Chapter 7 Chapter Six

1 night porter and the barman were incapable of doing anything.The night porter remembered calling Miss Keen's room just after midnight, but no one answered.He did not notice Mr. Bartlett coming in and out of the restaurant.Due to the good night, many gentlemen and ladies came in and out of the hotel, and there were side doors at both ends of the aisle and the hall.He was sure Miss Keene hadn't gone out the door.If she came out of her room on the second floor, there was a flight of stairs next to it, and a door at the end of the passage leading to the balcony outside.She could have easily slipped through the door unnoticed.The door didn't close until two o'clock in the morning after the dancing.

The barman remembered that Mr. Bartlett had come the night before, but could not tell when.He thought it was about midnight.He remembered Mr. Bartlett sitting against the wall, looking sad.He didn't know how long he had been there. At that time, there were many people from outside the hotel going in and out of the bar.Although he noticed Mr. Bartlett, he could not remember the time anyway. 2 They had just walked out of the bar when a little boy of about nine years old greeted them.He said excitedly: "Hi, are you detectives? My name is Peter Carmody, and Mr Jefferson who called the police about Ruby was my grandfather. Are you from Scotland Yard? Me and Can you speak a word?"

Colonel Melchett was about to parry, when Superintendent Harper said amiably, "Never mind, boy. I suppose you'd be interested in that?" "Exactly. Do you like detective stories? I do. I've read them all, and I've got Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Dixon Carr, and H.C. Bailey. Autographed. Will the papers cover the murder?" "It will," said Superintendent Harper gravely. "Look, I'm going back to school next week. I'm going to tell them everything I know about her—I really know her." "What do you think of her, eh?" Peter thought about it.

"Well, I don't like her very much. I think she's a silly girl. Mom and uncle don't like her very much either. Only grandpa. Yes, grandpa wants to see you, and Edwards is looking for you." Superintendent Harper said softly encouraging: "So neither your mother nor your uncle likes Ruby Keene much? Why?" "Oh, I don't know. She's always meddling. And they don't like the way Grandpa makes a fuss about her. I think," said Peter cheerfully, "they'll be glad she's dead." Superintendent Harper looked at him thoughtfully.He said, "Did you hear them—well—say that?"

"Not exactly. I heard Uncle Mark say: 'Okay, but it's horrible' and Uncle Mark say there's no use in pretending to be sad." The gentlemen present exchanged glances.At this time, a man with a clean-shaven face and a neat blue buzzer came over. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I am Mr. Jefferson's valet. He is awake and has sent me to find you. He is anxious to see you." They were back in Conway Jefferson's apartment.In the living room, Adelaide Jefferson was talking to a tall, nervous man who paced nervously up and down the room before turning abruptly to face the person who had entered.

"Oh, glad you're here. My father-in-law keeps asking to see you. He's awake. You try to keep him as quiet as possible, okay? He's not feeling well. It's a wonder the incident didn't bring him down. " "I didn't expect his health to be this bad," Harper said. "He didn't know it himself," said Mark Gaskell. "He had a heart problem. The doctor had warned Eddie not to get him too excited or startled, which kind of implied that death could happen at any moment, didn't it? Eddie?" Mrs. Jefferson nodded."It's unbelievable that he can stay like this," she said.

Melchett said deadpan, "Murder is not a calming thing. We'll try to be careful." As he spoke, he examined Mark Gaskell.He didn't like the guy very much.A reckless, unscrupulous, eagle-like face, is the kind of man who does his own way and pleases women. "But not the kind of man I can trust," Colonel Melchett thought to himself. Unbridled and fearful—this is him. He's the kind of guy who doesn't care about anything. 3 In the large bedroom overlooking the ocean, Conway Jefferson reclined in his wheelchair. Anyone who walks into a room where he is is able to sense the strength and magnetism of this man.The intense pain seemed to make the vitality in his broken body more concentrated and stronger.

He has a nice head with reddish hair slightly graying.His tanned face was rugged and powerful, and his eyes were startlingly blue.Weakness and sickness were not to be seen in him.The deep lines on his face showed that he was weather-beaten, not cowardly. This was a man who would never bow to his fate. "I'm glad you're here," he said, looking sharply at each other.He said to Melchett: "You are the Constable of Radfordshire? Very well. You are Superintendent Harper? Sit down. There are cigarettes on the table next to you." They thanked him and sat down.Melchett said, "Mr. Jefferson, I hear you're interested in the dead girl?"

