my dear?” Sir Rowland asked her with concern in his voice.
Clarissa turned to address them all. “Darlings,” she cried, “you've got to help me.”
Jeremy noticed the table with the playing cards spread out on it. “Looks like a bridge party,” he observed gaily.
“You're being very melodramatic, Clarissa,” Hugo contributed. “What are you up to, young woman?”
Clarissa clutched Sir Rowland. “It's serious,” she insisted. “Terribly serious. You will help me, won't you?”
“Of course we'll help you, Clarissa,” Sir Rowland assured her, “but what's it all about?”
“Yes, come on, what is it this time?” Hugo asked somewhat wearily.
Jeremy, too, sounded unimpressed. “You're up to something, Clarissa,” he insisted. “What is it? Found a body or something?”
“That's just it,” Clarissa told him. “I have – found a body.”
“What do you mean – found a body?” Hugo asked. He sounded puzzled, but not all that interested.
“It's just as Jeremy said,” Clarissa answered him. “I came in here, and I found a body.”
Hugo gave a cursory glance around the room. “I don't know what you're talking about,” he complained. “What body? Where?”
“I'm not playing games. I'm serious,” Clarissa shouted angrily. “It's there. Go and look. Behind the sofa.” She pushed Sir Rowland towards the sofa, and moved away.
Hugo went quickly to the sofa. Jeremy followed him and leaned over the back of it. “My God, she's right,” Jeremy murmured.
Sir Rowland joined them. He and Hugo bent down to examine the body. “Why, it's Oliver Costello,” Sir Rowland exclaimed.
“God Almighty!” Jeremy exclaimed. He went quickly to the French windows and closed the curtains again.
“Yes,” said Clarissa. “It's Oliver Costello.”
“What was he doing here?” Sir Rowland asked her.
“He came this evening to talk about Pippa,” Clarissa replied. “It was just after you'd gone to the club.”
Sir Rowland looked puzzled. “What did he want with Pippa?”
“He and Miranda were threatening to take her away,” Clarissa told him. “But all that doesn't matter now. I'll tell you about it later. We have to hurry. We've got very little time.”
Sir Rowland held up a hand in warning. “Just a moment,” he instructed, coming closer to Clarissa. “We must have the facts clear. What happened when he arrived?”
Clarissa shook her head impatiently. “I told him that he and Miranda were not going to get Pippa, and he went away.”
“But he came back?”
“Obviously,” said Clarissa.
“How?” Sir Rowland asked her. “When?”
“I don't know,” Clarissa answered. “I just came into the room, as I said, and I found him – like that.” She gestured towards the sofa.
“I see,” said Sir Rowland, moving back to the body on the floor and leaning over it. “I see. Well, he's dead, all right. He's been hit over the head with something heavy and sharp.” He looked around at the others. “I'm afraid this isn't going to be a very pleasant business,” he continued, “but there's only one thing to be done.” He went across to the telephone as he spoke. “We must ring up the police and – ”
“No,” Clarissa exclaimed sharply.
Sir Rowland was already lifting the receiver. “You ought to have done it at once, Clarissa,” he advised her. “Still, I don't suppose they'll blame you much for that.”
“No, Roly, stop,” Clarissa insisted. She ran across the room, took the receiver from him, and replaced it on its rest.
“My dear child – ” Sir Rowland expostulated, but Clarissa would not let him continue.
“I could have rung up the police myself if I'd wanted to,” she admitted. “I knew perfectly well that it was the proper thing to do. I even started dialling. Then, instead, I rang you up at the club and asked you to come back here immediately, all three of you.” She turned to Jeremy and Hugo. “You haven't even asked me why yet.”
“You can leave it all
Clarissa turned to address them all. “Darlings,” she cried, “you've got to help me.”
Jeremy noticed the table with the playing cards spread out on it. “Looks like a bridge party,” he observed gaily.
“You're being very melodramatic, Clarissa,” Hugo contributed. “What are you up to, young woman?”
Clarissa clutched Sir Rowland. “It's serious,” she insisted. “Terribly serious. You will help me, won't you?”
“Of course we'll help you, Clarissa,” Sir Rowland assured her, “but what's it all about?”
“Yes, come on, what is it this time?” Hugo asked somewhat wearily.
Jeremy, too, sounded unimpressed. “You're up to something, Clarissa,” he insisted. “What is it? Found a body or something?”
“That's just it,” Clarissa told him. “I have – found a body.”
“What do you mean – found a body?” Hugo asked. He sounded puzzled, but not all that interested.
“It's just as Jeremy said,” Clarissa answered him. “I came in here, and I found a body.”
Hugo gave a cursory glance around the room. “I don't know what you're talking about,” he complained. “What body? Where?”
“I'm not playing games. I'm serious,” Clarissa shouted angrily. “It's there. Go and look. Behind the sofa.” She pushed Sir Rowland towards the sofa, and moved away.
Hugo went quickly to the sofa. Jeremy followed him and leaned over the back of it. “My God, she's right,” Jeremy murmured.
Sir Rowland joined them. He and Hugo bent down to examine the body. “Why, it's Oliver Costello,” Sir Rowland exclaimed.
“God Almighty!” Jeremy exclaimed. He went quickly to the French windows and closed the curtains again.
“Yes,” said Clarissa. “It's Oliver Costello.”
“What was he doing here?” Sir Rowland asked her.
“He came this evening to talk about Pippa,” Clarissa replied. “It was just after you'd gone to the club.”
Sir Rowland looked puzzled. “What did he want with Pippa?”
“He and Miranda were threatening to take her away,” Clarissa told him. “But all that doesn't matter now. I'll tell you about it later. We have to hurry. We've got very little time.”
Sir Rowland held up a hand in warning. “Just a moment,” he instructed, coming closer to Clarissa. “We must have the facts clear. What happened when he arrived?”
Clarissa shook her head impatiently. “I told him that he and Miranda were not going to get Pippa, and he went away.”
“But he came back?”
“Obviously,” said Clarissa.
“How?” Sir Rowland asked her. “When?”
“I don't know,” Clarissa answered. “I just came into the room, as I said, and I found him – like that.” She gestured towards the sofa.
“I see,” said Sir Rowland, moving back to the body on the floor and leaning over it. “I see. Well, he's dead, all right. He's been hit over the head with something heavy and sharp.” He looked around at the others. “I'm afraid this isn't going to be a very pleasant business,” he continued, “but there's only one thing to be done.” He went across to the telephone as he spoke. “We must ring up the police and – ”
“No,” Clarissa exclaimed sharply.
Sir Rowland was already lifting the receiver. “You ought to have done it at once, Clarissa,” he advised her. “Still, I don't suppose they'll blame you much for that.”
“No, Roly, stop,” Clarissa insisted. She ran across the room, took the receiver from him, and replaced it on its rest.
“My dear child – ” Sir Rowland expostulated, but Clarissa would not let him continue.
“I could have rung up the police myself if I'd wanted to,” she admitted. “I knew perfectly well that it was the proper thing to do. I even started dialling. Then, instead, I rang you up at the club and asked you to come back here immediately, all three of you.” She turned to Jeremy and Hugo. “You haven't even asked me why yet.”
“You can leave it all
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