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<v Speaker 1>Chapter twenty two of The Double by Edgar Wallace. This

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<v Speaker 1>LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Atulsharma, Winnipeg, Canada,

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<v Speaker 1>Chapter twenty two, mister Walter Derreck confessed to having an

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<v Speaker 1>equable nature. Few men whose houses were marked by gangs

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<v Speaker 1>of arm burglars, who had suffered the outrages which had

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<v Speaker 1>been his, had been subjected to the horror of having

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<v Speaker 1>murdered done in their drawing rooms, would have accepted so

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<v Speaker 1>philosophically the amazing sequence of events which had punctured recent weeks.

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<v Speaker 1>My equanimity, he told the reporter of the Post Herald,

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<v Speaker 1>is nine tenths laziness, a sheer disinclination to trouble my

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<v Speaker 1>head about things I cannot rectify or put right. Laziness

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<v Speaker 1>is my pet vice. My house is an extraordinary house.

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<v Speaker 1>Something alarming is always happening there. A week ago, a

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<v Speaker 1>man who claimed acquaintance with me during my stay in

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<v Speaker 1>Africa was found dead there. A few nights later, a

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<v Speaker 1>portion of the wall of my drawing room was excavated,

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<v Speaker 1>and certain rumors I have heard, coupled with mysterious inquiries

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<v Speaker 1>which have come to me from the police and especially

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<v Speaker 1>from my friend Inspector Staines, lead me to suppose that

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<v Speaker 1>yet another outrage was attempted or committed only a couple

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<v Speaker 1>of nights ago. Is the house haunted? One of my

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<v Speaker 1>servants swears that he has seen the ghost of my father.

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<v Speaker 1>But that, of course is a trick, and a particularly

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<v Speaker 1>cruel trick. What do you imagine the burglars are after,

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<v Speaker 1>asked the newspaper man. Mister Derrick smiled broadly, what are

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<v Speaker 1>we all? After? He demanded money. The theory has been

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<v Speaker 1>advanced by one of the most brilliant police officers at

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<v Speaker 1>Scotland Yard that my father hoarded a large sum of

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<v Speaker 1>money in some secret place. That may, of course be true.

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<v Speaker 1>If it is, then it is better that I should

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<v Speaker 1>find it than my persecutors. I at least would pay

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<v Speaker 1>to the inn Land Revenue the additional death duties. I do, not, however,

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<v Speaker 1>imagine for one moment that my father did anything so

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<v Speaker 1>stupid or so secretive. His death, though he was an invalid,

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<v Speaker 1>was very sudden, and he had no opportunity of discussing

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<v Speaker 1>his affairs at the last. But I feel sure that

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<v Speaker 1>if there had been any money hidden, he would have

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<v Speaker 1>told me during the last years of his life. Dick

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<v Speaker 1>Staines read his interview while he was still in bed.

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<v Speaker 1>He had been in a state of wonder that the

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<v Speaker 1>murder in Loundes Square, and all the peculiar events which

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<v Speaker 1>had preceded and followed, had attracted so little attention. Reporters

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<v Speaker 1>had called and had received the usual vague statements which

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<v Speaker 1>police officers issue on such occasions, but the episode of

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<v Speaker 1>the spring gun, which had not been reported, had shaken him. Surprisingly,

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<v Speaker 1>neither Larkin nor Walter Derreck could offer him any explanation.

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<v Speaker 1>Dereck was certain that when he had walked down the

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<v Speaker 1>stairs five minutes before he left the house, no such

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<v Speaker 1>trap had been laid. Larkin was equally emphatic. Unless there

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<v Speaker 1>was another way into the house as yet undiscovered, how

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<v Speaker 1>could the gun have been placed in position and the

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<v Speaker 1>leads so carefully adjusted. There had been workmen in the house.

