He ran back, and the other two men employed the few minutes of his absence in capturing a taxi.
Inspector Sugg and a subordinate Cerberus were on guard at 59, Queen Caroline Mansions, and showed no disposition to admit unofficial enquirers. Parker, indeed, they could not easily turn away, but Lord Peter found himself confronted with a surly manner and what Lord Beaconsfield described as a masterly inactivity. It was in vain that Lord Peter pleaded that he had been retained by Mrs. Thipps on behalf of her son.
«Retained!» said Inspector Sugg, with a snort, « she'll be retained if she doesn't look out. Shouldn't wonder if she wasn't in it herself, only she's so deaf, she's no good for anything at all.»
«Look here, Inspector,» said Lord Peter, «what's the use of bein' so bally obstructive? You'd much better let me in — you know I'll get there in the end. Dash it all, it's not as if I was takin' the bread out of your children's mouths. Nobody paid me for finding Lord Attenbury's emeralds for you.»
«It's my duty to keep out the public,» said Inspector Sugg, morosely, «and it's going to stay out.»
«I never said anything about your keeping out of the public,» said Lord Peter, easily, sitting down on the staircase to thrash the matter out comfortably, «though I've no doubt pussyfoot's a good thing, on principle, if not exaggerated. The golden mean, Sugg, as Aristotle says, keeps you from bein' a golden ass. Ever been a golden ass, Sugg? I have. It would take a whole rose-garden to cure me, Sugg —
“You are my garden of beautiful roses,
My own rose, my one rose, that's you!“»
«I'm not going to stay any longer talking to you,» said the harassed Sugg, «it's bad enough — hullo, drat that telephone. Here, Cawthorn, go and see what it is, if that old catamaran will let you into the room. Shutting herself up there and screaming,» said the Inspector, «it's enough to make a man give up crime and take to hedging and ditching.»
The constable came back: