Snobbery With Violence - M. C. Beaton [24]
The earl tugged at a bell-rope by the fireplace, and when a footman appeared asked for his secretary to be sent to him. Matthew appeared. “Get Cathcart’s address for the superintendent,” ordered the earl.
“I may have lost it,” said Matthew cautiously.
“No, you haven’t,” said the earl, and winked furiously.
“Quite right, I haven’t,” said Matthew. “I’ll fetch it now.”
What was that all about? wondered Kerridge. He continued the interrogation but the earl said he had been asleep at the time, and as the bridge and station were miles from the house, he hadn’t heard a thing.
Later, Kerridge did not get any further with the servants, thanks, he thought, to the perpetual presence of Brum. He got only one thing. A little scullery maid said that the king was to come on a visit but couldn’t now and Brum had snapped at her and sent her from the room.
Kerridge wondered about the king’s proposed visit all the way back to London. Certainly a visit from King Edward, who would arrive with a retinue of servants, guests and hangers-on could mean a crippling amount of money to the unfortunate host, but the earl’s home and his estates showed no signs of penny-pinching. He shook his grey head. To think that the earl would blow up a railway station and a bridge just to put the king off was ridiculous. All Bolshevik sympathizers in London were being rounded up and interrogated. Still, he’d better see this Captain Cathcart and find out what he had to say.
The first motorized taxi cabs were beginning to appear on the streets of London and were regarded with suspicion by most, who preferred the horse-drawn variety. But as Kerridge was driven in the new Scotland Yard police car to Captain Cathcart’s address, he felt like a king. He wished he could take this splendid vehicle home to show his wife.
He had decided to interview the captain alone. He knew people were often intimidated by the sight of a policeman or a detective in the background, taking notes.
At the house in Water Street, Becket announced him and led him into the front room, where the captain was sitting at a desk at the window.
Kerridge’s first impression of the captain was that he was a dangerous man. His brooding saturnine good looks gave the impression of action and power.
Harry welcomed the superintendent and then sat staring at him vacantly.
“I have come about the bombing of Stacey Magna,” began Kerridge.
“Frightful, what,” commented Harry. He took out a monocle, fixed it in one eye and stared at the detective.
“Yes, it was indeed frightful. Now—”
“Caught any of these Bolshevik chappies yet?”
“No, sir, but we will. .. provided it turns out to be the work of the Bolsheviks. Have you known the Earl of Hadshire for long?”
“Don’t know. People come and go.” Harry let the monocle drop and fixed the detective with a vacuous stare.
“His Majesty was supposed to visit Lord Hadshire, but the visit had to be cancelled.”
“Pity.”
“Have you any reason to suppose the earl did not wish this visit?”
Harry laughed, an insolent braying laugh. Then he said, “I say, you think old Hadshire crept out during the night and blew up things to keep kingie away?”
“It is a flight of fancy, I admit,” said Kerridge. “Let’s take it further. The earl employed someone to blow up the bridge and the station.”
Harry grinned. “Go on. I’m enjoying this.”
“It is not a laughing matter, sir,” said Kerridge severely. “It was just fortunate that there was no one on the bridge at the time or in the station.”
“True, true,” said Harry. “Ask me some more questions.”
“During your stay at Stacey Court, did you see any suspicious people lurking around?”
“Only that cousin of Lady Polly’s. What a bore! I nearly fainted in my soup.”
“So you can tell me nothing to help me?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“What was the reason for your visit?”
Harry glared at him. “My dear sir, one goes into the country on many visits to many households. It’s what one does.”
“I forgot, sir. Of course it is what one does when one does not have to work for a living.”
“Oh, we aren’t all lilies of the field, y’know. Viscount Hinton has been