Отель «Гранд Вавилон» / The Grand Babylon hotel

he happened to be standing near the luggage lift, and witnessed the descent of vast quantities of luggage, and its disappearance into a Carter Paterson van.

�Whose luggage is that?’ he inquired peremptorily.

The luggage clerk, with an aggrieved expression, explained to him that it was the luggage of nobody in particular, that it belonged to various guests, and was bound for various destinations; that it was, in fact, �expressed’ luggage despatched in advance, and that a similar quantity of it left the hotel every morning about that hour.

Theodore Racksole walked away, and breakfasted upon one cup of tea and half a slice of toast.

At ten o’clock he was informed that the inspector of police desired to see him. The inspector had come, he said, to superintend the removal of the body of Reginald Dimmock to the mortuary adjoining the place of inquest, and a suitable vehicle waited at the back entrance of the hotel.

The inspector had also brought subpoenas for himself and Prince Aribert of Posen and the commissionaire to attend the inquest.

�I thought Mr Dimmock’s remains were removed last night,’ said Racksole wearily.

�No, sir. The fact is the van was engaged on another job.’

The inspector gave the least hint of a professional smile, and Racksole, disgusted, told him curtly to go and perform his duties.

In a few minutes a message came from the inspector requesting Mr Racksole to be good enough to come to him on the first floor.

Racksole went. In the ante-room, where the body of Reginald Dimmock had originally been placed, were the inspector and Prince Aribert, and two policemen.

�Well?’ said Racksole, after he and the Prince had exchanged bows. Then he saw a coffin laid across two chairs. �I see a coffin has been obtained,’ he remarked. �Quite right.’ He approached it. �It’s empty,’ he observed unthinkingly.

�Just so,’ said the inspector. �The body of the deceased has disappeared.

And his Serene Highness Prince Aribert informs me that though he has occupied a room immediately opposite, on the other side of the corridor, he can throw no light on the affair.’

�Indeed, I cannot!’ said the Prince, and though he spoke with sufficient calmness and dignity, you could see that he was deeply pained, even distressed.

�Well, I’m—’ murmured Racksole, and stopped.

Chapter Seven.