“No more did I, my friend.”
Japp looked at him doubtfully. Then he extracted a cigarette from his pocket.
“That’s the kind Mrs. Allen smoked—gaspers. Six of those stubs were hers. The other three were Turkish.”
“Exactly.”
“Your wonderful nose knew that without looking at them, I suppose!”
“I assure you my nose does not enter into the matter. My nose registered nothing.”
“But the brain cells registered a lot?”
“Well—there were certain indications—do you not think so?”
Japp looked at him sideways.
“Such as?”
“Eh bien, there was very definitely something missing from the room. Also something added, I think . . . And then, on the writing bureau . . .”
“I knew it! We’re coming to that damned quill pen!”
“Du tout. The quill pen plays a purely negative rôle.”
Japp retreated to safer ground.
“I’ve got Charles Laverton-West coming to see me at Scotland Yard in half an hour. I thought you might like to be there.”
“I should very much.”
“And you’ll be glad to hear we’ve tracked down Major Eustace. Got a service flat in the Cromwell Road.”
“Excellent.”
“And we’ve got a little to go on there. Not at all a nice person, Major Eustace. After I’ve seen Laverton-West, we’ll go and see him. That suit you?”
“Perfectly.”
“Well, come along then.”
II
At half past eleven, Charles Laverton-West was ushered into Chief Inspector Japp’s room. Japp rose and shook hands.
The M.P. was a man of medium height with a very definite personality. He was clean-shaven, with the mobile mouth of an actor, and the slightly prominent eyes that so often go with the gift of oratory. He was good-looking in a quiet, well-bred way.
Though looking pale and somewhat distressed, his manner was perfectly formal and composed.
He took a seat, laid his gloves and hat on the table and looked towards Japp.
“I’d like to say, first of all, Mr. Laverton-West, that I fully appreciate how distressing this must be to you.”
Laverton-West waved this aside.
“Do not let us discuss my feelings. Tell me, Chief Inspector, have you any idea what caused my—Mrs. Allen to take her own life?”
“You yourself cannot help us in any way?”