Philip Lombard murmured beneath his breath:
«The court will now adjourn…»
Chapter 10
I
«Do you believe it?» Vera asked.
She and Philip Lombard sat on the windowsill of the living-room. Outside the rain poured down and the wind howled in great shuddering gusts against the window-panes.
Philip Lombard cocked his head slightly on one side before answering. Then he said:
«You mean, do I believe that old Wargrave is right when he says it’s one of us?»
«Yes.»
Philip Lombard said slowly: «It’s difficult to say. Logically, you know, he’s right, and yet —»
Vera took the words out of his mouth.
«And yet it seems so incredible!»
Philip Lombard made a grimace.
«The whole thing’s incredible! But after Macarthur’s death there’s no more doubt as to one thing. There’s no question now of accidents or suicides. It’s definitely murder. Three murders up to date.»
Vera shivered. She said:
«It’s like some awful dream. I keep feeling that things like this can’t happen!»
He said with understanding: «I know. Presently a tap will come on the door, and early morning tea will be brought in.»
Vera said: «Oh, how I wish that could happen!»
Philip Lombard said gravely: «Yes, but it won’t! We’re all in the dream! And we’ve got to be pretty much upon our guard from now on.»
Vera said, lowering her voice: «If – if it is one of them – which do you think it is?»
Philip Lombard grinned suddenly. He said:
«I take it you are excepting our two selves? Well, that’s all right. I know very well that I’m not the murderer, and I don’t fancy that there’s anything insane about you, Vera. You strike me as being one of the sanest and most level-headed girls I’ve come across. I’d stake my reputation on your sanity.»
With a slightly wry smile, Vera said: «Thank you.»
He said: «Come now, Miss Vera Claythorne, aren’t you going to return the compliment?»
Vera hesitated a minute, then she said:
«You’ve admitted, you know, that you don’t hold human life particularly sacred, but all the same I can’t see you as – as the man who dictated that gramophone record.»
Lombard said: «Quite right. If I were to commit one or more murders it would be solely for what I could get out of them. This mass clearance isn’t my line of country. Good, then we’ll eliminate ourselves and concentrate on our five fellow prisoners. Which of them is U. N. Owen? Well, at a guess, and with absolutely nothing to go upon, I’d plump for Wargrave!»
«Oh!» Vera sounded surprised. She thought a minute or two and then said, «Why?»
«Hard to say exactly. But to begin with, he’s an old man and he’s been presiding over courts of law for years. That is to say, he’s played God Almighty for a good many months every year. That must go to a man’s head eventually. He gets to see himself as all powerful, as holding the power of life and death – and it’s possible that his brain might snap and he might want to go one step farther and be Executioner and Judge Extraordinary.»
Vera said slowly: «Yes, I suppose that’s possible…»
Lombard said: «Who do you plump for?»
Without any hesitation Vera answered: