Dorothy Sayers - Have His Carcass

‘It’s so complicated,’ said the Inspector with a groan, ‘that I don’t believe we’ll get any jury to believe it. Besides there’s the Chief Constable. I’ll bet you anything you like he’ll pooh-pooh the whole thing. He’ll still say that after all we haven’t proved it wasn’t suicide, and we’d better let it go at that. He’s as mad as a dog with us for arresting those people anyhow, and if I come along with this story about haemo— what-you-call, he’ll have fifty thousand fits. See here, my lord, if we do prosecute, d’you really think we’ve a hope in Hades?’

‘I’ll tell you this,’ said Harriet: ‘Last night, Mrs Weldon consented to dance with M. Antoine, and Henry didn’t like it at all. If you let Henry Weldon and Morecambe loose again, what premium would you take on those two lives — Antoine’s and Mrs Weldon’s?’

There was silence after the Inspector left them..

‘Well!’ said Harriet at last.

‘Well,’ said Wimsey, ‘isn’t that a damned awful, bitter, bloody farce? The old fool who wanted a lover and the young fool who wanted an empire. One throat cut and three people hanged, and £130,000 going begging for the next man who likes to sell his body and soul for it. God! What a jape! King Death has asses’ ears with a vengeance.’

He got up.

‘Let’s clear out of this,’ he said. ‘Get your things packed and leave your address with the police and come on up to town. I’m fed to the back teeth.’

‘Yes, let’s go. I’m terrified of meeting Mrs; Weldon. I don’t want to see Antoine. It’s all frightening and disgusting. We’ll go home.’

‘Right-ho! We’ll go home. We’ll: dine in Piccadilly. Damn it,’ said Wimsey, savagely, ‘I always, did hate watering-places!’

The End