[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
A lady. Elizabeth Mayhew . . .
That would be right.
He was what you might call a turnip in velvet. And he made a right
nuisance of himself!
174 charles todd
Indeed.
After the train pulled out, he came into the station and told me he
needed to reach Marling that night. I said I doubted he d find anyone
who would drive him at that hour, in that weather. I m willing to pay
whatever is asked. All you have to do is send for someone. Send who?
I wanted to know. I wasn t about to get wet through, running errands
for the likes of him. He wasn t best pleased, I can tell you. I have to
reach Marling, he said again, as if I was deaf, and finally I told him
he d have to put up at the hotel for the night, and in the morning have
Freddy Butler send for one of the lads who regularly take the goods
wagon over to Marling. Well, he wasn t about to arrive in Marling with
the chickens and cabbages, he said. He wanted a proper carriage. The
stationmaster chuckled. If he d been the gentleman he thought he was,
I d have told him the smith kept a carriage he could have in the morn-
ing. He left, cursing under his breath.
Rutledge smiled. Did he indeed go to the hotel?
He didn t. My guess is he was smarter than he looked and knocked
on the first door he came to. They d have sent him to the smith.
Was there anything more that you noticed about him?
He had blue eyes. I d not have remembered that, but Freddy
Butler s son John had eyes the same color, like the summer sky. John
didn t come back from Arras.
How would you describe him? Educated? A Londoner? From the
Midlands?
And how am I to guess that? He s not a Kent man, I can tell you. I
know what a Kent man sounds like!
Had you seen him before that night? Or after?
He came back this way a day or two later, didn t he, to take the
train again. And he looked like the cat that supped on cream. Whatever
his business in Marling, he was that pleased about how it went. Cheeky
bastard!
19
After some discussion with Sergeant Burke and a half
hour of searching, Rutledge ran to earth the agent who was handling the
sale of the house in Marling that the Leeds merchant allegedly had his
eye on.
Mr. Meade was alarmed to be faced with a policeman across his
desk. And a policeman from Scotland Yard at that.
For if there s anything untoward about this man, the sale will not
go through He fiddled with the papers on his desk, fastidiously edg-
ing them with one side of the blotter, before moving several envelopes
in the other direction and adjusting the position of the inkwell.
Rutledge said blandly, I ve no reason to believe that he s involved
in any crime. On the contrary, I m after information that will close
doors, not open them.
Meade was not reassured. He doesn t live in Kent. At least he
will, when the sale is completed. I can t see how he could help you. And
I hope it won t be necessary to contact him. It could put him off living
here, to find Scotland Yard on his doorstep about murderers loose in
Marling!
All the same, Rutledge persisted, I need to know whatever you
can tell me about him.
176 charles todd
With a sigh, Meade said, Wealthy. He s prepared to sign for the
house, and on his behalf I ve already spoken with a man in Helford who
can begin renovations immediately, as soon as the paperwork is com-
pleted. And that s not all he wants to restore the gardens. The house
was once noted for its gardens. But that s in the spring, of course, when
the weather
Rutledge said, interrupting, Describe him, if you will.
Younger than I d expected, considering the fact that he s done as
well as he has. Fair. Putting on the weight of prosperity, I d say. I m told
he made his money up north, in Leeds or thereabouts. Meade was clearly
more impressed with the man s money than anything else about him.
Name?
Aldrich. Franklin J. Aldrich, the agent responded reluctantly.
The firm originally belonged to his father-in-law, I believe. Mr. Aldrich
lost his father-in-law and his wife to the Influenza, and has decided to
sell up and move away.
Why did he choose Kent?
The better climate. That s what he told me. I daresay now he s
made his money, he d like to enjoy spending it. And no doubt there s a
desire to put some little distance between himself and his roots, if he s
looking to set up as a gentleman. Meade seemed to run out of virtues to
extol and looked out the window at the busy street.
How often has Aldrich traveled to Kent?
Most of our negotiations have been by letter, through his bankers.
He came one weekend at the end of October, to view the property I had
described. I d actually offered him two or three possible choices, but he
seemed to be in no doubt about the kind of house he wanted. It explains
his success, I should think. Knowing what he wants.
How did he make his fortune?
I haven t er felt free to ask him. He s a very private person, ac-
tually. He did tell me once that the war had treated him well, and from
that I assumed he d been in manufacturing of one sort or another.
That s where most of the money was made.
Aldrich wasn t the first to make a fortune from the war. But even
Meade seemed to feel uncomfortable with that. He added, almost as an
afterthought, It s no bad thing for Marling, to have fresh blood coming
a fearsome doubt 177
in. As if in apology for his own eagerness to conclude this sale. A wid-
ower, of course
Hamish observed, as Rutledge finished his questions and rose to go, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl rafalstec.xlx.pl
A lady. Elizabeth Mayhew . . .
