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Page 75
Harley sat in the chair which he had occupied during our last interview
with Colonel Menendez in the library, and I had realized--a realization
which had made me uncomfortable--that I was seated upon the couch on
which the Colonel had reclined. Only one other was present, Dr.
Rolleston of Mid-Hatton, a slight, fair man with a brisk, military
manner, acquired perhaps during six years of war service. He was
standing beside me smoking a cigarette.
"I have taken all the necessary particulars concerning the position of
the body," continued the Inspector, "the nature of the wound, contents
of pockets, etc., and I now turn to you, Mr. Harley, as the first
person to discover the murdered man."
Paul Harley lay back in the armchair watching the speaker.
"Before we come to what happened here to-night I should like to be
quite clear about your own position in the matter, Mr. Harley. Now"--
Inspector Aylesbury raised one finger in forensic manner--"now, you
visited me yesterday afternoon, Mr. Harley, and asked for certain
information regarding the neighbourhood."
"I did," said Harley, shortly.
"The questions which you asked me were," continued the Inspector,
slowly and impressively, "did I know of any negro or coloured people
living in, or about, Mid-Hatton, and could I give you a list of the
residents within a two-mile radius of Cray's Folly. I gave you the
information which you required, and now it is your turn to give me
some. Why did you ask those questions?"
"For this reason," was the reply--"I had been requested by Colonel
Menendez to visit Cray's Folly, accompanied by my friend, Mr. Knox, in
order that I might investigate certain occurrences which had taken
place here."
"Oh," said the Inspector, raising his eyebrows, "I see. You were here
to make investigations?"
"Yes."
"And these occurrences, will you tell me what they were?"
"Simple enough in themselves," replied Harley. "Someone broke into the
house one night."
"Broke into the house?"
"Undoubtedly."
"But this was never reported to us."
"Possibly not, but someone broke in, nevertheless. Secondly, Colonel
Menendez had detected someone lurking about the lawns, and thirdly, the
wing of a bat was nailed to the main door."
Inspector Aylesbury lowered his eyebrows and concentrated a frowning
glance upon the speaker.
"Of course, sir," he said, "I don't want to jump to conclusions, but
you are not by any chance trying to be funny at a time like this?"
"My sense of humour has failed me entirely," replied Harley. "I am
merely stating bald facts in reply to your questions."
"Oh, I see."
The Inspector cleared his throat.
"Someone broke into Cray's Folly, then, a fact which was not reported
to me, a suspicious loiterer was seen in the grounds, again not
reported, and someone played a silly practical joke by nailing the wing
of a bat, you say, to the door. Might I ask, Mr. Harley, why you
mention this matter? The other things are serious, but why you should
mention the trick of some mischievous boy at a time like this I can't
imagine."
"No," said Harley, wearily, "it does sound absurd, Inspector; I quite
appreciate the fact. But, you see, Colonel Menendez regarded it as the
most significant episode of them all."
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