Terror by Gaslight by Edward Taylor

well, I don’t know what I’d do.’
    ‘You would still have your rabbit to console you.’ Clare’s manner was friendly but firm. ‘Now calm yourself, Harriet. Ella may have gone to find her basket. I think Mrs Butters was going to clean it. She may have put it in the scullery. Or the cellar.’
    ‘Oh. Yes. I’ll go and see.’ Harriet turned to leave, but not without a nervous warning to her sister. ‘Do be careful, Clare. We mustn’t do anything to upset Father.’ And then she was gone.
    ‘Please forgive Harriet,’ said Clare. ‘She has had a terrible shock. And her nerves are not good at the best of times.’
    ‘Of course, Miss Austin. I was foolish to think of questioning her today.’
    Then John Mason spoke up. ‘Your sister doesn’t look well, miss. I think she may have a temperature.’
    ‘Mr Mason has some experience in these matters,’ said Steele. ‘During his army career, he was at one stage a medical orderly.’
    ‘Perhaps she should see a doctor,’ Mason added.
    ‘Harriet is in the care of our family physician, Dr Frankel,’ said Clare.
    ‘Dr Frankel?’ Steele mused for a moment. ‘Another member of the Heath Association, I think.’
    ‘Yes, he’s one of our neighbours. A rather disagreeableperson, as you might expect, since he’s our father’s best friend. In fact, probably his only friend. Dr Frankel is always giving Harriet tablets and telling her to rest.’
    There was a small pause; Steele was hoping Clare might say more on the subject. But she didn’t. It was Mason who broke the silence.
    ‘Your sister is very fond of her cat.’
    ‘Yes. Ella is her special companion.’
    ‘Really?’ said Steele. ‘More so than you, Miss Austin?’
    ‘I’m afraid so. Over the years I’ve tried to establish a bond between us. But I cannot say we are really close.’
    ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ Steele had now decided on his next line of inquiry. ‘Miss Austin, another personal question if I may. You’ve told us frankly of your lack of funds. Did your unfortunate mother not leave any money?’
    ‘Whatever she left went to my father. I believe he used it to start his insurance business.’
    ‘I see. Now, as to the boating accident. You would have been too young to take in details at the time. But did you later find out any information?’
    ‘As far as I could, Major. Father would never speak of it. But there were two newspaper accounts, plus a report of the inquest. A lady at our church had cut them out, and she gave them to me when I was older.’
    ‘Ah. Good.’
    ‘I also have my mother’s diary, which records events in preceding days.’
    ‘Excellent. I wonder if I might borrow those items and study them at leisure.’
    ‘By all means. But I’m afraid it will take me some time to find them. I have not seen those things for years. All my shelves and drawers are taken up with my scribblings: notes, pieces abandoned halfway, rejected manuscripts and so on. I find it hard to keep track of personal documents.’
    ‘We plan to call here again, if we can come to terms with your father. Or even if we can’t. Our next visit will be soon enough. Now another matter, Miss Austin. Do you recall a man called Scully, who worked here briefly as a gardener?’
    For a moment, something seemed to startle the young woman. Was it just the abrupt change of topic? Steele wondered. Then she quickly regained her composure.
    ‘Scully? Yes. Yes, I do. Luke Scully. A rather wild-looking man, with a mass of red hair. And very piercing eyes, I remember.’
    Mason looked up thoughtfully. He recalled a mention in the Heath Maniac file of a man with long red hair, seen at the pub on the night James Tate died.
    Steele continued. ‘I believe he left here on bad terms?’
    ‘Yes,’ said Clare. ‘Father never liked him. Finally, he dismissed him for stealing vegetables, which he probably didn’t do.’
    As Steele digested her words, there came from somewhere upstairs a piercing scream, a single,