Case for Sergeant Beef by Leo Bruce Page B

quite exhausted by this long and searching dialogue. But, knowing something of the way in which Beef’s mind worked, I realized that he would not stop till he had asked every question he needed to ask, and gathered all the material he wanted. For all his seemingly haphazard methods, Beef had a curiously orderly mind.
    â€˜Now there are three people I’d like to ask you about,’ said Beef. ‘And then I’ve done. First of all your housekeeper, Mrs Pluck.’
    â€˜Came to me with excellent references about eight months back,’ said Chickle. ‘A farmer’s daughter, I gather. Married a ne’er-do-well who left her with a small child. The girl is married now and comes occasionally to see her mother. Mrs Pluck was ten years housekeeper at Kingmead, the historic mansion on the other side of Ashley. Sir Gerald Cocker’s place. She left it and I was lucky enough to get her because she wanted a quiet situation. She did not mind the work, but was tired of the worry and responsibility. She’s a thoroughly reliable woman, most honest and satisfactory. A good cook, a little over-punctual, perhaps, with an eye thatnever leaves the clock, but altogether what is called a treasure.’
    â€˜Did she know Shoulter?’
    â€˜I should think it’s
most
unlikely. I never heard her mention him,’
    â€˜Good. Now what about Flipp?’
    â€˜I know very little about him. I understand that he was a friend of the Shoulters before coming here. He goes to London about twice a week. A somewhat coarse and crude person, I find.’
    â€˜Do you know whether he saw much of Shoulter?’
    â€˜I’ve never seen them together.’
    â€˜Finally a farmer called Bridge.’
    â€˜A very violent young man!’ exclaimed the benevolent Mr Chickle with unexpected emphasis. ‘Very violent. I had a most acrimonious argument with him about a month ago. Some of his land adjoins my shooting rights and he accused me of poaching.’
    â€˜Did he threaten you?’
    Mr Chickle smiled.
    â€˜He said he’d see me in hell, if that’s a threat.’
    Beef suddenly stood up. He did not thank our host or apologize for his catechism.
    â€˜That’s all,’ he said as he snapped his note-book to.
    â€˜I hope I’ve been of some use,’ said Mr. Chickle.
    â€˜I’m sure you have,’ I hastened to put in. For even if there was anything suspicious about him, I saw no point in letting him see it.
    â€˜I wonder,’ said Beef, ‘if this would be a convenient time for us to have a chat with Mrs Pluck?’
    Chickle looked at his watch.
    â€˜Five-thirty,’ he said doubtfully, ‘and I have dinner at eight. I hope you won’t keep her too long?’
    â€˜I don’t think so,’ said Beef. ‘Perhaps we could go out to the kitchen?’
    â€˜Yes. Only I must ask you to finish by six-thirty at the latest. There’s nothing worse than hurried cooking.”

    * Case with Ropes and Rings.
The Story of Sergeant Beef’s Fifth Case. By Leo Bruce. (Ivor Nicholson and Watson.)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Mrs Pluck Makes Revelations
    M RS P LUCK seemed far less pleased to see us now that we were entering her own domain with the evident intention of questioning her. There was something almost sinister in the look she gave us as she told us grudgingly to sit down.
    â€˜I don’t know what I can tell you, I’m sure,’ she said. ‘I told them at the inquest about the shots and you’ve heard that.’
    â€˜Quite a lot of questions for you, Mrs Pluck,’ remarked Beef cheerfully after a glance at his note-book. ‘And first of all I’d like to know a little about yourself.’
    â€˜About me? What do you mean?’
    â€˜Where do you come from, for instance?’
    â€˜Kingmead. I should have thought Mr Chickle would have told you. I was ten years –’
    â€˜Yes, but where was your