Wiliam Monk 01 - The Face of a Stranger

little late, he was unable to begin investigation on Yeats and his visitor. Runcorn was in his room, pacing the floor and waving a piece of blue notepaper in his hand. He stopped and spun around the moment he heard Monk's feet.
    "Ah!" He brandished the paper with a look of bright, shimmering anger, his left eye narrowed almost shut.
    The good-moming greeting died on Monk's tongue.
    "Letter from upstairs." Runcorn held up the blue paper. "The powers that be are after us again. The Dowager Lady Shelburne has written to Sir Willoughby Gentry, and confided to the said member of Parliament"—he gave every vowel its full value in his volume of scorn for that body—"that she is not happy with the utter lack of success the Metropolitan Police Force is having in apprehending the vile maniac who so foully murdered her son in his own house. No excuses are acceptable for our dilatory and lackadaisical attitude, our total lack of culprits to hand." His face purpled in his offense at the injustice of it, but there was no misery in him, only a feeding rage. "What the hell are you doing, Monk? You're supposed to be such a damn good detective, you've got your eyes on a superintendency—the commissionership, for all I know! So what do we tell this—this ladyship?"
    Monk took a deep breath. He was more stunned by Runcorn's reference to himself, to his ambition, than anything in the letter. Was he an overweeningly ambitious man? There was no time for self-defense now; Runcorn was standing in front of him commanding an answer.
    "Lamb's done all the groundwork, sir." He gave Lamb the praise that was due him. "He's investigated all he could, questioned all the other residents, street peddlers, locals, anyone who might have seen or known anything." He could see from Runcorn's face that he was achieving nothing, but he persisted. "Unfortunately it was a particularly foul night and everyone was in a hurry, heads down and collars up against the rain. Because it was so wet no one hung around, and with the overcast it was dark earlier than usual."
    Runcorn was fidgeting with impatience.
    "Lamb spent a lot of time checking out the villains we know," Monk continued. "He's written up in his report that he's spoken to every snout and informer in the area. Not a peep. No one knows anything; or if they do, they're not saying. Lamb was of the opinion they were telling the truth. I don't know what else he could have done." His experience offered nothing, but neither could his intelligence suggest any omission. All his sympathy was with Lamb.
    "Constable Harrison found a watch with the initials J.G. on it in a pawnbroker's—but we don't know it was Grey's.''
    "No," Runcorn agreed fiercely, running his finger with distaste along the deckle edge of the notepaper. It was a luxury he could not afford. "Indeed you don't! So what are you doing, then? Take it to Shelburne Hall—get it identified."
    "Harrison's on his way."
    "Can't you at least find out how the bloody man got in?"
    "I think so," Monk said levelly. "There was a visitor
    for one of the other residents, a Mr. Yeats. He came in at nine forty-five and left at roughly ten thirty. He was a biggish man, dark, well muffled. He's the only person unaccounted for; the others were women. I don't want to leap to conclusions too soon, but it looks as if he could be the murderer. Otherwise I don't know any way a stranger could have got in. Grimwade locks up at midnight, or earlier if all the residents are in, and after that even they have to ring the bell and get him up."
    Runcorn put the letter carefully on Monk's desk.
    "And what time did he lock up that night?" he asked.
    "Eleven," Monk replied. "No one was out."
    "What did Lamb say about this man who visited Yeats?" Runcorn screwed up his face.
    "Not much. Apparently he only spoke to Yeats once, and then he spent most of the time trying to find out something about Grey. Maybe he didn't realize the importance of the visitor at that time. Grimwade said he took him up to Yeats's door and Yeats met him. Lamb was still looking for a thief off the street then—"
    "Then!" Runcorn leapt on the word, sharp, eager. "So what are you looking for now?"
    Monk realized what he had said, and that he meant it. He frowned, and answered as carefully as he could.
    "I think I'm looking for someone who knew him, and hated him; someone who intended to kill him."
    "Well for God's sake don't say so to the Dowager Lady Shelburne!" Runcorn said dangerously.
    "I'm hardly likely