“Did you fetch the coal buckets for the library?”

“Yes sir-but I don't remember how many minutes later it was.” He looked unhappy. Monk guessed it was probably quite some time.

“And crossed the hall to do it?”

“Yes sir. The armor was still all right then.”

So whoever it was, it was not Louisa. Not that he had held any real hope that it might be.

“Any other rooms you took coal for? What about upstairs?”

The footman blushed hotly and lowered his eyes.

“You were supposed to, and didn't?” Monk guessed.

The footman looked up quickly. “Yes I did, sir! Mrs. Furnival's room. The master doesn't care for a fire at this timeo' the year.”

“Did you see someone, or something, when you were upstairs?”

“No sir!”

What was the man lying about? There was something; it was there in his pink face, his downcast eyes, his awkward hands and feet. He was riddled with guilt.

“Where did you go upstairs? What rooms did you pass? Did you hear something, an argument?”

“No sir.” He bit his lip and still avoided Monk's eyes.

“Well?” Monk demanded.

“I went up the front stairs-sir…”

Suddenly Monk understood. “Oh, I see-with the coal buckets?”

“Yes sir. Please sir…”

“I shan't tell the butler,” Monk promised quickly.

“Thank you, sir! I-thank you sir.” He swallowed. “The armor was still there, sir; and I didn't see the general-or anyone else, except the upstairs maid.”

“I see. Thank you. You have helped me considerably.”

“Have I sir?” He was doubtful, but relieved to be excused.

Next Monk went upstairs to find the off-duty housemaids. It was his last hope that one of them had seen Sabella.

The first maid offered no hope at all. The second was a bright girl of about sixteen with a mass of auburn hair. She seemed to grasp the significance of his questions, and answered readily enough, although with wary eyes, and he caught a sense of eagerness that suggested to him she had something to hide as well as something to reveal. Presumably she was the one the footman had seen.

“Yes, I saw Mrs. Pole,” she said candidly. “She wasn't feeling well, so she lay down for a while in the green room.”

“When was that?”

“I-I dunno, sir.”

“Was it long after dinner?”

“Oh, yes sir. We 'as our dinner at six o'clock!”

Monk realized his mistake and tried to undo it.

“Did you see anyone else while you were on the landing?”

The color came to her tace and suddenly the picture was clearer.

“I shan't report what you say, unless I have to. But if you lie, you may go to prison, because an innocent person could be hanged. You wouldn't want that, would you?”

Now she was ashen white, so frightened as to be robbed momentarily of words.

“So who did you see?”

“John.” Her voice was a whisper.

“The footman who was rilling the coal buckets?”

“Yes sir-but I didn't speak to him-honest! I jus' came to the top o' the stairs, like. Mrs. Pole were in the green room, 'cause I passed the door and it was open, an' I seen 'erlike.”

“You came all the way down from your own room at the top of the house?”

She nodded, guilt over her attempt to see the footman outweighing every other thought. She had no idea of the significance of what she was saying.

“How did you know when he was going to be there?”

“I…” She bit her lip. “I waited on the landing.”

“Did you see Mrs. Carlyon go upstairs to Master Valentine's room?”

“Yes sir.”

“Did you see Mrs. Carlyon come down again?”

“No sir, nor the general, sir-I swear to God!”

“Then what did you do?”

“I went as far as the top o' the stairs and looked for John, sir. I knew that was about the time 'e'd be fillin' the coal buckets.”

“Did you see him?”

“No. I reckon I were too late. I 'ad to 'ang around cos of all the people comin' and goin'. I 'ad ter wait for the master ter go down again.”

“You saw Mr. Furnival go down again?”

“Yes sir.”

“When you were at the top of the stairs, looking for John -think very carefully, you may have to swear to this in court, before a judge, so tell the truth, as you know it…”

She gulped. “Yes sir?”

“Did you look down at the hallway below you?”

“Yes sir. I were looking for John.”

“To come from the back of the house?”

“Yes sir-with the coal buckets.”

“Was the suit of armor standing where it usually does?”

“I think so.”

“It wasn't knocked over?”

“No-o' course it weren't, or I'd 'ave seen it. It'd be right between me and the corridor to the back.”

“Then where did you go, after waiting for John and realizing you were too late?”

“Back upstairs again.”

He saw the flicker in her eyes, barely discernible, just a tremor.

“Tell me the truth: did you pass anyone?”

Her eyes were downcast, the blush came again. “I heard someone comin', I don't know who. I didn't want to be caught there, so I went into Mrs. Pole's room to see if she needed anything. I was goin' ter say I thought I'd 'eard 'er call out, if anyone asked me.”

“And the people passed, going along the passage to the front stairs?”

“Yes sir.”

“When was that?”

“I dunno, sir. God help me, I don't! I swear it!”

“That's all right, I believe you.” Alexandra and the general, minutes before she killed him.

“Did you hear anything?”

“No sir.”

“You didn't hear voices?”

“No sir.”

“Or the suit of armor crashing over?”

“No sir. The green room is a long way from the top o' the stairs, sir.” She did not bother to swear-it was easily verifiable.

“Thank you,” he said honestly.

So only Alexandra had the opportunity after all. It was murder.

“YouVe been a great help.” He forced the words out. “A very great help. That's all-you can go,” And Alexandra was guilty. Louisa and Maxim had already gone up and come down again, and the general was alive.

“Yes sir. Thank you, sir.” And she turned on her heel and fled.

Chapter 5

Oliver Rathbone awaited the arrival of Monk with some hope, in spite of his reason telling him that it was extremely unlikely he had been able to find any worthwhile evidence that it was not after all Alexandra Carlyon who had killed the general. He shared Monk's contempt for Runcom personally, but he had a considerable respect for the police in general, and had found that when they brought a case to trial, they were seldom fundamentally in error. But he did hope that Monk might have turned up a stronger and more sympathetic motive than jealousy. And if he were honest, there was a lingering corner in his mind which cherished a vague idea that it might indeed have been someone else- although how it would be any better had it been Sabella, he had no idea, except that so far Sabella was not his client.

As well as Monk, he had invited Hester Latterly. He had hesitated before doing so. She had no official part in die case, nor indeed had she had in any other case. But she had opportunities for observation of the Carlyon family that neither he nor Monk possessed. And it had been she who had brought him the case in the first place and enlisted his help. She was owed some information as to the conclusion-if indeed there was a conclusion. Monk had sent him a message that he had incontrovertible evidence which he must share, so it was unquestionably a decisive point.

Apart from that, he felt a wish that she should be included, and he chose not to examine the cause of it. Therefore at ten minutes before eight on the evening of May 14, he was awaiting their arrival with uncharacteristic nervousness. He was sure he was concealing it perfectly, and yet it was there, once or twice a flutter in his stomach, a very slight tightening of his throat, and several changed decisions as to what he intended to say. He had chosen to receive them in his home rather than his office, because in the office time was precious and he would feel compelled simply to hear the bare outlines of what Monk had learned, and not to question him more deeply and to explore his understanding and his instinct. At home there was all evening, and no sense of haste, or of time being money.