"Daddy? murdered?" Mrs. Lyall scarcely breathed the words. A mist of utter incredulity had clouded her brain. she could not bring herself even to associate the two words, much less to believe them. The detective had made a ghastly mistake. something was ludicrously, shockingly wrong.
"But- but, Mercia," she gasped. "In God's name, tell me what he told you. Daddy murdered- why, the very idea of it is imbecilic. who on earth would want to murder him? Why it's absurd; the man's mad."
And all the time she spoke the devil's of doubt were gnawing at her very heart. The whole mass of that doubt were nights mysteries were piling up their forces in her brain to convince her that something very dreadful had happened.
"I---- I believe it, mumsy." Mercia spoke dully, her eyes still looking fixedly ahead at the opposite wall. "I think I believed it the moment I opened my eyes this morning. There seemed to be something in the in the air. I couldn't sleep. I didn't even want to stay in bed. And then the telephone Bell--" She broke off helplessly and passed a trembling hand over her forehead.
"Tell me-- tell me what he said," demanded Mrs. Lyall with an effort. she was struggling, striving with every atom of power within her to steady herself, to get a grip on her flying faculties.
Mercia knew her mother well enough to know that she would have the truth at any cost. They were both sensible to the reality that truth is truth and that no amount of breaking it gently will lighten the final weight of it.
"I don't know much about it myself," admitted Mercia heavily. "Mr. Delbury hasn't told me anything at all, really. He only asked a lot of questions----- all leading up to the fact that daddy is dead and that he has been murdered."
"But when, my child-- who did it?"
*Mr. Dain--- I think." Mercia buried her face in her hands. Mrs. Lyall got up solemnly. "Mercia, I am going to see this man Delbury myself," she declared quietly. "There is something absurdly wrong about this business, and I'm going to find out what it is. Now, don't give way my dear girl. we will get to the bottom of this if I have to wring it out of him word by word." She crossed over deliberately and rang the bell.
"Ask Mr. Delbury to come to the study," she said calmly, when the maid appeared.
Delbury re-entered. He bowed stiffly. There was a monumental admiration in his heart for those two women; not merely for the way they had taken it, but for their whole attitude. when he came in he found them both standing up, a trifle pale, perhaps but dry eyed and untrembling, with a regal air of queenliness in their bearing, as though they were granting an interview to one who sought a favour.
"Mr. Delbury," Saud Mrs. Lyall steadily. "Miss Mercia has told me a little of the reason for your visit here. I have only heard the very badest facts. would you please mind telling me, in your own words exactly what has happened? you needn't feel it incumbent upon you to mince matters--- we shall neither of us embarrass you."
"well, madam" ---- Delbury was trifle uncomfortable---- "so far as I have been able to piece together the details, the facts are these. Mr. Lyall left the house last night unknown to anyone; not even the servants were aware of his leaving. He left with the known intention of going over to Hendon to Mr. Valmon Dain's house and of arriving there sometime about midnight. He also intended to murder Mr. Dain".
"How dare you!" Mrs. Lyall raised her fist indignantly. Delbury held up his hand calmly. "Please ladies," he said pacifyingly, "let me finish, please. A letter card which was posted long before midnight reached the Yard this morning, proving the facts conclusively. It came from a source which we consider unimpeachable. The informant also stated that Mr. Lyall would not succeed in his intention, and that on the contrary, Mr. Lyall's dead body would be found in Dain's workshop. Which was precisely where we did find Mr. Lyall has been shot, madam, shot through the face with a weapon that has not been found. Mr. Dain has absconded. on the face of it I think you will agree that a fairly clear case of murder against Valmon Dain has been made out. There are, however, certain other facts in connection with your husband's career on which a little more light is not only desirable, but vitally necessary. I am applying for a warrant for the arrest of Valmon Dain immediately. But with your permission"
He was interrupted by the sudden ringing of the telephone bell.
Mrs. Lyall moved mechanically towards it, but Delbury was in ahead of her with a jump.
"Allow me!" he said grimly, taking off the receiver. "Hello. Yes? This is Greydene, Highgate. Who are you, please?"
"My name is Valmon Dain," said a calm, austere voice at the other end. "Ask miss Mercia Lyall to come to the phone will you please?"
Mercia was looking at the detective's broad back. she could not see his face, and yet the moment he spoke into the telephone she felt her pulses quickening. something in Delbury's manner told her that he had got hold of something vital to his case. He had stiffened, grown suddenly as eager and alert as a panther scenting it's prey. she almost convinced herself that the hair on that bull-like neck twitched.
"I beg your pardon, sir; I didn't quite catch the name," he said respectfully.
"Dain----- Valmon Dain. ask her to come to the phone quickly. Tell her it's most urgent."
"very good Sir."
Delbury turned, a light of eager triumph in his eyes. He was pressing one of his hands firmly over the transmitter.
"Miss Lyall," he said hurriedly. "Here is the chance of a lifetime. Mr. Valmon Dain is on the phone asking for you. If you wish to unravel the mystery of who killed your father, if you want to get to the bottom of this dreadful business and bring the villain to book--- here is your chance. you'll never get another like it. Answer the phone and allow me to be present while you talk to him. Let me take note of all you say."
"I'm not a police spy," said Mercia, cutting into his instructions angrily. "If you wish to cross examine Mr. Dain tell him who you are and do it yourself." Her eyes were blazing, abd there was a high colour on her checks.
"Nonsense, nonsense!" retorted the detective irritably. " Valmon Dain is the one man on earth who knows exactly what happened in that workshop last night. if he is innocent let him come forward and prove it. if he is guilty, surely you are not going to shield him--- the murderer if your father! see what he has to say. surely you will do that for the sake of your own peace of mind!"
"But you have already declared your intention of issuing a warrant for his arrest . He knows nothing about that. you are asking me to trap him! you're Beastly! if he were an outsider or someone who didn't matter to me any more than someone I've never met, it would be different, it wouldn't matter. But you can't expect me to play Judas over the telephone to Valmon Dain and you eavesdropping on both of us! I can't! I can't!
"Madam, if my father had been murdered, I don't think I should worry about the ethics of conduct in throwing light on the manner of his death," Saud Delbury grimly.