Inspector Alleyn 3-Book Collection 2: Death in Ecstasy, Vintage Murder, Artists in Crime

‘We are rather generously endowed, aren’t we?’ said Janey.

‘You must forgive me. I didn’t mean to be offensive.’

‘You weren’t. I’m not altogether an ass. This is rather a rum show, I dare say.’

‘You don’t talk like my idea of an Initiate.’

‘Don’t I? Well perhaps I’m not a very good one. I’m thinking of back-sliding, Inspector Alleyn. Oh, not because of this awful business. At least – I don’t know. Perhaps it has shown us up in rather an unattractive light.’ She paused and wrinkled her forehead. ‘It all seems very bogus to you I expect, but – but – there’s something in it or I thought so.’

‘When I was an undergraduate I became a Plymouth Brother for two months. It seemed frightfully important at the time. I believe nowadays they go in for Black Magic.’

‘Yes, Maurice tried that when he was up. Then he switched over to this.’

‘You speak of Mr Pringle?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did he introduce you to this church?’

‘Clever of you,’ said Janey. ‘Yes, he did.’

‘When was this?’

‘Oh, about six months ago.’

‘You have advanced rather quickly, surely.’

‘This was my first evening as an Initiate. Maurice has been one for some time. I was to have begun special instruction next week.’

‘You don’t mean to go on with it?’

‘I don’t,’ said Janey.

‘Would you mind telling me why?’

‘I think perhaps I would.’ She looked thoughtfully at Alleyn. ‘No, I’ll tell you. I’ve got my doubts about it. I’ve had my doubts about it for some time, to be quite honest.’

‘Then why –’

‘Maurice was so terribly keen. You see we’re engaged. He could talk of nothing else. He’s awfully highly strung – terribly sensitive – and – sort of vulnerable, and I thought –’

‘You thought you would keep an eye on him – that it?’

‘Yes. I don’t know why I’m telling you this.’

‘I am sure you will not regret doing so. Miss Jenkins, do you know what Mr Pringle was driving at when he said that Mr Garnette was keeping them all quiet, that Mrs Candour would have taken Miss Quayne’s place if she could, and that he was going to tell everybody something?’

‘How do you know Maurice said that?’

‘You may remember he was in the middle of it when I arrived. He stopped short when he saw me. I heard some of it. Mr Bathgate has told me the rest. What is the explanation?’

‘I don’t think I can answer that.’

‘Can’t you? Why not?’

‘I don’t want to stir it all up. It has got nothing to do with this dreadful thing. I’m sure of that.’

‘You cannot possibly be sure of that. Listen to me. Mr Bathgate is prepared to swear that Miss Quayne put nothing into the cup after it was handed to her. She took it by the stem in both hands and drank from it without changing their position. She died two minutes after she drank from the cup. It had gone round the circle of Initiates. No one else, except the acolyte and Mr Garnette, had handled it. Can you not see that the inter-relationships of those six people are of importance? Can you not see that I must learn all I may of them. I must not try to persuade you to speak against your judgment – if I did this I should grossly exceed my duty. But please, Miss Jenkins, don’t say: “It’s got nothing to do with the case.” We don’t know what may or may not bear on the case. There is only one person who could tell us that.’

‘Only one person? You mean – a guilty person?’

‘I do. If such a one exists.’

There was a long silence.

‘I’ll tell you this much,’ said Janey at last. ‘Maurice hero-worshipped Father Garnette. He went, as Mr Ogden would say, crazy about him. I think Father Garnette took hold of his imagination. Maurice is very responsive to personal magnetism.’

‘Yes.’

‘I fell for it myself. When he preaches – it’s rather extraordinary – one feels as though the most terrific revelation is being made. No, that’s not quite it. Everything seems to be beautifully dovetailed and balanced.’

‘A sense of exquisite precision,’ murmured Alleyn. ‘I believe opium smokers experience it.’

Janey flushed.

‘You mean we were drugged with words. I don’t think I quite admit that. But where was I? Oh. Well, a little while ago Maurice began to suspect that things were happening all the time in the background. He had put Father Garnette on a pedestal, you see, and the least suggestion of – of wordly interest seemed wrong to Maurice. Some of the women in the congregation, Mrs Candour and poor Cara too, I’m afraid, were rather blatantly doting. Maurice got all worked up about it. He minded most dreadfully. That’s what he meant when he talked like that about Mrs Candour.’

‘He meant that Mrs Candour was jealous of Miss Quayne and that Mr Garnette had kept it quiet?’

‘Yes.’

‘I see.’

‘But not that Mrs Candour was so jealous that – he didn’t mean that. Please, please don’t think that. It was nothing. Maurice was hysterical. He sees everything in an exaggerated light. You do believe me, don’t you? Don’t you?’

‘I’m not sure,’ said Alleyn, ‘I think you are understating things, you know.’

‘I’m not. Oh, why did I say anything! I won’t answer any more questions. Let me go.’ Janey’s voice shook. She stood up, her hands clenched, her pupils dilated.

‘Of course you may go, Miss Jenkins,’ said Alleyn very quietly. ‘You have had a wretched experience and it’s unnerved you. Believe me, you need not reproach yourself for anything you have told me. Really. If only people would understand that in these cases they are under a moral obligation to help the police, that by keeping things back they may actually place an innocent man or woman in the gravest danger! However, I grow pompous and in a minute I might become facetious. Save yourself, Miss Jenkins, and go home.’

Janey managed a smile and brushed her hand across her face.

‘Oh dear,’ she whispered.

‘You’re done up,’ said Alleyn quickly. ‘Bathgate, dodge out and get a taxi for Miss Jenkins, will you?’

‘I think I’d better wait for Maurice, please.’