Spider's Web - Agatha Christie [27]
Sir Rowland nodded his head slowly. ‘So he might have been murdered, and the article, whatever it was, stolen,’ he suggested.
‘It’s quite possible, sir,’ the Inspector agreed, ‘but again, the would-be thief may not have been able to find it.’
‘Now, why do you think that?’ Sir Rowland asked.
‘Because,’ the Inspector replied, ‘the shop has been broken into twice since then. Broken into and ransacked.’
Clarissa looked puzzled. ‘Why are you telling us all this, Inspector?’ she wanted to know.
‘Because, Mrs Hailsham-Brown,’ said the Inspector, turning to her, ‘it’s occurred to me that whatever was hidden away by Mr Sellon may have been hidden here in this house, and not at his shop in Maidstone. That’s why I asked you if anything peculiar had come to your notice.’
Holding up a hand as though she had suddenly remembered, Clarissa said excitedly, ‘Somebody rang up only today and asked to speak to me, and when I came to the phone whoever it was had just hung up. In a way, that’s rather odd, isn’t it?’ She turned to Jeremy, adding, ‘Oh yes, of course. You know, that man who came the other day and wanted to buy things–a horsey sort of man in a check suit. He wanted to buy that desk.’
The Inspector crossed the room to look at the desk. ‘This one here?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ Clarissa replied. ‘I told him, of course, that it wasn’t ours to sell, but he didn’t seem to believe me. He offered me a large sum, far more than it’s worth.’
‘That’s very interesting,’ the Inspector commented as he studied the desk. ‘These things often have a secret drawer, you know.’
‘Yes, this one has,’ Clarissa told him. ‘But there was nothing very exciting in it. Only some old autographs.’
The Inspector looked interested. ‘Old autographs can be immensely valuable, I understand,’ he said. ‘Whose were they?’
‘I can assure you, Inspector,’ Sir Rowland informed him, ‘that these weren’t anything rare enough to be worth more than a pound or two.’
The door to the hall opened, and Constable Jones entered, carrying a small booklet and a pair of gloves.
‘Yes, Jones? What is it?’ the Inspector asked him.
‘I’ve examined the car, sir,’ he replied. ‘Just a pair of gloves on the driving seat. But I found this registration book in the side pocket.’ He handed the book to the Inspector, and Clarissa exchanged a smile with Jeremy as they heard the Constable’s strong Welsh accent.
The Inspector examined the registration book. ‘“Oliver Costello, 27 Morgan Mansions, London SW3”,’ he read aloud. Then, turning to Clarissa, he asked sharply, ‘Has a man called Costello been here today?’
Chapter 11
The four friends exchanged guiltily furtive glances. Clarissa and Sir Rowland both looked as though they were about to attempt an answer, but it was Clarissa who actually spoke. ‘Yes,’ she admitted. ‘He was here about–’ She paused, and then, ‘let me see,’ she continued. ‘Yes, it was about half past six.’
‘Is he a friend of yours?’ the Inspector asked her.
‘No, I wouldn’t call him a friend,’ Clarissa replied. ‘I had met him only once or twice.’ She deliberately assumed an embarrassed look, and then said, hesitantly, ‘It’s–a little awkward, really–’ She looked appealingly at Sir Rowland, as though passing the ball to him.
That gentleman was quick to respond to her unspoken request. ‘Perhaps, Inspector,’ he said, ‘it would be better if I explained the situation.’
‘Please do, sir,’ the Inspector responded somewhat tersely.
‘Well,’ Sir Rowland continued, ‘it concerns the first Mrs Hailsham-Brown. She and Hailsham-Brown were divorced just over a year ago, and recently she married Mr Oliver Costello.’
‘I see,’ observed the Inspector. ‘And Mr Costello came here today.’ He turned to Clarissa. ‘Why was that?’ he asked. ‘Did he come by appointment?’
‘Oh no,’ Clarissa replied glibly. ‘As a matter of fact, when Miranda