The Essex Murders by Unknown

Author:Unknown [Unknown, ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter XV

AS there was no need for haste, they reached North Finchley by tube and ’bus, and set out in search of Heath Buildings. They expected to find a block of flats; they found instead an agglomeration of semidetached houses, one of which, No. 19, boasted a glass structure running back into the narrow garden.

“Photography,” said Ned.

“Genius!” said Nancy. “It was too obvious for me.”

He smiled indulgently. “We’ll be relatives, neither newspaper nor police. Cornelius is my second cousin—Got that?”

“Registered and held,” said Nancy, as he opened the gate.

The door of No. 19 was opened presently by a middle-aged woman who, on hearing their errand, bade them come in. They went into an Edwardian parlour. Mrs. Bray, the owner, followed them, and shut the door. She was one of those not infrequent people who turn away no opportunity for fresh conversation, and take on themselves with avidity the business of local guides.

Having established contact with this amiable woman, Ned successfully launched his inquiries.

“Ah, Mr. Hench did live here,” Mrs. Bray informed him. “He and his elder brother. I lived round the corner then. ’Twas them who built the studio in the garden, for their photography.”

“I knew my—my cousin Cornelius was a photographer,” said Ned. “But I never heard his brother was.”

“Well, indeed, it was he started it, and they did very well for a time; being cheap and good, till they neglected it, and people weren’t going to wait months for their photos. At least that was Mr. James. Mr. Cornelius was here, but he couldn’t do it all himself.”

“Then James went away often?” said Nancy.

“The way of it was this,” said Mrs. Bray, licking her lips as if to lubricate them for a long talk. “Mr. James, they say, was mad about birds. He knew all about them, and more than half his time he would be off to Scotland or Ireland or somewhere—they say he had a bit of money that Mr. Cornelius hadn’t—to take photos of them.”

“Really?” said Ned, glancing for a moment at Nancy.

“True as I sit here. He was always busy over the birds, and some said—anyway the last curate who caught him at it once—that he was writing a book on them.”

“How very interesting,” said Nancy.

Mrs. Bray drew in her lips. “It may have been to him, but it would have been more sense, I say, if he’d helped his brother more.”

“But I thought Cornelius was keen on birds too,” said Ned.

“I never heard it, sir, though it may be so. What I heard was just what people were saying. Anyway, when Mr. James died, it came out that he’d had about five thousand pounds in money, and spent most of it gallivanting about the country after birds.”

Ned nodded.

“But surely the book which had cost so much trouble would have some value?” he asked.

“Well, I don’t know, sir. But the curate I think was asked to have a look at it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.