about this establishment,’ protested Mrs Talbot.
‘Not that again,’ muttered Talbot turning away.
‘Please sir,’ said the maid entering the room. ‘I’ve looked where we keep the rubbish, but there is no bottle of tawny there.’
‘Thank you, Maisie. So it would seem that whoever put poison in that bottle must have removed it shortly after Mr Jones drank some of the contents,’ said Ravenscroft.
‘Well it ain’t any use your looking at either me or Mrs Talbot,’ said the landlord. ‘We had no reason to go round killing our guests.’
‘And I had nothing to do with it,’ added the maid.
‘I am sure you did not. Nevertheless I believe that a serious crime has taken place in the household, and that investigations need to be carried out to discover the truth. I will need to question all your guests.’
‘They are not all here at present,’ said Talbot.
‘Then we shall start now with the ones who are,’ saidRavenscroft adopting a more formal, serious tone.
‘Shall I go and ask them to come down?’ asked Crabb.
‘No, thank you. I think we will interview your guests in their rooms.’
‘What do you want us to do?’ asked a bewildered Talbot.
‘It will be quite in order for you both to go about your usual business,’ said Ravenscroft. ‘Perhaps you will allow your maid to show us the way.’
‘Yes, yes, I suppose so.’
‘Thank you. Maisie, will you lead on,’ instructed Ravenscroft.
Ravenscroft and Crabb followed the maid onto the first-floor landing where three doors faced them.
‘Which one would you like to see first, sir?’
‘Can you tell us who resides here?’ asked Ravenscroft, indicating the first door.
‘That will be Professor Jacobson and his wife,’ replied the maid.
‘And there?’
‘That’s Mister Claybourne’s room. He is away in London at present. And that is where Miss Fanshaw and her sister reside,’ replied the maid pointing to the third room.
‘Then I think we will begin with Professor Jacobson. Will you be kind enough to announce us. But one thing before then – was it you who sent us this letter?’ asked Ravenscroft removing the paper from his pocket.
‘No sir. I didn’t send you no letter.’
‘You are sure on that point?’ Ravenscroft looked intently into the maid’s eyes.
‘Yes, sir. I know nothing about any letter.’
‘Thank you, Maisie. If you would kindly announce us.’
The maid tapped gently on the wood.
‘Yes, Maisie,’ said a woman’s voice from the partially opened door.
‘There is a gentleman here who would like a word with you and Professor Jacobson, ma’am,’ said Maisie.
‘Permit me. My name is Detective Inspector Ravenscroft, and this is my colleague, Constable Crabb. We are making inquiries regarding the sudden demise of Mr Jones,’ said Ravenscroft. ‘Thank you, Maisie, you may go now, I think we can find our own way around.’
The young woman paused momentarily, looking intently at Ravenscroft, before opening the door wider. ‘You had better come in, gentlemen.’
‘Who is it, Rosanna?’ called out an older voice from within the room.
‘Two gentlemen enquiring about poor Mr Jones,’ said the young lady addressing an elderly grey-haired man with a long flowing beard who was seated in a leather armchair.
‘Detective Inspector Ravenscroft and Constable Crabb,’ repeated Ravenscroft entering the book-lined room.
‘Forgive me, gentlemen, if I do not stand. Rosanna, please offer the gentlemen chairs. You say you have come about our late lodger. Talbot mentioned that you had visited him yesterday. How can we help you?’ asked Jacobson staring out across the room.
‘Thank you,’ replied Ravenscroft accepting one of the chairs, as Crabb stood by the door. ‘Can I ask whether you were both present at the evening meal on the night that Mr Jones died?’
‘Yes,’ replied the professor’s wife walking across the room and positioning herself by the side of the old man’s chair.
‘Did
‘Not that again,’ muttered Talbot turning away.
‘Please sir,’ said the maid entering the room. ‘I’ve looked where we keep the rubbish, but there is no bottle of tawny there.’
‘Thank you, Maisie. So it would seem that whoever put poison in that bottle must have removed it shortly after Mr Jones drank some of the contents,’ said Ravenscroft.
‘Well it ain’t any use your looking at either me or Mrs Talbot,’ said the landlord. ‘We had no reason to go round killing our guests.’
‘And I had nothing to do with it,’ added the maid.
‘I am sure you did not. Nevertheless I believe that a serious crime has taken place in the household, and that investigations need to be carried out to discover the truth. I will need to question all your guests.’
‘They are not all here at present,’ said Talbot.
‘Then we shall start now with the ones who are,’ saidRavenscroft adopting a more formal, serious tone.
‘Shall I go and ask them to come down?’ asked Crabb.
‘No, thank you. I think we will interview your guests in their rooms.’
‘What do you want us to do?’ asked a bewildered Talbot.
‘It will be quite in order for you both to go about your usual business,’ said Ravenscroft. ‘Perhaps you will allow your maid to show us the way.’
‘Yes, yes, I suppose so.’
‘Thank you. Maisie, will you lead on,’ instructed Ravenscroft.
Ravenscroft and Crabb followed the maid onto the first-floor landing where three doors faced them.
‘Which one would you like to see first, sir?’
‘Can you tell us who resides here?’ asked Ravenscroft, indicating the first door.
‘That will be Professor Jacobson and his wife,’ replied the maid.
‘And there?’
‘That’s Mister Claybourne’s room. He is away in London at present. And that is where Miss Fanshaw and her sister reside,’ replied the maid pointing to the third room.
‘Then I think we will begin with Professor Jacobson. Will you be kind enough to announce us. But one thing before then – was it you who sent us this letter?’ asked Ravenscroft removing the paper from his pocket.
‘No sir. I didn’t send you no letter.’
‘You are sure on that point?’ Ravenscroft looked intently into the maid’s eyes.
‘Yes, sir. I know nothing about any letter.’
‘Thank you, Maisie. If you would kindly announce us.’
The maid tapped gently on the wood.
‘Yes, Maisie,’ said a woman’s voice from the partially opened door.
‘There is a gentleman here who would like a word with you and Professor Jacobson, ma’am,’ said Maisie.
‘Permit me. My name is Detective Inspector Ravenscroft, and this is my colleague, Constable Crabb. We are making inquiries regarding the sudden demise of Mr Jones,’ said Ravenscroft. ‘Thank you, Maisie, you may go now, I think we can find our own way around.’
The young woman paused momentarily, looking intently at Ravenscroft, before opening the door wider. ‘You had better come in, gentlemen.’
‘Who is it, Rosanna?’ called out an older voice from within the room.
‘Two gentlemen enquiring about poor Mr Jones,’ said the young lady addressing an elderly grey-haired man with a long flowing beard who was seated in a leather armchair.
‘Detective Inspector Ravenscroft and Constable Crabb,’ repeated Ravenscroft entering the book-lined room.
‘Forgive me, gentlemen, if I do not stand. Rosanna, please offer the gentlemen chairs. You say you have come about our late lodger. Talbot mentioned that you had visited him yesterday. How can we help you?’ asked Jacobson staring out across the room.
‘Thank you,’ replied Ravenscroft accepting one of the chairs, as Crabb stood by the door. ‘Can I ask whether you were both present at the evening meal on the night that Mr Jones died?’
‘Yes,’ replied the professor’s wife walking across the room and positioning herself by the side of the old man’s chair.
‘Did
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