“Now, look here!” exploded Harbottle. “What am I supposed to be suffering from, I'd like to know?”
“Me, mostly,” replied Hemingway serenely.
A reluctant grin greeted this sally. “Well you're the boss, so it won't do for me to contradict you, sir. But what you see in this case to be pleased about I can't make out! Seems to me it's either going to be so easy that this local Sergeant you think so well of might just as well have solved it for himself; or it's going to be such a snorter that we shall never get to the bottom of it.”
“It's got class,” said Hemingway, selecting a radish from the dish. “It's got a good decor, too, and, barring the Pole, I like the sound of the dramatis personae. It isn't every day you get a murder amongst a lot of nice, respectable people living in a country village. Of course, I daresay Snettisham will dig up some character with a record as long as your arm, here in Bellingham, who'll turn out to be the guilty party, but so far it looks a lot more promising than that. It's got what you might call possibilities.”
The Inspector frowned over these. “The Pole—which you wouldn't like!—and the niece, which the Chief Constable laughed at. I didn't reckon much to any of the others. Except that I'd like to know why the Chief Constable shut up so tight when Carsethorn started on the solicitor—Drybeck!”
“Because Drybeck's his own solicitor, and he plays golf with him every weekend,” replied Hemingway promptly.
“Did Carsethorn tell you that, sir?”
“No, he didn't have to. It's standing out a mile the Chief Constable's on friendly terms with most of the people mixed up in the case. That's why he was so prompt in calling us in, and I'm sure I don't blame him.”
Harbottle shook his head over this evidence of the frailty of human nature, but he appeared to accept it, and relapsed once more into meditative silence. The frown deepened between his brows; he presently said abruptly: “There's one thing that strikes me about this case, Chief!”
“What's that?” asked Hemingway, not looking up from his study of the plan of Thornden.