Murder at the Fitzwilliam by Jim Eldridge

Author:Jim Eldridge [Jim Eldridge]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780749023812
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2018-11-05T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

When Daniel entered the Lamb and Flag the following day, Wednesday, there were only a few customers in the bar. Herbert Crane was behind the bar, wiping glasses, and he scowled at Daniel as he approached.

‘Lillian’s not in,’ he said curtly.

‘That’s alright, I want to talk to Dolly.’

‘Why?’ demanded Herbert suspiciously.

‘I have a question I want to ask her.’

‘Didn’t you bother her enough yesterday?’ growled Herbert.

‘The question’s very simple,’ said Daniel. ‘When she was with Joe Ransome, did he ever use chloroform as a drug?’

‘She wouldn’t do something like that,’ snapped Herbert. ‘She’s not stupid.’

‘I’m asking if Ransome ever did,’ said Daniel patiently.

‘Why?’ demanded Herbert.

Daniel looked at him levelly. ‘Mr Crane, we can do this the easy, informal way, or I can ask Inspector Drabble to take Dolly in for questioning, and he can ask her.’

‘You’ve given Dolly’s name to the police!’ growled Herbert, anger flashing in his eyes.

‘No,’ replied Daniel. ‘And I’d like to keep it that way. So, would you pass on the message to Dolly that I need the answer about Ransome and chloroform, or any other drugs he might have used, as quickly as possible.’ He took a piece of paper and a pencil from his pocket and wrote down the address of Mrs Loxley’s boarding house. ‘She can find me or leave a message for me at the Fitzwilliam, or here.’

He passed the piece of paper and then nodded goodbye to Herbert. He could feel the man’s angry glare on his back all the way to the door.

Where to now? thought Daniel. There was nothing more he could do about Professor Hughes until Drabble brought him in. Assuming that the professor had returned to Colchester and not really been called to see his ill sister.

He would return to Mrs Loxley’s and see if there had been any results from the photograph of the dead man in the Gazette.

He could dig deeper into Harry Elder, talk to Harry’s sister who worked at the chemist and ask her about chloroform, but Daniel had a feeling that Harry Elder was not their killer. It was almost a sixth sense about people he’d picked up during his years in the police, an intuition about whether someone was guilty or not, despite whatever the physical evidence suggested. It was as if some people gave off an aura that Daniel picked up, whatever their outward demeanour. So often innocent people appeared shifty or suspicious because of nerves when finding themselves in a situation that was alien to them. And equally, others who appeared open and honest could do that because they were well practised in the art of deceit. But to Daniel, after years of looking into people’s eyes, and their hearts, he felt he could see beneath the surface.

Like Edward Hardwicke, for example. He seemed so right, so open and upstanding, but Daniel had a feeling about him. There was something wrong there.

Or was it simply jealousy on his part?

Daniel was attracted to Abigail, and every now and then he felt that attraction may be mutual.

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