Chapter 10 chapter Ten

Inspector Budgeworthy in his office.The time is half past eight in the morning.Inspector Badgworthy was tall and heavy-set, and walked with a heavy, normal gait.When the situation was tense while handling the case, his breathing was very heavy.Constable Johnson was waiting for orders.He was a newcomer, with a fledgling air, a chick. The phone on the desk rang suddenly.The Inspector picked up the phone with his usual smug air. "Yes, this is Bassing Market Police Station, Inspector Budgeworthy. What?" The Inspector's demeanor changed slightly.Just as he was older than Johnson, there were others who were older than Inspector Budgeworthy.

"Yes, my lord, what do you say?"Sir?I can't hear very well. " There was a long silence.During this time the Inspector listened.At the same time, several expressions appeared on his normally expressionless face.Finally, after saying "Sir" briefly, he put down the receiver. He turned to Johnson, seeming great again. "It's from my lord—my lord of Chimney House, there's a murder." "Murder," Johnson repeated, quite attentively. "Murder, yes," said the Inspector, very satisfied. "What? There's never been a murder here—I've never heard of it—except after Tom Pierce shot his lover."

"And that, so to speak, was not a homicide, but drunkenness," said the inspector, contemptuously. "He didn't hang for it," Johnson agreed, ruefully. "But this time it's a real murder, isn't it? Inspector?" "Yes, Johnson. One of the Monseigneur's guests, a foreigner, was found shot. The window was open, and there were footprints outside." "I feel very sorry that I am a foreigner." Johnson said with a look of regret. This made the murder seem unreal.Foreigners, Johnson thought, are easy to shoot. "My lordship has seldom been so excited," continued the inspector. "We'll go to Dr. Cartley and take him with me at once. I hope no one messes up those footprints."

Budgeworthy seemed to have ascended to the seventh heaven.A homicide!In The Chimney Building!Inspector Budgeworthy took charge of the case.The police have a clue.A sensational arrest in the city. Thus, the inspector mentioned above will be promoted and become famous! "That is to say," thought Inspector Badgeworthy. "If the Metropolitan Police's Criminal Service doesn't intervene." Thinking of this, he felt a little disappointed for a moment.Under the circumstances, what he feared seemed likely to happen. They stopped at Dr. Cartley's door.The doctor, who was comparatively a young man, showed great interest.His attitude was almost exactly the same as that of Johnson.

"Oh, dear!" he exclaimed, "I haven't had a murder here since Tom Pierce." All three of them got into the doctor's car, and soon set off for Chimney House.As they passed the Happy Cricketers, the local inn, the doctor noticed a man standing at the door. "A stranger," he said. "He's a good-looking man. I don't know how long he's been here. What's he doing at the Happy Cricketers Inn? I haven't seen the man around here at all. He must have been here last night." "He didn't come by train," said Johnson. Johnson's brother was the red hat of the local railway station, so he knew the passengers coming and going like the back of his hand.

"Who was here yesterday for Chimney House?" asked the Inspector. "Miss Irene Marquess. He came at half-past four with two gentlemen, an American and a young soldier--neither of them with a valet. The Marquis with a foreigner and His valet arrived by the five-forty, and the foreigner was probably the one who had been shot. Mrs. Eversley arrived by the same train, Mrs. Redford by the seven-to-five, and another The man who looks like a foreigner also arrives in the same bus, with a straight head and a hooked nose. Mrs. Redford's maid arrives at 8:56." Johnson paused, out of breath.

"Isn't anyone staying at the Happy Cricketer's Inn?" Johnson shook his head. "Then he must have come by motor vehicle," said the inspector. "Johnson, mark it down. On our way back, we'll check at the Happy Cricketers' Inn. We're going to find out about all the strangers. That man is tanned, and probably came from a foreign country, too." The inspector nodded very cleverly, as if to say: He is the kind of person with a very clear mind, and under any circumstances, no one will find that he is sincere. The car passed by the evil round gate of Chimney Building.A detailed description of this historically famous place can be found in any guidebook.This place ranks third among historic houses in the UK.The ticket is priced at twenty-one shillings.Every Thursday, there are frequent buses from Midlingham, and visitors can visit those parts that are open to the public.With all these conveniences, it would be superfluous to explain the situation of Chimney House here.

