"Very unpleasant for all concerned, sir," agreed the Sergeant. He turned to Simmons. "That'll be all for the present," he said.
Simmons withdrew, and the Sergeant, who had been eyeing Neville with a good deal of curiosity, invited him to sit down. Neville obligingly complied with this request, choosing a deep armchair by the fireplace. The Sergeant said politely: "I'm hoping you may be able to help me, sir. I take it you were pretty intimate with the deceased?"
"Oh no!" said Neville, shocked. "I shouldn't have liked that at all."
"No, sir? Am I to understand you were not on good terms with Mr. Fletcher?"
"But I was. I'm on good terms with everyone. Only I'm not intimate."
"Well, but, what I mean, sir, is -'
"Yes, yes, I know what you mean. Did I know the secrets of my uncle's life? No, Sergeant: I hate secrets, and other people's troubles."
He said this with an air of sweet affability. The Sergeant was a little taken aback, but rallied, and said: "At all events, you knew him fairly well, sir?"
"We won't argue the point," murmured Neville.
"Do you know if he had any enemies?"