Death by Silver by Melissa Scott Read Free Book Online Page B

could still put up a fair fight.”
    “He might have fallen asleep in his chair.”
    “He might have. Or he might have been the one to walk in on the burglar, and, whack, our burglar turns round and does for him before he has time to think. Only if the burglar was alone in the study to start with, you’d think there’d be more valuables missing, desk drawers turned out, all that kind of thing. Everything looked in order in there to me, except for the candlestick and the corpse.”
    “Interesting.”
    “Yes, isn’t it? But we’ve already got a simple explanation, and I can’t spend much more time looking for a complicated one without having something to go on.” Hatton closed his notebook. “I did want your statement about the silver being free of curses in your professional opinion, but mainly I’d like the murder weapon looked at by someone who knows what they’re about. We’ve got Carruthers puttering around with it right now, but I’d rather have you take a look.”
    Ned leaned back in his chair. “You don’t think that if I botched the job of testing the silver for curses in the first place, I might try to cover it up?”
    “No, I don’t,” Hatton said thoughtfully. “I don’t think you’re that sort. If you botched the job, I think you’ll stand up like a man and admit it. But at this point I don’t know what happened, only that it doesn’t feel right, and I’d feel easier about it if you’d take a look at that candlestick.”
    “I’d be happy to,” Ned said. “Should I come round to Scotland Yard?”
    “I can’t have you in right under Carruthers’s nose, or he’ll raise hell. It’ll be easiest if I bring the thing round to you – I can make off with it after Carruthers knocks off for the day, and he’ll be none the wiser. He never remembers where he left things lying anyway. And I’ll stand you dinner, if you want. Only fair if I’m taking up your evening.”
    Ned took that as a tactful way of saying that this wouldn’t be a paying job. He was starting to find it an interesting mystery, though, even if it might really be more in Julian’s line than his. And when he thought about it, it might go some considerable distance toward improving Julian’s temper to present him with a curious murder case and assure him that only his brilliance could possibly solve it.
    “I’ll meet you at Blanding’s, then, around seven? The coffee-house at the corner. You can tell me the rest of it, if there’s any more to tell, and I’ll take a look at your murder weapon.” Ned hesitated for a moment. “I’ve a friend I’d very much like to bring along, a private detective. Mr Julian Lynes.”
    “We generally try to do without the assistance of private detectives at the Yard,” Hatton said. “It’s felt that’s what they pay us for. And I’ve heard a bit about Lynes. He’s had some dodgy sorts of clients.”
    “He’s solved some extremely difficult cases.”
    “I’ve heard that, too.” Hatton sighed. “Bring him along, then. If you think he can keep this quiet. I don’t want any more ‘Yard Baffled’ on the front page.”
    “I assure you he’s entirely discreet,” Ned said.
    “He had better be,” Hatton said, and reclaimed his hat from the hat-stand on his way out.
    Miss Frost came back in so promptly that Ned suspected she’d been sitting on the outside steps waiting for Hatton to leave. He waited while she divested herself of hat and gloves. “Well?” she asked, clearly unable to repress curiosity any longer.
    “Inspector Hatton wants me to look over some of the evidence,” Ned said. He was writing as he spoke, a brief note: Lynes – Asked to consult in murder case, but suspect it will require your skills. Blanding’s seven o’clock to hear particulars? Mathey. A letter posted this early ought to reach Julian before dinnertime, but by then he might have made other plans, and Ned didn’t feel like taking chances. “And I’ve a telegram to send.”

    Breakfast