Read Online Appleby And Honeybath by Michael Innes - Free Book Online

political situation in Kamchatka.
    ‘And very properly, sir, in my judgement. The situation is certainly a little obscure, but there is at least some reason to believe that there has been a theft of your property.’
    ‘A theft of my property!’ Grinton looked extremely startled. ‘What the deuce do you mean, Denver?’
    ‘A table, chair, and other effects. It is reasonable to suppose that what Sir John Appleby and Mr Honeybath came upon in there formed part of your household goods. I noticed one or two similar articles through the open door of another of those small rooms. But now these particular articles have been removed without the knowledge of their owner – to wit, yourself, sir. So burglary must be suspected. Burglary is a serious offence in itself, irrespective of the scale of the felony envisaged. Police investigation is essential.’
    Honeybath, whose profession rendered him perforce a student of character, felt instructed by his prospective sitter’s reception of this not altogether plausible speech. Grinton was perceiving that it required thought. And Grinton resented this. He was not a thoughtful man. Thought was an activity which, steadily over the years, he had been addressing himself with some success to doing without. So he naturally resented any sudden call for its employment. This state of mind (if the expression was appropriate) struck Honeybath as an interesting one to pursue on the part of a portrait painter. For the first time at Grinton he felt a strong impulse to get to work. Thus he too rather resented Denver as now an obstinate presence in the place. Unlike John Appleby, he was coming to regard the whole business of the corpse and its vanishing trick as vexatious rather than interesting. It was not the less vexatious for having been hinted to him by Appleby as something that was going to occasion him a good deal of harassment at the hands of this conscientious officer.
    ‘Look here!’ Grinton was saying violently. ‘If you were sent for, it certainly wasn’t on account of some confounded tables and chairs. There are more than enough of the damned things about the house, and if a few have been pinched by some prowling prole I couldn’t care less.’ Terence Grinton paused on these reflections, and seemed faintly aware of them as a little lacking in relevance. ‘It’s what Mr Honeybath here saw, or thought he saw, that has brought you in on us, Denver. You know that perfectly well. So if you can just clear up that bit of twaddle, and then take yourself off, I’ll be grateful to you.’
    This was undoubtedly a very rude speech, yet not without a gleam of reason. And Denver received it without any token of offence.
    ‘Quite so, sir. Only you see, dealing with that aspect of the situation may take a little time. A start, however, can be made at once. My officers will have arrived by now.’
    ‘Your officers! Who the hell are they?’
    ‘Two experienced and reliable men, I’m glad to say. They will act as unobtrusively as may be – only you must understand that they may have to do a good deal of ferreting around. That is unavoidable.’
    ‘Ferreting, you say?’ The word had the unexpected effect of appearing to bring Grinton within familiar and therefore comprehensible territory. He was perhaps recalling that his son-in-law and grandchildren were out with a ferret at that moment. ‘Well, we’ll leave you to it. And here in the library, if that’s your fancy. You’ll want to question the servants, no doubt.’
    ‘That may come in time, sir. But it will be best to begin with your family and guests – asking everybody in an orderly way, you know, if they have any light to throw on the situation. And taking evidence, as I’ve said, from those more evidently involved. Preferably one by one, and dictating statements which can then be read over and signed. Entirely a matter of voluntary cooperation at this stage, I need hardly say. And I’ll begin with Mr Honeybath, if he will