CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Concerning Murder on a Lamp Shade
"Rummy, sir," said Masters with genial uneasiness, "the ideas you get, eh?" He clucked his tongue and tried to smile. "I've been interviewing servants, you know. They all said that Alsatian was howling this morning just before — I'm very fond of dogs. Now what?"
H. M. pinched the side of his jaw. His dull eye wandered round the room; and his stolid bulk conveyed somehow an impression of restlessness.
"Hey? Oh! Now! Well, I'll tell you what. You and the young un go down and look in on Rainger. Make sure he's sleepin' the sleep of the just. Dammit, where do you suppose Potter's got to with that butler? I want to talk with him, and then I want a look round this room. Ah! He nodded almost affably when there was a knock at the door. Inspector Potter towered behind a rather frightened Thompson.
"Enfin!" growled H. M. "You're the man I want to see. Tut, now, I ain't goin' to hurt you! You may stay, Potter. Cut along, you other chaps. Come back here when you've finished. Rrrum! Now, then. I want to know just how bad that jaw of yours was last night, Thompson. Toothache's the devil, ain't it? I know. I was wonderin' if it let you get any sleep at all last night? If, for instance, you might have dozed off a bit towards the end of the night, about four or five o'clock..:'
That was all Masters and Bennett heard, for Masters closed the door. Then the stolid Chief Inspector lifted a big fist and shook it with violent pantomime in the dimly lighted gallery. Bennett said:
"What's on his mind? Have you got the cloudiest notion what's on his mind?"
"Yes," said Masters, and let his hand fall. "Yes. But, I tell you straight, I don't like to think what it means. Or — no. 'Tisn't exactly that I don't like to think of it, if he's got his eye on the man I think he has. But I don't see how he's going to prove it. There's gentlemen that are apt to be a bit too canny even for him. Above all, I don't see what he hopes to gain by reconstructing that attempt on the lady's life last night. Blast it, that seems unimportant! It's not as though the thing succeeded, you know."
"Yes. That's it. Can you hear that dog howling, now?'