At the door, a gray-haired butler received them.The man's attitude was impeccable. His attitude seemed to say: "We are not used to murders happening in our building. However, people have misfortunes and fortunes. Let us meet this disaster with a very calm attitude. Let us only be ashamed while we are alive. Nothing out of the ordinary happened to it!" The butler said: "My lord is waiting for you! Please enter from here." He led them into the cozy little room where Sir Judham had retired from his other luxurious places, and he gave their names. "The police are here, my lord, and Dr. Cartley."

Lord Judham was walking up and down, obviously agitated. "Ah, Inspector, you're here at last. I'm grateful. How are you? Cartley? You know it's a very scary thing, the most terrible thing. " The Marquis of Juddham was pulling at his hair frantically until he became furious.In this way, it looked even less like a nobleman who could become a member of the House of Lords than usual. "Where's the body?" asked the physician, all in plain and simple fashion. Lord Judham turned to him, as if such a straightforward question had reassured him. "In the chamber—exactly as I've just discovered—I won't allow anyone to touch it, I think—well—that's the right thing to do."

"Exactly, my lord," agreed the Inspector. He took out a pocket blotter and a pencil. "Who, then, found the body? His lordship?" "Oh, no," said Lord Judham. "You don't think I'm usually up so early, do you? I didn't find out, but a maid did. She screamed so loudly, I thought, I didn't hear her myself." Then they came to tell me. So I naturally got up and went downstairs—that's when I found the body there." "Do you recognize the corpse as your guest?" "Yes, Inspector." "Do you know what it's called?"

