Mrs. Faith, keeping a jealous eye on me--I verily believe that she still credited me with knowing more about the death that I would confess--shepherded me round the cottage into a small stable, where Giles was attending to the horse. After delivering me into his charge with the air of a police officer, she remarked that she would go home and drink a cup of tea. I was glad to see the back of the inquisitive woman, and said as much to Giles.
"Ay," he remarked, smiling quietly, "she's a rare one for other people's business is Mrs. Faith. Well, sir, what's to be done now?"
"I want you to come with me to Mrs. Caldershaw's shop, as I must see the policeman. And I say, Giles," I added, as we turned out of the yard and walked along the dark, damp road, "it's ridiculous all of us using your cottage as a hotel in this fashion. If Miss Destiny doesn't pay you I shall do so, and in any case, I shall pay for myself."
"You're of a forgiving nature, Mr. Vance, seeing how nearly I broke your neck, sir," said Giles, smiling again.
"Pooh! I would have done the same myself, seeing that I was taken, as it were, red-handed. By the way, you heard of the way in which this strange woman has run my motor into a field?"
"Yes, sir. Lucinda--she told me her name--explained what had happened."
"I hope my car isn't smashed up," I grumbled, turning up my coat collar, for the night was growing chilly. "I don't suppose that thief of a woman could drive for nuts. Well, well, it's a queer business altogether. I wonder how it will all end?"
"We must wait and see, Mr. Vance. These things are in the hands of Providence, you know," said Giles soberly, and then I gathered that the retired greengrocer had a strong religious vein--evangelistical for choice.
"Or in the hands of Miss Destiny," I murmured, for I still held to the fantastical belief that the shabby little woman had come from Olympus.
During the two hours which had elapsed since Giles took me into custody, law and order had been established in and about the tragic shop. Warshaw--as I afterwards learned--had come post-haste from Arkleigh, which was no very great distance away, and had brought with him a brother constable. This last was on guard at the shop door, before which a group of people were chattering excitedly, and Warshaw himself attended to the inside of the house. A few words to the Cerebus gained Giles and myself admission, and we were informed incidentally that a messenger on bicycle had been sent to the Murchester Inspector with details of the death and of the loot of the motor car. Shortly, said the policeman at the door, the Inspector would arrive to take charge of the case.