The Middle of ThingsFletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)
General
The Middle of Things
Fletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)
Detective and mystery stories
"I'm going to have a look at the place where these things were found," he
said. "Come with me. You see for yourself," he continued as they walked
on, "how ridiculous it is to suppose that Hyde planted them. The whole
affair is plain enough, to me. The real murderer read--or may have
heard--Hyde's statement before the coroner, and in order to strengthen
the case against Hyde and divert suspicion from himself, sought out this
shed and put the things there. Clumsy! If Hyde had ever had the purse,
which more certainly disappeared with the rest of the property, he'd
never have gone to that shed at all."
"We'll make the most of all that," said Felpham. "But I gathered, from
what you said just now to Drillford, that you know more about this case
than you've let out. If it's in Hyde's favour--"
"I can't tell you what I know," answered Viner. "I do know some strange
things, which will all come out in good time. If we bring the murder home
to the right man, Hyde of course will be cleared. I'll tell everything as
soon as I can, Felpham."
They walked quickly forward until they came to the higher part of the
Harrow Road; there, at a crowded point of that dismal thoroughfare, where
the shops were small and mean, Felpham suddenly lifted a finger towards a
sign which hung over an open front filled with the cheaper sorts of
vegetables.
"Here's the place," he said, "a corner shop. The shed, of course, will
be somewhere behind."
Viner looked with interest at the refuge which Hyde had chosen after
his hurried flight from the scene of the murder. A shabby looking
street ran down from the corner of the greengrocer's shop; the first
twenty yards of it on that side were filled with palings, more or less
broken and dilapidated; behind them lay a yard in which stood a van,
two or three barrows, a collection of boxes and baskets and crates, and
a lean-to shed, built against the wall of the adjoining house. The door
of this yard hung loosely on its rusty hinges; Viner saw at once that
nothing could be easier than for a man to slip into this miserable
shelter unseen.
"Let's get hold of the tenant," he said. "Better show him your card, and
then he'll know we're on professional business."
The greengrocer, a dull-looking fellow who was measuring potatoes, showed
no great interest on hearing what his callers wanted. Summoning his wife
to mind the shop, he led Viner and Felpham round to the yard and opened
the door of the shed. This was as untidy as the yard, and filled with a
similar collection of boxes, baskets and crates. In one corner lay a
bundle of empty potato sacks--the greengrocer at once pointed to it.
"I reckon that's where the fellow got a bit of a sleep that night," he
said. "There was nothing to prevent him getting in here--no locks or
bolts on either gate of the yard or that door. He may have been in here
many a night, for all I know."
"Where did you find those valuables this morning?" asked Viner.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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