The Glass Too Many by Jack Mann

Author:Jack Mann
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Publisher: Munsey's

IX. DEA IN MACHINA

In his room at the Hall, Gees had just finished coaxing his dress trousers into their creases, preparatory to placing them in his suitcase, when the gong sounded for lunch — ten minutes past the normal time, his watch told him. He ceased packing, and went straight down to the dining-room, where Claire had already seated herself.

“I put it back ten minutes for you,” she opened on him. “Have you been in long? I didn't know you were back.”

“I've had a most interesting morning, and a most useful one,” he answered cheerfully. “Graves, please” — this to Gates. Then to Claire again — “Do you know who is lord-lieutenant of this county?”

“Yes, Sir Horace Dundas-Morton. He dined here last week.”

“The bow-legged baronet, eh? I'd no idea he was parochially-minded. Well, that gives me two strings to my stitch in time.”

Gates' hand quivered a little as he poured the Graves, and Gees saw his back shaking as he retired to the sideboard with the bottle. Then he went out, and possibly exploded outside the door.

“That wasn't fair,” Claire said. “Gates leads a very quiet life, and the result is a simple mind.

He doesn't go to the pictures, even, and — but why this sudden interest in lords-lieutenant?”

“No, only in one of them. And he and my father both get red in the face when they settle to slanging the Army of to-day in their club — I've seen them at it. Now if I start for London at three —” he broke off, estimating possibilities at the end of the journey.

“You said you were staying to-night!” Claire almost protested.

“Yes, but that was a long while ago, and now I'm so much at sea that I want time to sight land. Dundas-Morton is the only man who can give me sailing directions, and to get them I've got to get in touch with Reed, whom I won't let come back here. Ergo!”

“May I know any more?” she asked after a long pause.

The police of any county are responsible to the chief constable, and the chief constable is responsible to the lord-lieutenant,” he answered. “I don't know whether that's theoretic or practical — I don't know what actual powers a lord-lieutenant has, because I have never looked it up, but I think Dundas-Morton both can and will ease my way for me, since I'm acting for Reed. I want Reed to make him smooth it, anyhow. You see, the police have got to come in on this, and I want to keep the free hand I've had so far.”

“Do you mean we've got to have police here?” she asked incredulously, almost fearfully, as she stared at him.

“They haven't got here yet,” he said, “and since Reed will like the idea as little as you obviously do, probably he'll walk up walls to avert it when I tell him. You see, Anita Mendez died from the same cause as did Elsie Carr, which makes plain murder a certainty.”

“Anita?” She almost gasped the name.

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