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<v Speaker 1>Dick saw the foreman, who assured him that none of

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<v Speaker 1>the men had ascended beyond the drawing room floor. Examined

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<v Speaker 1>at Scotland Yard, the gun proved to be of a

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<v Speaker 1>type common enough six years ago in country districts, a

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<v Speaker 1>muzzle loaded, big jawed musket. The barrel sought off to

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<v Speaker 1>within a few inches of the lock. On his return

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<v Speaker 1>to town, after giving an interview with the reporters in

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<v Speaker 1>Loundes Square, Walter accompanied Dick to Scotland Yard and examined

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<v Speaker 1>the gun. No sooner did his eyes fall upon it

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<v Speaker 1>than he uttered an exclamation. That is mine, he said,

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<v Speaker 1>when he had bought Keighley, he had found in the stable,

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<v Speaker 1>among a lot of other rubbish, this old spring gun.

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<v Speaker 1>He pointed out, the half obliterated crown stamped in the

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<v Speaker 1>brass butt plate and two notches cut in the grip.

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<v Speaker 1>I haven't seen it for months years. Oh yes, I have,

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<v Speaker 1>he corrected himself quickly. I showed it to Tommy Wheel

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<v Speaker 1>last Sunday week and he suggested I should send it

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<v Speaker 1>to a museum. Which was rather like Tommy. He was

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<v Speaker 1>very public spirited with other people's properties. There was also

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<v Speaker 1>an old powder horn, which probably belongs to the set.

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<v Speaker 1>Walter went on, but I don't remember seeing any bullets.

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<v Speaker 1>He had taken the surprising resolution, At least it was

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<v Speaker 1>surprising to Dick. I am trying to decide to spend

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<v Speaker 1>a week in my haunted house and do a little

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<v Speaker 1>gold digging myself. He smiled. I can't persuade my servants

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<v Speaker 1>at Keighley to come back to Lounde to Square, for

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<v Speaker 1>the reputation of the house has been quite sufficient to

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<v Speaker 1>scare them stiff. So I'm relying on Larkin to assist.

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<v Speaker 1>If you would care for me to share your watch,

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<v Speaker 1>said Dick Walter nodded. That was my idea. I can't

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<v Speaker 1>make you as comfortable as Wheel does, but I may

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<v Speaker 1>be able to give you a more exciting time. They

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<v Speaker 1>walked up to the house together, and just before Derreck

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<v Speaker 1>went in, you were telling me the other day about

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<v Speaker 1>old Enred, the local inspector. He seems to know a

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<v Speaker 1>great deal more about my father than I do. I

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<v Speaker 1>suppose there is no objection to my having a chat

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<v Speaker 1>with him. Don't you know him? Asked Dick Walter shook

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<v Speaker 1>his head. No, I have no recollection of him so

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<v Speaker 1>far as I can ascertain. Although he knew my father

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<v Speaker 1>very well, he never met me. I was at school

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<v Speaker 1>in Northumberland until I was seventeen. With the aid of

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<v Speaker 1>Larkin and a couple of charwomen that the caretaker was

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<v Speaker 1>able to engage, mister Derrick had restored something like order

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<v Speaker 1>and tidiness to his outraged drawing room. A square of

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<v Speaker 1>canvas still covered the hole in the wall. When old

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<v Speaker 1>Inspector Enred called that afternoon, he was in mufti for

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<v Speaker 1>he was off duty, as he blamed, I never make

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<v Speaker 1>any private calls in uniform, mister Derrick, said the grim

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<v Speaker 1>old man. I am one of those old fashioned police

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<v Speaker 1>officers who do not mix business with pleasure. He looked

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<v Speaker 1>round the drawing room curiously. It must be fifteen years

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<v Speaker 1>since I was here as a visitor, he said, fifteen years,

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<v Speaker 1>and it seems like yesterday. He pointed to an old

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<v Speaker 1>grandfather's chair near the fireplace. That was your respected father's

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<v Speaker 1>favorite chair. He said, I'd like a fiver for every

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<v Speaker 1>time I've seen him there. Did we ever meet, asked Walter, interested.

