The Barker's Dozen - Reminiscences of an Early Police Dog Read Online Free PDF Page A

servants were paid an absolute pittance and a pressing financial problem could drive them to crime.
    ‘Lord Harridge became quite annoyed when I asked him that question,’ Sergeant Allen replied. ‘The servants have worked for him for years. In point of fact, all his male servants are men from his old regiment. The servants all refer to Lord Harridge as the Colonel and there seems to be a genuine regard for the old gentleman.’
    ‘Inspector Thompson?’ the butler asked while approaching your uncle. ‘Lord Harridge wonders whether you could spare him a few minutes.’
    My master agreed to see his Lordship at once , since it is these small politenesses that make a witness co-operative rather than hostile. We followed the butler along the hall and to a plain door, which he opened.
    ‘Inspector Thompson, Colonel,’ the butler announced while ushering us into Lord Harridge’s study. His Lordship turned out to be an elderly gentleman with a decidedly military bearing. As we entered the room, he rose from an armchair and greeted your uncle with a firm handshake. The room was extremely comfortable in a very masculine way. A pair of battered leather wing chairs stood on either side of an Adam fireplace in which burnt a welcome fire. Lying on the mat in front of the hearth was an elderly Red Setter.
    ‘I once served with your father, young man,’ Lord Harridge began.
    Knowing that this human equivalent of sniffing another dog usually takes a few minutes to determine the participants’ precise rank within the pack, I walked over and introduced myself to the Setter.
    Although I spoke quite quietly, the old dog visibly winced. It was obvious that he was not feeling very well so I lowered my voice and asked him what was wrong.
    ‘It’s this robbery, youngster,’ he replied. ‘Fine guard dog I turn out to be. Thirteen years of food and devotion from my master and the one time he needs me, I spend the night fast asleep.’
    I naturally tried to tell him that he could not blame himself, but he shrugged off my reassurances.
    ‘It’s my fault,’ he continued. ‘I allowed myself to sleep through the robbery. I didn’t hear a thing. My master would have had to step over me to get out into the hallway.  A disgrace, that’s what I am and no mistake. I deserve to be turned out, I do indeed.’
    Looking at him, I saw that his eyes were extremely red. I sniffed carefully and detected a faint odour that I always associate with very sick humans.
    ‘Did you eat anything unusual last night?’ I asked.
    ‘Now you come to mention it,’ he replied, ‘I did chase an alley cat off a piece of steak that it was dragging through my garden. The meat tasted a bit funny but I showed the cat who was boss. Strangely enough, the chase seemed to exhaust me. I barely had enough energy to make it to my master’s room before I fell asleep.’
    It was obvious to me that the Setter had been carefully drugged to ensure that he couldn’t detect the burglar. I was about to tell him this when I heard my master suggest th at Lord Harridge tell his account of the previous night so I turned my attention back to the men.
    ‘Everything was normal when we went to bed,’ Lord Harridge began. ‘My butler, Symes, reported to me that all the doors and windows were secure before he retired for the night. I sat up for a while and read before I went to bed myself.  I would say that by one o’clock the house was quiet.
    ‘I woke up at about three fifteen. I was sure that I had heard something out of the ordinary, possibly a faint click. I have always been a very light sleeper, a trait strengthened by my service on the frontier. As I lay in my bed listening I clearly heard the sound of movement on the landing. The noise was very faint but quite unmistakable, or so I thought. I eased myself out of bed and took hold of an Indian club that I keep handy for just such occasions.
    ‘I crept to the door and listened. I could definitely hear movement. I took two