This very simple question seemed to disturb the gentleman, his mouth opened once or twice, and then closed again.Finally, he asked feebly: "You mean—you mean—what's his name?" "Yes, my lord." "This..." Marquis Judhan looked around the room slowly, as if wanting to get some inspiration. "His name is...probably...yes, definitely...Count Stanislaw." Lord Judham's manner was so strange that the Inspector stopped using the pencil and looked at him intently.At this moment, however, something diverted their attention, which was very welcome to the embarrassed lord. The door opened, and a woman came in. She was tall, thin, brown-skinned, with a pretty boyish face, and her attitude was very firm.This is the Marquess Irene Hiront, usually called Banda, the eldest lady of the Marquis of Judham.She greeted a few others and then addressed her father directly. "I've found him," she announced. The inspector thought for a moment that the lady had caught the murderer on the spot, and almost ran over.However, he realized almost immediately that she was referring to something quite different. Lord Jadham sighed in relief. "Good job. What did he say?" "He's coming in a minute and he says we're going to be 'very cautious'." Her father let out an annoyed cry. "George Lomax would say silly things like that, but when he's here I can forget about it." He seemed happier at the thought. "Then the man who was killed, was his name the Count Stanislaw?" asked the physician. The father and daughter glanced at each other like lightning, so the former said quite seriously: "Of course, that's what I said just now." "I'm asking that because you seemed unsure just now," Cartley explained. There was a slight twinkle in his eyes, and Lord Jadham looked at him reproachfully. "I'll take you to the chamber," he said, becoming lighter. They followed him.The Inspector came last, casting wary glances about him as he went, as if hoping to spot a clue in a picture frame, or behind a door. Lord Judham took out a key, unlocked a door, and pushed the door open.They all entered an oak-panelled hall with three French windows opening onto a corridor.There was a long and narrow dining table, and many oak chests, and very beautiful antique chairs.Portraits of the late Judhan family and others hang on the walls. Near the left-hand wall, about halfway between the door and the window, there is a man lying on his back with his arms outstretched. Dr. Cartley went and knelt beside the body to examine it.The inspector went to the window, and checked the windows one by one.The middle window was closed, but not bolted.There were footprints on the outside steps leading up to the upper window, and a series of footprints going down. "Very clearly," said the Inspector, nodding his head. "But there must be footprints in the house, too. The footprints on the parquet floor should be very clear." "I think I can explain that," put in Bundo, "and the maid found the body this morning after she had half-mopped the floor. You see, it was still dark when she came in. She walked all the way to the She opened the window, opened the curtains, and began to wipe the floor. Naturally, she did not see the body, because the body was on the other side and was blocked by the table. It was only when she stood up that she saw the body from above the table." The inspector nodded. "Well," said Lord Judham, eager to get away, "I'll leave you here for inspection, Inspector. If you—er—need me, you can find me. George Lomax, however, will soon He's coming from Weifen Cathedral. He'll tell you all about it much more clearly than I can; it's really his business, and I can't explain it, but he'll make it clear when he comes." The Marquis of Judham hurriedly got away without waiting for the other party to answer. "Romax is a terrible man," he grumbled. "Get me involved in this kind of thing. What's the matter? Zhuo Dewei?" The white-haired housekeeper was following respectfully. "My lord, I have taken the liberty of taking the initiative to accommodate your convenience. I have brought up the breakfast time, and everything is ready in the dining room." "I can't eat any of it," said the Marquis of Jadham sullenly, and walked towards the restaurant at the same time. "I can't eat any of it." Bando took his arm, and the two walked into the restaurant together.On the long table against the wall are five or six heavy silver basins, all of which are ingeniously designed to keep warm. "Omelet." Marquis Jadham said as he lifted the covers one by one to look at them. "Salty meat eggs, kidneys, spicy roast chicken pigeon, carp, cold ham, cold pheasant. I don't like to eat these things.Zhuo Dewei, you go ask the cook to make me a poached egg, okay? " "Yes, my lord." Zhuo Dewei stepped back.The Marquess of Judham absent-mindedly packed a lot of kidneys and bacon, poured a cup of coffee, and sat down at the table.At this time, Bando was already busy eating bacon and eggs. "I'm terribly hungry." Banduo said with a full mouth. "Probably because of the excitement." "It will be very good for you," said her father. "You young people like thrills. But I am not in good health. Avoid all worries. That's what Sir Abner Willis said: Avoid everything Anxiety, he said, sitting alone in his consulting room in Harley Street, was easy. But how could I not have been worried when Lomax put me in such a situation? I should have been firmer then, I should have not Approved." Lord Judham shook his head in annoyance, stood up, and went to cut a plate of ham by himself. "This time Kodes is really unbearable." Bundo said excitedly. "What he said on the phone was incoherent and he came in a minute or two later. They will definitely tell us to be careful and not to