Case with No Conclusion Read Online Free PDF Page B

it.”
    â€œAny luck?” asked Beef.
    â€œHe means,” I interrupted hastily, “were you successful?”
    Peter was quite good-humoured as he said, “I’m afraid not.”
    â€œSo that’s what you heard?” Beef asked Duncan.
    â€œYes, sir. Mr. Stewart was very definite. Not in any circumstances, he said.”
    â€œThat’s all?”
    â€œThat was the gist of it. There was nothing else of any importance I could gather.”
    â€œAnd then you went back to the kitchen?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œWho was there?”
    â€œMy wife and the two girls. My wife wanted to know if the dinner had been satisfactory, and when I told her that Mr. Stewart had complained about the savoury again she was very put out.” Duncan shook his head, and his pale face seemed stretched by an expression of concern.
    â€œWhat’s she do when she’s upset, then?” asked Beef, a grin beginning to show on his face.
    Duncan remained dignified. “On this occasion she marched straight off to bed,” he said.
    â€œLeaving you and the two girls?”
    â€œYes, sir. But not for long. They was doing the crossword puzzle in the evening paper and Freda kept yawning, though I’ve told her before it’s not manners. At about a quarter-past nine Freda went up; that wasn’t long before Mr. Peter and Mr. Wakefield started off.”
    â€œYou saw them go?” asked Beef.
    â€œOh yes. I went up and got their coats and hats.”
    â€œDid they seem all right?”
    â€œEr—how do you mean, sir?”
    â€œSober, and that,” said Beef.
    Peter was again smiling when Duncan said, “Most certainly, sir. I’ve never seen any member of this family anything else.”
    â€œGood-humoured?”
    â€œSo far as I could gather, sir. They said good night to me.”
    â€œAnd you saw them drive away?”
    â€œYes, sir. I watched the car disappear down thedrive. When I got back to the kitchen, Rose was just going up to bed.”
    I was watching Duncan closely, and was not surprised to see that on the tight and parchment skin of his forehead a few drops of perspiration showed.
    â€œAnd then?” said Beef relentlessly.
    â€œThen, a little later, Mr. Stewart rang. I went up to the library and found him alone with Doctor Benson. He said I was to bring the whisky and soda, and needn’t wait any longer. That’s about all I know, sir.”
    â€œHalf a minute, half a minute,” said Beef, “we’re just coming to the interesting part.” He leaned forward and said in a slow, emphatic voice, “What was they talking about when you took the whisky in?”
    Duncan seemed almost to tremble. “I explained that once to the police, sir,” he said.
    â€œNever mind about the police,” said Beef; “you tell me. What was they talking about?”
    â€œWell, as I crossed the hall, sir, I heard their voices raised. It seemed they were quarrelling.”
    â€œIf you heard their voices raised,” said Beef, “you must have heard what they said.”
    â€œWell, I did hear Doctor Benson say something which I didn’t understand.”
    â€œWhat was it?”
    â€œHe said, ‘It’s in my surgery now.’ ”
    â€œWhat else did you hear?”
    â€œNothing very clear, sir. But I gathered thatMrs. Benson came into it. I heard her name mentioned two or three times.”
    â€œAnd how did her name come into it?” asked Beef.
    The butler looked confused. “Really, sir,” he said, “I should hardly know that. I suppose it was on account of Mrs. Benson and Mr. Stewart.” He looked apologetically at Peter Ferrers as he said this, and there was a sharp rattle of teeth as the bottom set gave an unusually large jump.
    â€œAnd what about Mrs. Benson and Mr. Stewart?” asked Beef heartlessly, for I could see that Duncan was more than usually embarrassed by this