"Sorry, Lady Matthews. I've had a bit of a shock. Look here, Amberley, this is pretty ghastly! I mean to say - Joan's all in. Perfectly frightful! I've left her with the housekeeper. I shall have to get back almost at once. Just brought the sergeant over to report. The fellow's blown his brains out!"
There was a moment of rather shocked silence. Then Amberley began to fill his pipe. "I thought Fraser would make a mess of it," he commented. "What happened, sergeant? "
Lady Mathews said kindly: "Sit down, Sergeant. You must be worn out. Such a good thing, I feel. No scandal.
Basil Fountain, I mean."
The sergeant thanked her and sat down on the edge of a straight chair, clutching his helmet. Felicity took it away from him and laid it on the table. He thanked her too, but seemed uncertain what to do with his hands now that they nothing to hold.
"Get on, what happened?" said Amberley impatiently.
"Just what Mr. Corkran told you, sir. Fair mucked it, the inspector did."
"I thought you were looking rather pleased. No one's going to run off with your helmet, so stop staring at it. What - happened?"
The sergeant drew a long breath. "Well, sir, we went off to the manor, me and the inspector and a couple of constables. We was admitted by the man calling himself Baker, who we know about!"
"What is his name, Frank?" inquired Lady Matthews. "I couldn't remember."