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<v Speaker 1>The inspector shook his head. No, sir, you were at

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<v Speaker 1>school at the time, if I remember rightly. The only

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<v Speaker 1>occasion you were down in London, I was away on leave.

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<v Speaker 1>But I knew your father very well, and a very

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<v Speaker 1>nice man he was. He wasn't popular with some people,

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<v Speaker 1>but I speak of a man as I find him.

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<v Speaker 1>The inspector was a loquacious old gentleman with a fund

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<v Speaker 1>of reminiscences the sort of man Walter supposed to live

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<v Speaker 1>on as well as in the past. Yes, I know

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<v Speaker 1>him quite well, but I had no idea that he

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<v Speaker 1>married again. I suppose you didn't know either, No, replied

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<v Speaker 1>mister Derrick. That was news to me. It was news

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<v Speaker 1>to a lot of us, said the Inspector, shaking his head.

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<v Speaker 1>But I always say that nobody really knows anybody. How

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<v Speaker 1>did you come to be acquainted with my father? He

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<v Speaker 1>is hardly likely to have been very much interested in

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<v Speaker 1>police affairs, The inspector smiled broadly. We came in to

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<v Speaker 1>touch over the finger print business, and after I was

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<v Speaker 1>shifted to end a vision, I still used to correspond

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<v Speaker 1>with him. As a matter of fact, mister Derrick, I

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<v Speaker 1>am of the same opinion as your father. I believe

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<v Speaker 1>there are duplicates to finger prints. It stands to reason

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<v Speaker 1>that the present system can't be infallible when less than

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<v Speaker 1>a fortieth part of the population can be examined and checked.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you see what I mean? No, I don't, said

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<v Speaker 1>Walter frankly. The Inspector was now riding his hobby horse,

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<v Speaker 1>and apparently he held views even more drastic than those

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<v Speaker 1>held by the late mister Deryck. It was more than

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<v Speaker 1>possible that old Deryck had had his first lessons in

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<v Speaker 1>skepticism and had been started on his hobby as a

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<v Speaker 1>result of his acquaintance with this gray haired police officer.

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<v Speaker 1>Suppose there was a dance on at the Albert Hall,

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<v Speaker 1>said Andred with Relish, and there were two thousand people present,

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<v Speaker 1>and a complaint came that a lady had lost a

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<v Speaker 1>diamond necklace. Do you follow me, mister Derrick Walter nodded.

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<v Speaker 1>Suppose I had permission to search the crowd, the whole

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<v Speaker 1>two thousand, and instead of searching two thousand, I searched

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<v Speaker 1>fifty and gave the others a clean bill. Would that

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<v Speaker 1>be fair? It is the same with the finger print system.

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<v Speaker 1>The only prince we have are criminals. The law abiding

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<v Speaker 1>population never comes under review. And it is any odds

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<v Speaker 1>that as you were to take the finger prints of

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<v Speaker 1>the forty million people in this country, you'd find duplicates,

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<v Speaker 1>and once you'd found a solitary duplicate, the whole finger

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<v Speaker 1>print system would collapse. That was my father's view, too,

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<v Speaker 1>said Derec thoughtfully. And it was a good view, insisted

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<v Speaker 1>Inspector Andred emphatically. That is what your revered father was

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<v Speaker 1>trying to prove. He had fingerprints by the thousand, by

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<v Speaker 1>the hundreds of thousands, non criminals, clergymen, bankers, everybody he

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<v Speaker 1>could get to give him a print. He was amused

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<v Speaker 1>at a recollection. It's curious how people gibbed at it,

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<v Speaker 1>though even the most innocent people objected to giving themselves away.

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<v Speaker 1>I must confess he chuckled that when he asked me

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<v Speaker 1>for my own finger impressions for the family book. I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't at all like the idea the family book, said

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<v Speaker 1>Derek quickly, what do you mean? Andred's eyes were dancing

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<v Speaker 1>with laughter. You've forgotten it too. I forget nothing. I've

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<v Speaker 1>got a memory like a card index. Mister Derrick. I

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<v Speaker 1>remember that book, a little red book with padded leather covers.

