Read Online Death in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer - Free Book Online
Authors: Georgette Heyer
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'What were you doing last night?'
'I went to look Violet up.'
'At what time?'
'Not sure. Half-past eightish. Murgatroyd was out, and Tony seemed to have waltzed off for the night, so I wandered out on my own.'
'Did you go to Miss Williams' house?'
'Flat. Yes, but she was out. No one answered the bell, so I drifted along to some cinema or other. No, I don't know which one it was and I don't know what the film was called, because I went in after it had started, and it was so dull I slept through most of it.'
'Well, what did you do when you left the cinema?'
'Went for a walk,' replied Kenneth.
'Where to?'
'Richmond.'
'Why on earth did you do that?' said Giles, patient but despairing.
'Why not?' retorted Kenneth. 'It was a fine night, and very warm, and I'd had a nice nap in the cinema. It seemed an obvious thing to do.'
'Did it!' said Giles.
'But he does go for walks at night, Giles!' Antonia put in anxiously. 'We both do, when it's too hot to go to bed.'
Giles sighed. 'When did you get home?'
'Oh, somewhere about three or four, I suppose. I didn't notice the time.'
'And you can't think of anyone who saw you come in or out of the cinema, or on your way to Richmond, and who would be able to recognise you? Didn't you meet a policeman?'
'No, I don't think so. One or two cars passed, but I don't remember meeting anyone.'
'In fact, not one word of this story can you prove,' said Giles.
'No,' replied Kenneth blandly, 'and not one word of it can the police disprove.'
Chapter Six
Giles's car drew up outside Arnold Vereker's house in Eaton Place just as Superintendent Hannasyde ascended the stone steps. The Superintendent turned, and when he saw Giles get out of the car, smiled, and said: 'Good-morning, Mr Carrington. You're very punctual.'
'It saves trouble, don't you think?' said Giles. 'Have you rung?'
'Not yet,' replied Hannasyde, pressing the electric button.
The door was opened almost immediately by a thin butler who had a sour expression and looked as though he suffered from dyspepsia. His gaze swept the Superintendent by, and came to rest on Giles. He gave a slight bow, and opened the door wider.
'Morning, Taylor,' Giles said. 'Superintendent Hannasyde and I want to go through Mr Vereker's papers.
'Yes, sir?' The butler eyed Hannasyde for one disapproving minute. 'The library is locked, as the Superintendent left it yesterday, I understand.'
It was plain that the butler had no opinion of policemen who walked into well-ordered houses, and locked up rooms as they pleased.
'A bad business about Mr Vereker,' Giles said, handing him his hat and gloves.
'Extremely distasteful, sir.'
'I should like to have a word with you, please,' said Hannasyde, taking a key out of his pocket, and fitting it into the lock of a door on the right of the front door. 'Certainly, sir,' said Taylor, frigidly. 'I regret having been out when you called yesterday, but Sunday is my Day.'
'Yes, I understand. Come in here, will you? Mr Carrington, will you take these?' He held out a collection of keys on a ring, which Giles took, while the butler walked over to the window and drew back the curtains.
The library had the same air of conscious opulence that pervaded every room in Arnold Vereker's house. It had expensive leather chairs, and expensive sets of calfbound volumes in oak bookshelves. There was a very thick pile carpet, and a very richly carved desk. Everything spoke aloud the unguided taste of a high-class firm of decorators; nothing gave any indication of the owner's personality.
Hannasyde waited until Taylor had arranged the curtains to his satisfaction, and then asked: 'How long have you been in Mr Vereker's employment?'
'I have been here for three years, sir,' replied Taylor, in a voice that informed the Superintendent that that was a record.
'Then you are probably acquainted with Mr Vereker's habits. Was it his custom to spend the week-ends at his country cottage?'
'He occasionally did so, sir.'
'And when he did
'I went to look Violet up.'
'At what time?'
'Not sure. Half-past eightish. Murgatroyd was out, and Tony seemed to have waltzed off for the night, so I wandered out on my own.'
'Did you go to Miss Williams' house?'
'Flat. Yes, but she was out. No one answered the bell, so I drifted along to some cinema or other. No, I don't know which one it was and I don't know what the film was called, because I went in after it had started, and it was so dull I slept through most of it.'
'Well, what did you do when you left the cinema?'
'Went for a walk,' replied Kenneth.
'Where to?'
'Richmond.'
'Why on earth did you do that?' said Giles, patient but despairing.
'Why not?' retorted Kenneth. 'It was a fine night, and very warm, and I'd had a nice nap in the cinema. It seemed an obvious thing to do.'
'Did it!' said Giles.
'But he does go for walks at night, Giles!' Antonia put in anxiously. 'We both do, when it's too hot to go to bed.'
Giles sighed. 'When did you get home?'
'Oh, somewhere about three or four, I suppose. I didn't notice the time.'
'And you can't think of anyone who saw you come in or out of the cinema, or on your way to Richmond, and who would be able to recognise you? Didn't you meet a policeman?'
'No, I don't think so. One or two cars passed, but I don't remember meeting anyone.'
'In fact, not one word of this story can you prove,' said Giles.
'No,' replied Kenneth blandly, 'and not one word of it can the police disprove.'
Chapter Six
Giles's car drew up outside Arnold Vereker's house in Eaton Place just as Superintendent Hannasyde ascended the stone steps. The Superintendent turned, and when he saw Giles get out of the car, smiled, and said: 'Good-morning, Mr Carrington. You're very punctual.'
'It saves trouble, don't you think?' said Giles. 'Have you rung?'
'Not yet,' replied Hannasyde, pressing the electric button.
The door was opened almost immediately by a thin butler who had a sour expression and looked as though he suffered from dyspepsia. His gaze swept the Superintendent by, and came to rest on Giles. He gave a slight bow, and opened the door wider.
'Morning, Taylor,' Giles said. 'Superintendent Hannasyde and I want to go through Mr Vereker's papers.
'Yes, sir?' The butler eyed Hannasyde for one disapproving minute. 'The library is locked, as the Superintendent left it yesterday, I understand.'
It was plain that the butler had no opinion of policemen who walked into well-ordered houses, and locked up rooms as they pleased.
'A bad business about Mr Vereker,' Giles said, handing him his hat and gloves.
'Extremely distasteful, sir.'
'I should like to have a word with you, please,' said Hannasyde, taking a key out of his pocket, and fitting it into the lock of a door on the right of the front door. 'Certainly, sir,' said Taylor, frigidly. 'I regret having been out when you called yesterday, but Sunday is my Day.'
'Yes, I understand. Come in here, will you? Mr Carrington, will you take these?' He held out a collection of keys on a ring, which Giles took, while the butler walked over to the window and drew back the curtains.
The library had the same air of conscious opulence that pervaded every room in Arnold Vereker's house. It had expensive leather chairs, and expensive sets of calfbound volumes in oak bookshelves. There was a very thick pile carpet, and a very richly carved desk. Everything spoke aloud the unguided taste of a high-class firm of decorators; nothing gave any indication of the owner's personality.
Hannasyde waited until Taylor had arranged the curtains to his satisfaction, and then asked: 'How long have you been in Mr Vereker's employment?'
'I have been here for three years, sir,' replied Taylor, in a voice that informed the Superintendent that that was a record.
'Then you are probably acquainted with Mr Vereker's habits. Was it his custom to spend the week-ends at his country cottage?'
'He occasionally did so, sir.'
'And when he did
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