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The party followed the Commissaire along the drive to the coach-house. "We will have the car brought out," said Hanaud to Servettaz. It was a big and powerful machine with a limousine body, luxuriously fitted and cushioned in the shade of light grey. The outside panels of the car were painted a dark grey.
"It is green chiffon," said Hanaud. "And the frock in which Mlle. Celie went away was of green chiffon over satin. Yes, Mlle. Celie travelled in this car." He hurried to the driver's seat. Upon the floor there was some dark mould. Hanaud cleaned it off with his knife and held some of it in the palm of his hand. He turned to Servettaz.
He put it aside with a superb indifference to the opinion which his companions might form of him. "Ah, yes," he said, carelessly. "Since the car is gone, as you say, that is so." And he turned again to Servettaz. "It was a powerful car?" he asked. "Sixty horse-power," said Servettaz. Hanaud turned to the Commissaire. "You have the number and description, I suppose?
He alone seemed to feel no disappointment at Perrichet's oversight. Ricardo was a little touchy on the subject of his personal appearance, and bridled visibly. Hanaud turned towards Servettaz. "Now," he said, "you know how much petrol was taken from the garage?" "Yes, monsieur." "Can you tell me, by the amount which has been used, how far that car was driven last night?" Hanaud asked.
"Yes, monsieur." "Then Mlle. Celie had spoken to you before about this visit of yours to Chambery," said Hanaud, with his eyes fixed steadily upon the chauffeur's face. The distress upon Servettaz's face increased. Suddenly Hanaud's voice rang sharply. "You hesitate. Begin at the beginning. Speak the truth, Servettaz!" "Monsieur, I am speaking the truth," said the chauffeur.
The scrap of chiffon was torn off, no doubt, when the women finally left the car, and therefore not noticed, or that, too, would have been removed. That the exterior of the car was dirty betrayed nothing, for Servettaz had left it uncleaned." Hanaud leaned back and, step by step, related the journey of the car.
"Servettaz," he said, "you will answer any questions which monsieur may put to you." "Certainly, M. le Commissaire," said the chauffeur. His manner was serious, but he answered readily. There was no sign of fear upon his face. "How long have you been with Mme. Dauvray?" Hanaud asked. "Four months, monsieur. I drove her to Aix from Paris."
"There is a train back which reaches Aix at nine o'clock," she said, "so we need not spoil Servettaz' holiday." "His parents will be expecting him," Helene Vauquier added. Accordingly Servettaz left for Chambery by the 1.50 train from Aix; and later on in the afternoon Mme. Dauvray and Celia went by train to Annecy.
It was Celia Harland who arranged that Servettaz, the chauffeur, should be absent at Chambery on the Tuesday night the night of the murder. It was Celia Harland who bought the cord with which Mme. Dauvray was strangled and Helene Vauquier bound. The footsteps outside the salon show that Celia Harland ran from the salon to the motor-car.
The petrol is taken from tins which Servettaz might never have touched for a fortnight, and by that time he might, as he said, have forgotten whether he had not used them himself. I had this possibility in my mind when I put the questions to Servettaz about the petrol which the Commissaire thought so stupid. The utmost care is taken that there shall be no mould left on the floor of the carriage.
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