The Upturned Glass Page #4

the night her mother died.

Phillip will never want

to see the place again.

It's empty now.

Do you got any potted shrimps?

I'm afraid not, madam.

- Lobster cocktail?

- Yes, madam.

Would it be veryforward of me to

hope that I shall see you again?

If you'd held your breath a moment longer

I should have suggested it myself.

Well?

Well, are you free

tomorrow evening?

I'll see that I am.

Alright.

Same place, 6 o'clock,

in the bar?

- Wonderful.

- Good.

Goodnight.

Goodnight.

He decided to visit

Emma's empty house.

He had never been

inside her home,

and hefelt that

ifhe could see it

he might, in some way, find an answer

to the problem ofEmma's death.

He looked around the grounds and tried

tofind some way of getting into the house,

but there were no

windows unlatched,

and the place seemed to be completely

deserted, so he had to break in.

This was the room where Emma

hadspent her leisure hours.

Everything was just as it must

have been when she was alive.

Her piano and Ann 's.

He knew he was in Emma's room

as soon as heopened the door.

There was still thefaint

smell ofher perfume.

On the other side ofthe valley

he could see the little chapel

that Emma hadfound so charming.

Who are you?

That's what I should

be asking you.

I didn't know there

was anyone here.

No doubt you didn't,

but that's no excuse for breaking

into other people's houses

in the middle of the night.

You could be had upfor this.

Yes, I suppose I can.

Are you looking

outfor this place?

I'm the caretaker.

Did you take anything that

doesn't belong to you?

No, certainly not.

It's rather

difficult to explain.

It's just that you haven't got a

piano of your own, I suppose.

It's alright. I believe you.

No sensible burglar is going to start

practicing the piano on the job.

Did you know the lady

who owned this house?

Know her? Why I worked

for herfor ten years.

I looked after the garden.

Oh, are you the gardener who

plays the organ at the chapel?

Oh, so you know about me?

Oh, yes.

Look here, there's no point in our

standing out here in the cold.

I've got the kettle on.

Would you like a cup of tea?

There's nothing

I'd like better.

Come down to my room.

I gather that Mrs. Howard didn't take

very kindly to your organ playing.

Mrs. Howard poking her nose

into everyone's business.

Made the poor lady a nice

dance, I can tell you.

Shocking tragedy.

Ever such a nice lady.

I'm usually in

bed by this time.

If I had broken in earlier I might

have played the piano in piece.

If you'd picked the right night you could

have made yourself at home the whole evening.

Oh, really?

Yes.

I always cycle over to

my sister's on Fridays.

It kind of breaks

the monotony.

Thanksfor the information.

If I were a burglar

I could use it.

You're no burglar.

I can see that.

I knew Mrs. Wright.

I wanted to have a look at

the scene of the accident.

Accident?

There were no accident.

The coroner said it was.

And what if he did?

Does it seem likely to you that a

lady would fall out of a window

she'd been looking

out offor ten years,

a lady that was perfectly healthy and

didn't suffer from a fear of heights,

no matter what some people said at the inquest.

Help yourself to milk.

Thank you.

She's a real devil,

that Mrs. Howard.

You seem prejudice.

It's not only me. Doris

would bear me out. Sugar?

No, thank you.

And Cook.

Mrs. Howard lived herefor a time

after her husband was killed,

and she never

let Mrs. Wright alone.

Always nagging and

getting on her nerves.

Mrs. Wright was that softhearted,

she was very easily upset.

Yes, I know she was.

And then there was the

scene about the carpet.

What about the carpet?

Oh, she stole it,

Mrs. Howard did.

Stole a carpet?

Mrs. Wright let on she gave it to her

just to save Mrs. Howard's face,

but we know different.

They say Mrs. Howard

got a tidy sumfor it.

Did she?

I imagine Mrs. Howard

is very well-off.

Oh, she had a lot of

money by her husband, but

that didn't stop

her trying to get more.

Have another cup?

No, thank you very much.

I must be moving.

Yes, tried to get me the sack just because

she didn't like my organ playing.

Are youfond of singing?

It's a long time

since I have sung.

If you want to know what I

think, Mrs. Howard pushed her.

Oh, I'm sure that's not true.

She could do it.

But the maid said at the inquest that Mrs.

Howard left the house before it happened.

Doris would want to keep it

darkfor Mr. Wright's sake.

Well,for Mrs. Howard's

sake I hope you're wrong.

Atfirst he found it hard to

credit the caretaker's accession.

But later, as he got

to knowKateHoward,

he couldn 't entirely

dismiss the idea.

She was a hard,

self-centered, brittle woman,

and it did seem

just possible that

she had had something to do

with her sister-in-law's death.

KateHoward was

delighted with his attentions

and only too pleased

to talk about herself.

Sheappeared to be a

woman with a grudge.

First ofall, when she had

wanted to be a singer

her parents had refused to

pay for her training.

Her husband had been

equally uncooperative.

From the way shespoke ofhim

one would have thought that

he'd chosen to die young solely in

order to keep her short ofmoney.

And then there was

her brother, Phillip.

She had always resented the fact that he

had the lion 's share ofherfamily's money.

There was so many things she'd have liked

to do with her life, she kept telling him.

He tried to draw her out on

the subject ofEmmaWright,

but here, she was

much more reticent.

Ah, but she didfinally come out

with an interesting statement.

Emma had a lover.

No, but that's not true.

That surprises you, I suppose.

How did you know?

She told me.

Did she tell you

who the man was?

No.

I suppose I shouldn't have talked

about her now that she's dead.

Still, you asked, and now you know why I

say that Ann was better off without her.

Where's Ann going to live?

With me.

With you?

Oh, don't look so shocked.

I can't exactly picture

you looking after a child.

Oh, don't be so sure of that.

I'mfull of unfulfilled

maternal instincts.

Are you?

No.

I've arrangedfor her to

go to boarding school.

I don't expect to hear of her

again 'til the summer holidays.

Come and sit down over here.

You're such a long way away.

Is her father satisfied

with this arrangement?

Oh, yes, he cabled me

to make a homefor her.

Would you call sending her

to school making her a home?

Now, don't you start on me.

I've had quite enough

trouble from Ann.

She wants to go down and

stay with Emma's mother.

Phillip wants her to be brought

up by someone younger, hence me.

I see. When does she

start her school?

Monday.

I've got her coming to town tomorrow to

get her teeth fixed before she goes.

Sickening responsibility, but

still, it can't be helped.

I presume your trouble will

not go entirely un-rewarded.

Oh, no.

Phillip's making me an

allowance to take care of her.

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