“Well, we didn't get any extra change out of her,” commented Silver. “Put me in my place, too. She's the old-fashioned kind, full of consideration for others but arrogant as the devil! I can't believe she did it, but you never know! She’s got plenty of resolution. And what was the idea of the bridge scores, Octavia?”
I spread them out on the table.
“They are illuminating, don’t you think?” I said gazing at them almost fondly.
“What do we want in this case? A clue to character. And a clue not to one character, but to four characters. And this is where we are most likely to find it - in these scribbled figures. Here is the first rubber, you see - a tame round, soon over. Small neat figures - careful addition and subtraction - that is Miss Harpstrings’ score. She was playing with Mrs. Shores. They had the cards and they won.”
I moved on to the next score sheet.
“In this next one it is not so easy to follow the play, since it is kept in the cancellation style. But it tells us perhaps something about Major Amour - a stallion who likes the to know at a glance exactly where he stands. The figures are small and full of character.”
I moved on to the final score sheet.
“Here is the last score - the unfinished rubber. I collected one score in each person’s handwriting, you see.”
“And these figures are rather characteristically flamboyant.” Said Colonel Pants, observantly, pointing to the doctors sheet.
“Indeed. Not such high scores as the preceding rubber. That is probably because the doctor was playing with Miss Harpstrings and she is a timid player. His calling would make her more timid.” I said.
“You may think that my questions to the suspects are foolish, but they are far from it. You see, it is a way of getting to know our four suspects. Take Mrs. Shores’ handwriting for instance, it is graceful, firm, legible. These scores are a clue to character. I want to get at the characters of these four players, and when the questions are only about bridge, they answer freely.” I concluded and straightened myself, rather pleased with the impressed look from the other three.
“I never think of your questions as foolish, Miss Melody,” said Silver.
“I’ve seen too much of your work for that. Everyone’s got their own ways of working. I know that. I give my inspectors a free hand always. Everyone's got to find out for themselves what method suits them best. But we’d better not discuss that now. We’ll have Miss Harpstrings in.”
Lyra Harpstrings was upset. She stopped in the doorway. Her breath came unevenly.
Superintendent Silver was immediately fatherly. He rose, and set a chair for her at a slightly different angle.
I personally failed to see how this would have any effect on the poor filly in terms of emotional comfort, but somehow, it seemed to work – somehow.
“Sit down, Miss Harpstrings, sit down. Now don’t be alarmed. I know all this seems rather dreadful, but it’s not so bad really.”
“I don’t think anything could be worse,” and Lyra in a low voice. “It’s so awful - so awful - to think that one of us - that one of us went and - ”
“You let me do the thinking,” said Silver, kindly.
“Now then, Miss Harpstrings, suppose we have your address first of all.”
“Haystack Cottage, on the outskirts of Ponyville.”
“No address in town?”
“No, I’m staying at my club for a day or two.”
“And your club is?”
“Mares’ Naval and Military.”
“Good. Now then, Miss Harpstrings, how well did you know Mr. Blood?”
“I didn’t know him well at all. I always thought he was a most frightening stallion.”
“Why?”
“Oh, well, he just was. That awful smile! And a way he had of bending over you. As though he might bite you.”
“Had you known him long?”
“About nine months. I met him during winter wrap-up.”
“I should never have thought he went out for winter wrap-up,” said Silver, surprised.
“He only skated. He was a marvelous skater. Lots of figures and tricks, but not really any actual work.”
“Yes, that sounds more like him. And did you see much of him after that?”
“Well - a fair amount. He asked me to parties and things like that. They were rather fun,”
“But you didn’t like him himself?”
“No, I thought he was a shivery kind of pony.”
Silver said gently, “But you’d no special reason for being afraid of him?”
Lyra Harpstrings raised wide limpid eyes to his.
“Special reason? Oh, no.”
“That's all right then. Now about tonight, did you leave your seat at all?”
“I don’t think so. Oh, yes, I may have done so once. I went round to look at the others’ hands.”
“But you stayed by the bridge table all the time?”
“Yes.”
“Quite sure, Miss Harpstrings?”
The filly's cheeks flamed suddenly.
“No - no I think I walked about.”
