The Floating Admiral - Agatha Christie [43]
The remarks of the young man at the Admiralty had reminded Rudge that he had been on the job since six o’clock and had had no breakfast. He rang the bell and asked Emery if he could be given something to eat.
“Well,” said the retainer, dubiously, “I don’t know, I suppose so.” He pondered, and then added: “Me and Mrs. Emery was just sitting down to gammon rashers. I dare say you could have a gammon rasher if you fancied it.”
The idea seemed good to the Inspector. He replied that he should fancy it very much indeed.
“Well, I’ll tell her,” said Emery. He went out, and returned again in a few minutes.
“I suppose you would be wanting something to drink,” he suggested, reluctantly.
“Anything that’s going,” said Rudge, pleasantly.
“Well, I dare say you could have a glass of beer,” said Emery. “Me and Mrs. Emery was just sitting down to a glass. Mrs. Emery felt she needed a drop of something to raise her spirits.”
The Inspector readily accepted the offer of beer. Emery shambled slowly away, returning presently to enquire:
“If I was to bring it in on a tray, would that do for you? We ain’t never been accustomed to have the police about the place.”
The Inspector signified that whatever was most convenient to Mr. and Mrs. Emery would suit him. The man retired again, and after a considerable time returned to announce in a mournful tone:
“Mrs. Emery says you can have a gammon rasher if you want it. She says she hasn’t made no sweet to-day, on account of being low in her spirits, but perhaps a piece of the Stilton would do for you.”
The Inspector replied that it would do admirably, and at that moment the telephone rang. On answering it Rudge found that he was through to Mr. Dakers’s office. Mr. Edwin Dakers and Mr. Trubody were both out. Could the speaker do anything?
The Inspector explained that he wanted to speak urgently to Mr. Edwin Dakers on business connected with Admiral Penistone. No, he was not speaking for the Admiral. The Admiral, in fact, was dead.
“Indeed? Mr. Dakers will be very sorry to hear that.”
“In fact,” said the Inspector, “he has died under very mysterious circumstances. I represent the police.”
“Indeed? Mr. Dakers will be greatly distressed. If you will give me your number, I will ask him to ring you as soon as he comes in.”
The Inspector thanked the speaker and then remembered that Sergeant Appleton was still somewhere about, and unfed. He rang the bell again. Emery shuffled in and began at once with a reproachful expression.
“Now it ain’t no good you ringing. Nobody can’t hurry a gammon rasher. They wants a good deal of cooking if they ain’t to give you bile.”
“Quite so,” said Rudge, “but I was thinking about my sergeant. Do you think you could manage a meal for him too?”
“The sergeant,” said Emery, “is taking a bite in the kitchen along of me and Mrs. Emery. No offence, I hope.”
“Certainly not, no,” said Rudge, “I’m very glad he should.” Emery withdrew again, while the Inspector pondered on Sergeant Appleton’s superior enterprise and resourcefulness.
The gammon rasher—cut thick and well fried up—was brought in by Mrs. Emery, a little bird-like woman with snapping eyes and a masterfulness of manner which explained to some extent her husband’s crushed and wilted appearance. A single glance at the perfectly-cooked rasher with its accompanying green peas and chips explained another riddle. Evidently, Emery’s feeble-mindedness was the price the Admiral paid for Mrs. Emery’s culinary skill.
Rudge expressed his appreciation.
“And how I could bring myself to do it I’m sure I don’t know,” said Mrs. Emery, “with the poor master gone so sudden and Miss Elma away and the whole place in a uproar. Even the very smell of the meat seems almost ’eartless, as you might say. But there! that Emery is a man and man must ’ave ’is meat, if the ’ole world was to be swallowed up in Noah’s flood.”
“True,” said the Inspector, “we are a callous sex, I’m afraid, Mrs. Emery. It’s a great upset to you naturally. And with Miss Fitzgerald going away unexpectedly it’s all left on your shoulders.”
“Ah!” said Mrs. Emery.