Inspector Hadley the Ingenious Murders by Peter James Child

Author:Peter James Child
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Benbow Publications

CHAPTER 13

As the detectives arrived back in the office, Big Ben struck one o’clock. George appeared and said, ‘glad you’re back, sir, the Chief wants to see you immediately.’

Hadley sighed and replied, ‘thank you, George… and while I’m with him will you go to the canteen and buy sandwiches for us all and then make some tea.’

‘Yes of course, sir.’

‘Cooper will give you the lunch money,’ said Hadley with a grin as he made for the door.

The Chief Inspector glanced up from his paper strewn desk as Hadley entered.

‘You wished to see me, sir?’

‘Yes, Hadley, the Commissioner has just sent word down that Sir Rupert Maitland is coming to see him at five o’clock and we are to be there to give a report on our investigations so far,’ replied Bell.

‘Very good, sir.’

‘Is it good, Hadley?’

‘Well, sir…’

‘I’m not so sure… we believe that Hurst murdered Lady Maitland, but cannot prove it, his killer is still roaming around London and we seem to be unable to do anything about it!’

‘But, sir…’

‘We are failing in our duty, Hadley… and Maitland, along with the gutter Press, will have our guts for garters if we don’t arrest someone soon and hang him for these murders!’

‘Without any doubt you are quite right, sir, but in all fairness we are…’

‘Don’t you talk to me about fairness, Hadley! There’s nothing fair in life and you should know that by now,’ interrupted Bell.

‘I should have said ‘in all reason’, sir.’

‘That’s better.’

‘I was about to say that in all reason we are only at the beginning of the investigations and we need more time.’

Bell sighed and replied, ‘I suppose that’s true, Hadley… so what have you to report?’

‘I’m looking at the possibility that Hurst did not murder Lady Maitland…’

‘But the maid said she knew he was meeting her regularly in Regents Park.’

‘I’m aware of that, sir, but it may be that they were just friends and he never wished to harm her.’

Bell shook his head slowly and said, ‘well I don’t know where you are going with this investigation, Hadley… but I think you’re clutching at straws.’

‘Well at the moment there’s very little else to clutch at, sir.’

‘Don’t be flippant, Inspector, it doesn’t become you.’

Hadley ignored the comment and said, ‘the maid could have made a mistake, sir, so I intend to speak to Mrs Hurst about any enemies her husband might have had and follow up the other gentlemen named ‘Johnny’ in Lady Maitland’s address book.’

‘Well I suppose that will be something to tell the Commissioner and Sir Rupert at five o’clock.’

‘Yes indeed, sir.’

‘So what else have you to report?’

‘We’ve arrested a suspect in Whitechapel on suspicion of the murder of Pemberton…’

‘That’s good to hear,’ interrupted Bell.

‘Yes, sir, and I’ll interview him tomorrow when he is sober.’

‘Well that doesn’t sound like a man who’s able to shoot his victim in the Albert Hall and get away with it.’

‘Possibly not, sir, but we do have another suspect who threatened to shoot Pemberton…’

‘And why isn’t he under arrest?’

‘He has left his lodgings, sir, but told a neighbour he would return soon,’ replied Hadley.

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