‘And you think -‘ he suggested.
‘I think one was love and the other was business! Carstairs was carrying about the Cayman’s photograph for a reason. He wanted it identified by somebody, perhaps. Now, listen – what happens? Someone, the male Cayman perhaps, is following him and, seeing a good opportunity, steals up behind him in the mist and gives him a shove. Carstairs goes over the cliff with a startled cry. Male Cayman makes off as fast as he can; he doesn’t know who may be about. We’ll say that he doesn’t know that Alan Carstairs is carrying about that photograph.
What happens next? The photograph is published ‘ ‘Consternation in the Cayman menage,’ said Roger helpfully.
‘Exactly. What is to be done? The bold thing – grasp the nettle. Who knows Carstairs as Carstairs? Hardly anyone in this country. Down goes Mrs Cayman, weeping crocodile tears and recognizing body as that of a convenient brother. They also do a little hocus pocus of posting parcels to bolster up the walking-tour theory.’ ‘You know, Frankie. I think that’s positively brilliant,’ said Roger with admiration.
‘I think it’s pretty good myself,’ said Frankie. ‘And you’re quite right. We ought to get busy on the track of the Caymans.
I can’t think why we haven’t done so before.’ This was not quite true, since Frankie knew quite well the reason – namely that they had been on the track of Roger himself. However, she felt it would be tactless, just at this stage, to reveal the fact.
‘What are we going to do about Mrs Nicholson?’ she asked abruptly.
‘What do you mean – do about her?’ ‘Well, the poor thing is terrified to death. I do think you’re callous about her, Roger.’ ‘I’m not, really, but people who can’t help themselves always irritate me.’ ‘Oh! but do be fair. What can she do? She’s no money and nowhere to go.’ Roger said unexpectedly: ‘If you were in her place, Frankie, you’d find something to do.’ ‘Oh!’ Frankie was rather taken aback.
‘Yes, you would. If you really thought somebody was trying to murder you, you wouldn’t just stay there tamely waiting to be murdered. You’d run away and make a living somehow, or you’d murder the other person first! You’d do something.’ Frankie tried to think what she would do.
‘I’d certainly do something,’ she said thoughtfully.
“The truth of the matter is that you’ve got guts and she hasn’t,’ said Roger with decision.
Frankie felt complimented. Moira Nicholson was not really the type of woman she admired and she had also felt just slightly ruffled by Bobby’s absorption in her. ‘Bobby,’ she thought to herself, ‘likes them helpless.’ And she remembered the curious fascination that the photograph had had for him from the start of the affair.
‘Oh, well,’ thought Frankie, ‘at any rate, Roger’s different.’ Roger, it was clear, did not like them helpless. Moira, on the other hand, clearly did not think very much of Roger. She had called him weak and had scouted the possibility of his having the guts to murder anyone. He was weak, perhaps – but undeniably he had charm. She had felt it from the first moment of arriving at Merroway Court.
Roger said quietly: ‘If you liked, Frankie, you could make anything you chose of a man…’ Frankie felt a sudden little thrill – and at the same time an acute embarrassment. She changed the subject hastily.
‘About your brother,’ she said. ‘Do you still think he should go to the Grange?’
CHAPTER 22 Another Victim
‘No,’ said Roger. ‘I don’t. After all, there are heaps of other places where he can be treated. The really important thing is to get Henry to agree.’ ‘Do you think that will be difficult?’ asked Frankie.
‘I’m afraid it may be. You heard him the other night. On the other hand, if we just catch him in the repentant mood, that’s very different. Hullo – here comes Sylvia.’ Mrs Bassington-ffrench emerged from the house and looked about her, then seeing Roger and Frankie, she walked across the grass towards them.
They could see that she was looking terribly worried and strained.
‘Roger,’ she began, ‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere.’ Then, as Frankie made a movement to leave them – ‘No, my dear, don’t go. Of what use are concealments? In any case, I think you know all there is to know. You’ve suspected this business for some time, haven’t you?’ Frankie nodded.