What Breaks A Detective.

Chapter 14

Smart was, sadly, incapacitated with a chill for the next five days. Quinne elected to look after his brother, and Carmen, Newham or Arthman visited them in Quinne's flat every day. All four of them were worried by the Detective Inspector's constant proclamations of murder.

"I'll allow you out of bed tomorrow" Quinne reasoned, on the fourth day. "If you've got an idea, we can test it out then."

"I need you to gather people together" Smart had said, through a blocked nose. "I need answers from a lot of them. I need Arthman and Dr. Scott and Fisher. I've got questions for two of them, and we can't leave the other out. I need Newham, and I need him to bring that knife from his chest. I need Hettie Broker from Kent, as soon as can be arranged. I need Isabel Winter desperately. She's the key to all of this. And I need Rosamund. She's not told us everything she knows..." He just got to the end of his sentence before dissolving into a storm of sneezing. Quinne rolled his eyes and went to telephone Bentley in Scotland Yard.

The following morning, armed with his newfound knowledge, Quinne by his side to keep the peace, and a colossal box of tissues, Smart entered his office to find everyone he had asked for waiting patiently for him, Carmen and Barnes also, hovering quietly in the corner.

Hettie Broker looked much better, although still quite thin, she had more colour in her cheeks than she had when Smart had seen her last, and she smiled briefly at him as he entered from one of his armchairs. Fisher and Isabel looked concerned, the latter sitting on Smart's other armchair, the former perched on the arm. Smart assumed they had also heard about his murder proclamations, and didn't blame them for looking the way they did. Dr. Scott also had a chair, and he was deep in his own thoughts. Newham and Arthman were in quiet conversation by the bookcase, and Smart could see the scarily sharp knife in Newham's hand. Rosamund was relaxed on Smart's desk chair, and as he had entered she had leant forward curiously to study him.

Quinne backed off, to give his brother some space. The room was now eerily quiet. Everyone was watching Smart.

"Right" the Detective Inspector began, a little hesitantly. "As hopefully all of you know, I have an idea. It's a pretty wild idea, but it's an idea all the same. I need you all here to answer my questions as honestly and as truthfully as you can, because I still hold to the truth that a very cleverly disguised murder may have occurred."

There was a moment of severe drama, and it was broken by Smart himself, with a rather explosive sneeze.

"I also have a chill" he carried on "due to an unfortunate swim in the Thames, through no fault of my own. So I'm afraid you'll all have to be patient with me."

Arthman snorted into giggles. Smart smiled briefly at him, before sneezing violently once again.

"I'll start with you, Fisher, if you don't mind" the Detective Inspector said briskly, turning quickly to the wiry young Inspector, who looked a little nervous.

"I need you to tell us all, now, what you actually saw when you and Allie went to Newham's flat, before she died" Smart ordered firmly. "I've heard the whole story, from multiple people. I know Allie thought you saw something you're not telling."

Fisher sniffed, his nose twitching. Smart glared him down, and he gave in.

"I...I did see the g-girl's face" he stammered. "I-It was Allie's face. B-But I thought it was mad, and I-I didn't think I-Isabel would want to know, e-even though A-Allie told me...in her letter that she would."

"It was me" Rosamund chipped in, sounding a little cheesed off. "I was coming to find you. To help..."

"Shush, Rosie. I know" Smart snapped, before sneezing explosively once again. Carmen chuckled. Smart glared at him.