United States or Mayotte ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
He turned back to speak to his man and as he turned, Joseph Chestermarke came out of the bank. Joseph gave him an insolent stare, and was about to pass him without recognition. But Polke stopped him. "Mr. Chestermarke, you heard that the housekeeper here has disappeared?" he asked sharply. "Can you tell anything about it?" "What have I to do with Horbury's housekeeper?" retorted Joseph.
Yet, according to all I've been told, Horbury's a thoroughly straight man of business." "According to all I've been told," remarked Easleby, "and all I've been told about anything has been told by yourself, the two Chestermarkes have the reputation of being thoroughly straight men of business outwardly.
"Don't want my supper to boil over, or to burn," he remarked. "It's the only decent meal I get in the day, you see, miss. But it won't take a minute to show you where I found the pipe. Now what's the idea, sir," he went on, turning to Neale, "about Mr. Horbury's disappearance? Is it known that he came out here Saturday night?" "Not definitely," replied Neale. "But it's believed he did.
"Naught much odd half-crown now and then," replied Polke. "Why?" "Lay you a fiver to a shilling Miss Fosdyke won't see anything of Horbury's nor get any information!" answered Starmidge, more slyly than ever. "She won't be allowed!" Polke gave the detective a shrewd look. "I dare say!" he said. "Whew! it's a queer game, this, Starmidge. First moves of it, anyway."
Leonard Hollis, of Birmingham, has come. He's identified the body." "And what does he think, or suggest?" asked Joseph, glancing out of the corners of his eyes at Starmidge. "Has he any suggestions or ideas?" "He thinks his brother came here to meet Mr. Horbury," answered Starmidge. "That's so evident that it's no news," remarked Joseph. "Perhaps he can suggest where Horbury's to be found."
Never mind these secret passages and dark corners and holes in the panels! at present: we may have a look at these later on. What I do want to find out is if there's any letter amongst Mr. Horbury's papers making an appointment with him last Saturday evening. To put matters briefly I want some light on that man who came to the Station Hotel on Saturday, and who presumably came to meet Mr.
And he may have wanted new funds for it, and he may have collared those securities which the Chestermarkes say are missing, and he may have appropriated Lord Ellersdeane's jewels d'ye see? You never can tell in any of these cases. You see, my lad, you've been going, all along, on the basis, the supposition, that Horbury's an innocent man, and the victim of foul play. But he may be a guilty man!
"I have the honour of addressing " he began. "You have the honour if you like to put it so of addressing Miss Betty Fosdyke, who is Mr. John Horbury's niece," replied the young lady impatiently. "Mrs. Carswell has told you that already. Besides you saw me, more than once, when I was a little girl. And that's not so very long ago. Now, Mr. Chestermarke, where is my uncle?"
Godwin Markham, money-lender, of Conduit Street, is the same person as Gabriel Chestermarke, banker, of Scarnham. That's flat! And now that we've got to know that much, how much nearer am I to finding out the real thing that I'm after?" "Which is exactly what?" asked Easleby. "I was called in," answered Starmidge, "to find out the secret of John Horbury's disappearance.
Your lordship," he continued, turning to the Earl, "knows that many houses in our Market-Place possess secret passages, double-staircases, and the like Horbury's house is certainly one of those that do. It has, of course, been modernized.