That would be right.
He was what you might call a turnip in velvet. And he made a right
nuisance of himself!
174 charles todd
Indeed.
After the train pulled out, he came into the station and told me he
needed to reach Marling that night. I said I doubted he d find anyone
who would drive him at that hour, in that weather. I m willing to pay
whatever is asked. All you have to do is send for someone. Send who?
I wanted to know. I wasn t about to get wet through, running errands
for the likes of him. He wasn t best pleased, I can tell you. I have to
reach Marling, he said again, as if I was deaf, and finally I told him
he d have to put up at the hotel for the night, and in the morning have
Freddy Butler send for one of the lads who regularly take the goods
wagon over to Marling. Well, he wasn t about to arrive in Marling with
the chickens and cabbages, he said. He wanted a proper carriage. The
stationmaster chuckled. If he d been the gentleman he thought he was,
I d have told him the smith kept a carriage he could have in the morn-
ing. He left, cursing under his breath.
Rutledge smiled. Did he indeed go to the hotel?
He didn t. My guess is he was smarter than he looked and knocked
on the first door he came to. They d have sent him to the smith.
Was there anything more that you noticed about him?
He had blue eyes. I d not have remembered that, but Freddy
Butler s son John had eyes the same color, like the summer sky. John
didn t come back from Arras.
How would you describe him? Educated? A Londoner? From the
Midlands?
And how am I to guess that? He s not a Kent man, I can tell you. I
know what a Kent man sounds like!
Had you seen him before that night? Or after?
He came back this way a day or two later, didn t he, to take the
train again. And he looked like the cat that supped on cream. Whatever
his business in Marling, he was that pleased about how it went. Cheeky
bastard!
19
After some discussion with Sergeant Burke and a half
hour of searching, Rutledge ran to earth the agent who was handling the
sale of the house in Marling that the Leeds merchant allegedly had his
eye on.
Mr. Meade was alarmed to be faced with a policeman across his
desk. And a policeman from Scotland Yard at that.
For if there s anything untoward about this man, the sale will not
go through He fiddled with the papers on his desk, fastidiously edg-
ing them with one side of the blotter, before moving several envelopes
in the other direction and adjusting the position of the inkwell.
Rutledge said blandly, I ve no reason to believe that he s involved
in any crime. On the contrary, I m after information that will close
doors, not open them.
Meade was not reassured. He doesn t live in Kent. At least he
will, when the sale is completed. I can t see how he could help you. And
I hope it won t be necessary to contact him. It could put him off living
here, to find Scotland Yard on his doorstep about murderers loose in
Marling!
All the same, Rutledge persisted, I need to know whatever you
can tell me about him.
176 charles todd
With a sigh, Meade said, Wealthy. He s prepared to sign for the
house, and on his behalf I ve already spoken with a man in Helford who
can begin renovations immediately, as soon as the paperwork is com-
pleted. And that s not all he wants to restore the gardens. The house
was once noted for its gardens. But that s in the spring, of course, when
the weather
Rutledge said, interrupting, Describe him, if you will.
Younger than I d expected, considering the fact that he s done as
well as he has. Fair. Putting on the weight of prosperity, I d say. I m told
he made his money up north, in Leeds or thereabouts. Meade was clearly
more impressed with the man s money than anything else about him.
Name?
Aldrich. Franklin J. Aldrich, the agent responded reluctantly.
The firm originally belonged to his father-in-law, I believe. Mr. Aldrich
lost his father-in-law and his wife to the Influenza, and has decided to
sell up and move away.
Why did he choose Kent?
The better climate. That s what he told me. I daresay now he s
made his money, he d like to enjoy spending it. And no doubt there s a
desire to put some little distance between himself and his roots, if he s
looking to set up as a gentleman. Meade seemed to run out of virtues to
extol and looked out the window at the busy street.
How often has Aldrich traveled to Kent?
Most of our negotiations have been by letter, through his bankers.
He came one weekend at the end of October, to view the property I had
described. I d actually offered him two or three possible choices, but he
seemed to be in no doubt about the kind of house he wanted. It explains
his success, I should think. Knowing what he wants.
How did he make his fortune?
I haven t er felt free to ask him. He s a very private person, ac-
tually. He did tell me once that the war had treated him well, and from
that I assumed he d been in manufacturing of one sort or another.
That s where most of the money was made.
Aldrich wasn t the first to make a fortune from the war. But even
Meade seemed to feel uncomfortable with that. He added, almost as an
afterthought, It s no bad thing for Marling, to have fresh blood coming
a fearsome doubt 177
in. As if in apology for his own eagerness to conclude this sale. A wid-
ower, of course
Hamish observed, as Rutledge finished his questions and rose to go, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]