Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers

Author:Dorothy L. Sayers
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Crime
Publisher: gwbooks

CHAPTER VIII

MR. PARKER TAKES NOTES

“A man was taken to the Zoo and shown the giraffe. After gazing at it a little

in silence: 'I don't believe it,' he said.”

Parker's first impulse was to doubt his own sanity; his next, to doubt Lady Mary's. Then, as the clouds rolled away from his brain, he decided that she was merely not speaking the truth.

“Come, Lady Mary,” he said encouragingly, but with an accent of reprimand as to an over-imaginative child, “you can't expect us to believe that, you know.”

“But you must,” said the girl gravely; “it's a fact. I shot him. I did, really. I didn't exactly mean to do it; it was a—well, a sort of accident.”

Mr. Parker got up and paced about the room.

“You have put me in a terrible position, Lady Mary,” he said. “You see, I'm a police-officer. I never really imagined——”

“It doesn't matter,” said Lady Mary. “Of course you'll have to arrest me, or detain me, or whatever you call it. That's what I came for. I'm quite ready to go quietly—that's the right expression, isn't it? I'd like to explain about it, though, first. Of course I ought to have done it long ago, but I'm afraid I lost my head. I didn't realise that Gerald would get blamed. I hoped they'd bring it in suicide. Do I make a statement to you now? Or do I do it at the police-station?”

Parker groaned.

“They won't—they won't punish me so badly if it was an accident, will they?” There was a quiver in the voice.

“No, of course not—of course not. But if only you had spoken earlier! No,” said Parker, stopping suddenly short in his distracted pacing and sitting down beside her. “It's impossible—absurd.” He caught the girl's hand, suddenly in his own. “Nothing will convince me,” he said. “It's absurd. It's not like you.”

“But an accident——”

“I don't mean that—you know I don't mean that. But that you should keep silence——”

“I was afraid. I'm telling you now.”

“No, no, no,” cried the detective. “You're lying to me. Nobly, I know; but it's not worth it. No man could be worth it. Let him go, I implore you. Tell the truth. Don't shield this man. If he murdered Denis Cathcart——”

“No!” The girl sprang to her feet, wrenching her hand away. “There was no other man. How dare you say it or think it! I killed Denis Cathcart, I tell you, and you shall believe it. I swear to you that there was no other man.”

Parker pulled himself together.

“Sit down, please. Lady Mary, you are determined to make this statement?”

“Yes.”

“Knowing that I have no choice but to act upon it?”

“If you will not hear it I shall go straight to the police.”

Parker pulled out his note-book. “Go on,” he said.

With no other sign of emotion than a nervous fidgeting with her gloves, Lady Mary began her confession in a clear, hard voice, as though she were reciting it by heart.

“On the evening of Wednesday, October 13th, I went upstairs at half-past nine. I sat up writing a letter.

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