Whose Body by Dorothy L. Sayers Read Free Book Online Page A

little exclamation.
    “Wait a second,” he said, “I've thought of something. If Sugg's there he'll make trouble. I must short-circuit him.”
    He ran back, and the other two men employed a few minutes of his absence in capturing a taxi.
    Inspector Sugg and a subordinate Cerberus were on guard at 59 Queen Caroline Mansions, and showed no disposition to admit unofficial inquirers. Parker, indeed, they could not easily turn away, but Lord Peter found himself confronted with a surly manner and what Lord Beaconsfield described as a masterly inactivity. It was in vain that Lord Peter pleaded that he had been retained by Mrs. Thipps on behalf of her son.
    “Retained!” said Inspector Sugg, with a snort, “ she'll be retained if she doesn't look out. Shouldn't wonder if she wasn't in it herself, only she's so deaf, she's no good for anything at all.”
    “Look here, Inspector,” said Lord Peter, “what's the use of bein' so bally obstructive? You'd much better let me in—you know I'll get there in the end. Dash it all, it's not as if I was takin' the bread out of your children's mouths. Nobody paid me for finding Lord Attenbury's emeralds for you.”
    “It's my duty to keep out the public,” said Inspector Sugg, morosely, “and it's going to stay out.”
    “I never said anything about your keeping out of the public,” said Lord Peter, easily, sitting down on the staircase to thrash the matter out comfortably, “though I've no doubt pussyfoot's a good thing, on principle, if not exaggerated. The golden mean, Sugg, as Aristotle says, keeps you from bein' a golden ass. Ever been a golden ass, Sugg? I have. It would take a whole rose-garden to cure me, Sugg——
    “You are my garden of beautiful roses, My own rose, my one rose, that's you! ”
    “I'm not going to stay any longer talking to you,” said the harassed Sugg, “it's bad enough—hullo, drat that telephone. Here, Cawthorn, go and see what it is, if that old catamaran will let you into the room. Shutting herself up there and screaming,” said the inspector, “it's enough to make a man give up crime and take to hedging and ditching.”
    The constable came back:
    “It's from the Yard, sir,” he said, coughing apologetically, “the Chief says every facility is to be given to Lord Peter Wimsey, sir. Um!” He stood apart non-committally, glazing his eyes.
    “Five aces,” said Lord Peter, cheerfully. “The Chief's a dear friend of my mother's. No go, Sugg, it's no good buckin' you've got a full house. I'm goin' to make it a bit fuller.”
    He walked in with his followers.
    The body had been removed a few hours previously, and when the bathroom and the whole flat had been explored by the naked eye and the camera of the competent Bunter, it became evident that the real problem of the household was old Mrs. Thipps. Her son and servant had both been removed, and it appeared that they had no friends in town, beyond a few business acquaintances of Thipps's, whose very addresses the old lady did not know. The other flats in the building were occupied respectively by a family of seven, at present departed to winter abroad, an elderly Indian colonel of ferocious manners, who lived alone with an Indian man-servant, and a highly respectable family on the third floor, whom the disturbance over their heads had outraged to the last degree. The husband, indeed, when appealed to by Lord Peter, showed a little human weakness, but Mrs. Appledore, appearing suddenly in a warm dressing-gown, extricated him from the difficulties into which he was carelessly wandering.
    “I am sorry,” she said, “I'm afraid we can't interfere in any way. This is a very unpleasant business, Mr. —— I'm afraid I didn't catch your name, and we have always found it better not to be mixed up with the police. Of course, if the Thippses are innocent, and I am sure I hope they are, it is very unfortunate for them, but I must say that the circumstances seem to me most suspicious, and to