Murder Adrift by George Bellairs Read Free Book Online Page B

We will try to be brief.’
    Hopkinson nodded his head solemnly, as though he quite agreed.
    â€˜Please ask me any questions you like. Be seated. . . .’
    Very different from the excited, almost frantic reception of her son.
    â€˜Your family all lived here with you, Mrs. Todd?’
    â€˜Yes. Kenneth never married and Hector and his family have a flat on the first floor. This is a large house and there seemed little sense in Hector going elsewhere when he married. His two sons are away at school. We have not sent for them. I thought it best to keep them away from this sordid affair.’
    â€˜And Mrs. Hector? She is here?’
    â€˜Yes. She is lying down. She has taken this tragedy verybadly. The doctor is attending her. I hope that until she is feeling better you will not disturb her.’
    â€˜Not for the present.’
    â€˜As you are no doubt aware, Hector and Lucy, his wife, were not very happy together. I may as well tell you that. Others will tell you, and more besides, if I don’t.’
    Exactly the attitude of Kenneth! Littlejohn wondered how much more the old lady would divulge as well. Certainly not in bitter and dangerous outpouring like Kenneth’s.
    â€˜As a matter of routine, Mrs. Todd, where were you and Mrs. Hector on the night of his death?’
    â€˜We were here, indoors. Lucy is an active member of the parish church and the ladies held a meeting about the winter work. I am not a churchgoer, but I know all those present and was happy to entertain them. The last of them, Mrs. Jump, the vicar’s wife, left about eleven. After that, Lucy and I went to bed.’
    â€˜Mr. Hector was out all the evening?’
    â€˜Yes. And Kenneth was in London. As you perhaps know, Hector had a new motor cruiser. I don’t know his movements that night but he must have decided to take her out. He was always tinkering about with the engine and other things.’
    â€˜Do you think he had arranged to meet anyone?’
    â€˜He didn’t, as a rule, tell any of us what he was doing or with whom.’
    â€˜Do you know anyone who was likely to meet him or go aboard with him that night?’
    â€˜No. Most of the men who sail hereabouts were interested in the
Mary Jane,
I’m sure. Also, Hector had plenty of friends in the port.’
    From the corner of his eye, Littlejohn could see Hopkinsonmaking a memo in his little notebook. Soon, he would be tramping round the port asking about Heck’s companions on the night of his death.
    â€˜Mr. Hector and his wife still live together, then?’
    It might have not have been an awkward question, for Mrs. Todd answered pat.
    â€˜Yes. She is high church and doesn’t believe in divorce. For the sake of the children they put up a front, although it was difficult sometimes. He had a bedroom here, but frequently slept on his boat. The last time I saw him was at breakfast on the day he died. I quite agreed with the arrangements, however. It was wrong for Hector always to have his own way. In fact, I went to the extent of telling him when I heard of his folly that I would strip him of all his interests in the firm and turn him out without any allowance if he didn’t mend his ways. I know he had given his wife grounds for divorce, but, as far as I can judge, Hector had no wish to be free to marry any particular one of his lady friends. . . .’
    â€˜You kept an eye on his behaviour?’
    â€˜I have sources of information.’
    â€˜Your company’s representatives in the district?’
    She nodded.
    â€˜I see you know quite a lot already, Mr. Littlejohn.’
    â€˜I visited Mr. Kenneth before I called here.’
    â€˜I see. Kenneth told me he was prepared to tell the police all he knew. He never got on with Hector, but murder is another matter. He is as anxious as you are to find the culprit.’
    â€˜I imagine, from what he told me, Mr. Kenneth had good reasons for disapproving of his