CHAPTER VI
Jimmy Dumble possessed a very red face and an extraordinary capacity forsilence. He stood a yard or two inside the room, twirling his hat inhis hand. Sir Henry, after the closing of the door, did not for a momentaddress his visitor. There was a subtle but unmistakable change in hisappearance as he stood with his hands in his pockets, and a frown onhis forehead, whistling softly to himself, his eyes fixed upon the doorthrough which his wife had vanished. He swung round at last towards thetelephone.
"Stand by for a moment, Jimmy, will you?" he directed.
"Aye, aye, sir!"
Sir Henry took up the receiver. He dropped his voice a little, althoughit was none the less distinct.
"Number one--police-station, please.--Hullo there! The inspectorabout?--That you, Inspector?--Sir Henry Cranston speaking. Could youjust step round?--Good! Tell them to show you straight into the library.You might just drop a hint to Mills about the lights, eh? Thank you."
He laid down the receiver and turned towards the fisherman.
"Well, Jimmy," he enquired, "all serene down in the village, eh?"
"So far as I've seen or heard, sir, there ain't been a word spoke asshouldn't be."
"A lazy lot they are," Sir Henry observed.
"They don't look far beyond the end of their noses."
"Maybe it's as well for us, sir, as they don't," was the cautious reply.
Sir Henry strolled to the further end of the room.
"Perhaps you are right, Jimmy," he admitted.
"That fellow Ben Oates seems to be the only one with ideas."
"He don't keep sober long enough to give us any trouble," Dumbledeclared. "He began asking me questions a few days ago, and I know heput Grice's lad on to find out which way we went last Saturday week,but that don't amount to anything. He was dead drunk for three daysafterwards."
Sir Henry nodded.
"I'm not very frightened of Ben Oates, Jimmy," he confided, as he threwopen the door of a large cabinet which stood against the further wall."No strangers about, eh?"
"Not a sign of one, sir."
Sir Henry glanced towards the door and listened.
"Shall I just give the key a turn, sir?" his visitor asked.
"I don't think it is necessary," Sir Henry replied. "They've all gone upto change. Now listen to me, Jimmy."
He leaned forward and touched a spring. The false back of the cabinet,with its little array of flies, spinners, fishing hooks and tackle,slowly rolled back. Before them stood a huge chart, wonderfully executedin red, white and yellow.
"That's a marvellous piece of work, sir," the fisherman observedadmiringly.
"Best thing I ever did in my life," Sir Henry agreed. "Now see here,Jimmy. We'll sail out tomorrow, or take the motor boat, according to thewind. We'll enter Langley Shallows there and pass Dead Man's Rock on theleft side of the waterway, and keep straight on until we get Budden Woodon the church tower. You follow me?"
"Aye, aye, sir!"
"We make for the headland from there. You see, we shall be outside theGidney Shallows, and number twelve will pick us up. Put all the fishingtackle in the boat, and don't forget the bait. We must never lose sightof the fact, Jimmy, that the main object of our lives is to catch fish."
"That's right, sir," was the hearty assent.
"We'll be off at seven o'clock sharp, then," Sir Henry decided.
"The tide'll be on the flow by that time," Jimmy observed, "and we'llget off from the staith breakwater. That do be a fine piece of work andno mistake," he added, as the false back of the cabinet glided slowly toits place.
Sir Henry chuckled.
"It's nothing to the one I've got on number twelve, Jimmy," he said."I've got the seaweed on that, pretty well. You'll take a drop of whiskyon your way out?" he added. "Mills will look after you."
"I thank you kindly, sir."
Mills answered the bell with some concern in his face.
"The inspector is here to see you, sir," he announced. "He did mentionsomething about the lights. I'm sure we've all been most careful. Evenher ladyship has only used a candle in her bedroom."
"Show the inspector in," Sir Henry directed, "and I'll hear what he hasto say. And give Dumble some whisky as he goes out, and a cigar."
"Wishing you good night, sir," the latter said, as he followed Mills."I'll be punctual in the morning. Looks to me as though we might havegood sport."
"We'll hope for it, anyway, Jimmy," his employer replied cheerfully."Come in, Inspector."
The inspector, a tall, broad-shouldered man, saluted and stood atattention. Sir Henry nodded affably and glanced towards the door. Heremained silent until Mills and Dumble had disappeared.
"Glad I happened to catch you, Inspector," he observed, sitting on theedge of the table and helping himself to another cigarette. "Any fresharrivals?"
"None, sir," the man reported, "of any consequence that I can see. Thereare two more young officers for the Depot, and the young lady for theGrange, and Mr. and Mrs. Silvester returned home last night. There wasa commercial traveller came in the first train this morning, but he wenton during the afternoon."
"Hm! What about a Mr. Lessingham--a Mr. Hamar Lessingham?"
"I haven't heard of him, sir."
"Have you had the registration papers down from the hotel yet?"
"Not this evening, sir. I met the Midland and Great Northern train inmyself. Her ladyship was the only passenger to alight here."
"And I came the other way myself," Sir Henry reflected.
"Now you come to mention the matter, sir," the inspector continued,"I was up at the hotel this afternoon, and I saw some luggage aboutaddressed to a name somewhat similar to that."
"Probably sent on in advance, eh?"
"There could be no other way, sir," the inspector replied, "unless theregistration paper has been mislaid. I'll step up to the hotel thisevening and make sure."
"You'll oblige me very much, if you will. By Jove," Sir Henry added,looking towards the door, "I'd no idea it was so late!"
Philippa, who had changed her travelling dress for a plain black netgown, was standing in the doorway. She looked at the inspector, and fora moment the little colour which she had seemed to disappear.
"Is anything the matter?" she asked breathlessly.
"Nothing in the world, my dear," her husband assured her. "I amfrightfully sorry I'm so late. Jimmy stayed some time, and then theinspector here looked in about our lights. Just a little more care inthis room at night, he thinks. We'll see to it, Inspector."
"I am very much obliged, sir," the man replied. "Sorry to be under thenecessity of mentioning it."
Sir Henry opened the door.
"You'll find your own way out, won't you?" he begged. "I'm a littlelate."
The inspector saluted and withdrew. Sir Henry glanced round.
"I won't be ten minutes, Philippa," he promised. "I had no idea it wasso late."
"Come here one moment, please," she insisted.
He came back into the room and stood on the other side of the smalltable near which she had paused.
"What is it, dear?" he enquired. "We are going to leave our talk tillafter dinner, aren't we?"
She looked him in the face. There was an anxious light in her eyes, andshe was certainly not herself. "Of course! I only wanted to know--itseemed to me that you broke off in what you were saying to theinspector, as I came into the room. Are you sure that it was the lightshe came around about? There isn't anything else wrong, is there?"
"What else could there be?" he asked wonderingly.
"I have no idea," she replied, with well-simulated indifference. "I wasonly asking you whether there was anything else?"
He shook his head.
"Nothing!"
She threw herself into an easy-chair and picked up a magazine.
"Thank you," she said. "Do hurry, please. I have a new cook and sheasked particularly whether we were punctual people."
"Six minutes will see me through it," Sir
Henry promised, making for thedoor. "Come to think of it, I missed my lunch. I think I'll manage it infive."