“This creature began by saying—I can hardly bring myself to repeat it—”
“Yes, yes,” said Melchett encouragingly.
“ ‘ You are a wicked scandal-mongering old woman! ’ Me, Colonel Melchett—a scandal-mongering old woman. ‘ But this time you’ve gone too far. Scotland Yard are after you for libel. ’ ”
“Naturally, you were alarmed,” said Melchett, biting his moustache to conceal a smile.
“ ‘ Unless you hold your tongue in future, it will be the worse for you—in more ways than one. ’ I can’t describe to you the menacing way that was said. I gasped, ‘Who are you?’ faintly—like that, and the voice answered, ‘ The Avenger .’ I gave a little shriek. It sounded so awful, and then—the person laughed. Laughed! Distinctly. And that was all. I heard them hang up the receiver. Of course I asked the exchange what number had been ringing me up, but they said they didn’t know. You know what exchanges are. Thoroughly rude and unsympathetic.”
“Quite,” I said.
“I felt quite faint,” continued Mrs. Price Ridley. “All on edge and so nervous that when I heard a shot in the woods, I do declare I jumped almost out of my skin. That will show you.”
“A shot in the woods?” said Inspector Slack alertly.
“In my excited state, it simply sounded to me like a cannon going off. ‘Oh!’ I said, and sank down on the sofa in a state of prostration. Clara had to bring me a glass of damson gin.”
“Shocking,” said Melchett. “Shocking. All very trying for you. And the shot sounded very loud, you say? As though it were near at hand?”
“That was simply the state of my nerves.”