Death at Breakfast. John Rhode

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СКАЧАТЬ found favour with his superiors and now occupied a room of his own at the Yard. Although not yet entrusted with cases of the first importance, he had more than once made himself useful as an assistant to men of greater experience. Hanslet in particular found him a very useful collaborator.

      Jimmy was the finished product of Cambridge and the Metropolitan Police College. To his relatively high standard of education, he added an intense enthusiasm for the profession which he had adopted. He thoroughly enjoyed police work, especially that part of it which dealt with the detection of crime. Already he had learnt to combine the experience of the older members of the Force with a certain natural ability for differentiating between the false and the true.

      The arrival of Janet Harleston, escorted by the imperturbable Carling, afforded him no surprise. Hanslet was given to issuing instructions without adding any explanation. His duty was to entertain this girl, without the slightest knowledge of the why or wherefore. She was obviously under the influence of some strong emotion, but what it was Jimmy found himself unable to discover. She seemed to think that Jimmy knew what had happened and their conversation was, at first, not very explicit.

      But it soon transpired that her most pressing desire was to communicate with her brother Philip. Jimmy offered her every assistance and assisted her to compile a telegram. In its final form this read as follows:

      ‘Harleston, Hart’s Farm, Lassingford. Victor dead very sudden come at once to Scotland Yard.

      JANET.’

      This telegram was despatched at once and while awaiting the reply Jimmy set himself to study his unexpected visitor.

      He soon made up his mind that whatever emotion it was that gripped her it was not profound grief. She neither wept, nor showed that frozen look so often produced by a sudden bereavement. The death of Victor had not touched her heart, of that Jimmy felt pretty certain. Was she suffering from remorse? Possibly, but Jimmy thought not. It seemed to him rather that she was puzzled—profoundly puzzled. And perhaps, as the occasional flick of her eyelids seemed to suggest, she was relieved.

      She displayed no desire to talk about what had happened at Matfield Street. Indeed, after her first nervousness due to her unfamiliar surroundings had left her, she showed no disposition to talk at all. Jimmy tried her on two or three subjects but obtained no response. In the end they relapsed into a rather uncomfortable silence.

      All at once she spoke abruptly, as though her thoughts had taken a practical turn.

      ‘Oh, I ought to let Mr Mowbray know at once,’ she exclaimed.

      ‘Mr Mowbray?’ inquired Jimmy politely.

      ‘Yes, he’s our lawyer. He’ll have to see to things, won’t he?’

      It struck Jimmy that Mr Mowbray might have more to see to than the girl realised.

      ‘Where does he live?’ he asked.

      ‘In Lincoln’s Inn. Perhaps you could telephone to him for me.’

      Jimmy hesitated. If he were to telephone the lawyer, he would almost certainly come round to the Yard at once and insist upon interviewing his client. This might not conform to Hanslet’s wishes. Jimmy had already learnt that under certain circumstances, detectives do not welcome lawyers. The latter had a way of seeing further than their clients. They would suggest a refusal to answer certain questions, or even object that those questions should not be put. Hanslet would probably turn up sooner or later to interview this girl, and he might not be best pleased if he found her under the protection of her lawyer. So, on the whole, Jimmy thought it best to temporise.

      ‘I think it would be better not to telephone,’ he said. ‘Telephone messages are so apt to be misunderstood. Besides, Mr Mowbray might not be in his office. Suppose you write him a note and I’ll have it sent round at once?’

      She wrote a note, Jimmy contriving to overlook her as she did so. It was very brief, stating merely that Victor had died suddenly that morning and that she was going down to stay with Philip. It did not seem to occur to her to mention that the police were already in charge of the matter.

      She gave the envelope to Jimmy, who left the room with it. He found a messenger and handed over the note to him with instructions that it was not to be delivered until three o’clock that afternoon. Then he returned to Janet, who had once more relapsed into silence.

      He was greatly relieved when, shortly before eleven o’clock, he was summoned to Hanslet’s room. The superintendent welcomed him with a grin.

      ‘Well Jimmy, how are you getting on with that charming young woman I sent you?’ he asked.

      ‘Oh, pretty well, so far,’ replied Jimmy cheerfully. ‘She’s not exactly communicative, and I haven’t got any information out of her. Here are the copies of the only two messages she has sent so far.’

      Hanslet looked at these and nodded. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I know something about Philip, but who’s this fellow Mowbray in Lincoln’s Inn?’

      ‘Her lawyer. But I’ve taken steps to see that he doesn’t get that message till this afternoon.’

      Hanslet laughed. ‘You’re a bright lad, Jimmy,’ he said approvingly. ‘I think I’ll go and see this Mr Mowbray before he gets the message. Now, sit down and I’ll tell you what it’s all about.’

      Jimmy listened with interest to his superior’s story. At its conclusion he said nothing for a few moments, then:

      ‘This girl doesn’t look to me like a murderess.’ he exclaimed.

      Hanslet fixed him with a critical eye. ‘If you can tell by inspection whether a woman is a murderess or not, you’ll be a valuable acquisition to the Force,’ he said. ‘There doesn’t seem to be a shadow of doubt about it. They were alone in the house, the poison was found in her room. And yet, Jimmy, my lad, in spite of everything that stares me in the face, I don’t believe she did it.’

      This was a remarkable admission for Hanslet. He seemed to realise this, for he added hastily, ‘Don’t let that go any further, Jimmy. It’s merely the expression of my private opinion. A man would never have left all that damning evidence lying about. But in the case of a woman, you never can tell. She may have lost her head when she saw the effect of the poison upon her brother. Poison is all very well in theory, but it’s a nasty, sticky business in practice. I dare say she didn’t realise the unpleasantness involved. Her first instinct was to run for the doctor, and as soon as he appeared on the scene it was too late for her to do anything to cover her tracks.’

      ‘I wasn’t thinking so much of the evidence as of her state of mind,’ said Jimmy.

      ‘State of mind! What do you know of her state of mind? She’s probably been thinking a hell of a lot since it happened. I feel almost sorry for her, though. It’s a clear case of either murder or suicide. There’s no possibility of death having been accidental. And, if it was murder, she is the only possible culprit.’

      Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of Hanslet’s telephone bell. The expected Philip Harleston had arrived, and was asking for his sister Janet. Hanslet winked knowingly towards Jimmy.

      ‘Here’s the third party,’ he said. Then turning towards the telephone, ‘All right, bring him in here.’

      It was not long before Philip Harleston appeared. He was a fresh-faced, rather simple looking СКАЧАТЬ