make it public. " The Marquis of Judham snorted when he thought that he was coming. "Is he up?" he asked. "He told me," Bundo replied. "He has been up and has been dictating letters and memorandums since seven o'clock." "He's proud, too," her father said. "These politicians, are very selfish. They make their secretaries get up early in the morning and dictate to them useless things. If a bill can be passed, force them to stay in bed every day until eleven point, then, the country benefits a lot! If they don't talk so much nonsense, I don't complain at all. Romax always talks to me about my 'status', as if I really have some great status Yes. Who wants to be an aristocrat these days?" "Nobody," said Bundo, "they'd rather have a thriving tavern." Zhuo Dewei reappeared silently now, and he brought a small silver basin containing two poached eggs, and placed it in front of Marquis Judhan. "What is that, Zhuo Dewei?" Marquis Judhan looked at the poached egg with some disgust and said. "Poached eggs, my lord." "I hate poached eggs," said the Marquis of Jadham grumpily. "Bland, I don't even want to look at that kind of thing. Take it away, will you, Zhuo Dewei?" "Yes, my lord." Zhuo Dewei backed away with the poached egg, as silent as when he came. "Thank God, no one in this house gets up early," said the Marquis of Jadham reverently. "I figured we'd have to give them the bad news when they got up." He sighed. "I don't know who killed him," Bundo said. "Also, why?" "That's not our business, thank the Lord," said Lord Judham. "That'll have to wait for the police to find out. That Inspector Budgeworthy can't find out. Generally speaking, I hope it's Ershastein." "you mean……" "The American national banking group." "Mr. Ershastein came here just to meet him, how could he kill him?" "It's entirely due to economic reasons," said the Marquis of Jadham vaguely. "Speaking of which, I think of it. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Ershastan wasn't an early riser. He can surprise us at any time, and that's the habit of urban people. I thought, No matter how rich you are, you always take the 9:17 bus." At this moment, the sound of a car driving fast came from the open window. "Kedes," Bundo called. The father and daughter leaned against the window and looked out.At this moment the car stopped at the gate and they greeted him. "Here, old friend, here." Marquis Judhan hurriedly swallowed a mouthful of ham and called him. George didn't intend to come in through the window, he came in through the front door, Zhuo Dewei let him in, and then took his leave. "Have some breakfast," said Lord Judham, shaking hands with him. "How about some kidney?" George shook his head impatiently and refused the kidney. "This is really a disaster, terrible, terrible, terrible!" "Indeed, would you like some cod?" "No, no. It must be kept secret--at any rate." As so many prophesied, George began to talk endlessly. "I understand your feelings." Marquis Jadhan said sympathetically. "Try some meaty eggs, or finfish." "It was a complete accident--a national disaster--and even the plans for concessions were shattered--" "Take your time," said Lord Judham. "Eat something, all you need is something to cheer you up. Are there poached eggs now? There were some poached eggs here just now." "I don't want anything to eat," said George. "I've had my breakfast. If I don't, I don't need anything. We've got to figure out what to do. You haven't told anyone yet?" "This—just me and Bundo, and the local police, and Cartley, and of course all the servants." George snorted. "Cheer up, my friend," said Lord Judham kindly. "(I want you to eat something.) You don't seem to understand that you can't keep a dead body under wraps. This body has to be disposed of, unfortunately, but that's how it is." George suddenly became calm. "You're right, Judham. Say, did you call the local police? It won't work. I'll have to fight." "Battle, murder, sudden death?" Marquis Jadhan asked with a puzzled expression on his face. "No, it's not. You misunderstood me. I was referring to the Inspector-General of Combat in the Metropolitan Police Department's Criminal Service. He helped us with that deplorable party finance case last time." "What's going on?" Judhan asked with some interest. But George noticed Bundo now.She is now sitting by the window, half outside and half inside.Then, in time, he remembered to be cautious, and he got up. "We must waste no time. I must send some telegrams at once." "If you write it down, Bando can convey it over the phone." George took out a fountain pen and began to write a message at incredible speed.He handed the first telegram to Bundo.Ban Duo read it with great interest. "Oh! What a name," she said. "What Baron? What a long name!" "Lord Laura Priege." Blink as much. "I figured it out, but it has to go to the post office." George went on.Then, he handed the telegram he wrote to Bundo, and said to the owner of the building: "Jardham, there is one thing you can do, and you'd better—" "Yes." Lord Jadham said anxiously. "Just leave everything to me." "Of course," said Lord Judham, very quickly. "Exactly what I thought, you'll find the police and Dr. Cartley in the chamber, my dear Lomax, and now I give you Chimney House and this... er... corpse... without reservation , have full power to deal with it, you can do whatever you want." "Thank you," said George. "If I want to talk to you..." However, the Marquis of Judham had modestly disappeared through the door over there, and Bundo noticed his retreat with a smile on his face. "I'll go and deliver these telegrams at once," she said. "Do you know the way to the chamber?" "Thank you, Miss Erin." George left the room hastily.