so, you're still left with a man of unusual charm, a good war record, and no especial vices or weaknesses, except that he found it hard to manage on his allowance, bit of a temper now and then, and a mocking wit when he chose; but generous, remembered birthdays and servants' names-knew how to amuse. It begins to look as if jealousy could have been a motive.''
Runcorn sighed.
"Messy," he said decidedly, his left eye narrowing again. "Never like having to dig into family relationships, and the higher you go the nastier you get." He pulled his coat a little straighter without thinking, but it still did not sit elegantly. "That's your society for you; cover their tracks better than any of your average criminals, when they really try. Don't often make a mistake, that lot, but oh my grandfather, when they do!" He poked his finger in the air towards Monk. "Take my word for it, if there's something nasty there, it'll get a lot worse before it gets any better. You may fancy the higher classes, my boy, but they play very dirty when they protect their own; you believe it!"
Monk could think of no answer. He wished he could remember the things he had said and done to prompt Run-corn to these flavors, nuances of disapproval. Was he a brazen social climber? The thought was repugnant, even pathetic in a way, trying to appear something you are not, in order to impress people who don't care for you in the slightest, and can most certainly detect your origins even before you open your mouth!
But did not most men seek to improve themselves, given opportunity? But had he been overambitious, and foolish enough to show it?
The thing lying at the back of his mind, troubling him all the time, was why he had not been back to see Beth in eight years. She seemed the only family he had, and yet he had virtually ignored her. Why?
Runcorn was staring at him.
"Well?" he demanded.
"Yes sir." He snapped to attention. "I agree, sir. I think there may be something very unpleasant indeed. One has to hate very much to beat a man to death as Grey was beaten. I imagine if it is something to do with the family, they will do everything they can to hush it up. In fact the eldest son, the present Lord Shelburne, didn't seem very eager for me to probe it. He tried to guide me back to the idea that it was a casual thief, or a lunatic."
"And Her Ladyship?"
"She wants us to continue."
"Then she's fortunate, isn't she?" Runcorn nodded his head with his lips twisted. "Because that is precisely what you are going to do!"
Monk recognized a dismissal.
"Yes sir; I'll start with Yeats." He excused himself and went to his own room.
Evan was sitting at the table, busy writing. He looked up with a quick smile when Monk came in. Monk found himself overwhelmingly glad to see him. He realized he had already begun to think of Evan as a friend as much as a colleague.
"How was Shelburne?" Evan asked.
"Very splendid," he replied. "And very formal. What about Mr. Yeats?"
"Very respectable." Evan's mouth twitched in a brief and suppressed amusement. "And very ordinary. No one is saying anything to his discredit. In fact no one is saying anything much at all; they have trouble in recalling precisely who he is."
Monk dismissed Yeats from his mind, and spoke of the thing which was more pressing to him.
"Runcorn seems to think it will become unpleasant, and he's expecting rather a lot from us-"
"Naturally." Evan looked at him, his eyes perfectly clear. "That's why he rushed you into it, even though you're hardly back from being ill. It's always sticky when we have to deal with the aristocracy; and let's face it, a policeman is usually treated pretty much as the social equal of a parlor maid and about as desirable to be close to as die drains; necessary in an imperfect society, but not fit to have in the withdrawing room."
At another time Monk would have laughed, but now it was too painful, and too urgent.
"Why me?" he pressed.
Evan was frankly puzzled. He hid what looked like embarrassment with formality.
"Sir?"
"Why me?" Monk repeated a little more harshly. He could hear the rising pitch in his own voice, and could not govern it.
Evan lowered his eyes awkwardly.
"Do you want an honest answer to that, sir; although you must know it as well as I do?"