“Right. You'll excuse me, Miss Harpstrings, but try and speak the truth. I know you’re nervous, and when one’s nervous one’s apt to - well, to say the thing the way you want it to be. But that doesn’t really pay in the end. You walked about. Did you walk over in the direction of Mr. Blood?”
The filly was silent for a minute then she said, “Honestly - honestly – I don’t remember.”
“Well, we'll leave it that you may have. Know anything about the other three?’
Lyra shook her head.
“I’ve never seen any of them before.”
“What do you think of them? Any likely murderers among them?”
“I can’t believe it. I just can't believe it. It couldn't be Major Amour. And I don't believe it could be the doctor. After all a doctor could kill somepony in so much easier ways. A drug - something like that.”
“Then, if it’s anyone, you think its Mrs. Shores.”
“Oh, I don’t. I'm sure she wouldn’t. She’s so charming - and so kind to play bridge with. She’s so good herself and yet she doesn't make one feel nervous, or point out one’s mistakes.”
“Yet you left her name to the last,” said Silver, blankly.
“Only because stabbing seems somehow more like a mare.”
Silver did his conjuring trick. Lyra Harpstrings shrank back. “Oh, horrible! Must I - take it?”
“I’d rather you did.”
I watched her as she took the stiletto gingerly, her face contracted with repulsion.
“With this tiny thing - with this - ”
“Go in like butter,” said Silver with gusto. “A child could do it.”
“You mean - you mean,” wide, terrified eyes fixed themselves on his face, “that I might have done it. But I didn't. Oh! I didn't! Why should I?”
“Why should anypony?” Said Silver, surprisingly short in his manner.
“That's just the question we'd like to know,” said Silver. “What’s the motive? Why did anyone want to kill Blue Blood? He was a picturesque person but he wasn’t dangerous as far as I can make out.”
I watched her silently.
Was there a slight indrawing of her breath? A sudden lifting of her chest?
“Not a blackmailer, for instance, or anything of that sort,” went on Silver. “And anyway, Miss Harpstrings, you don't look the sort of mare who’s got a lot of guilty secrets.”
For the first time she smiled, reassured by his geniality.
“No, indeed I haven't. I haven’t got any secrets at all.”
“Then don’t you worry, Miss Harpstrings. We shall have to come round and ask you a few more questions, I expect, but it will be all a matter of routine.”
He got up. “Now you go off. My constable will get you a sky taxi, and don’t you lie awake worrying yourself. Take a couple of aspirins.”
He ushered her out and closed the door behind her. As he came back Colonel Pants said in a low, amused voice, “What a clever old forge you are, Silver! She was really taken in by your Fatherly manner. Your kind air was certainly surpassed.”
“No good dallying about with her, Colonel Pants. Either the poor mare is dead scared - in which case it’s cruelty, and I’m not a cruel stallion; I never have been - or she’s a highly accomplished little actress and we shouldn’t get any farther if we were to keep her here half the night.”
Mrs. Cherry gave a sigh and ran her hoof freely through her fringe until it stood upright and gave her a wholly drunken appearance. “Do you know,” she said, “I rather believe now that she did it! It's lucky it’s not in a book. They don't really like the young and beautiful mare to have done it. All the same, I rather think she did. What do you think, Miss Melody?”
I had been staring at the floor with an extremely serious look on my face, thinking turning over what had been said in my mind.
I continued to stare at a particular spot on the floor, which had now become a point of interest, when I became aware of my name being used.
I looked up with a jerk of my head, regained my previous frown, drew in a breath, all the while my three companions waited patiently.
Then I went back to my gazing spot on the floor.
After a moment of silence, I spoke.
“I have just made a discovery.”
“In the bridge scores again?” Said Mrs. Cherry, patiently.
A few more seconds of silence followed.
Absently, I said, “She turns her score over, draws lines, and uses the back.”
Mrs. Cherry said, “Pardon?”
Looking up, I said with a glimmer in my eyes, “Lyra, she turned her score over, drew lines, and used the back. Why not get a new score sheet? Why reuse the old one?”
“And what does that mean?” Said Pants, slightly confused.
“It means she has the habit of poverty or else is of a naturally economical turn of mind.” I replied, feeling as though I may have had just made an important discovery.
“She’s expensively dressed,” said Mrs. Cherry.
“Send in Major Amour,” said Superintendent Silver.