Read Online Dictator's Way by E.R. Punshon - Free Book Online Page B

is anything in the stories of the films shown being a trifle hot. Says they were generally ‘Mickey Mouse’, only sometimes they were war pictures from Spain or that sort of thing – one of a lynching scene in America, for instance. All right in a way, but not quite the thing for public showing. I put it to him the play was pretty high, and he hummed and ha’d a bit, and said his friends were mostly people used to risking big sums on the Stock Exchange and it wasn’t high for them. He let out Macklin was rather a plunger, but says he generally won. Judson claims there was always a limit to the play but admits it varied.”
    â€œDid he give the names of any of the people he used to ask?” Bobby inquired.
    â€œRefused point blank,” Ulyett answered. “Says they are all important people and in good positions and he’s not going to mix them up in a thing like this if he can help it. We’ll have a try to find out on our own, or he may change his mind.”
    â€œIt looks to me as if there must be some connection between Judson’s parties and Macklin coming here to-day,” Bobby mused.
    â€œI pressed Judson two or three times, but he stuck to it, he can’t account for it at all. I suppose it is just possible Macklin remembered something that needed attention, came along, disturbed a tramp or someone who thought an empty house made a nice, rent-free shelter. Macklin may have threatened to give him in charge and the tramp knocked him out and then when Macklin tried to ’phone for help, finished him off. Only there’s no sign of the presence of any tramp and no sign of forcible entry.”
    â€œIf it was like that, it’s difficult, too, to explain the pound notes left by the back door,” Bobby remarked. “They hardly looked as if they had been dropped accidentally. Then there’s the paper someone burnt out there.”
    â€œMay have nothing to do with it,” Ulyett said. “May have been something the murderer wanted to get rid of. Envelope with an address or paper he had cleaned his hands on or anything. Don’t see much help there. Now, about this Mr. Waveny who called on you. What’s his address? You don’t give it.”
    But Bobby didn’t know it nor had he much information to offer about Mr. Waveny. Until to-day, he had not seen him since the occasion when they had played against each other in an inter-college football match. But it would not be difficult, Bobby thought, to find him.
    â€œSwell, is he? An ‘hon.’ and all that,” grumbled Ulyett, who disliked very much having anything to do with ‘swells’. One never knew what they might be up to, behind the scenes. You pinched someone for misbehaving and then found half the peerage, and all the bench of bishops, ready to swear to his respectability. As if other peers, and the bench of bishops, ever saw the nonrespectable side. Well, it was all in the day’s work. “Have to be asked a few questions,” decided Ulyett. “Pick him up and bring him along to the Yard as soon as you can. Make that your first job.”
    â€œVery good, sir,” said Bobby.
    â€œI suppose,” Ulyett continued, “Waveny could have reached here before you and got away again without your seeing him?”
    â€œYes, sir,” agreed Bobby uncomfortably. “I didn’t hurry, I don’t think I came the nearest way, and I stopped to have some tea. And anyone could have left by the back without my having any chance of seeing them.”
    â€œMade a point of your not coming along here before tomorrow, didn’t he?” Ulyett went on. “Must know something all right. If we dig up any connection between him and Macklin –”
    He left the sentence unfinished and Bobby said nothing but felt more uncomfortable still.
    Rather awful to think of Waveny like that. Well, he wouldn’t, not just yet, anyhow. Ten to one Waveny would