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<v Speaker 1>His fingerprint was in it, and yours and his housekeeper

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<v Speaker 1>you wouldn't remember, she died when you were a child,

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<v Speaker 1>and miss Belfer, and his sister she's dead too, and

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<v Speaker 1>his partner, Old Carlew. I suppose it was a great

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<v Speaker 1>honor for him to ask me at all, but I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't like putting my finger on the pad. And that's

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<v Speaker 1>the truth. There was a silence, and then Derek said, slowly,

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<v Speaker 1>of course, I remember now, his little private book, the

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<v Speaker 1>family book. I must have been about fifteen when he

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<v Speaker 1>called me up to his study and asked me to

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<v Speaker 1>put my fingerprint on the page. Four fingers and a

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<v Speaker 1>thumb nodded Edred, just the same as they do at

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<v Speaker 1>the police station. The fact is your father was a

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<v Speaker 1>fanatic on the subject. Derek sighed heavily. Yes, a strange man.

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<v Speaker 1>It is curious how I'd forgotten that little incident. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't remember having seen the book, since it isn't the

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<v Speaker 1>house somewhere, I'll bet said Andred. I wonder you don't

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<v Speaker 1>find it. It would be rather a curiosity, mister Dereck.

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<v Speaker 1>Derek was looking out of the window, his attention concentrated

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<v Speaker 1>upon a horse drawn milk cart. The horse, unattended, was

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<v Speaker 1>straying across the road. That's very dangerous, he said, pointing

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<v Speaker 1>the way those milkmen allow their horses to wander. A

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<v Speaker 1>little red book with padded covers, I recall it now,

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<v Speaker 1>rather like an autograph album. Do you remember if my

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<v Speaker 1>mother's was there? The inspector shook his head, no, sir,

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<v Speaker 1>that it's hardly likely he hadn't got the fingerprint craze

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<v Speaker 1>when your respected mother died. But I believe there was

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<v Speaker 1>an old aunt because he pointed the prince out to

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<v Speaker 1>me and said that the index finger was almost exactly

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<v Speaker 1>like another print that he had taken of a chimpanzee

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<v Speaker 1>at the zoo. Mister Derreck turned the conversation to the

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<v Speaker 1>neighborhood in the old religious order that had occupied his house,

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<v Speaker 1>and mister Enrid plunged immediately into a learned and authoritative dissertation,

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<v Speaker 1>enriched by his recollections of diverse eccentric religious bodies he

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<v Speaker 1>had met in his time. As the inspector was leaving

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<v Speaker 1>the house, Dick Stains came from the house next door. Hullo. Inspector.

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<v Speaker 1>Dick's curiosity was piqued. Is anything wrong? Nothing? Nothing, said

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<v Speaker 1>the old man genially. I've just been having a little

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<v Speaker 1>chat with mister Derrick about old times. Oh lord, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>said Dick, remembering I gave him your address. He was

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<v Speaker 1>going in the same direction as the older man, and

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<v Speaker 1>they walked away together, calling at the yard, are you

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<v Speaker 1>mister Staines. That's curious, so am I I'm finishing the

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<v Speaker 1>last thirty five days of my service, and there's some

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<v Speaker 1>talk of getting me a testimonial. In principle, I am

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<v Speaker 1>against allowing constables to subscribe to presentations. It is against

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<v Speaker 1>the best interests of the service. But but smiled Dick,

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<v Speaker 1>when a veteran of your record retires, I'm all for

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<v Speaker 1>producing a silver teapot and a nicely inscribed salver. You've

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<v Speaker 1>got to surrender your principles, inspector, he called a taxi,

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<v Speaker 1>and Andred protesting, he pushed him in exercise is a

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<v Speaker 1>splendid thing, but it can be overdone. He said, well,

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<v Speaker 1>how is mister Walter Derrick looking? A fine man? That

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<v Speaker 1>said Edred, solemnly, a regular chip of the old block.

