“I was born—” began Anne.
“Of poor but honest parents,” Rhoda put in.
Superintendent Battle held up a slightly reproving hand.
“Now, now, young lady,” he said.
“Rhoda, darling,” said Anne gravely. “It’s serious, this.”
“Sorry,” said Rhoda.
“Now, Miss Meredith, you were born—where?”
“At Quetta, in India.”
“Ah, yes. Your people were Army folk?”
“Yes—my father was Major John Meredith. My mother died when I was eleven. Father retired when I was fifteen and went to live in Cheltenham. He died when I was eighteen and left practically no money.”
Battle nodded his head sympathetically.
“Bit of a shock to you, I expect.”
“It was, rather. I always knew that we weren’t well off, but to find there was practically nothing—well, that’s different.”
“What did you do, Miss Meredith?”
“I had to take a job. I hadn’t been particularly well educated and I wasn’t clever. I didn’t know typing or shorthand, or anything. A friend in Cheltenham found me a job with friends of hers—two small boys home in the holidays, and general help in the house.”
“Name, please?”
“That was Mrs. Eldon, The Larches, Ventnor. I stayed there for two years, and then the Eldons went abroad. Then I went to a Mrs. Deering.”
“My aunt,” put in Rhoda.
“Yes, Rhoda got me the job. I was very happy. Rhoda used to come and stay sometimes, and we had great fun.”
“What were you there—companion?”
“Yes—it amounted to that.”
“More like undergardener,” said Rhoda.
She explained:
“My Aunt Emily is just mad on gardening. Anne spent most of her time weeding or putting in bulbs.”
“And you left Mrs. Deering?”
“Her health got worse, and she had to have a regular nurse.”
“She’s got cancer,” said Rhoda. “Poor darling, she has to have morphia and things like that.”
“She had been very kind to me. I was very sorry to go,” went on Anne.
“I was looking about for a cottage,” said Rhoda, “and wanting someone to share it with me. Daddy’s married again—not my sort at all. I asked Anne to come here with me, and she’s been here ever since.”
“Well, that certainly seems a most blameless life,” said Battle. “Let’s just get the dates clear. You were with Mrs. Eldon two years, you say. By the way, what is her address now?”