A twisted smile flitted across that vicissitudes of face. "Yes—they must have told you all! Well, it's no secret. How much have my family told you?" As he asked, he quickly scanned the crowd. It was Melchett who answered. "Mrs. Jefferson told us nothing more than that the girl's chatter interested you and that she was in some protégé position. We had only a few words with Mr. Gaskell." Conway Jefferson laughed. "Eddie was a cautious kid, God bless her. Mark might be blunt. Melchett, I thought I'd better give you some facts in detail. It's important for you to understand my attitude. First, there is It is necessary to recount one of the great tragedies in my life. Eight years ago, I lost my wife, son and daughter in a plane crash. Since then I have been like a man who has lost half of himself - and I am not talking about the body here Disabilities: I am a very family person. My daughter-in-law and son-in-law have always been good to me. They have gone out of their way to replace my flesh and blood. But I realize - especially recently, that they have their own after all Life.

"So you guys have to understand that I'm actually a loner. I like young people. I appreciate them. Once or twice I thought about adopting a girl or a boy. The last month I had a really good relationship with this girl who died. She was absolutely natural - very naive. She talked a lot about her life and experiences - fairy tales, touring troupes, living in a cheap apartment with Mom and Dad as a child. It was completely different from the life I knew! She never complained, never Not unfortunate. She's an unpretentious, non-complaining, hard-working kid who's not spoiled and very sweet. She might not be a lady, but thankfully, she's not vulgar or - in a bad way Said, is 'the lady-like pose'.

