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Authors: Anthea Fraser
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radiator’s immediately behind him. No outward marks, at least on preliminary examination. Should be able to tell more when we get him on the slab.’
‘And no ID, as you’ll have heard.’
‘Unusual, I grant you, in these days when we’re all tagged and labelled, though personally I see nothing sinister in it. If he hadn’t come by car he would not have his driving licence, and as for the ubiquitous credit cards, he might simply not have held with them. I don’t myself.’
‘You presumably have a cheque-book, though?’
The pathologist took refuge in his habitual grunt. ‘There’s nothing more I can do here. I’ll see you, no doubt, at the mortuary.’
As Webb followed him out of the room the Scenes of Crime officers were arriving. Webb stopped to tell them about the straightened bedspread.
‘Otherwise, nothing has been touched as far as I know. The chambermaid said the chair isn’t usually turned in to face the table, so if you’re lucky you might get some prints off it. Let’s hope so, anyway. We could do with a break on this one.’
Chapter 5
News of their detention had obviously sifted through to the guests. Little groups were conferring in hallways, some apprehensive, some indignantly looking at their watches, and as Webb and Jackson turned into the lounge they could see a uniformed figure stationed implacably at the front entrance. The net had closed, but was the fish still in it?
Ignoring the agitation around him, Mr Derringer was holding a meeting in one corner of the lounge, and was not pleased at being interrupted. However, the manager’s wheedling finally extracted him, and he bustled over to where Webb and Jackson stood waiting.
‘I can’t imagine what you want with me,’ he said crossly. ‘I gather one of the guests has died, but why that should necessitate not only my being confined to the building but my clients as well, I simply do not understand. It hardly makes for good business relations.’
The two men with whom Derringer had been talking were staring curiously in their direction. Webb said imperturbably, ‘I believe you met a lady in the bar yesterday.’
Derringer reddened, the flush spreading over the polished dome of his head. ‘I hope, Chief Inspector, that you’re not suggesting anything improper.’
‘I’m suggesting nothing at all, sir, merely asking a question.’
‘Then yes, I did. That also was a business appointment, but because of the limited time factor it seemed sensible to incorporate lunch. I’m on a tight schedule, as I’ve already told one of your men.’
‘The lady’s name, sir?’
‘Mrs French, of French Furnishings.’
‘French Furnishings?’
Derringer said impatiently, ‘Merely a play on her name. She’s as English as I am.’
‘Have you the lady’s address, sir?’
‘Somewhere, I suppose.’ He looked up sharply. ‘Why, what has she done? I can’t afford to be tied up with anything shady.’
‘As far as I know she’s done nothing. In fact, it’s not the lady herself we’re interested in but the gentleman she was speaking to before you arrived.’
‘And what do you want him for?’
Webb said smoothly, ‘We don’t want him, sir. In a manner of speaking, we’ve already got him. It was he who was found dead this morning.’
‘Good God. I hadn’t realized.’
‘You saw him, then?’
‘Of course I saw him. He was in one alcove, obviously waiting for someone, and I in another — Mrs French had been delayed. When she came in, she saw him first and approached him by mistake. I overheard her say, “Mr Derringer?” so I made myself known.’
‘Did anything strike you about him, sir? His manner or apparent state of mind?’
‘I saw that he was getting agitated, presumably because his appointment was overdue. I remember thinking, “You’d better calm down, my boy; if they see you in that state they won’t trust your business judgement.”’
‘In what way did he seem agitated?’
‘Oh,
‘And no ID, as you’ll have heard.’
‘Unusual, I grant you, in these days when we’re all tagged and labelled, though personally I see nothing sinister in it. If he hadn’t come by car he would not have his driving licence, and as for the ubiquitous credit cards, he might simply not have held with them. I don’t myself.’
‘You presumably have a cheque-book, though?’
The pathologist took refuge in his habitual grunt. ‘There’s nothing more I can do here. I’ll see you, no doubt, at the mortuary.’
As Webb followed him out of the room the Scenes of Crime officers were arriving. Webb stopped to tell them about the straightened bedspread.
‘Otherwise, nothing has been touched as far as I know. The chambermaid said the chair isn’t usually turned in to face the table, so if you’re lucky you might get some prints off it. Let’s hope so, anyway. We could do with a break on this one.’
Chapter 5
News of their detention had obviously sifted through to the guests. Little groups were conferring in hallways, some apprehensive, some indignantly looking at their watches, and as Webb and Jackson turned into the lounge they could see a uniformed figure stationed implacably at the front entrance. The net had closed, but was the fish still in it?
Ignoring the agitation around him, Mr Derringer was holding a meeting in one corner of the lounge, and was not pleased at being interrupted. However, the manager’s wheedling finally extracted him, and he bustled over to where Webb and Jackson stood waiting.
‘I can’t imagine what you want with me,’ he said crossly. ‘I gather one of the guests has died, but why that should necessitate not only my being confined to the building but my clients as well, I simply do not understand. It hardly makes for good business relations.’
The two men with whom Derringer had been talking were staring curiously in their direction. Webb said imperturbably, ‘I believe you met a lady in the bar yesterday.’
Derringer reddened, the flush spreading over the polished dome of his head. ‘I hope, Chief Inspector, that you’re not suggesting anything improper.’
‘I’m suggesting nothing at all, sir, merely asking a question.’
‘Then yes, I did. That also was a business appointment, but because of the limited time factor it seemed sensible to incorporate lunch. I’m on a tight schedule, as I’ve already told one of your men.’
‘The lady’s name, sir?’
‘Mrs French, of French Furnishings.’
‘French Furnishings?’
Derringer said impatiently, ‘Merely a play on her name. She’s as English as I am.’
‘Have you the lady’s address, sir?’
‘Somewhere, I suppose.’ He looked up sharply. ‘Why, what has she done? I can’t afford to be tied up with anything shady.’
‘As far as I know she’s done nothing. In fact, it’s not the lady herself we’re interested in but the gentleman she was speaking to before you arrived.’
‘And what do you want him for?’
Webb said smoothly, ‘We don’t want him, sir. In a manner of speaking, we’ve already got him. It was he who was found dead this morning.’
‘Good God. I hadn’t realized.’
‘You saw him, then?’
‘Of course I saw him. He was in one alcove, obviously waiting for someone, and I in another — Mrs French had been delayed. When she came in, she saw him first and approached him by mistake. I overheard her say, “Mr Derringer?” so I made myself known.’
‘Did anything strike you about him, sir? His manner or apparent state of mind?’
‘I saw that he was getting agitated, presumably because his appointment was overdue. I remember thinking, “You’d better calm down, my boy; if they see you in that state they won’t trust your business judgement.”’
‘In what way did he seem agitated?’
‘Oh,
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