Tenant for Death by Cyril Hare

Author:Cyril Hare
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
Publisher: Reading Essentials
Published: 1937-06-15T05:00:00+00:00

16

FANSHAWE SPEAKS

* * *

* * *

Friday, November 20th

It was afternoon. The Easington police had vouched for the bona fides of Colin James, and he had returned to his corn and seeds. Another visitor was now awaited, and for him the stage was set with more than ordinary care. A comfortable low chair was provided for him, for the inspector had found by experience that men talk with greater fluency when they are at ease, and at the same time the questioner has an advantage if he is sitting above the person he is interrogating. “If they put witnesses down in the well of the court instead of sticking them up in a box level with the judge, there’d be much less perjury,” he used to say. This chair was arranged so that it faced the light, and at the same time an open box of good cigarettes was placed within easy reach on the corner of the inspector’s desk. At the other end of the room a shorthand writer was in unobtrusive attendance.

When all was settled to Mallett’s satisfaction there was still some time to wait. An uneasy air of expectancy descended on the room. Frant, whose nerves were less under control than his superior’s, found the silence hard to bear.

“What do you think he’s coming here to tell us?” he said.

“I haven’t the least idea,” was the answer. “I shouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be something completely unimportant after all. There are so many loose ends in this case that I’m beginning to wonder if we are ever going to find a thread that will lead us anywhere.” He was silent for a moment, and then, as if feeling that the sergeant was finding the tension oppressive, began on another subject.

“What did you make of James’s story?” he asked.

“I think we’ve learned something very valuable from it,” Frant answered. “That name, description, passport—it can’t be all coincidence.”

“No, I agree, it’s wildly unlikely that it should be. But you see what that leads us to. We have simply pushed back the beginning of the story a month or more further. It means that as early as August someone had made up his mind to impersonate Mr. James.”

“He can’t have known beforehand that he was going to pick up the passport,” objected Frant.

“No, he couldn’t. But having had the luck to find it, he must have seen at once the sort of use he could put to it—or why didn’t he return it, or hand it to the police as any honest man would have done? More and more I’m becoming convinced that we have to deal with a very dangerous and intelligent man. You see, he is not only a careful plotter with a long view, but a man who can take a chance when it comes his way, and build it into his plans.”

“Of course, we can’t be sure that it was the same man who stole the passport and who afterwards used it,” put in the sergeant.

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