Detective and mystery stories, English; English fiction -- 20th century; Short stories, English
"'I opened the door to Mr. Leighton,' witness continued, 'and he came
in looking very cold and wet. I told him that Mr. Jessup didn't want
to see him to-night. He seemed very pleased at this, but he wouldn't
go away, and when I told him I was busy he said that I couldn't be so
unkind as to turn a fellow out into the rain without giving him a
drink. Now I could see that already Mr. Leighton he'd had a bit too
much, and I told him so quite plainly. But there! he wouldn't take
"No" for an answer, and as it really was jolly cold and damp I told
him to go and sit down in the servants' hall while I got him a hot
toddy. I went down into the kitchen and put the kettle on and cut a
couple of sandwiches. I don't know where Mr. Leighton was during
that time or what he was doing. I was in the kitchen some time,
because I couldn't get the kettle to boil as the fire had gone down
and we have no gas downstairs. When I took the tray into the
servants' hall Mr. Leighton was there, and again I told him that I
didn't think he ought to have any more whisky, but he only laughed,
and was rather impudent, so I just put the tray down, and then I
thought that I would run upstairs and see if Mr. Jessup wanted
anything. I was rather surprised when I got to the hall to see that
all the lights up the stairs had been turned off. There's a switch
down in the hall that turns off the lot. The whole house looked very
dark. There was but a very little light that came from the lamp at
the other end of the hall, near the front door. I was just thinking
that I would turn on the lights again when I saw what I could have
sworn was Mr. Jessup coming out of his office. He had already got
his hat and coat on, and when he came out of the office he shut the
door and turned the key in the lock, just as Mr. Jessup always did.
It never struck me for a moment that it could be anybody but him.
Though it was dark, I recognised his hat and his overcoat, and his
own way of turning the key. I spoke to him,' witness continued in
answer to a question put to her by the coroner, 'but he didn't reply;
he just went straight through the hall and out by the front door.
Then after a bit Mr. Leighton came up, and I told him Mr. Jessup had
gone. He was quite pleased, and stopped talking in the hall for a
moment, and then aunt called to me and Mr. Leighton went away.'
"Witness was then questioned as to the other visitor who called later
that same evening, but she stated that she had no idea who it was.
'He came about nine,' she explained, 'and I went down to open the
door. He kept me talking ever such a time, asking all sorts of silly
questions; I didn't know how to get rid of him, and he wouldn't leave
his name. He said he would call again and that it didn't matter.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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