Death in the Stocks Read Free Page A

get in through a window. The dressing-gown is merely borrowed till my skirt's dry.'
    The Inspector directed his gaze towards the skirt. 'I quite understand, miss. Must have been a bad stain, if I may say so.'
    'Blood,' said the girl between sips of coffee.
    Constable Dickenson gave a slight gasp. 'Blood?' said the Inspector evenly.
    The girl set down her cup, and met his look with a belligerent gleam in her eyes. 'Just what do you want with me?' she demanded.
    'I'd like to know how you came to get blood on your skirt, miss,' said the Inspector.
    'Yes? Well, I should like to know what right you have to ask me that - or anything else for that matter. Get on with it! What is it you're after?'
    The Inspector drew out his note-book. 'There's no need to take offence, miss. We've had a little upset in these parts last night, and I have to find out one or two details. May I have your name and address, please?'
    'Why?' asked the girl.
    A shade of severity crept into the Inspector's voice. 'You'll pardon me, miss, but you're behaving in a silly way. There's been an accident connected with this house, and it's my duty to get what information I can about it.'
    'Well, you aren't likely to get much out of me,' observed the girl. 'Don't know anything, My name's Antonia Vereker. Address, 3 Grayling Street, Chelsea. What the devil's the matter now?'
    The Inspector had looked up quickly from his notebook. 'A relation of Mr Arnold Vereker?' he said.
    'Half-sister.'
    The Inspector lowered his gaze to the book again, and carefully wrote down the name and address. 'And you say you have not seen Mr Vereker since you came here?'
    'Haven't seen him for months.'
    'How long have you been here, miss?'
    'Since last night. Sevenish.'
    'Did you come especially to see your brother?'
    'Half-brother. Of course I did. But I haven't seen him. He never turned up.'
    'You were expecting him, then?'
    'Look here!' said Antonia strongly. 'Do you think I should have motored thirty-five miles to this place if I hadn't expected to see him?'
    'No, miss. But you said a minute or two back that Mr Vereker was not expecting you. I was merely wondering how it was that with him not expecting you, and you not having seen him for months, you were sure enough of finding him here to come all that way?'
    'I wasn't sure. But I know his habits. Coming here over the week-end is one of them.'
    'I take it you wanted to see him urgently, miss?'
    'I wanted to see him, and I still want to see him,' said Antonia.
    'I'm afraid, miss, that won't be possible,' said the Inspector, getting up from his chair.
    She stared at him in a smouldering way. 'Oh, won't it?' she said.
    'No, miss. I'm sorry to have to tell you that Mr Vereker has met with an accident.'
    Her brows drew together. 'Are you breaking it to me gently? You needn't bother. Is he dead, or what?'
    The Inspector's manner became a shade sterner. 'Yes, miss. He is dead,' he answered.
    'Good lord!' said the girl. The fierce look had left her face; she glanced from one to the other of the two men. To the Constable's shocked amazement, a twinkle appeared in her eye. 'I thought you were trying to run the dog in,' she remarked. 'Sorry I was a trifle brusque. He had a bit of a fight last night, and a dam' fool of a woman who owned the other dog swore all sorts of vengeance on him. Is my half-brother really dead? What happened to him? Car smash?'
    The Inspector had no longer any compunction in disclosing the truth. 'Mr Vereker was murdered,' he said bluntly. He noticed with satisfaction that he did seem at last to have startled her a little. She lost some of her colour, and looked as though she did not know what to say. He added after a short pause: 'His body was discovered in thee stocks at Ashleigh Green at one-fifty this morning.'
    'His body was discovered in the stocks?' repeated the girl. 'Do you mean somebody put him in the stocks and he died of fright, or exposure, or what?'
    'Your half-brother, miss, died as a result of a knife thrust