The House Of The Bears by John Creasey Page A

judgment and hoped you would stay in the district long enough to help to find the solution. Must you go back to London?’
    ‘Yes,’ said Palfrey. He was silent for a long time and conscious of McDonald’s steady gaze. ‘But I needn’t stay there long.’
    ‘I hope you’ll come back,’ said McDonald. ‘Turn right here, then down the hill and turn left – that’s if you want the Esplanade Hotel first.’
    ‘I do, thanks.’
    ‘There was some talk about this fellow Garth,’ McDonald went on. ‘I haven’t placed him yet. Once I knew that he was bedridden practically all the time he stayed at the house, I didn’t greatly worry. What I want to do is to find the swine who tried to murder Loretta. Does Garth come into it much?’
    ‘As Loretta’s fiancé –’
    ‘What!’ The exclamation came so violently that Palfrey was really startled.
    ‘Didn’t you know that?’ he asked.
    ‘It’s damned nonsense.’
    ‘Your Uncle Rufus told me of it himself,’ said Palfrey.
    ‘Do you mean to say he allowed Loretta to become engaged to a man he didn’t know? A stranger? A – No. Palfrey, I’ll never believe it! It doesn’t make sense,’ said McDonald. ‘I can’t believe that Rufus –’
    He broke off, and, after turning into a main road, with the bay immediately in front of them and tall hotels rising into the sky, Palfrey murmured: ‘Unless pressure was brought on Sir Rufus to agree.’
    ‘I’d just thought of that,’ said McDonald, slowly. ‘But it doesn’t add up, Palfrey. Rufus and I don’t get along, but I can’t believe that he has ever done anything which would lay him open to blackmail. He’s killed my affection for him, but not my respect. As a matter of fact, he’s the nearest thing to a perfect human being I’m ever likely to meet. His life is a model.’
    ‘In spite of which, he accepted Garth as Loretta’s husband-to-be,’ said Palfrey.
    McDonald said nothing. Palfrey reached the promenade, called in Wenlock the Esplanade, and, on McDonald’s instructions, turned left. The Esplanade Hotel was a double-turreted, white building set in small but pleasant grounds and standing on a corner. Palfrey pulled up. ‘I’ll wait here,’ said McDonald, and took out a pipe.
    ‘Right-ho,’ said Palfrey, and turned to go into the hotel. As he did so, something struck him on the shoulder, not heavily, but enough to alarm him. He swung round. He saw a man disappearing round the corner and heard something fall to the ground. He ran to the corner, but the man was out of sight.
    Slowly he turned and looked round. On the pavement lay a ball of paper.
    McDonald got out of the car quickly as Palfrey examined the missile. It was, in fact, a stone wrapped in paper. He opened the paper and smoothed it out, and was beginning to read when Drusilla came out of the gateway and called: ‘Sap, what’s happened?’
    He raised his head and smiled warmly. Drusilla looked at her lovely best, hatless, wearing a green woollen dress, her, eyes sparkling with gladness at seeing him.
    ‘Hallo, my sweet! Nothing to worry about.’ He gripped her hand. ‘Someone threw a stone wrapped in paper and this is what it says,’ declared Palfrey, looking at the paper again. “Meet me at the green cottage with the parrot in the window in Cheddar Gorge. Say Monday , 2.30 p.m. N.K.”’
    ‘N.K.,’ repeated Drusilla, blankly. ‘Do you know him?’
    The American’s merry face appeared in Palfrey’s mind’s eye.
    ‘I know him slightly,’ admitted Palfrey. ‘The man has an eye for the spectacular.’
    ‘Why should he want you to meet him anywhere?’ asked Drusilla.
    ‘Perhaps he has taken to me,’ said Palfrey dryly. ‘I’ll tell you the long, long story soon, my sweet.’ He looked at McDonald and said gravely: ‘This is Bruce McDonald, a nephew of Sir Rufus Morne. You should be good friends. He saved me from breaking my neck last night. He can tell you everything while I go and see Hardy,’ he declared. ‘I –