CHAPTER 13-2

 

　　There was a pause which clearly contained the words,"Well, then?" with a question markafter it from Inspector Campbell, which he was too well trained to utter in audible tones.

　　"What I‘m reallyinterested in," said Father, "isthe date. And Bertram’s Hotel, of course."

　　"It‘s always been verywell conducted, sir. No trouble there."

　　"That’s very nice, I‘m sure," said Father. He added thoughtfully, "I’d rather like to have a look at the place."

　　"Of course, sir," saidInspector Campbell. "Any time you like. I was thinking ofgoing round there myself."

　　"I might as well come along with you," said Father. "Not to butt in, nothing like that.but I‘d just rather like to have a look at the place, and thisdisappearing Archdeacon of yours, or whatever he is, makes rather a good excuse. No needto call me ’sir‘ when we’re there – you throw your weight about. I‘ll just be your stooge."

　　Inspector Campbell became interested.

　　"Do you think there’ssomething that might tie in there, sir, something that might tie in with something else?"

　　"There‘s no reason tobelieve so, so far," said Father. "Butyou know how it is. One gets – I don’t know what to call them – whims, do you think?Bertram‘s Hotel, somehow, sounds almost too good to be true."

　　He resumed his impersonation of a bumble bee with arendering of "Let’s All Go Downthe Strand."

　　The two detective officers went off together,Campbell looking smart in a lounge suit, (he had an excellent figure), and Chief-InspectorDavy carrying with him a tweedy air of being up from the country. They fitted in quitewell. Only the astute eye of Miss Gorringe, as she raised it from her ledgers, singledthem out and appreciated them for what they were. Since she had reported the disappearanceof Canon Pennyfather herself and had already had a word with a lesser personage in thepolice force, she had been expecting something of this kind.

　　A faint murmur to the earnest-looking girl assistantwhom she kept handy in the background, enabled the latter to come forward and deal withany ordinary inquiries or services while Miss Gorringe gently shifted herself a littlefarther along the counter and looked up at the two men. Inspector Campbell laid down hiscard on the desk in front of her and she nodded. Looking past him to the largetweed-coated figure behind him, she noted that he had turned slightly sideways, and wasobserving the lounge and its occupants with an apparently na?ve pleasure at beholding sucha well bred, upper-class world in action.

　　"Would you like to come into the office?"said Miss Gorringe. "We can talk betterthere perhaps."

　　"Yes, I think that would be best."

　　"Nice place you‘ve gothere," said the large, fat, bovine-looking man, turning hishead back towards her. "Comfortable," he added, looking approvingly at the large fire. "Goodold-fashioned comfort."

　　Miss Gorringe smiled with an air of pleasure.

　　"Yes, indeed. We pride ourselves on making ourvisitors comfortable," she said. She turned to her assistant. "Will you carry on, Alice? There is the ledger. Lady Jocelyn will be arrivingquite soon. She is sure to want to change her room as soon as she sees it but you mustexplain to her we are really full up. If necessary, you can show her number 340 on thethird floor and offer her that instead. It’s not a verypleasant room and I‘m sure she will be content with herpresent one as soon as she sees that."

　　"Yes, Miss Gorringe. I’lldo just that, Miss Gorringe."

　　"And remind Colonel Mortimer that his fieldglasses are here. He asked me to keep them for him this morning. Don‘t let him go off without them."

　　"No, Miss Gorringe."

　　These duties accomplished, Miss Gorringe looked atthe two men, came out from behind the desk and walked along to a plain mahogany door withno legend on it. Miss Gorringe opened it and they went into a small, rather sad-lookingoffice. All three sat down.

　　"The missing man is Canon Pennyfather, Iunderstand," said Inspector Campbell. He looked at his notes. "I’ve got Sergeant Wadell‘s report. Perhaps you’ll tell me in your ownwords just what occurred."

　　"I don‘t think thatCanon Pennyfather has really disappeared in the sense in which one would usually use thatword," said Miss Gorringe. "Ithink, you know, that he’s just met someone somewhere, someold friend or something like that, and has perhaps gone off with him to some scholarlymeeting or reunion or something of that kind, on the Continent – He is so very vague."

　　"You‘ve known him fora long time?"

　　"Oh yes, he’s beencoming here to stay for – let me see – oh five or six years at least, I should think."

　　"You‘ve been here sometime yourself, ma’am," saidChief-Inspector Davy, suddenly putting in a word.

　　"I have been here, let me think, fourteen years,"said Miss Gorringe.

"It‘s a nice place,"repeated Davy again. "And Canon Pennyfatherusually stayed here when he was in London? Is that right?"