[Inspector de Silva 06] - Passage From Nuala by Harriet Steel

Author:Harriet Steel [Steel, Harriet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
ISBN: 9780995693456
Google: EZHwwgEACAAJ
Amazon: 0995693455
Barnesnoble: 0995693455
Publisher: Stane Street Press
Published: 2019-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

**

‘What an impossible woman,’ muttered Petrie as they walked away down the corridor. ‘I don’t know whether to believe her or not. Hard to say what motivated the complaint – the truth or vanity. And we’re no further forward with the Pashley business,’ he added gloomily.

De Silva had held back from mentioning what the pianist, Betty Falconer, had told Jane about Delaney, but he decided it was time to reveal it now.

As he explained how Jane had learnt from Betty Falconer that Harry Delaney claimed to be harassed by the importunate attentions of a wealthy female passenger in Cabin Class, William Petrie listened thoughtfully.

‘Interesting,’ he said when de Silva had finished. ‘So, your supposition that the passenger might be Mrs de Vere seems to be correct. The question is, do we believe her story or Delaney’s? It’s credible that he would flatter a wealthy woman, either because his employers encourage it, or in the hope of some benefit to himself, but was he the one to step out of line, or did Mrs de Vere become an embarrassment? I suggest we keep this one under our hats for the moment, de Silva. We might question this Falconer woman officially, but it’s likely to send more rumours flying round the ship. I’d rather avoid that for the present. Anyway, we need to speak to Harry Delaney himself now. If he sticks to a different story from Venetia de Vere’s, McDowell will have a difficult decision to make. Unfortunately for Delaney, I doubt it will go his way. McDowell won’t want any trouble, and Delaney is the more expendable of the two.’

They parted in the Cabin Class lobby, and de Silva started back to his cabin to find Jane. As he walked, Venetia de Vere’s comment on how Pashley worked reminded him that when Pashley’s body had been found, his next dispatch wasn’t in his cabin. He must question the steward about that. After he’d found Pashley’s body, why remove the dispatch? Had the murderer, whoever he or she was, had a reason for wanting to get rid of it? Or was it just that Pashley had departed from his customary pattern and not written anything that day?

He was still thinking about the possibilities when he reached their cabin. Jane looked up from her magazine and smiled a greeting.

‘What did Captain McDowell want?’

He sat down in the armchair opposite her and rubbed a hand over his forehead. She listened while he told her about Venetia de Vere’s accusations.

‘If Betty Falconer’s right,’ she said when he had finished, ‘far from pursuing her and taking liberties, Harry Delaney’s probably desperate to extricate himself.’

‘Hell has no fury like a woman scorned?’

‘Yes. And if that’s the case, I doubt she’ll let the matter rest until he’s sacked. What an awkward situation.’

‘Fortunately, it’s the captain who will eventually have to decide how to resolve it. Petrie and I only need to question Delaney.’

‘I suppose that’s some consolation.’

She put down her magazine. It lay open on the table at a page showing a photograph of Jean Harlow, encased in ivory satin elegance.

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