The Wyndham Case (Imogen Quy Mystery 1) by Jill Paton Walsh

Author:Jill Paton Walsh [Walsh, Jill Paton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hachette Littlehampton
Published: 2011-11-24T06:00:00+00:00

13

Inspector Balderton's ‘Riot Act’ was a quiet one. It was deliberate and emphatic. He was addressing all the undergraduates who had attended the notorious party, several of their tutors, Imogen, the Wyndham Librarian and the Dean, all assembled in the small lecture-room.

‘I want everyone present to consider this,’ he said, starting in without preliminaries. ‘In this college, in the course of the current term, there have been two violent deaths and two unexplained disappearances.’ A little murmur answered him.

‘Two disappearances?’ said someone behind Imogen. ‘Who...?’

‘One of the disappearances may be coincidental; that of Mr Jack Taverham certainly seems to be connected to the first death. We are increasingly interested in interviewing Mr Taverham. He may be able to help us in connection with the death of Mr Skellow. And in the light of the death of Miss Marshall...’

He was interrupted by Emily Stody, shouting at him. ‘Well, at least that lets Jack out! Jack wasn't here when that happened! Was he?’

‘I don't know where he was,’ replied the Inspector. ‘And if you do know, I think you should tell us immediately. Well?’

Emily scowled at him. ‘I don't happen to know,’ she said. ‘But if I did I wouldn't tell you to save my life!’

The chief regarded her steadily for a few moments. Then he said, ‘You illustrate our problem rather well, I think. Of course, if Mr Taverham was nowhere near the college the night before last, then, as you put it, that lets him out of the death of Miss Marshall. But because we don't know where he was, or is, we don't know that he was nowhere near the college at the material time. He has disappeared; he might be hiding in the nearest cellar, or lying low in a friend's lodging in the next street, or he might have fled to Timbuctoo. Has anyone here seen him since the morning of the sixteenth?’

Silence.

‘Until he appears and explains himself he cannot be ruled out of the enquiry into either death. However, I will not conceal from you a nastier possibility. It is that he is another victim of the same murderer. Very possibly he is himself in danger; perhaps in serious danger. Whoever killed Miss Marshall is very ruthless and dangerous; if it is the same person who killed Mr Skellow, then we have to face the fact that a person who has killed twice is well capable of killing a third time. Miss Stody has told us all that she would not divulge the whereabouts of Mr Taverham – if she knew them – to save her life. I am asking her in front of all of you if she would divulge them to save his life. Or perhaps the life of some other person present in this room now, or going unsuspecting about innocent business elsewhere.’

He paused, but Emily did not respond.

‘Now I imagine I and my team are the only people present in this room who know anything at all about murder. Murder in general,

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