At Bertram's Hotel - Christie Agatha. Страница 23

"Oh yes," said Miss Gorringe, "Let me see now. I've seen him talking to-yes, Lady Selina Hazy. Then there was the Bishop of Norwich. They're old friends, I believe. They were at Oxford together. And Mrs. Jameson and her daughters. They come from the same part of the world. Oh yes, quite a lot of people."

"You see," said Father, "he might have talked to one of them. He might have just mentioned some little thing that would give us a clue. Is there anyone staying here now that the canon knew fairly well?"

Miss Gorringe frowned in thought. "Well, I think General Radley is here still. And there's an old lady who came up from the country-who used to stay here as a girl, so she told me. Let me see, I can't remember her name at the moment, but I can find it for you. Oh yes, Miss Marple, that's her name. I believe she knew him."

"Well, we could make a start with those two. And there'd be a chambermaid, I suppose."

"Oh yes," said Miss Gorringe. "But she has been interviewed already by Sergeant Wadell."

"I know. But not perhaps from this angle. What about the waiter who attended on his table. Or the head waiter?"

"There's Henry, of course," said Miss Gorringe.

"Who's Henry?" asked Father.

Miss Gorringe looked almost shocked. It was to her impossible that anyone should not know Henry.

"Henry has been here for more years than I can say," she said. "You must have noticed him serving teas as you came in."

"Kind of personality," said Davy. "I remember noticing him."

"I don't know what we should do without Henry," said Miss Gon-inge with feeling. "He really is wonderful. He sets the tone of the place, you know."

"Perhaps he might like to serve some tea to me," said Chief Inspector Davy. "Muffins, I saw he'd got there. I'd like a good muffin again."

"Certainly if you like," said Miss Gorringe, rather coldly. "Shall I order two teas to be served to you in the lounge?" she added, turning to Inspector Campbell.

"That would-" the inspector began, when suddenly the door opened and Mr. Humfries appeared in his Olympian manner.

He looked slightly taken aback, then looked inquiringly at Miss Gorringe. Miss Gorringe explained.

"These are two gentlemen from Scotland Yard, Mr. Humfries," she said.

"Detective Inspector Campbell," said Campbell.

"Oh yes. Yes, of course," said Mr. Humfries. "The matter of Canon Pennyfather, I suppose? Most extraordinary business. I hope nothing's happened to him, poor old chap."

"So do I," said Miss Gorringe. "Such a dear old man."

"One of the old school," said Mr. Humfries approvingly.

"You seem to have quite a lot of the old school here," observed Chief Inspector Davy.

"I suppose we do, I suppose we do," said Mr. Humfries. "Yes, in many ways we are quite a survival."

"We have our regulars, you know," said Miss Gorringe. She spoke proudly. "The same people come back year after year. We have a lot of Americans. People from Boston, and Washington. Very quiet, nice people."

"They like our English atmosphere," said Mr. Humfries, showing his very white teeth in a smile.

Father looked at him thoughtfully.

Inspector Campbell said, "You're quite sure that no message came here from the canon? I mean it might have been taken by someone who forgot to write it down or to pass it on."

"Telephone messages are always taken down most carefully," said Miss Gorringe with ice in her voice. "I cannot conceive it possible that a message would not have been passed on to me or to the appropriate person on duty."

She glared at him.

Inspector Campbell looked momentarily taken aback.

"We've really answered all these questions before, you know," said Mr. Humfries, also with a touch of ice in his voice. "We gave all the information at our disposal to your sergeant-I can't remember his name for the moment."

Father stirred a little and said, in a kind of homely way, "Well you see, things have begun to look rather more serious. It looks like a bit more than absentmindedness. That's why, I think, it would be a good thing if we could have a word or two with those two people you mentioned-General Radley and Miss Marple."

"You want me to-to arrange an interview with them?" Mr. Humfries looked rather unhappy. "General Radley's very deaf."

"I don't think it will be necessary to make it too formal," said Chief Inspector Davy. "We don't want to worry people. You can leave it quite safely to us. Just point out those two you mentioned. There is just a chance you know, that Canon Pennyfather might have mentioned some plan of his, or some person he was going to meet at Lucerne or who was going with him to Lucerne. Anyway, it's worth trying."

Mr. Humfries looked somewhat relieved. "Nothing more we can do for you?" he asked. "I'm sure you understand that we wish to help you in every way, only you do understand how we feel about any press publicity."

"Quite," said Inspector Campbell.

"And I'll just have a word with the chambermaid," said Father.

"Certainly, if you like. I doubt very much whether she can tell you anything."

"Probably not. But there might be some detail- some remark the canon made about a letter or an appointment. One never knows."

Mr. Humfries glanced at his watch. "She'll be on duty at six," he said. "Second floor. Perhaps in the meantime, you'd care for tea?"

"Suits me," said Father promptly.

They left the office together.

Miss Gorringe said, "General Radley will be in the smoking room. The first room down that passage on the left. He'll be in front of the fire there with The Times. I think," she added discreetly, "he might be asleep. You're sure you don't want me to-"

"No, no, I'll see to it," said Father. "And what about the other one-the old lady?"

"She's sitting over there, by the fireplace," said Miss Gorringe.

"The one with white fluffy hair and the knitting?" said Father, taking a look. "Might almost be on the stage, mightn't she? Everybody's universal greataunt."

"Great aunts aren't much like that nowadays," said Miss Gorringe, "nor grandmothers nor great-grand-mothers, if it comes to that. We had the Marchioness of Barlowe in yesterday. She's a great-grandmother. Honestly, I didn't know her when she came in. Just back from Paris. Her face a mask of pink and white and her hair platinum blonde and I suppose an entirely false figure, but it looked wonderful."

"Ah," said Father, "I prefer the old-fashioned kind myself. Well, thank you, ma'am." He turned to Campbell. "I'll look after it, shall I, sir? I know you've got an important appointment."

"That's right," said Campbell, taking his cue. "I don't suppose anything much will come of it, but it's worth trying."

Mr. Humfries disappeared into his inner sanctum, saying as he did so, "Miss Gorringe-just a moment, please."

Miss Gorringe followed him in and shut the door behind her.

Humfries was walking up and down. "What do they want to see Rose for?" he demanded sharply. "Wadell asked all the necessary questions."

"I suppose it's just routine," said Miss Gorringe, doubtfully.

"You'd better have a word with her first."

Miss Gorringe looked a little startled. "But surely Inspector Campbell-"

"Oh, I'm not worried about Campbell. It's the other one. Do you know who he is?"

"I don't think he gave his name. Sergeant of some kind, I suppose. He looks rather a yokel."

"Yokel my foot," said Mr. Humfries, abandoning his elegance. "That's Chief Inspector Davy, an old fox if there ever was one. They think a lot of him at the Yard. I'd like to know what he's doing here, nosing about and playing the genial hick. I don't like it at all."

"You can't think-"

"I don't know what to think. But I tell you I don't like it. Did he ask to see anyone else besides Rose?"

"I think he's going to have a word with Henry."