Frequent Hearses by Edmund Crispin

Author:Edmund Crispin
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-08-25T20:34:47.046000+00:00

Nicholas Crane, sprawled on the long settee, looked up as he approached.

“Hallo, Inspector,” he said. “Come and join the conference. And have some sherry.”

“I won’t for the moment, thank you, sir.” Humbleby had not intended to speak stiffly, but after the Mercury’s revelations he could feel no enthusiasm for Nicholas, and the words sounded unfriendly despite himself. “Not for the moment,” he reiterated in more mollifying tones.

“Well, anyway, sit down.”

Humbleby sat down and surveyed the gathering. Apart from Nicholas, Medesco was the only person present whom he knew—and he was slightly surprised to find Medesco on such intimate terms with the family that he could be admitted to an assembly whose purpose was clearly to discuss the Mercury’s thunderbolt. Medesco sat with his great height and bulk overflowing a small chair, and with a cigar in the corner of his mouth; his small saurian eyes, framed between the formidable brow and the smooth, fat cheeks, gazed on Humbleby coldly and unblinkingly.

“Well, Inspector,” he said. “We’re in the thick of it, as you’ll have guessed. You shall sit by and pick up the crumbs.”

Nicholas nodded.

“I’m sorry we’re not able to help you by having Madge here as well,” he said. “If she was here, all the dirty linen could be washed at one go. But she hasn’t got in touch with us, and there’s no reply from the Doon Island number. Probably she hasn’t even seen the blasted paper.”

A little bald man, who was hovering at his side, gave a monitory cough.

“Now, now, Mr. Crane,” he interposed. “We must be careful what we say, mustn’t we? Very, very careful indeed.”

Nicholas sighed.

“This is my lawyer,” he said to Humbleby. “Mr. Cloud. He’s quite a nice chap in the normal way, but at the moment he’s just a quivering mass of legal circumspection.”

“In your own interests, Mr. Crane!” Mr. Cloud burst out. “In your own interests! If we are going to sue this newspaper—”

“We’re not,” said Nicholas briefly.

“But this is absurd! An action would lie. I can assure you that an action would lie. The greater the truth, the greater the libel. This is to say that—”

Mr. Cloud checked himself, belatedly conscious that in the present context his utterance of this forensic saw had been scarcely tactful. And Nicholas laughed.

“You don’t spare my feelings, do you, Cloud?” he said. “But never mind. The Mercury’s imputation is true, and for that reason—”

“Mr. Crane, I beg of you—”

“—for that reason, I shan’t attempt to contest it.” Nicholas smiled wryly. “This scandal is no more than I deserve… Do you believe in atonement, Inspector?”

“As a Christian of sorts,” said Humbleby cautiously, “I must.”

“Well, putting up with this will be my atonement for that wretched girl’s death. Not a very adequate one, I’m afraid, but thoroughly deserved.”

“You think the scandal will affect your career?” Humbleby asked.

“It will finish my career,” said Nicholas simply. “There are a great many very decent people in film business, and they’d no more work with me after this than they’d work with a leper.

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