Have His Carcase

Wimsey was silent, but when he had got rid of Sally Hardy, he drew out of his pocket a small leaflet entitled,’ ‘Tide Tables’, and studied it carefully.

‘I thought so,’ he said.

He took a piece of paper and wrote out a schedule of Things to be noted and Things. to be Done under the name of William Bright; It embodied the substance of Bright’s story and of the conversation with the police; but the left hand column ended with this observations

‘He states that the tide, lapping against the Esplanade, seemed to call him in a very convincing and poetic manner. But at midnight on Tuesday, 16 June the tide was not lapping against the Esplanade. It was the extreme bottom of the ebb.’

And in the right-hand column he wrote: ‘Keep an eye on him.’

After a little more thought, he took a fresh sheet of paper and wrote a letter to Chief — Inspector Parker of Scotland Yard, asking for information about Bolshevik agents. One never could tell. Queer things have happened before this — queerer things even than Bolshevik conspiracies. Incidentally, he mentioned Mr Haviland Martin and his banking account. Parker, with the Bolsheviks as an excuse, might find ways and means to unlock even a bank-manager’s lips. Superintendent Glaisher might not like this horning in on his province but Parker had married Lord Peter’s sister, and may not a man write a private letter to his own brotherin-law?

Chapter XV. The Evidence Of The Ladylove And The Landlady

‘You are an adept in these chamber-passions,

And have a heart that’s Cupid’s, arrow-cushion

Worn out with use.’

— Death’s Jest-Book

‘What’s this? Did you not see a white convulsion

Run through his cheek and fling his eyelids up?

There’s mischief in the paper.’

— Fragment

Tuesday, 23 June

IN THE meantime, Harriet’s novel was not getting along very well. Not only was there the tiresomeness about the town-clock — or ought it to be called the Tolbooth clock? — but also she had arrived at the point where, according to the serial editor who was paying for the first rights, the heroine and the detective’s friend were expected to indulge in a spot of love-making. Now, a person whose previous experience of love has been disappointing, and who has just been through a harassing scene with another suitor and is, further, busily engaged in investigating the rather sordid love-affairs of a third party who has been brought to a violent and blood-boltered end, is in no mood to sit down and deal competently with the raptures of two innocents holding hands in a rosegarden. Harriet shook her head impatiently, and plunged into her distasteful task.

‘I say, Betty, I’m afraid you must think I’m a pretty average sort of idiot’

‘But I don’t think you’re an idiot at all, you idiot.’

Would even the readers of the Daily Message think that amusing?? Harriet feared not. Well, better get on with it. The girl would’ have to say something encouraging now, or the stammering young imbecile would never: come to the, point.

‘I think it’s perfectly wonderful that you should be doing all this to help me.’

Here she was, remorselessly binding this hideous load of gratitude on the unfortunate girl But Betty and Jack were a pair of hypocrites, anyway, because they both knew perfectly well that Robert Templeton was doing all the work. However.

‘As if there was anything in the world I wouldn’t try and do for you — Betty!’

‘Well, Jack?’

‘Betty darling I suppose you couldn’t possibly—’

Harriet came to the conclusion that she couldn’t — not possibly. She picked up the telephone, got put through to Telegrams, and dictated a brief, snappy message to her longsuffering agent, ‘Tell Bootle I absolutely refuse induce love interest Vane.’

After that she felt better, but the novel was perfectly impossible. Wasn’t there anything else she could — do? Yes. She again seized the telephone and put an inquiry through to the office. Was it possible to get into touch with M. Antoine?

The management seemed quite used to putting clients in touch with M. Antoine. They had a telephone number which ought to find him. It did: Could M. Antoine put Miss Vane in touch with Miss Leila Garland and Mr da Soto? Certainly. Nothing was more simple. Mr da Soto was

playing at the. Winter Gardens, and the morning concert would be just finishing. Miss Garland would probably be joining him for lunch. In any case, Antoine would charge, himself with all that and would, if Miss Vane desired it, call for her and accompany her to the Winter Gardens: It was most good of M. Antoine. On the contrary, it was a pleasure, in a quarter of an hour’s time. then? Parfaitement.