Evening star., 1921-10-16

I'VE haven't worked on anything

II you ask me-" said Bell gloomily.
Reggie. Because Rand's away, 1t
don't follow that Rands the corpse.
1t might have come out of some other
about the other tenants?"
"All most respectable. sir" said the
inspector.
MY dear man. the whole affair is
find the corpse was a conveyancer
murdered by a civil servant. A crime
Of quiet. middle-class taste. What
sort of fellows are the other fellows?'
well, sir. there's a retired engi-
neer; and a young chap. just married;
officer. and several young doctors with
consulting rooms in Harley street.
and one Of the Maynards. the Devon
shire family. That's all with any
rooms on the we'll"
fit" said Reggie. None of them
heard anything"
mo. sir: that's queer. to be sure"
'Tt happened the night Of the bliz-
zard. You wouldn't have noticed a
bomb. Well; who was RANDI
That's what no one knows. sir.
He'd only been here few weeks.
They're service fats. you know. and
furnished. He gave bankers refer
ence. Bank says he has no money
reason to be missing. Quiet. stable
Balance three hundred odd. But the
bank don't know anything about him.
He's had an account for years. He
used to live Off Jermyn street apart
ment house. The landlady died last
"And the landlady died last year. I"
Mr.. Rand. Same like our corpse. But
is Rand missing. Bell?"
Hes not been seen for few days.
There's not much in that. He never
used his fiat regularly"
"Well. I don't know quite as far as
Good Lord. the porter who found
him didn't recognize the body,
Remember his face.
my God. don't talk about his face"
Sorry. sorry. Well: I dare say the
porter was upset, too.
"Yes, but the porter said Rand was
biggish: and the body,s on the n small
hair, and the body's absolutely bald"
my dear chap, give q man
straight back and bit of manner and
lots Of fellows think he's biggish-
while he's alive. And a m man tnats IS
4 thought we were to 60 by facts"
"And so we are. Bell. Just a.soing
to begin. No rash haste. Let's s,s,,sss Ees
Rana On; ! / want to call on the elusive
There was nothing individual about
the rooms Of Mr.. Rand. He had been
content with the furniture supplied
by the owners of the place Reggie
turned to the manager Of the hats;
ssY
place Mr.. Rand owns?"
"There is nothing Of the tenants
personal property except his clotnes'
HE is elusive. our friend Rand.
the room. Smoked rather a showy
cigar. Drank a fair whisky. Do the
servants come here every day."
The manager was embarrassed.
"Well, sir, we're short-handed JUST
now. Not unless they're rung .nIant!: TOT
Not unless we know the tenant
using the rooms"
Don't apologize. don't apologize. In
point of fact, they haven't been mere
since'-he looked critically at some
snns,7 dust ~ upon a sr'" bronze since
II should say some days." said the
manager. with diffldence.
II should say a week. No matter
Many thanks"
SuPT. BELL with some urgency gen
- ushered the manager out. When
he had done that he turned upon h!i
inspector. ''Confound you. Warren
what do you want to stare at the
waste-paper basket for? That char
would have seen it If Mr.. Fortune
hadn't got interested in the smokes
and drinks"
Reggie laughed and the inspector
abashed himself. Every sorry, sir
Didn't know I stared. But 1t Is sc
blooming odd"
Bell snorted and lifted the basket
onto the table. 1t was nearly full oi
black, burnt paper. why did they
burn 1t In the basket" said the in
because the freplaces are all ga.