Read Online They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Georgette Heyer
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birthday-party, coupled with over-fatigue, might well have produced it.
Joseph Mansell and his son both corroborated the statement that Silas had been in the habit of working too hard, Joseph adding that in his opinion Silas' powers had been declining for the past few months.
Clement was a still more disappointing witness.
Questioned, he would not say that his cousin had been in failing health. He had not been a young man; things had certainly tired him. He had not discussed Silas' health with him; he had not noticed any particular signs of weariness or excitement in him on the night of his death.
No persuasions had availed to keep Timothy away from the inquest, but he professed himself disgusted with the result. When it was over Oscar Roberts took him and Miss Allison, who had been present in obedience to Emily's command, to refresh themselves with lemonade and ices before returning to Cliff House. He seemed to be considerably amused by Timothy. He allowed the boy to air his views, recommending him to get it off his chest once and for all, advice which Timothy followed, bitterly announcing his dissatisfaction with the methods of the Portlaw police.
"They jolly well ought to have found out what everybody was doing when Uncle Silas was killed," he said.
"They did," replied Patricia. "You know perfectly well they made all the proper inquiries."
Timothy snorted. "I don't call it making proper inquiries just to ask people where they were and not to try and prove they weren't there at all. Why, they didn't even ask Jim, and he was at the party."
"You unnatural viper!" said Patricia calmly. "Besides, what had Jim—I mean, your stepbrother—to gain by murdering his cousin?"
"I know, but——"
"The fact of the matter is, son, that you can't have a murder without motive," said Roberts.
"There were motives!" replied Timothy instantly. "Look at Clement! He's getting simply pots of money out of it."
Patricia removed the lemonade straw from her mouth to expostulate. "You definitely must not go about saying your Cousin Clement had a motive for murdering Mr. Kane!"
"He isn't my cousin. I'm a Harte," said Timothy loftily. "I'll bet Mr. Roberts thinks he had a pretty good motive."
"Sure I think it," agreed Roberts. "But I've a notion that if I were Mr. Clement Kane I wouldn't run the risk of bumping off an old man who had a valvular disease of the heart. Guess I'd wait a piece for Nature to do its work."
Timothy shook his head. "Not if you wanted his money absolutely at once."
"He didn't." said Patricia. "The Clement Kanes are quite well off."
Timothy was silenced for the moment, but the consumption of a large strawberry ice inspired him afresh.
"Well, what about the Mansells?" he demanded.
Patricia glanced round the teashop apprehensively. "For heaven's sake shut up!" she begged.
"Yes, but they had a motive. I know all about the Australian show, I'll bet Mr. Roberts——"
"No, no, sonny, you won't drag me into that!" interposed Roberts. "Next you'll be telling me I've got a motive. See here, now! This kind of talk isn't going big with Miss Allison at all. What do you say we drop it?"
Patricia looked at him. "I believe you're as bad as he is," she said.
"No, no," he assured her. "But when a man falls off a cliff edge, Miss Allison, folks just naturally get to wondering about it. You can't blame Timothy. It's kind of inevitable."
"But surely you don't think——"
"I don't know enough about the family to think anything," he said with a shade of reserve in his voice.
When Emily heard about the proceedings at the inquest she smiled grimly and said she had expected nothing else. Something in her tone impelled Clement, who had driven Patricia and Timothy back to Cliff House, to inquire a little sharply what she meant.
"If you don't know what I mean it won't hurt you," replied Emily.
Clement reddened. "Well, I certainly don't, Aunt. I should have thought it was obvious that Cousin Silas' death was due to the fog,
Joseph Mansell and his son both corroborated the statement that Silas had been in the habit of working too hard, Joseph adding that in his opinion Silas' powers had been declining for the past few months.
Clement was a still more disappointing witness.
Questioned, he would not say that his cousin had been in failing health. He had not been a young man; things had certainly tired him. He had not discussed Silas' health with him; he had not noticed any particular signs of weariness or excitement in him on the night of his death.
No persuasions had availed to keep Timothy away from the inquest, but he professed himself disgusted with the result. When it was over Oscar Roberts took him and Miss Allison, who had been present in obedience to Emily's command, to refresh themselves with lemonade and ices before returning to Cliff House. He seemed to be considerably amused by Timothy. He allowed the boy to air his views, recommending him to get it off his chest once and for all, advice which Timothy followed, bitterly announcing his dissatisfaction with the methods of the Portlaw police.
"They jolly well ought to have found out what everybody was doing when Uncle Silas was killed," he said.
"They did," replied Patricia. "You know perfectly well they made all the proper inquiries."
Timothy snorted. "I don't call it making proper inquiries just to ask people where they were and not to try and prove they weren't there at all. Why, they didn't even ask Jim, and he was at the party."
"You unnatural viper!" said Patricia calmly. "Besides, what had Jim—I mean, your stepbrother—to gain by murdering his cousin?"
"I know, but——"
"The fact of the matter is, son, that you can't have a murder without motive," said Roberts.
"There were motives!" replied Timothy instantly. "Look at Clement! He's getting simply pots of money out of it."
Patricia removed the lemonade straw from her mouth to expostulate. "You definitely must not go about saying your Cousin Clement had a motive for murdering Mr. Kane!"
"He isn't my cousin. I'm a Harte," said Timothy loftily. "I'll bet Mr. Roberts thinks he had a pretty good motive."
"Sure I think it," agreed Roberts. "But I've a notion that if I were Mr. Clement Kane I wouldn't run the risk of bumping off an old man who had a valvular disease of the heart. Guess I'd wait a piece for Nature to do its work."
Timothy shook his head. "Not if you wanted his money absolutely at once."
"He didn't." said Patricia. "The Clement Kanes are quite well off."
Timothy was silenced for the moment, but the consumption of a large strawberry ice inspired him afresh.
"Well, what about the Mansells?" he demanded.
Patricia glanced round the teashop apprehensively. "For heaven's sake shut up!" she begged.
"Yes, but they had a motive. I know all about the Australian show, I'll bet Mr. Roberts——"
"No, no, sonny, you won't drag me into that!" interposed Roberts. "Next you'll be telling me I've got a motive. See here, now! This kind of talk isn't going big with Miss Allison at all. What do you say we drop it?"
Patricia looked at him. "I believe you're as bad as he is," she said.
"No, no," he assured her. "But when a man falls off a cliff edge, Miss Allison, folks just naturally get to wondering about it. You can't blame Timothy. It's kind of inevitable."
"But surely you don't think——"
"I don't know enough about the family to think anything," he said with a shade of reserve in his voice.
When Emily heard about the proceedings at the inquest she smiled grimly and said she had expected nothing else. Something in her tone impelled Clement, who had driven Patricia and Timothy back to Cliff House, to inquire a little sharply what she meant.
"If you don't know what I mean it won't hurt you," replied Emily.
Clement reddened. "Well, I certainly don't, Aunt. I should have thought it was obvious that Cousin Silas' death was due to the fog,
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