Death of an Author by John Rhode

Author:John Rhode [Rhode, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781446657522
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Lulu.com
Published: 2013-02-21T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XI

JIMMY and King between them made the necessary arrangements. About half an hour after noon on Wednesday Penshaw arrived at Scotland Yard by car, bringing Hester Cudworth with him. Jimmy met Hester with many apologies for bringing her up to London at short notice. The business he wanted her to do would not take more than a few minutes. But it could wait until she had recovered from her journey. He sent her off in charge of a policewoman who had instructions that she was to see that Mrs. Cudworth had all she wanted. The essentials, of course, being lunch and a rest.

At two o’clock a motley crowd of a dozen or so assembled in the courtyard. Sam Radstock was there, in company with a handful of other prisoners on remand, the party being made up with individuals of varying types picked up at random from the highways and by-ways. They were all in ordinary clothes — Sam in the suit he was wearing when he was arrested. While they were being marshalled into some sort of shape Hester Cudworth was escorted to Jimmy’s room. He was glad to see that she was particularly animated as the result of her adventure, or her lunch, or both, and not in the least flustered by her strange surroundings. “Now, Mrs. Cudworth, I’m going to ask you to do something for me,” he said. “We’ll go down to the courtyard together and you’ll see a row of men drawn up. We’ll walk slowly down the line, and I want you to look very carefully at each man as we do so. If you recognise any of them don’t say anything till I ask you. Is that all right?”

Hester seemed fascinated by the prospect of being a player in this new game. “Yes, that’s all right,” she replied. “If I recognise any of the men I’m not to say anything to you till afterwards. That’s what you mean, isn’t it?”

“Exactly,” said Jimmy. “If you’re ready, Mrs. Cudworth, shall we go down?”

Hester expressed her complete readiness, and they went downstairs to the courtyard. The men were by now drawn up in a more or less straight line and presented a singularly ill-assorted appearance. Some stood bolt upright, others slouched carelessly, their eyes fixed on the ground in front of them. Some were smartly dressed, others in their working clothes with scarves round their necks. Sam, somewhere about the middle, looked utterly dejected and completely uninterested in the proceedings.

As Jimmy began to walk slowly down the line, Hester at his side, he had difficulty in controlling his sense of the ridiculous. It was an absurd parody of the inspection of a guard of honour by a governor-general and his wife. Hester looked keenly at each man as they passed without at first showing any sign of recognition. They approached the place where Sam was standing, sullen and unenquiring. Then he made a fatal mistake. As he caught sight of Hester his eyes brightened. It was to be guessed that he vaguely remembered her appearance and was trying feverishly to place her.

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