Read Online The Corpse in the Cellar by Kel Richards - Free Book Online

that followed Inspector Hyde’s statement I heard Warnie whisper just behind me, ‘It was the ghost.’ Although I didn’t believe him I felt that slight shiver down the spine that we describe as ‘someone just walked over my grave’.
    Ravenswood ran his fingers through his dark hair and muttered, ‘This is awful, simply awful. What about poor Ruth? How has she taken it?’
    â€˜She’s very distressed, sir, as you’ll understand,’ explained Hyde. ‘So we sent her home. Sergeant Donaldson escorted her to her mother’s house, and that’s who’s looking after her now.’
    â€˜Poor girl,’ moaned Ravenswood. ‘I believe she and Grimm were quite close—more than just work colleagues, if you understand my meaning. Whether there was actually an understanding between them or not I don’t know. Perhaps matters hadn’t got quite to that point. But they certainly saw each other outside the office.’
    â€˜Thank you for that, sir,’ said the inspector. ‘We’ll talk to the young lady about that in due course. Now, did Mr Grimm have any enemies? Can you think of anyone who may have wanted him dead? Or who may have benefited from his death?’
    Instead of answering, Ravenswood dropped heavily into an office chair and muttered, ‘I just can’t take all this in . . . ’ His voice trailed away.
    Inspector Hyde’s manner shifted from that of a police official to something more like that of a friend addressing a fellow member of his golf club—which he probably was, given how small the town was.
    â€˜Now, Edmund,’ he said to Ravenswood, ‘pull yourself together, old chap. We need your help if we’re to make any progress in this dreadful business.’
    â€˜Yes . . . yes, of course,’ the bank manager replied. ‘I’ll do whatever I can.’
    â€˜Ravenswood,’ said Mr Johnson, from the distant corner where he was standing. ‘Is there anything the bank can do? Would you like us to send in an acting manager for a few days while you get over the shock.’
    â€˜No,’ replied Ravenswood quickly. ‘That won’t be necessary. I’m fine to carry on. I will need another teller until I can recruit and train someone local—if you have someone you can spare from head office?’
    â€˜I’ll arrange something,’ said Johnson. ‘Leave it to me.’
    â€˜Gentlemen!’ snapped Hyde. ‘You can get back to the bank’s business shortly, but for the moment there is a man dead, I have a detective from Scotland Yard arriving on tomorrow morning’s train, and I need to have a report with sufficient detail that I can hand to him. So, if you don’t mind, we’ll get on.’
    Johnson stepped back to his distant corner and said nothing while Ravenswood simply nodded.
    â€˜And let me remind you, in case you’ve forgotten, that I’ve closed this bank to the public. It’s now a crime scene. It won’t be reopened until our Scotland Yard colleagues are satisfied that they have fully investigated the scene of this tragedy. So let’s have no more talk of bank business.’
    Ravenswood and Johnson looked suitable chastened. Both nodded their understanding.
    â€˜Now, let me ask you again: can you think of anyone who may have wanted Mr Franklin Grimm dead or who may have benefited from his death?’
    Edmund Ravenswood was silent for a moment and then said, ‘Well, Grimm sometimes had an unfortunate manner, and he may have got people’s backs up from time to time, but I can’t imagine that was reason enough to kill him.’
    Inspector Hyde suddenly swivelled around to face Jack, Warnie and me and snapped, ‘And how well did you gentlemen know Mr Grimm?’
    â€˜Not at all,’ said Jack firmly. ‘We met him today for the first time.’
    â€˜But you, Mr Lewis,’ continued Hyde, ‘have