The Floating Admiral - Agatha Christie [72]
They drove back to the Lord Marshall and Dakers got out. Rudge was turning away, but the solicitor stopped him with a gesture.
“About that consent, Inspector. I’ve been thinking over it and after all I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t see it. I haven’t got it myself at the moment, but when I get it I’ll let you know.”
Rudge thanked him again and the two men parted. Rudge was pleased with his day so far. He was certainly making progress. Already some of his theories had been eliminated and bed-rock fact was beginning to emerge from the mass of speculation in which the case was smothered.
Rudge’s business with the coroner was soon settled. It was obviously impossible to complete the inquest, and Mr. Skipworth agreed that all that was now necessary was to carry on the proceedings far enough to enable a burial order to be given. This procedure had already been tentatively agreed on by telephone, and the meeting was really to run over the required evidence and make sure that no unforeseen factor had arisen.
For the rest of that day Rudge busied himself in trying to glean information about the Rundel Croft household. He did not learn much, it must be admitted, but he initiated a series of enquiries about each member, the replies to which, when received, should prove valuable. Among the Admiral’s papers he found the Cornish address from which the deceased man had moved, and he telephoned to the Superintendent of the district for all available details of the family. He interviewed Elma Holland, though unfortunately without much success. He found out where the servants—the butler and his wife, and Elma’s present maid—had been engaged, and wrote to their former employers for further particulars of them. Lastly, he made a general search of the house, which, however, proved quite fruitless.
At a few minutes before ten next morning Rudge entered the hall where the inquest was to be held. To tell the truth, coroners’ enquiries were formalities which completely bored him. A waste of time, he considered them, indeed worse than a waste, for he believed the time could always be used more profitably in carrying on the normal investigation.
As he had foreseen, the proceedings afforded little of interest. The eleven jurors did not elect to view the body, and as soon as they were sworn, evidence was taken.
Neddy Ware first told in detail of his discovery of the body. Then Mr. Dakers swore that he had seen the body and that he identified it as that of Rear-Admiral Hugh Lawrence Penistone. He gave a short outline of the Admiral’s life, explained how he came to know him, and then stood down. Next Dr. Grice stated the cause of death, a wound in the heart from a knife or dagger with a long thin blade. A post-mortem had shown that the Admiral was in reasonably good health for a man of his years.
This brought the proceedings to a close, the coroner stating that in order to enable the police to make further enquiries he would adjourn the inquest till that day three weeks.
Once again Rudge was struck by the keenness of his reporter friend from the Evening Gazette. The man simply pestered him for news. A growing shortness in Rudge’s manner had no effect whatever, and it was not till he threatened to give anything available to a rival journal, that the man became reasonable.
Another person who developed a surprising curiosity was Mr. Mount. Mount was the first man Rudge had seen on reaching the coroner’s court. This was not surprising in a way, because Rudge had himself told the Vicar that his presence at the inquest would be required. But owing to the decision only to take evidence of identification that morning, Mount had neither been sent a summons to attend, nor been officially informed of the place and hour. But there the man was, and not only so, but he was evidently in an extremely curious as well as apprehensive condition.
On leaving the room Rudge found himself button-holed by the Vicar. Under the thinly veiled guise of a clergyman’s natural interest in his parishioners,