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Updated: June 25, 2025
Allerdyke's sense of duty arose in strong protest against this very palpable suggestion. He shook his head. "No no!" he said. "That won't do, Chettle. You must do your duty to your superiors. You'll find that you'll be all right. If the police solve this affair, that reward'll go to the police, and you'll get your proper share. No no underhand work. You make your report in your ordinary way.
But when Appleyard met them in Whitehall next morning, in response to Allerdyke's telephone summons, his only news was that neither Rayner nor Miss Slade had returned to the Pompadour, and without another word Allerdyke motioned Chettle to lead the way to the man in authority. It was to a hastily called together gathering of high police officials that the three visitors told all they knew.
There were many possibilities, and there was always to Allerdyke's mind the improbability that James had died through sudden illness. Now that Marshall Allerdyke's mind was clearing, getting free of the first effects of the sudden shock of finding his cousin dead, doubt and uneasiness as to the whole episode were rising strongly within him.
All these little details Allerdyke's sharp eyes took in at a glance; he turned from them to the things nearer the dead man. James Allerdyke sat in a big easy chair, placed at the side of a round table set towards a corner of the room. He was fully dressed in a grey tweed suit, but he had taken off one boot the left and it lay at his feet on the hearthrug.
At ten minutes past two a bustling, quick-mannered American strode into Marshall Allerdyke's private sitting-room, and at the instant that the door was closed behind him asked a question which seemed to burst from every fibre of his being "My dear sir! Are they safe?"
But I say do you see, this affair's to-night, this very evening, and at eight o'clock, and it's past seven now. She'll be arraying herself for the platform. We'd better wait until " Allerdyke's practical mind asserted itself. He twisted the American round in another direction, and called to a porter who had picked up their bags. "All that's easy," he said.
His cousin might have died from sudden heart failure; again, he might not, there might have been foul play; there might have been one of many reasons for his unexpected death anyway, in Allerdyke's opinion it was necessary for him to know exactly what James was carrying about his person when death took place.
Allerdyke inspected the new arrival with keen interest and found her a well-preserved, handsome woman of middle-age, sharp, smart, and American to the finger-tips. The official whom they had met before was already questioning her, and for Allerdyke's benefit he repeated what had already transpired. "The Princess affirms, Mr. Allerdyke, that not a soul but herself and your cousin, Mr.
Marlow knows more about amateur photography than I do," remarked Fullaway, with a glance at his secretary. "Here, Mrs. Marlow, these are same of Mr. Allerdyke's productions you remember that his cousin, Mr. James Allerdyke, gave you a photo which this Mr. Allerdyke had taken?"
"There were several of 'em came in last night she got into the river about eight-thirty. It 'ud be a bit after nine o'clock when your friend came in." Allerdyke's mind went back to the meeting at Howden. "Did you have a lady set off from here in the middle of the night?" he asked, out of sheer curiosity. "A lady in a motor-car?" "Oh! that lady," exclaimed the night-porter, with a grim laugh.
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