Crossword Mystery Read Free Page B

been carried out. There were no signs of struggle. An Airedale dog Archibald always took with him was found lying quite placidly on the sand waiting for its master to return. It’s a dog that’s very quiet and friendly with anyone it knows, but it barks its head off at the sight of any stranger. If it had barked at all, it would certainly have been heard at the house and certainly have started Mrs. Winterton’s poms barking too – she has two or three of them. His clothing hadn’t been touched, either; and his gold watch – rather a valuable one – and a diamond ring he wore, but always took off before he went into the water, were quite safe. A thermos flask with hot coffee he used to take down with him for a warm drink after he came out of the water was there just as usual.”
    â€œThere was no footprint unaccounted for, I suppose?” Bobby asked.
    â€œI can’t be sure about that. The place had been well trampled over by people from the house and from the village, anxious to help after the alarm was given, before any of my men got there. But I think the evidence of the dog is conclusive that no stranger had been near. Finally, after a good deal of talk, it came out that he had had a dream – George I mean, of course.”
    â€œA dream?” repeated Bobby.
    Â â€œSo he said,” answered the Major, almost apologetically. “One can understand his brother’s tragic death was a terrible shock to them all. The widow has gone to stay with some relatives. I don’t much suppose she and the children will ever come back here. Probably the property will be sold; I’ve heard a London syndicate are after it to put up a big hotel and develop the place for golf and so on. Not that you would have expected a man like George Winterton – a fine, big, healthy fellow, as strong and active as anyone half his age; hard-headed business man, too – to start worrying about dreams.” The Major paused and smiled a little. “Mrs. Cooper did tell me she had given him crab salad for supper that evening,” he added, his smile broadening.
    â€œWho is Mrs. Cooper, sir?” Bobby asked.
    â€œOh, she’s the wife of the butler, a very capable woman – runs the house like clockwork, and her husband too, and I think Winterton himself into the bargain. But he says it’s worth putting up with a little bossing at times to have the house organised like an up-to-date factory. And then she’s not like some housekeepers; she doesn’t sulk if the routine’s upset. Winterton told me once he thought she rather liked it if he brought back half a dozen unexpected guests from the golf-club to dinner. It gave her a chance to show her powers of resource – the artist exercising his functions, you know.”
    â€œMust be a wonder,” observed Mitchell, with some slight show of emotion. “Mrs. Mitchell might allow me to bring home one man without warning, or even two at a pinch – but half a dozen. There’s reason in all things,” he said.
    â€œI understand, sir,” Bobby went on to Major Markham, “that Mr. Winterton doesn’t give any grounds for his suspicions of foul play? Or for thinking he’s threatened himself?”
    â€œNo; what actually happened was that he got a bit excited, and burst out that very likely what had happened to his brother would happen to him, too, if he wasn’t careful. After that he calmed down and wouldn’t say any more, and then he rolled up with this extraordinary request for police protection. I should have wanted to turn it down, even though he’s willing to pay all expenses, except for one thing – a rather curious thing: an assault on one of my men that happened some little time before the accident to Archibald. Early in the spring we got word that a strange motorboat had been seen lying off the entrance to Suffby Cove. Well, there’s a certain amount of