Джорджетт Хейер - Why Shoot a Butler

Curiosities of Literature, had been through. She told him how interested I was in that book and how there was nothing in it, and although she had not remembered to inform me that Shirley had had it in her possession long enough to find the half of the will hidden in it, she had no difficulty in remembering it for Fountain's benefit."

"That'll do," said Shirley, quite in her old manner.

"It precious nearly did for you," retorted Amberley. "Fountain knew then where Collins had kept the will, and he knew that you'd got it. Having gone so far he had to finish the job or be caught himself. You know what happened next. Had it not been for my never-to-be-toohighly commended aunt, you might now be at the bottom of the sea. As it was, she passed on the information to me together with Peterson's telephone message, and I just managed to get to Littlehaven in time. Guessing all the way too."

Corkran found his tongue. "Guessing! Is that what you call it?"

"It is," said Amberley. "I'd no certainty. Once I found he'd struck south it was the best I could do. Luckily it turned up trumps."

"Just a minute," said Shirley. "Can you - guess - why he chose that way of killing me, and didn't take the motor boat out and just drop me overboard? It's been puzzling me."

"Yes, I think so," he replied. "For one thing it would have taken too long, and he wanted to get away from Littlehaven as quickly as possible. For another, I believe he was horrified at what he was doing. Remember, he had that curious complex about dead bodies. Because of that he didnt kill you before he sent you out to sea. You told me he never spoke to you nor looked at you. I can quite believe that. The man was in hell, scarcely sane."

He strolled over to the table and took a cigarette out of the box and lit it. His eyes travelled from one shocked, enthralled face to another. "I think that pretty well covers the ground," he said. "An interesting little case."

"Covers the ground!" ejaculated Anthony. "Well, I don't know what anybody else thinks, but in my opinion you're a blinking wonder! And don't you tell me you knew all about it, dear old Sergeant, because I'll bet you didn't!"

The sergeant replied without hesitation. "No, sir, I did not. But what I do say is that if Mr. Amberley hadn't gone suppressing valuable clues, like what he did when he never let on about the young lady being beside Dawson's body, it would have been a sight better for everyone. Why, if I'd have known that, we'd have had the whole case solved in a jiffy!" He met Mr. Amberley's eyes and repeated doggedly: "In a jiffy, Mr. Amberley. I don't say you haven't done well for an amatoor, but what you wanted, sir, was a trained mind on to it. That's what you wanted."