They Found Him Dead Read online

  ‘Hullo, Adrian!’ said Jim, stepping forward to greet the new-comer. ‘Where on earth did you spring from? I thought you were in Scotland!’

  Eight

  Sir Adrian Harte paid the taxi-driver, saw his suitcases safely in the hands of Pritchard, who had appeared as if by magic at the sound of an approaching car, and walked into the house beside his stepson. ‘My dear boy, in this weather?’ he asked plaintively.

  Jim, no fisherman, apologised. ‘I forgot. When did you get back to town?’

  ‘Yesterday evening,’ replied Sir Adrian, ‘I thought I had better come down and see what was happening here.’ He put his monocle into his eye, and glanced at Jim with a pained, faintly inquiring expression. ‘Rather unusual, isn’t it?’

  ‘It is a bit, sir,’ said Jim. ‘Not altogether pleasant, either.’

  ‘Ah, no, I dare say not!’ agreed Sir Adrian. ‘I have never been mixed up in a murder case myself, but I imagine the situation must be very disagreeable. A pity you should have been here at the time. I don’t know what your mother will say.’

  ‘How is mother?’ asked Jim. ‘Have you had any news of her?’

  ‘No,’ said Sir Adrian, preceding him into the library, ‘not a word. I wondered whether you might not have had a letter.’

  ‘Nothing since the card she sent from that illegible address. What do you suppose can have happened to her?’

  ‘I’ve no idea,’ replied Sir Adrian. ‘If your mother were not such an erratic letter-writer, I should consider it really rather disturbing. However, I’ve no doubt there is some perfectly ordinary explanation for her silence.’ He sank into a chair. ‘Well, my dear boy, you had better tell me all about it. I imagine you are not, at the moment, in a very enviable position.’

  ‘No, not entirely,’ said Jim. ‘The evidence all seems to point my way. I don’t think the police can bring themselves to believe that I really had no idea I was the next heir.’

  ‘I confess I was rather surprised that you were apparently ignorant of the fact,’ remarked Sir Adrian.

  ‘Did you know, sir?’

  ‘Oh yes; I’m sure your mother told me the rights of it years ago. If it is not a vulgar question, how much do you inherit?’

  ‘I’m not altogether sure. Cousin Silas left close on a quarter of a million, but the death duties are colossal.’

  ‘I expect there will be enough left for your simple needs,’ said Sir Adrian.

  Jim grinned. ‘More than enough, I should think. But my needs aren’t going to be quite so simple in the future. I’m engaged to be married.’

  Sir Adrian looked mildly surprised. ‘Dear me, are you? I don’t think you mentioned that in your letter, did you?’

  ‘No, I didn’t think it went well, cheek by jowl with the announcement of Clement’s death.’

  ‘Ah, artistic discrimination! Have I the pleasure of knowing the lady?’

  ‘Rather, sir! It’s Patricia Allison, Aunt Emily’s companion.’

  Sir Adrian frowned slightly. ‘I don’t think I’ve met her.’

  ‘Yes, you have, Adrian, the last time you were here.’

  ‘If you say so, no doubt it is so. I find, as I grow older, that people make very little impression on me. Is this what your mother would consider a suitable alliance?’

  ‘Very much so, I assure you.’

  ‘I feel sure you know your own business best,’ said Sir Adrian. ‘By the way, didn’t I send Timothy here?’

  ‘You did, and he’s very much here.’

  ‘Yes, I thought I did. I couldn’t recall, when I got back to town, what arrangements I had made, but it occurred to me on the train that I must have sent him here. To turn to more important matters, have you come across old Mr Kane’s stamp collection?’

  ‘No, had he got one?’

  ‘My dear Jim!’ – Sir Adrian sounded genuinely shocked – ‘he had a unique collection. I have on more than one occasion offered to buy at least three of the specimens from Silas, who, I may say, had no feeling for them other than a purely Kane desire to hold fast to his possessions. I will buy them from you, if you like to sell.’

  ‘Good Lord, Adrian, you can have the whole collection, if you want it! It doesn’t mean a thing to me.’

  ‘I shan’t impose on your innocence as much as that,’ replied Sir Adrian with a faint smile.

  The door opened at this moment to admit Timothy, who bounced in, saying: ‘I say, Jim, I’ve asked Mr Roberts – oh, hullo, father! I didn’t see you.’ He went up to shake his parent by the hand. ‘I quite thought you’d gone to Scotland. How did you get here?’

  ‘My arrival seems to cause you and Jim a great deal of quite unmerited surprise,’ said Sir Adrian. ‘I had five days of unbroken sunshine, and then came home.’

  ‘Oh, I see! I say, Jim, I’ve asked Mr Roberts in to tea. Is it all right? I met him outside the cinema, and he asked whether I thought you’d mind him coming up to see you some time. You don’t, do you? I told him I knew you wouldn’t.’

  ‘And, as you see, I took him at his word and ventured to come,’ said Oscar Roberts, from the open doorway. ‘But you’ve only to say the word and I’ll catch the next bus back to Portlaw.’

  ‘Of course not! Do come in!’ said Jim. ‘Adrian, may I introduce Mr Roberts? My stepfather, Sir Adrian Harte, sir.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you, Sir Adrian. Your son and I have been getting along fine together – or rather we were till this durned sergeant from Scotland Yard came and cut me right out of the picture,’ he added with a twinkle.

  ‘Oh, I say, sir, that’s not fair!’ protested Timothy. ‘It was only that I wanted to see how a detective really works.’

  Oscar Roberts dropped a hand on his shoulder and pressed it. ‘Sure you did, sonny. I was only kidding. Well, I fancy you don’t want a stranger butting in on your family party, Mr Kane. Maybe if I came along tomorrow –’

  Sir Adrian said: ‘I seem to be in the way. I’m sure you would like some private conversation with my stepson, Mr Roberts. I was just about to go up to my room. You may come with me, Timothy.’

  He bore Timothy off with him. Oscar Roberts took the chair his host pushed forward, and said: ‘I’ve not come to persuade you into falling in with my proposition.’

  Jim laughed. ‘Thank God for that!’

  ‘Yes, I thought you’d perhaps be receiving a visit from one or other of your partners.’ He accepted a cigar from the box Jim held out to him, and sought in his pocket for his cutter. As he lit the cigar he said, peering at Jim through the smoke: ‘Say, I’d like us to be frank, Kane.’

  ‘By all means.’

  Roberts leaned forward to lay his dead match in the ash-tray on the table. ‘That certainly makes it easier to say what I want to. I wouldn’t like you to get me wrong over this little business deal I’m trying to put through. If I can get them, I want Kane and Mansell’s nets for my firm to handle down under. But I’m not out to start a general holocaust all to get the best when the next best will suit pretty near as well.’

  ‘I beg your pardon?’ Jim stiffened a little.

  The cool, calculating eyes did not waver. ‘Guess we’ll leave it at that, Kane. There’s been some mighty queer happenings in this house, and I’m bound to admit they seem to hang together a piece with my coming on to the scene. Maybe that’s just a coincidence; maybe it’s not. But I’d like to have you know that I’m not pressing your partners for an answer. I’ve a notion they’ll try to put the screw on you. Well, I’m not turning it. I certainly shall be glad to get the matter settled one way or the other, but I appreciate your position, and I wouldn’t be the one to push you into a deal you don’t properly understand, and might regret. That’s no way to do business. I’d like to have you think it over, and get some impartial advice. You won’t keep me waiting any longer than is reasonable