The Crimson Fog by Halter Paul
Author:Halter, Paul [Halter, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Locked Room International
Published: 2013-11-20T00:00:00+00:00
14
Above the treetops, the baleful light of the moon turned everything pale. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and went round to the front of the house to knock on the main door. Hopkins opened it. Without uttering a word, he showed me into the lounge.
The assembled household looked at me as if I were a ghost, but not Superintendent Melvin, who regarded me with amusement.
Not feeling very proud of myself, I sat down on a chair with my head down and waited. The moment of the great discovery had arrived.
It was the superintendent who spoke:
âPlease raise your head, inspector, so that people can see you better.â
âInspector?â exclaimed Luke in a strangled voice. âBut I thoughtâ.â
âI think you ought to know him. He was born in Blackfield. Werenât you, Inspector John Reed?â
There were exclamations from all sides:
âJohn! Oh, John!â exclaimed Rose.
âJohn Reed. Well Iâll be damned,â said the major, letting his pipe fall to the ground.
âIt was stupid of me not to have grasped the situation right away,â continued the superintendent. âJohn had often spoken to me about Blackfield and the strange Morstan business, which he hoped to clear up one day. When I found out heâd been on holiday since the beginning of the week, I immediately made the connection with the mysterious Sidney Miles. John is one of our best detectives; youâve probably read about his exploits in the newspapers. Not only does he rarely make an error in his deductions, but heâs very effective in the field. Quite often, in certain notorious areas of London, when a dangerous criminal needs to be taken from his lair, we have to disguise ourselves. There again, thereâs no one better than John. And, on top of it all, heâs as agile as a monkey, and has no equalâ.â
âThank you, chief. Youâre too kind,â I said, looking round the assembled household.
Rose seemed thrilled to bits, which didnât sit well with her husband, who smiled grimlyâapparently just as jealous as in the past. The major was torn between anger and pride. As for Eleanor and Nellie, it was impossible to guess their feelings.
âWhatâs all this about, John,â grumbled the major. âWhy all the play-acting? To think I asked you to play the role of an inspectorâ¦. You must have been laughing inside.â
âAt the time of your brotherâs murder, I was already thinking of going into the police. I wasnât really interested in medicine. Iâve always loved mysteries, and a particularly perplexing one had happened right there in my village. I tried to carry out my own modest investigation at the time. Do you remember how many times I asked you questions, Rose?â
Rose nodded and smiled, under the wrathful eye of her husband.
âMy efforts were in vain, of course. My father died a few months later, and I never returned to Blackfield until now.â
âI liked your father very much,â said the major. âHe would be proud of you, John, if he were still alive.â
I was moved by his words, and gave
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