The Six Queer Things by C. St. John Sprigg

Author:C. St. John Sprigg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Valancourt Books
Published: 2018-02-05T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER VIII: “Something Damned Queer Has Been Happening”

Inspector Morgan went back to his chief and had a long conversation with him.

“Superficially the case is as clear as daylight,” he reported. “Wainwright poisoned Crispin. We know Crispin died of strychnine poisoning; we know strychnine poisoning was in the glass which Wainwright handed to Crispin; and we know no one else went near the glass, or had any other opportunity to put poison in it. We know also that Wainwright had a definite motive for getting rid of Crispin.”

The chief nodded.

“Well, what’s the trouble? It’s clear enough.”

“There are still a good few facts left that worry me.”

“Such as?”

“Why has this girl disappeared? Why has Crispin’s sister disappeared? What’s behind the whole episode of Crispin’s relations with Marjorie? And then the odd collection of stuff in that locked drawer!”

“The Six Queer Things?” said his chief with a smile. “Has it occurred to you that these might have been put there to make it more difficult?”

Morgan only grunted in reply.

“If you really want my opinion,” went on the chief, “it seems to me you’ve trusted our doctor friend too much.”

“In what way?”

“About this girl. How do you know she really was under Crispin’s­ influence?”

“Well, good Lord, she was staying at his house! Besides, I’ve seen her uncle, who said she went there absolutely against his consent. He’s very worked up about it. He doesn’t seem so much worried at losing her, as that she is dragging him into trouble, which may affect his business.”

The chief pulled thoughtfully at his little iron-grey moustache.

“But don’t you think she might have been deceiving him as well as Crispin?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, isn’t it possible that she was in the plot with Wainwright? It seems darned odd that directly Wainwright does his stuff she disappears.”

“You mean Wainwright, the doctor and this girl had a definite plan of campaign against Crispin?”

“Yes.”

“It’s possible. It certainly worries me that the girl hasn’t turned up. But that doesn’t disturb the central issue. Wainwright is the only person who could have poisoned Crispin.”

The chief nodded.

“Yes, I think that’s fairly clear. We may be able to drag the whole truth out of them later when we’ve got Wainwright behind lock and key. You’ll pull him in at once, I suppose.”

“Yes. There doesn’t seem much point in keeping him waiting any longer.”

2

As soon as Morgan had left him, Dr Wood called for his car and went round to see Wainwright. He could not fail to notice the burly man in the mackintosh standing just opposite the little house, leaning against a lamppost.

Wainwright was obviously worried. Lines under his eyes showed that he had had little sleep, and he started pacing restlessly up and down his room directly he had let Wood in.

“What the hell do they think they’re doing?” he groaned incoherently. “They ask me every sort of damned silly question. Why did I dislike Crispin? Did anyone else handle the glass? As if I cared a damn when Marjorie is still lost! What did

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