Bathurst, Anthony (Fictitious character) -- Fiction; Detective and mystery stories; England -- Fiction
“I’m coming to Tranfield in the hope that something I may happen to
pick up here will stimulate my imagination and eventually supply me
with the answer to this riddle that has been set me. By the way, Mr.
Bathurst, we change at Westhampton for Tranfield. It lies on the
branch line to Easton Favell—I expect we shall find one train on it
every six hours or thereabouts.”
Bannister was wrong in his prophecy. They discovered upon arrival at
Westhampton that trains to Tranfield and Easton Favell were scheduled
to run at regular intervals of twenty minutes. The station-master at
the little station of Tranfield was delighted to direct them to “Rest
Harrow.”
“It’s Miss Delaney’s place you’re wanting,” he announced. “You’ve a
walk of about eight minutes. Go down the hill that leads from the
station and you’ll come to a field on the left that belongs to Farmer
Peasland—cut across by the footpath—you can’t miss seeing it—go over a
stile and then through a swing gate. That will bring you to the road
running to Easton Favell—‘Rest Harrow’ is about one hundred and fifty
yards down—on the right.”
Ten minutes walk brought them to it. Anthony immediately placed it as
one of the most charming bungalows he had ever seen. It nestled back
from the road with a kind of old-world shyness that did much to
enhance its appeal. The garden in front was a mass of varied bloom and
colour and the air was heavy with the scent of its many flowers. As
they made their objective a man who had been standing fifty yards or
so further up the road came towards them.
“Inspector Bannister?” he inquired with an interrogative glance.
“Quite right,” said Bannister. “You got my message, then?”
The newcomer nodded. “I’m Sergeant Ross,” he added, introducing
himself. “I’ve been waiting for you here as instructed.”
“Very good,” said Bannister. “I’m sorry to say, Sergeant, that Miss
Delaney—the lady who lived here, I believe—has been murdered in
Seabourne.”
Ross whistled. “We guessed as much from your message,” he exclaimed.
“You’re going inside—I take it?”
Bannister’s reply was to ring the bell at the front entrance. Anthony
heard it peal through the building but could hear no step in answer to
it.
Bannister turned to Ross. “I understand that Miss Delaney lived here
with another lady—a companion or something—is that so?”
“So I believe,” returned Ross.
“Not in—that’s evident,” retorted the Inspector.
Anthony strolled round the right-hand side of the bungalow to the
back. Then he called to the others. “We ought to be able to get in
this way,” he said.
Bannister broke a pane of glass, pushed his hand through and lifted
up the catch of the casement window. A few moments saw them inside.
There were no signs of very recent occupation showing in the
kitchen-scullery in which they stood. Everything was tidy and orderly.
Bannister gave it a sweeping glance.
“Looks to me as though the other lady’s away,” he remarked. “Let’s get
along to the other rooms.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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