“Mrs. Brent hadn’t £200 in notes with her. She gave me a cheque and told me to go up to London first thing in the morning and pay it into my account, so as to meet the cheque I had given Mrs. Scorton, in case it was paid in immediately. Meanwhile, the thunderstorm began.”
Mrs. Brent interposed once more.
“I found the storm was getting rather too much for my nerves after the first peal or two. Having someone in the room with me helped to steady things a little; so I asked Miss Cressage to stay with me until the thunder passed off. She waited with me till some time in the small hours. Then I let her go; for she had to get some sleep, and she had to be up in order to catch the first train.”
She broke off and invited Eileen to continue.
“I left Mrs. Brent’s room and went back to my own. Just as I got out of Mrs. Brent’s room, Helga passed me . . .”
Helga Dangerfield’s face showed complete amazement.
“You saw me?” she demanded. “You must have made a mistake. It was someone else, surely. Why, I fell asleep at the tail-end of the storm and didn’t wake up again till morning.”
Eileen looked puzzled.
“You were going towards the Corinthian’s Room, Helga. I thought perhaps you were looking for a book to read, if the storm had kept you awake. You were past before you noticed me, I thought; and I was quite glad you hadn’t seen me, since Mrs. Brent didn’t want anyone to know I’d been down to see her. You had your blue dressing-gown on. Don’t you remember?”
Helga Dangerfield shook her head definitely.