In the Best Families

Except for fifteen minutes alone with Con Noonan, I spent the first two hours in the big living-room where we had looked at television, having for company the members of the family, the guests, five members of the domestic staff, and two or more officers of the law. It wasn't a bit jolly. Two of the female servants wept intermittently. Barry Rackham walked up and down, sitting occasionally and then starting up again, speaking to no one. Oliver Pierce and Lina Darrow sat on a couch conversing in undertones, spasmodically, with him doing most of the talking. Dana Hammond, the banker, was jumpy. Mostly he sat slumped, with his chin down and his eyes closed, but now and then he would arise slowly as if something hurt and go to say something to one of the others, usually Annabel or

Leeds. Leeds had been getting a blaze started in the fireplace when I was ushered in, and it continued to be his chief concern. He got the fire so hot that Annabel moved away, to the other side of the room. She was the quietest of them, but from the way she kept her jaw clamped I guessed that it wasn't because she was the least moved.

One by one they were escorted from the room for a private talk and brought back again. It was when my turn came, not long after I had arrived, that I found

Lieutenant Noonan was around. He was in a smaller room down the hall, seated at a table, looking harassed. No doubt life was hard for him-born with the instincts of a Hitler or Stalin in a country where people are determined to do their own voting. The dick who took me in motioned me to a chair across the table.

“You again, Noonan said.

I nodded. “That's exactly what I was thinking. I haven't seen you since the time

I didn't run my car over Louis Rony.

I didn't expect him to wince, and he didn't. “You're here investigating that dog poisoning at Hillside Kennels.

I had no comment.

“Weren't you? he snapped. “If you're answering questions.

“Oh, I beg your pardon. I didn't know it was a question. It sounded more like a statement.

“You are investigating the dog poisoning?

“I started to. I spent an hour at it there with Leeds, before we came here to dinner.

“So he said. Make any progress?

“Nothing remarkable. For one thing, I had onlookers, which is no help. Mrs Frey and Mr Hammond.

“Did you all come over here together?

“No. Leeds and I came about an hour after Mrs Frey and Mr Hammond left.

“Did you drive?

“Walked. He walked and I ran.

“You ran? Why?

“To keep up with him.