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<v Speaker 1>I never met a more good natured gentleman in my life.

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<v Speaker 1>I happened to mention about the presentation, and he offered

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<v Speaker 1>to subscribe a hundred guineas. Andred gasped, did he tell

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<v Speaker 1>you no? I guess, said Dick, a twinkle in his eye.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, I couldn't allow that began, Andred. I should

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<v Speaker 1>surrender my principles once more, anyway you deserve it. There

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<v Speaker 1>are no rich prizes for a footslogging uniformed inspector. And

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<v Speaker 1>if the taxpayer who has helped to sturb you all

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<v Speaker 1>his life wants to make up for his neglect and

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<v Speaker 1>give you a little bonus, well let him. Old Endred

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<v Speaker 1>looked relieved. As a matter of fact, he confided, I've

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<v Speaker 1>got his check in my pocket. That's what I'm seeing

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<v Speaker 1>the assistant commissioner about. I don't want to break any

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<v Speaker 1>regulations so near to the end of my service. But

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<v Speaker 1>if he says it's all right. Dick knew the old

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<v Speaker 1>inspector rather well, and guessed that many influential and moneyed

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<v Speaker 1>people in the neighborhood had heard the story of his

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<v Speaker 1>retirement and his objection to presentations on principle, but his

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<v Speaker 1>willingness if his superiors agreed to accept some small honorarium.

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<v Speaker 1>Probably Derreck was to be a test case, and if

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<v Speaker 1>the principle was admitted, Inspector Endred would carry quite a

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<v Speaker 1>number of handsome little checks to solace his days of retirement.

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<v Speaker 1>Mostly we discussed finger prints, which was his old father's hobby.

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<v Speaker 1>As I've told you before, it's funny what Trick's memory

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<v Speaker 1>plays on a fellow. He didn't even remember the family book.

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<v Speaker 1>What was the family book? Asked Dick, who was hardly

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<v Speaker 1>listening to the voluble officer's recital. Inspector Enred told him

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<v Speaker 1>of the little read book with the padded covers. He

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<v Speaker 1>described its binding, its shape, and the approximate number of

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<v Speaker 1>its pages. Oh, Dick sat bolt upright, looking at the

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<v Speaker 1>old man. Do you remember it very well? He asked quickly.

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<v Speaker 1>Who else was in the book? Andred recited the names

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<v Speaker 1>he could remember. It was doubtful if he missed one.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think there were no more, unless there were

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<v Speaker 1>some after mine, he said proudly. I forget nothing. I've

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<v Speaker 1>a memory like a card index, as I told mister Derrick,

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<v Speaker 1>I can see the old man sitting down there and

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<v Speaker 1>writing underneath the print of my name the year I

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<v Speaker 1>was born, where I lived, and everything. And I remember

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<v Speaker 1>him limping up and down the room, laying down the

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<v Speaker 1>law about the system, Enred, he says to me. At

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<v Speaker 1>that moment, Dick signaled the cab to stop. They had

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<v Speaker 1>turned into the Thames Embankment and were within a short

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<v Speaker 1>distance of Scotland Yard. I'll go in if you don't mind.

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<v Speaker 1>The Assistant commissioner gave me an appointment, Andred looked at

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<v Speaker 1>his large watch, dear me, I've only a minute. Dick

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<v Speaker 1>let him go and paid the cabman. At his leisure,

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<v Speaker 1>he walked slowly down toward the entrance of the yard,

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<v Speaker 1>and then noticed a man standing on the curb. His

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<v Speaker 1>back was toward the detective, but the figure was familiar.

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<v Speaker 1>Where had he seen him? He walked slowly past and

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<v Speaker 1>looked at him sideways, and then stopped. Why, Henry, he said,

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<v Speaker 1>in amazement. It was the unshaven bath chairman who was

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<v Speaker 1>drawing meditatively at a clay pipe, and his eyes were

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<v Speaker 1>fixed upon the pageant of the river. End of Chapter

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<v Speaker 1>twenty two.