`As I stood there in the dark, I heard a voice speak from the room. It sounded little louder than a whisper or a mumble. But I knew that the voice I heard from that room was the same voice which had spoken to me on the telephone the day before, and offered to sell me the Poe manuscript.'
19. Under the Bloody Tower?
This astounding intelligence did, not seem to affect Dr Fell in the least. His wonderfully sharp dark eyes remained fixed on Arbor.
`I suppose,' he said at length, `the voice really, came from that room?'
`I assume so. There was nobody else about' who could have spoken, and the words were not addressed to me; they were a part of a conversation, it seemed to me.'
`What did the voice say?'
Again Arbor became tense. `I cannot tell you. I have tried until I am ill, but I can't remember. You must understand the shock of hearing that voice… He moved his arm, and the fist clenched spasmodically. `To begin with, it was like hearing a dead man's voice. I had been willing to swear that the voice over the telephone belonged to Bitton's nephew. Then Bitton's nephew was dead. And suddenly this hideous whisper..' 'Listen, Inspector. I told you that the telephone voice seemed disguised; gruffer, as it were; and I had attributed it to Driscoll. But this was the telephone voice. Of, that I am absolutely certain now. I don't know what it said. I only know that I put my hand against the wall of the tower and wondered whether I were going mad. I tried to visualize with whom I had spoken in the room, and I discovered that I could scarcely remember who had been there. I could not remember who had talked, or who had remained silent; it was impossible to think which one of you had uttered what I heard.
`Try to consider what my position was. I thought I had spoken to Driscoll; yet here was the voice. I had been speaking in that room to somebody… certainly a criminal and in all probability a killer. I had outlined completely my position as owner of the manuscript. And somebody (I had forgotten which one) made it clear that if I had employed a thief to take my own property, he could expect only pay for his thievery and not the immense sum I had mentioned I would pay. I… well, to tell you the truth, I was not thinking at all. I was only feeling. I felt certain, without knowing why, that the "voice" had killed Driscoll. Everything had gone mad, and, to make it worse, if I could believe my ears this "voice" was one o f the police.
`Otherwise I should have gone back immediately and confessed the whole business. But I was afraid both of having the police on my side, and of having them against me. I suppose I acted insanely. But I could think of nothing else to do. It was only late this evening, when I was certain I heard somebody trying to get into my cottage, that I determined to end the suspense, one way or the other.'
He sat back, bewildered, dejected, with his handkerchief again at his forehead.