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“Good , sir,” said Inspector Campbell, respectfully, when Father entered his domain Naturally he called Chief-Inspector Davy “Father” behind his back as everyone else did; but he was not yet of sufficient seniority to do such a thing to his face

“Anything I can do for you, sir?” he inquired

“La, la, boohtly off key “Why must they call me Mary when my name’s Miss Gibbs?” After this rather unexpected resurrection of a bygone musical comedy, he drew up a chair and sat down

“Busy?” he asked

“Moderately so”

“Got some disappearance case or other on, haven’t you, to do with some hotel or other What’s the name of it now? Bertram’s Is that it?”

“Yes, that’s right, sir Bertram’s Hotel”

“Contravening the licensing hours? Call girls?”

“Oh no, sir,” said Inspector Ca referred to in such a connection “Very nice, quiet, old-fashioned place”

“Is it now?” said Father “Yes, is it now? Well, that’s interesting, really”

Inspector Ca He did not like to ask, as tempers in the upper hierarchy were notoriously short since the mail train robbery, which had been a spectacular success for the crie, heavy, bovine face and wondered, as he had once or tondered before, how Chief-Inspector Davy had reached his present rank and why he was so highly thought of in the departht Inspector Cao-ahead chaps about who could do with some promotion, once the dead wood is cleared away” But the dead wood had begun another song, partly hummed, with an occasional word or two here and there

“Tell er, are there anymore at home like you?” intoned Father and then in a sudden falsetto, “A few, kind sir, and nicer girls you never knew No, let’s see, I’ve got the sexes ood show, too”

“I believe I’ve heard of it, sir,” said Inspector Campbell

“Youryou to sleep in the cradle with it, I expect,” said Chief-Inspector Davy “Now then, what’s been going on at Bertram’s Hotel? Who has disappeared and how and why?”

“A Canon Pennyfather, sir Elderly clergyman”

“Dull case, eh?”

Inspector Campbell smiled

“Yes, sir, it is rather dull in a way”

“What did he look like?”

“Canon Pennyfather?”

“Yes—you’ve got a description, I suppose?”

“Of course” Cae thatch of white hair—stoops…”

“And he disappeared from Bertram’s Hotel—when?”

“About a week ago—November 19th”

“And they’ve just reported it Took their time about it, didn’t they?”

“Well, I think there was a general idea that he’d turn up”

“Any idea what’s behind it?” asked Father “Has a decent God-fearing one off with one of the churchwardens’ wives? Or does he do a bit of secret drinking, or has he embezzled church funds? Or is he the sort of absent?”

“Well, from all I can hear, sir, I should say the latter He’s done it before”

“What—disappeared from a respectable West End hotel?”

“No, not exactly that, but he’s not always returned home when he was expected Occasionally he’s turned up to stay with friends on a day when they haven’t asked him, or not turned up on the date when they had asked hi”

“Yes,” said Father “Yes Well that sounds very nice and natural and according to plan, doesn’t it? When exactly did you say he disappeared?”