"I am growing fonder of Ruby. Gentlemen, I have decided to officially adopt her. She will be my daughter by law. I hope this explains why I care about her and the actions I took upon hearing of her disappearance for no apparent reason. " After a moment of silence, Superintendent Harper asked in a tone that would not offend anyone, without emotion: "May I ask your son-in-law and daughter-in-law's attitude towards this matter?" Jefferson replied at once: "What can they say? Maybe they don't like the idea very much. This kind of thing creates prejudice. But they behave very well--yes, very well. See, they don't depend on me. My son Frank When I got married, I gave him half of my estate. My point is, don't let your kids wait until after you die to inherit. They need money when they are young, not middle age. Likewise, when my daughter I also gave Rosamund a large sum of money when she insisted on marrying a pauper. When she died, the money went to her husband. So, you see, from an economic point of view, it was a matter of Easy." "I see, Mr. Jefferson," said Superintendent Harper. But from his tone, he was somewhat reserved.Conway Jefferson noticed it immediately. "Don't you see it that way?" "I can't say that, sir. But in my experience, families don't always behave very wisely." "I think you're right, Superintendent. But you must remember that, strictly speaking, Mr. Gaskell and Mrs. Jefferson are not my family. They are not related to me by blood." "Of course, it's a little different," admitted the Superintendent. For a moment Conway Jefferson's eyes sparkled.He said: "But that's not to say they don't think I'm an old fool2. But I'm not a fool.I see people very accurately.Ruby Keith can sit anywhere as long as she is educated and mentored. " Melchett said: "I'm afraid we're being too reckless and inquisitive, but it's important to get all the facts. You plan to give this girl everything - that is, invest in her, but you haven't done that yet. gba?" Jefferson said: "I see what you mean—is there anyone who might have benefited from the girl's death? No. The legal process of formal adoption is under way, but not yet completed." Melchett said slowly, "So, if anything happens to you—" He didn't finish the question.Conway Jefferson immediately replied: "I can't have any accident: I'm a cripple, but I'm not useless. Although the doctor's long face tells me not to work too much. Don't work too much: I'm as strong as a bull! But I know that life is fragile - God, I have good reason to know! Death can come suddenly to the ablest of people - especially with road accidents at the moment. But I was prepared. Ten days ago I immediately made a new will." "Really?" Superintendent Harper leaned forward. "I have left £50,000 in trust for Ruby Keane until she turns twenty-five." Superintendent Harper's eyes widened, as did Colonel Melchett's.Harper said in a voice almost awed: "That's a lot of money, Mr. Jefferson." "Currently." "You leave it to a girl you've only known for a few weeks?" Mr. Jefferson's piercing blue eyes blazed with rage. "How many times do I have to repeat the same thing? I have no blood of my own—no nephews or nieces, not even distant cousins: I could have left it to charity. But I prefer to keep it personal. " he laughed. "Cinderella turned into a princess overnight! A fairy father instead of a fairy mother. Why not? It's my money. I earned it." Colonel Melchett asked: "Any other bequests?" "Leaving a small fortune to Edwards, my valet - the rest divided equally between Mark and Eddie." "Oh—excuse me—the rest of the handsome sum?" "Probably not much. It's hard to say for sure. Because the investment industry is always fluctuating. After deducting expenses such as inheritance tax, there is about five thousand to ten thousand pounds left in the money." "That's right." "You shouldn't think I treat them lightly. As I said, I gave my children property when they got married. In fact, I have very little left to myself.But, after—after that tragedy—I wanted to be full of things.I threw myself into the business world.A direct connection to my office was installed in the bedroom of my London apartment.I worked my ass off - it took my mind off my mind, made me feel like my disability didn't get me down.I threw myself into the work," His voice deepened, and he spoke more to himself than to the listener—"Afterwards, with an inscrutable mockery, everything I did worked out: my riskiest ventures worked out. If I gamble, and I win. Everything I touch turns to gold. I suppose it's some kind of mockery of fate to restore balance." The traces of vicissitudes were clearly engraved on his face again. He calmed down and looked at them with a wry smile. "So, you see, the money I left Ruby should indisputably be disposed of by me as I see fit." Melchett said at once: "Without a doubt, my dear chap, we have no doubts about it." Conway Jefferson said: "Very well. Now it's my turn to ask questions, if I may. I'd like to hear - more information about this vicious incident. All I know is that she - that little Ruby was Found strangled in a house twenty miles away." "Yes. At Gossington Hall." Jefferson frowned. "Gossington? But that's—" "Colonel Bantry's house." "Bantry!Arthur Bantry?I know him.Meet him and his wife! I met a few years ago abroad.I didn't expect them to live here.Oh, this—” He stopped.Superintendent Harper followed suit, "Colonel Bantry dined at this restaurant last Tuesday. Didn't you see him?" "Tuesday? No. We got back late. We went to Harden Head and had dinner on the way back." Melchett said, "Ruby Keene never mentioned the Bantrys to you?" Jefferson shook his head. "Never. I don't believe she knew them. She sure didn't. She didn't know anyone except the theater and whatnot." He paused, then asked abruptly: "What did Bantry say about it?" of?" "He doesn't know anything. He was at a Tory party last night. The body was found this morning. He said he'd never seen the girl in his life." Jefferson nodded."It's so strange," he said. Superintendent Harper cleared his throat.He said: "Sir, who do you think could do such a thing?" "God, wish I knew!" The veins in his forehead bulged. "It's unbelievable, unimaginable: I can't believe it if it didn't happen!" "Does she have friends - friends from the past? Are there men around - threatening her?" "I'm pretty sure no. If she had, she would have told me. She never had a regular 'boyfriend'. This is what she said to me. " Superintendent Harper thought: "Yes, I believe she said it to you! But the truth is hard to tell!" Conway Jefferson continued: "If there are really men around her, Josie should be more than anyone else." More clearly. Can't she help?" "She said there was nothing she could do." Jefferson said, frowning: "I can't help thinking it must have been done by a lunatic--cruel--breaking into the country house--the whole thing is so incoherent and unreasonable. There's that guy, who looks healthy, but seduces girls — sometimes children — abducted and then killed. I think it’s a sex crime.” "Oh yes, there have been cases like that, but we haven't heard of anyone doing this around here," Harper said. Jefferson went on: "I've considered all the various men I've seen with Ruby. The guests here and the people outside—the men she danced with. None of them seem to have the least bit of malice— The usual kind. She doesn't have any special friends." Superintendent Harper's face was still expressionless, but there was still speculation in his eyes that Conway Jefferson hadn't noticed. He thought Ruby Keene probably had a special friend that Conway Jefferson didn't know about. Yet he said nothing.The chief of police gave him a questioning look, then got up and said, "Thank you, Mr. Jefferson. That's all we need at the moment." Jefferson said, "You will keep me informed of your progress?" "Yes. Yes, we will keep in touch with you." The two of them walked out. Conway Jefferson leaned back in his chair. He drooped his eyes and closed his dazzling blue eyes. After a minute or two, his eyes flickered.He yelled, "Edwards!" The valet came in from the next room at once, and Edwards knew his master better than anyone.Others, even those closest to Mr. Jefferson, knew only his strength.Edwards knew his weakness.He had seen Conway Jefferson weary, depressed, weary of life, suddenly overwhelmed by weakness and loneliness. "What is it, sir?" Jefferson said: "Contact Sir Henry Clithering as soon as possible. He is in Melbourne Abbas. Please come here today, if possible, and not tomorrow. Tell him I am in a hurry to see him."