Death in the Stocks Read Online Free PDF Page B

he was extremely glad to be rid of me.'
    'And had this quarrel persisted?'
    'More or less. Well, no, not really. We merely kept out of each other's way as much as possible. I don't mean that we didn't quarrel when we happened to meet, but it wasn't about the merchant, or having left Eaton Place, but just any old thing.'
    The twinkle grew. 'Tell me, Miss Vereker, did you come down to Ashleigh Green with the intention of continuing an old quarrel, or starting a new one?'
    'Starting a new one. Oh, that isn't fair! You made me say that, and it isn't in the least what I meant. I won't have that written down for me to sign.'
    'It won't be,' he assured her. 'But you did come down because you were angry with him, didn't you?'
    'Did I say that to the Inspector?' Antonia demanded.
    He nodded. 'All right, then, yes.'
    'Why were you angry, Miss Vereker?'
    'Because he'd had the infernal neck to say I wasn't going to marry the man I'm engaged to.'
    'Who is that?' inquired the Superintendent.
    'I don't see what that's got to do with it.'
    Giles Carrington interposed: 'Is your engagement a secret, Tony?'
    'No, but -'
    Then don't be silly.'
    She flushed, and looked down at her hands. 'His name is Mesurier,' she said. 'He works in my half-brother's firm.'
    'And your half-brother objected to the engagement?'
    'Yes, because he was a ghastly snob.'
    'So he wrote a letter to you, forbidding the engagement?'
    'Yes - That is - Yes.'
    The Superintendent waited for a moment. 'You don't seem very sure about that, Miss Vereker.'
    'Yes, I am. He did write.'
    'And I think you've destroyed his letter, haven't you?' said Hannasyde quietly.
    Her eyes flew to his face: then she burst out laughing. 'That's clever of you. How did you guess?'
    'Why did you do that, Miss Vereker?'
    'Well, principally because it was the sort of letter that would make anyone want to commit murder, and I thought it would be safer,' Antonia replied, ingenuously.
    The Superintendent looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, and then got up. 'I think it was a pity you destroyed it,' he said. 'But we won't go into that now.'
    'Are you going to arrest me?' Antonia asked.
    He smiled. 'Not immediately. Mr Carrington, if I could have a few moments' conversation with you?'
    'Can I go home?' said Antonia hopefully.
    'Certainly, but I want you to sign your statement first, please. The Constable will have it ready for you in a moment or two.'
    'Where's your car, Tony?' asked Giles. 'At the cottage? Well, wait for me here, and I'll take you out to collect it, and give you some lunch.'
    'Well, thank God for that,' said Antonia. 'I've just discovered I've got exactly two and five pence ha'penny on me, and I want some petrol.'
    'How like you, Tony!' said Giles, and followed the Superintendent out of the room.

Chapter Four

    The Chief Constable had gone to lunch, and his office was empty. Hannasyde closed the door and said: 'I shall want to go through the dead man's papers, Mr Carrington. Can you meet me at his house to-morrow morning?'
    Giles nodded. 'Certainly.'
    'And the Will…'
    'In my keeping.'
    'I shall have to ask you to let me see it.'
    Giles said, with a flickering smile: 'It would be a waste of your time and my energy to protest, wouldn't it?'
    'Thanks,' said Hannasyde, his own lips curving a little. 'It would, of course.' He took out his notebook and opened it. 'I understand that the dead man was chairman and managing director of the Shan Hills Mine? Is that correct?'
    'Quite correct.'
    'Unmarried?'
    Giles sat down on the edge of the table. 'Yes.'
    'Can you tell me of what his immediate family consists?'
    'His half-brother and half-sister, that's all.' Giles took out a cigarette and tapped it on his case. 'Arnold Vereker was the eldest son of Geoffrey Vereker by his first wife, my father's sister, Maud. He was forty last December. There was one other son by that marriage, Roger, who would be thirty-eight if he were alive now — which, thank heaven, he's not. He was not precisely an