cleared. High-level cables from Abadan saying what a fine, upright fellow I am. So I'm free to depart.'
'I'm so sorry you're going - so soon,' Laura told him, with genuine feeling in her voice.
'That's nice of you,' Starkwedder responded with a touch of bitterness, 'considering the way I butted in on your family murder.' He looked at her for a moment, then moved across to the desk chair. 'But I came in by the window for another reason,' he went on. 'The police brought me up in their car. And, although they're being very tight-lipped about it, it's my belief there's something up!'
Dismayed, Laura gasped, 'The police have come back?'
'Yes,' Starkwedder affirmed, decisively.
'But I thought they'd finished this morning,' said Laura.
Starkwedder gave her a shrewd look. 'That's why I say - something's up!' he exclaimed.
There were voices in the corridor outside. Laura and Julian Farrar drew together as the door opened, and Richard Warwick's mother came in, looking very upright and self-possessed, though still walking with the aid of a cane.
'Benny!' Mrs Warwick called over her shoulder, and then addressed Laura. 'Oh, there you are, Laura. We've been looking for you.'
Julian Farrar went to Mrs Warwick and helped her into the armchair. 'How kind you are to come over again, Julian,' the old lady exclaimed, 'when we all know how busy you are.'
'I would have come before, Mrs Warwick,' Farrar told her, as he settled her in the chair, 'but it's been a particularly hectic day. Anything that I can possibly do to help -' He stopped speaking as Miss Bennett entered followed by Inspector Thomas. Carrying a briefcase, the inspector moved to take up a central position. Starkwedder went to sit in the desk chair, and lit a cigarette as Sergeant Cadwallader came in with Angell, who closed the door and stood with his back to it.
'I can't find young Mr Warwick, sir,' the sergeant reported, crossing to the french windows.
'He's out somewhere. Gone for a walk,' Miss Bennett announced.
'It doesn't matter,' said the inspector. There was a momentary pause as he surveyed the occupants of the room. His manner had changed, for it now had a grimness it did not have before.
After waiting a moment for him to speak, Mrs Warwick asked coldly, 'Do I understand that you have further questions to ask us, Inspector Thomas?'
'Yes, Mrs Warwick,' he replied, I'm afraid I have.'
Mrs Warwick's voice sounded weary as she asked, 'You still have no news of this man MacGregor?'
'On the contrary.'
'He's been found?' Mrs Warwick asked, eagerly.
'Yes,' was the inspector's terse reply.
There was a definite reaction of excitement from the assembled company. Laura and Julian Farrar looked incredulous, and Starkwedder turned in his chair to face the inspector.
Miss Bennett's voice suddenly rang out sharply. 'You've arrested him, then?'
The inspector looked at her for a moment before replying. Then, 'That, I'm afraid, would be impossible. Miss Bennett,' he informed her.
'Impossible?' Mrs Warwick interjected. 'But why?' 'Because he's dead,' the inspector replied, quietly.
The Unexpected Guest
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
A shocked silence greeted Inspector Thomas's announcement. Then, hesitantly and, it seemed, fearfully, Laura whispered, 'Wh- what did you say?'
'I said that this man MacGregor is dead,' the inspector affirmed.
There were gasps from everyone in the room, and the inspector expanded upon his terse announcement. 'John MacGregor,' he told them, 'died in Alaska over two years ago - not very long after he returned to Canada from England.'
'Dead!' Laura exclaimed, incredulously.
Unnoticed by anyone in the room, young Jan passed quickly along the terrace outside the french windows, and disappeared from view.
'That makes a difference, doesn't it?' the inspector continued. 'It wasn't John MacGregor who put that revenge note on the dead body of Mr Warwick. But it's clear, isn't it, that it was put there by someone who knew all about MacGregor and the accident in
'I'm so sorry you're going - so soon,' Laura told him, with genuine feeling in her voice.
'That's nice of you,' Starkwedder responded with a touch of bitterness, 'considering the way I butted in on your family murder.' He looked at her for a moment, then moved across to the desk chair. 'But I came in by the window for another reason,' he went on. 'The police brought me up in their car. And, although they're being very tight-lipped about it, it's my belief there's something up!'
Dismayed, Laura gasped, 'The police have come back?'
'Yes,' Starkwedder affirmed, decisively.
'But I thought they'd finished this morning,' said Laura.
Starkwedder gave her a shrewd look. 'That's why I say - something's up!' he exclaimed.
There were voices in the corridor outside. Laura and Julian Farrar drew together as the door opened, and Richard Warwick's mother came in, looking very upright and self-possessed, though still walking with the aid of a cane.
'Benny!' Mrs Warwick called over her shoulder, and then addressed Laura. 'Oh, there you are, Laura. We've been looking for you.'
Julian Farrar went to Mrs Warwick and helped her into the armchair. 'How kind you are to come over again, Julian,' the old lady exclaimed, 'when we all know how busy you are.'
'I would have come before, Mrs Warwick,' Farrar told her, as he settled her in the chair, 'but it's been a particularly hectic day. Anything that I can possibly do to help -' He stopped speaking as Miss Bennett entered followed by Inspector Thomas. Carrying a briefcase, the inspector moved to take up a central position. Starkwedder went to sit in the desk chair, and lit a cigarette as Sergeant Cadwallader came in with Angell, who closed the door and stood with his back to it.
'I can't find young Mr Warwick, sir,' the sergeant reported, crossing to the french windows.
'He's out somewhere. Gone for a walk,' Miss Bennett announced.
'It doesn't matter,' said the inspector. There was a momentary pause as he surveyed the occupants of the room. His manner had changed, for it now had a grimness it did not have before.
After waiting a moment for him to speak, Mrs Warwick asked coldly, 'Do I understand that you have further questions to ask us, Inspector Thomas?'
'Yes, Mrs Warwick,' he replied, I'm afraid I have.'
Mrs Warwick's voice sounded weary as she asked, 'You still have no news of this man MacGregor?'
'On the contrary.'
'He's been found?' Mrs Warwick asked, eagerly.
'Yes,' was the inspector's terse reply.
There was a definite reaction of excitement from the assembled company. Laura and Julian Farrar looked incredulous, and Starkwedder turned in his chair to face the inspector.
Miss Bennett's voice suddenly rang out sharply. 'You've arrested him, then?'
The inspector looked at her for a moment before replying. Then, 'That, I'm afraid, would be impossible. Miss Bennett,' he informed her.
'Impossible?' Mrs Warwick interjected. 'But why?' 'Because he's dead,' the inspector replied, quietly.
The Unexpected Guest
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
A shocked silence greeted Inspector Thomas's announcement. Then, hesitantly and, it seemed, fearfully, Laura whispered, 'Wh- what did you say?'
'I said that this man MacGregor is dead,' the inspector affirmed.
There were gasps from everyone in the room, and the inspector expanded upon his terse announcement. 'John MacGregor,' he told them, 'died in Alaska over two years ago - not very long after he returned to Canada from England.'
'Dead!' Laura exclaimed, incredulously.
Unnoticed by anyone in the room, young Jan passed quickly along the terrace outside the french windows, and disappeared from view.
'That makes a difference, doesn't it?' the inspector continued. 'It wasn't John MacGregor who put that revenge note on the dead body of Mr Warwick. But it's clear, isn't it, that it was put there by someone who knew all about MacGregor and the accident in
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