Murder on the Celtic by Edward Marston

Author:Edward Marston
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2022-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

NINE

Holding it up in one hand, George Dillman examined the coat with care. He was in the purser’s office with Nelson Rutherford and Wilfred Carr, both of whom looked on with interest. ‘Nothing in the pockets?’ asked Rutherford.

‘Nothing at all,’ replied Dillman.

‘Then he was robbed before he was killed.’

‘Let’s not jump to any conclusions. We can’t be certain that this coat belonged to Mr Lowbury, and even if it did, we’ve no proof that he was murdered. He may still be on the ship somewhere.’

‘I wish that was true, sir,’ said Carr gloomily, ‘but I doubt it. We’ve searched everywhere except under the bunk in the captain’s cabin.’

‘But you did find the coat,’ Rutherford noted, ‘and that’s to your credit. Well done, Carr. It’s the only real clue we have.’

‘Yes,’ said Dillman, examining a tear under one of the armpits of the coat, ‘and it’s a very valuable one. Can you see where this is torn?’ he asked, pointing. ‘Nobody would have worn it in that condition. I think the person who owned this coat may well have been involved in a struggle of some sort.’

‘One that he lost, by the look of it.’

‘Yes. Where exactly did you find this, Mr Carr?’

‘In one of the lifeboats,’ said the steward.

‘I’ll need you to show me the exact spot.’

‘Now, sir?’

‘No,’ said Dillman. ‘We’ll need to get the coat identified by Mrs Lowbury first. That’s the next step. In the meantime, I don’t want you to spread news of what you found.’

‘You can count on me, Mr Dillman.’

‘And on the others,’ said the purser. ‘Before they began their search I impressed upon them that they were to do nothing to raise alarm among the passengers. If people know that we have a possible murder on our hands, it will unsettle the whole ship.’ Carr sniffed. ‘Then it’s just as well we didn’t take Roley.’

‘Who?’

‘Roland Finn, sir – first-class bedroom steward. The less he knows about this, the better. Roley has a wagging tongue. In fact, I’ve been meaning to talk to Mr Dillman about him.’

‘Why?’ asked the detective.

‘Because he’s sweet on Mrs Burbridge’s stewardess, Hannah Jympson, that’s why. They’re close friends.’

‘I don’t want to hear any tittle-tattle about the private lives of the crew,’ said Rutherford irritably.

‘But it’s important, sir. Hannah told Roley, you see, and my guess is that Roley told every Tom, Dick and Harry on board.’

‘Told them what?’

‘About that seance being held in Mrs Burbridge’s cabin. When she heard that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was going to be there, Hannah couldn’t wait to pass on the news.’

‘This could be relevant,’ said Dillman. ‘That book was stolen from Sir Arthur’s cabin while he and Lady Conan Doyle were at that seance. I assumed that only a few people were aware it was taking place, but it now seems the news reached a wider audience.’

‘I’d forgotten about the stolen book,’ admitted Rutherford. ‘It’s something we have to keep in mind. Obviously, this latest development must take priority, but that doesn’t mean we stop looking for that copy of A Study in Scarlet.

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