Your old lady, I mean. She got the child mixed up with something else, some other kind of killing.’ ‘I suppose it’s possible. Old people do get mixed up. But there was a child murderer loose here, wasn’t there? Or so the woman I lodged with here said.’ ‘There were several child murders in this part of the country, yes. But that was a good long time ago, you know. I’m not sure.
The vicar wouldn’t know. He wasn’t there then. But Miss Bligh was. Yes, yes, she must have been here. She must have been a fairly young girl then.’ ‘I suppose so.’ Tuppence said. ‘Has she always been in love with Sir Philip Starke?’ ‘You saw that, did you? Yes, I think so. Completely devoted beyond idolatry. We noticed it when we fn’st came here, William and I.’ ‘What made you come here? Did you live in the Canal House?’ ‘No, we never lived there. He liked to paint it. He painted it several times. What’s happened to the picture your husband showed me?’ ‘He brought it home again,’ said Tuppence. ‘He told me what you said about the boat – that your husband didn’t paint it – the boat called Waterlily ‘ ‘Yes. It wasn’t painted by my husband. When I last saw the picture there was no boat there. Somebody painted it in.’ ‘And called it Waterlily – And a man who didn’t exist, Major Waters – wrote about a child’s grave – a child called L’fiian – but there was no child buried in that grave, only a child’s coffin, full of the proceeds of a big robbery. The painting of the boat must have been a message – a message to say where the loot was hidden – It all seems to tie up with crime…’ ‘It seems to, yes – But one can’t be sure what ~’ Emma Boscowan broke off abruptly. She said quickly, ‘She’s coming up to fred us. Go into the bathroom ‘ ‘Who?’ ‘Nellie Bligh. Pop into the bathroom – bolt the door.’ ‘She’s just a busybody,’ said Tuppence, disappearing into the bathroom.
‘Something a little more than that,’ said Mrs Boscowan.
Miss Bligh opened the door and came in, brisk and helpful.
‘Oh, I hope you found everything you wanted?’ she said.
‘There were fresh towels and soap, I hope? Mrs Copleigh comes in to look after the vicar, but I really have to see she does things properly.’ Mrs Boscowan and Miss Bligh went downstairs together.