The Seven Dials Mystery - Agatha Christie [55]
Loraine came obediently. The Superintendent had produced a large, clean pocket-handkerchief and was neatly bandaging the wounded man’s arm. Loraine helped him.
‘He’ll be all right,’ said the Superintendent. ‘Don’t you worry. As many lives as cats, these young fellows. It wasn’t the loss of blood knocked him out either. He must have caught his head a crack on the floor as he fell.’
Outside, the knocking on the door had become tremendous. The voice of George Lomax, furiously upraised, came loud and distinct:
‘Who is in there? Open the door at once.’
Superintendent Battle sighed.
‘I suppose we shall have to,’ he said. ‘A pity.’
His eyes darted round, taking in the scene. An automatic lay by Jimmy’s side. The Superintendent picked it up gingerly, holding it very delicately, and examined it. He grunted and laid it on the table. Then he stepped across and unlocked the door.
Several people fell into the room. Nearly everybody said something at the same minute. George Lomax, spluttering with obdurate words which refused to come with sufficient fluency, exclaimed:
‘The–the–the meaning of this? Ah! It’s you, Superintendent; what’s happened? I say–what has–happened?’
Bill Eversleigh said; ‘My God! Old Jimmy!’ and stared at the limp figure on the ground.
Lady Coote, clad in a resplendent purple dressing gown, cried out: ‘The poor boy!’ and swept past Superintendent Battle to bend over the prostrate Jimmy in a motherly fashion.
Bundle said: ‘Loraine!’
Herr Eberhard said: ‘Gott im Himmel!’ and other words of that nature.
Sir Stanley Digby said: ‘My God, what’s all this?’
A housemaid said: ‘Look at the blood,’ and screamed with pleasurable excitement.
A footman said: ‘Lor!’
The butler said, with a good deal more bravery in his manner than had been noticeable a few minutes earlier: ‘Now then, this won’t do!’ and waved away under servants.
The efficient Mr Rupert Bateman said to George: ‘Shall we get rid of some of these people, sir?’
Then they all took fresh breath.
‘Incredible!’ said George Lomax. ‘Battle, what has happened?’
Battle gave him a look, and George’s discreet habits assumed their usual way.
‘Now then,’ he said, moving to the door, ‘everyone go back to bed, please. There’s been a–er–’
‘A little accident,’ said Superintendent Battle easily.
‘A–er–an accident. I shall be much obliged if everyone will go back to bed.’
Everyone was clearly reluctant to do so.
‘Lady Coote–please–’
‘The poor boy,’ said Lady Coote in a motherly fashion.
She rose from a kneeling position with great reluctance. And as she did so, Jimmy stirred and sat up.
‘Hallo!’ he said thickly. ‘What’s the matter?’
He looked round him vacantly for a minute or two and then intelligence returned to his eye.
‘Have you got him? he demanded eagerly.
‘Got who?’
‘The man. Climbed down the ivy. I was by the window there. Grabbed him and we had no end of a set-to–’
‘One of those nasty, murderous cat burglars,’ said Lady Coote. ‘Poor boy.’
Jimmy was looking round him.
‘I say–I’m afraid we–er–have made rather a mess of things. Fellow was as strong as an ox and we went fairly waltzing round.’
The condition of the room was clear proof of this statement. Everything light and breakable within a range of twelve feet that could be broken had been broken.
‘And what happened then?’
But Jimmy was looking round for something.
‘Where’s Leopold? The pride of the blue-nosed automatics?’
Battle indicated the pistol on the table.
‘Is this yours, Mr Thesiger?’
‘That’s right. That’s little Leopold. How many shots have been fired?’
‘One shot.’
Jimmy looked chagrined.
‘I’m disappointed in Leopold,’ he murmured. ‘I can’t have pressed the button properly, or he’d have gone on shooting.’
‘Who shot first?’
‘I did, I’m afraid,’ said Jimmy. ‘You see, the man twisted himself out of my grasp suddenly. I saw him making for the window and I closed my finger down on Leopold and let him have it. He turned in the window and fired at me and–well, I suppose after that I took the count.’
He rubbed his head rather ruefully.
But Sir