Part 41 (2/2)

Come along, he said unsympathetically and I saw old Rogers led briskly away.

Beef was waiting for me in a great state of pleasure and excitement.

You wasn't 'arf good! he said, slapping me too heavily on the back. You ort to've been an actor! The way you ran arfter 'im! I shall never forget it. He chuckled. And charged 'im prop'ly you did. I was larfing fit to bust myself when I saw them take 'im orf!

This praise from Sergeant Beef would have been more pleasant if he had been a dramatic critic instead of a policeman. As it was I was conscious of having done a very dubious thing, and one which might land me into all sorts of trouble.

Thank you, I said coldly. And now I think you owe me some explanation.

All right. All right. You shall 'ave all the explanation you want. And your part in this shan't be forgotten, Mr. Townsend.

I should much prefer that it were, I said feelingly.

No you wouldn'tnot when you know the 'ole truth. And you shan't be kep' waiting much longer for that. We're orf to Scotland Yard now. I'm going to make my report. I just rung up Inspector Stute and 'e'll be waiting for us.

That's good, I said, but without any enthusiasm, as we got into our waiting taxi. We were soon humming back towards town.

CHAPTER x.x.xI.

WELL NOW, said Beef, when we were sitting in Inspector Stute's office at Scotland Yard, I'd like to get this job done with. I'm not much of an 'and at telling 'ow I come to get on to anythink, but I'll do my best, and be as quick as I can. He consulted a large silver watch. There was a chap come through Braxham the other day wot said 'e always 'ad a game of darts at night in the Bricklayers' Arms, off the Gray's Inn Road, and I should like to get round and see him before they close.

Am I to understand Beef, put in Stute impatiently, that you really believe you've got to the bottom of this case?

That's it, sir.

You know who was murdered?

Yes. I know 'oo was murdered.

Then where's the corpse?

Buried, sir.

Good heavens. Are you . . .?

Suppose you let me start at the beginning. We shan't never get done this way. I'll try to tell it as it came to me.

Very well, snapped Stute, interested, in spite of himself.

Of course, sir, with all the advantages you gentlemen up 'ere 'ave over us nowadaysand Gawd knows you 'ave got them, with all these new methods and thatthere's one way we come out strong in a case like this. That's knowing the people in our own districts. I mean, you understands their sick . . . sick ...

Psychology? I whispered.

That's it. You understands all thatbut we knows their natures. It 'elps, as you'll see. The very first thing I thought to myself about this case waswhat was young Rogers doing committing suicide like that?

A very profound reflection, Beef.

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