Part 22 (1/2)
Hirst looked up, recognised him and put down his gla.s.s with a hand that was not quite steady. ”Yes, sir. That you did.”
”It was quite accidental...”
”Proper upset, he was. I had quite a time with him last night after you'd gone, I can tell you.”
”You did?” enquired Sloan, even more interested.
”Carrying on alarming he was till I got him to bed.”
”Hirst, what was it we said that did it?”
”The General didn't say.” He lifted his gla.s.s. ”But he was upset all right.”
”I was asking him something about the past,” said Sloan carefully, watching Hirst's face. ”Something I wanted to know about a woman who-I think-was called Grace Jenkins.”
There was no reaction from Hirst.
”Do you know the name?” persisted Sloan.
”Can't say that I do.” Rea.s.sured, he took another pull at his beer. ”It's a common enough one.”
”That's part of the trouble.”
”I see.”
”Garwell's not a common name,” said Sloan conversationally.
”No,” agreed Hirst. ”There's not many of them about.”
”And Hocklington-Garwell isn't common at all.”
Hirst set his gla.s.s down with a clatter. ”You mentioned Hocklington-Garwell to the General?”
”I did.”
”You shouldn't have done that, sir,” said Hirst reproachfully.
”This woman Jenkins told her daughter that she used to be nursemaid to the family.”
”No wonder the General was so upset. In fact, what with her ladys.h.i.+p being dead, I should say it would have upset the General more than anything else would have done.”
”It did,” agreed Sloan briefly, ”but why?”
Hirst sucked his teeth. ”Begging your pardon, Mr. Sloan, sir, I should have said it was all over and done with long before your time.”
”What,” cried Sloan in exasperation, ”was all over and done with before my time?”
”That explains why the General was so upset about your being a detective, sir, if you'll forgive my mentioning it.”
Sloan, who had been a detective for at least ten years without ever before feeling the fact to be unmentionable, looked at the faded gentleman's gentleman and said he would forgive him.
”I kept on telling him,” said Hirst, ”that it was all over and done with.” He took another sip of beer. ”But it wasn't any good. I had to get the doctor to him this morning, you know.”
”Hirst,” said Sloan dangerously, ”I need to know exactly what it was that was over and done with before my time and I need to know now.”
”The Hocklington-Garwell business. Before the last war, it was. And she is dead now, G.o.d rest her soul, so why drag it up again?”
”Who is dead?” Sloan was hanging on to his temper with an effort. A great effort.
”Her ladys.h.i.+p, like I told you. And Major Hocklington, too, for all I know.”
”Hirst, I think I am beginning to see daylight. Hocklington and Garwell are two different people, aren't they?”
”That's right, sir. Like I said. There's the General who you saw yesterday and then there was Major Hocklington-only it's all a long time ago now, sir, so can't you let the whole business alone?”
”Not as easily as you might think, Hirst.”
”For the sake of the General, sir...”
”Am I to understand, Hirst, that Lady Garwell and this Major Hocklington had an affair?”
Hirst plunged his face into the pint gla.s.s as far as it would go and was understood to say that that was about the long and the short of it.
Detective-Inspector Sloan let out a great shout of laughter.
”Please, sir,” begged Hirst. ”Not here in a public bar. The General wouldn't like it.”
”No,” agreed Sloan. ”I can see now why he didn't like my asking him if he was called Hocklington-Garwell. In the circ.u.mstances, I'm not sure that I would have cared for it myself. Would a note of apology help?”
”It might, sir.” Hirst sounded grateful. ”But why did you do it, sir? It's all such a long time ago now. We never had any children in the family, sir, so we never had any nurseat all. And there's no call for a nursemaid without babies to look after, is there?”
”I asked him, Hirst, because a woman, who is also dead now, had a sense of humour.”
”Really, sir?” Hirst was polite but sounded unconvinced.
”Yes, Hirst, really. I never met her but I am coming to know her quite well. She misled me at first but I think I am beginning to understand her now.”
”Indeed, sir?”
”A very interesting woman. Give me your gla.s.s, will you?”
”Thank you, sir. I don't mind if I do.”
The Rector of Larking and Mrs. Meyton joined Henrietta as soon as the inquest was over. She was standing talking to Bill Thorpe and Arbican.
”There is very little more you can do at this stage, Miss Jenkins,” the solicitor was saying. ”You must, of course, be available for the adjourned inquest.”