"These youngsters are all the same," he complained querulously. "They
will put flowers into their reports. It is always a beast of a job to
make 'em understand that we want a fact plain and prompt. They can do it
all right in the witness-box, but when they get a pen in their hand they
fancy they're budding Shakespeares. The old hands know better."
He passed from this outburst to particulars of what had happened. The
Assistant Commissioner listened gravely, now and again interpolating a
question or a suggestion. Foyle rapidly ran over the case, emphasising
his points with a tap of his finger on the pile of papers.
"We're progressing a little, though not so fast as I'd like. We know
that Grell is alive, that he is in touch with Ivan Abramovitch and Lola
Rachael--or the Princess Petrovska, as she calls herself. There is at
least one other man in it--probably more. It's fairly certain that Grell
knows who killed Harry Goldenburg even if he didn't do it himself.
Goldenburg was apparently dressed in Grell's clothes before he was
killed. It is clear now that the clothes were his own with Grell's
belongings put in the pockets. A Mexican dagger was used. That may be or
may not be of importance. Grell has travelled in Mexico. We have
eliminated Ivan and Sir Ralph Fairfield as the actual murderers. Nor do
the Princess Petrovska's finger-prints agree. I had Bolt take the
finger-prints of all the servants in the house, so that we are sure that
none of them actually committed the crime. All this narrows the
investigation. If we find Grell we are in a fair way to finding the
author of the murder."
Sir Hilary Thornton stroked his moustache doubtfully.
"That's all very well, Foyle, but Mr. Grell is hardly the sort of man to
commit murder. I gather that your suspicions point to him. Besides,
where is the motive?"
"Every man is the sort of man to commit murder," retorted the
superintendent quickly. "You can't class assassins. All murders must be
looked upon as problems in psychology. Mind you, I don't say that Grell
did have a hand in this murder. I am merely summing up the cold facts.
Why should he disappear? Why should he mix himself up with the shady
crew he is with--people who have twice tried to murder me, and who
knocked out and kidnapped Waverley? If we find him, we shall find the
murderer. That's why I wanted the description of Goldenburg sent out. It
makes work--I've got two men out of town now working on statements made
at Plymouth and Nottingham, which I feel sure will have no result, but
it gives us a sporting chance to nail him if he tries to leave the
country. Another line we're looking after is money. He's failed with
Fairfield. Lola had a try with Lady Eileen Meredith, who handed over her
jewels. We stepped in, bagged 'em, and gave 'em back to the Duke of
Burghley. All this means he'll have to make some desperate try for cash
soon."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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