Murder in the Mist by Cora Harrison

Author:Cora Harrison [Cora Harrison]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2023-09-11T00:00:00+00:00

NINE

The inspector, however, was quite a shrewd man, or so it appeared to me. I could see how his eyes, filled with speculation, looked out into the turbulent waters of the River Medway. He was turning the facts over in his mind. The dead man, it appeared, was a stranger in the location, a stranger in the county of Kent, a man from across the sea, from that turbulent Irish city of Cork, the second largest city in a country that was continuously at war with its fellow inhabitants. The police inspector compressed his lips, rubbed the chill from his fingers, and then said casually, ‘Did they get on well? The uncle and nephews? Did they get on well with each other?’

Dickens allowed a pause of a few minutes to elapse and then, with a shrug of his shoulders, he answered, ‘You’ll have to talk to them about that, Inspector. I must say that I have no solid evidence, not evidence which would stand up in a court of law – well, you know what it is like … you know what families are like! It would,’ he said slowly, ‘be useful for a man of your experience to speak to these young men, one by one …’ He left a silence for the inspector to fill mentally before saying lightly, ‘I shall be happy to offer you the facilities to conduct your investigations in private and comfortable surroundings back at Gad’s Hill.’

I had little doubt that the inspector had previously sampled the comfort of Dickens’ house at Gad’s Hill and the extent of his hospitality. I could see a spark of anticipation strike a light in the man’s eyes and a slight relaxation of the lips.

‘That’s indeed very kind of you, Mr Dickens,’ he said. ‘I shall be very pleased to avail myself of your offer and now I think that you should all return to Gad’s Hill as quickly as possible. That sky, I must say, looks quite threatening. My sergeant and I will check on the convicts, but I’m sure we will find that the guards here are very careful and conscientious. I’ve often had occasion to visit the moors and never saw any laxness. We’ll follow you and will be back to your house as soon we have done that. Your guests may wish to change and to have some refreshments, a short rest, perhaps, before we arrive, and I have no objection to that.’

My friend gave a satisfied nod of his head and turned his mind to the practicalities.

‘You will, of course, want to interview my guests, one by one once you have finished with the convicts and their keepers,’ he said to the police officer. ‘And, of course, I shall be very pleased to offer you the hospitality of my home to keep you warm and comfortable on this very cold day. I will engage to have a room at your disposal and everyone ready to be interviewed. Let me write you a list of names of those of my family and friends present here with me on the marshes this morning.

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