They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer Read Free Book Online Page B

that really I hardly know what is happening. I only came to the office to inform you of Silas' death, Joe, in case you shouldn't have heard about it. I'm going up to Cliff House immediately to see my great-aunt and to make the—er—the necessary arrangements." He glanced at his wrist watch. "Yes, I see I'm late already. I have to pick my wife up on the way. I shall have to ask you to excuse me."
    He hurried away. Oscar Roberts sat still, with his long legs crossed, a faint, imperturbable smile on his lips. Paul Mansell said with an unpleasant ring in his voice: "So that's how it's going to be, is it?"
    Joe had been standing rather foolishly gazing at the door through which Clement had gone, but he turned as his son spoke and said robustly: "Nonsense, my boy, nonsense! It's very natural he should feel all at sea just at first. Mr. Roberts quite understands that."
    "Sure," said Roberts amiably. "I don't want to hurry him unreasonably. You know my position, Mr. Mansell. I want the best I can get for my firm, and you make the best. If I can fix things with you I'll be glad to do so; if I can't—well, I'll have to negotiate with the next-best."
    "Quite, quite!" Joe said. "We fully appreciate your position, and I think I may say—yes, I am sure I may say—that we shall be able to give you a definite answer at no very distant date."
    On this note of optimism they parted. No sooner had Oscar Roberts left the room than Paul said furiously: "The damned skunk! I suppose you see what's going to happen now he's got his hands on the moneybags?"
    "We mustn't leap to conclusions," Joe said. "He hasn't had time to find his feet yet, that's all it is."
    "Oh, that's all it is, is it?" Paul said. "Just hasn't found his feet! Well, if you ask me, he is finding them a dam' sight too quickly! When I think that we've got rid of that old fool Silas only to find Master Clement——"
    "Paul, my boy! Paul!" Joe interrupted, losing a little of his high colour, "You're talking very wildly—very wildly indeed!"
    "Yes, and I feel wild!" his son threw back at him. "Like a fool I thought that if once Silas was out of the way we could see our way clear. Now we've got a——"
    Joe brought his open hand down upon the desk between them. "Hold your tongue!" He saw Paul staring at him and said in a milder voice: "It's very tiresome; but I don't despair of Clement by any means. He'll come round. Why, he's been in favour of the scheme all along! But this—this tragic business of Silas' death—— My dear boy, you can't be too careful what you say. Anyone hearing you might well wonder——"
    "Whether I had anything to do with Silas' death?" Paul said, looking him in the eye.
    Joe made a gesture with one hand. "Of course, it would be a preposterous idea; but we don't want to give people the least cause to suspect that we did want him dead. And when you talk of having believed that once he was out of the way—well, it's injudicious, my boy, extremely injudicious!"
    Paul lit a cigarette and flicked the match into the grate. "Naturally I only meant that we've heard so much about Silas' weak heart that I couldn't help envisaging the possibility of his death."
    "Naturally, naturally!" Joe agreed. "But though the very notion is absurd, one has to be careful. There's bound to be an inquiry, and one doesn't want the least hint of suspicion—not that any sane person could possibly imagine for a moment——"
    "Well," said Paul blandly, "if the police suspect foul play, I fancy they'll be more interested in Clement's movements last night than in mine." He paused and inhaled a deep breath of smoke. "What makes you think there was foul play, Dad?"
    Joe started. "I? Good God, I don't think it! Nothing of the sort! Nobody could think such a thing! Nobody who knew Silas!"
    He was wrong. Mr. Timothy Harte, having spent an awe-inspiring hour watching the proceedings of the police, inspecting the scene of the accident, and cross-examining Pritchard and Ogle, told Miss