success at the moment.”
I finished my whisky, felt better for it.
“No question of foul play?” I asked.
His eyes probed me. “No. Why should there be?”
“Your people are quite happy about that?”
“They’re never happy about anything, but they’re quite satisfied
that there’s no question of foul play. Suicide happens every day. It
may interest you to know an individual’s occupation tends to
influence the likelihood of suicide,” Corridan went on, closing his eyes
and settling farther into his chair. “Occupations involving strain,
responsibility or very late hours provide the greatest numbers of
suicides. Chemists, doctors, solicitors, publicans, night club workers,
butchers and soldiers are to be found high up in the list of
occupations, whilst gardeners, fishermen, clergymen, school teachers
and civil servants are at the foot of the list.”
I groaned. “I guess I stuck my neck out that time,” I said. “Okay,
okay, don’t let’s have any more of that. Then I take it because night
club workers rank high on the list of likely suicides, Netta killed
herself, is that it?”
He nodded. “Something like that. Anyway, it helps us to make up
our minds. If she were a school teacher, for instance, we might look at
the business more closely. See what I mean?”
“And you think a girl like Netta would choose a gas oven? You
don’t think she’d jump out of a window or use poison?”
“Women hesitate to make a mess of themselves even in death,”
Corridan returned, lifting his shoulders. “Especially girls as pretty as
Netta. Jumping out of windows can be very messy . . . I’ve seen some.
Owing to a little thing called the Dangerous Drugs Act suicides by
poison are on the decrease. I believe over six hundred women
committed suicide by coal- gas last year. I’ll get you the exact figures if
you’re interested.”
“That’s good enough for me,” I said. “And why do you think she
killed herself?”
Corridan finished his whisky, put the glass on the table, shrugged.
“It’s interesting to consider the reasons which impel individual
conduct,” he said, crossing his legs and sinking lower in his chair. “A
knowledge of the causes of suicide is also of help in determining the
question of accident, suicide or murder. The four main reasons why
people commit suicide are, in order of their importance, mental
conditions, drink, financial worries and love. There are other causes,
of course, but these are the four important ones. As far as we know
the girl didn’t owe money, she didn’t drink to excess, and she
appeared mental y normal from what Cole and the landlady tel us.
Therefore it’s reasonable to suppose she had an unhappy love affair.”
“The way you coppers get everything down to a rule of thumb kills
me,” I said, as the waiter wheeled in a table ladened with good things
to eat. “Come on, let’s get at it.”
“Another of those excellent whiskies mightn’t be a bad idea,”
Corridan said, getting to his feet and pulling up a straight- backed
chair to the table.
“Make it two,” I said to the waiter, “and then leave us to look
after ourselves.”
We sat down and began on the cold
“What makes you think she wasn’t murdered?” I asked casually.
He shook his head. “What a chap you are,” he said. “I’ve just told
you. . .” He glanced up sharply, frowned. “But perhaps you know more
about this than I do. Perhaps I’d better hear what you have to say
before I commit myself too deeply.” His lips curled slightly at the
corners which was his idea of a smile. “Do you think she was
murdered?”
“I’m willing to bet five hundred pounds that she was,” I said.
His eyebrows shot up. “And you have five hundred pounds?”
“I have. Like to take me on?”
He shook his head. “I never bet with Yanks; they’re far too smart.”
He pushed his plate away, dabbed his thin lips with his napkin. “Hmm,
now I wonder what makes you so sure?”
“I’ve been to her flat and had a look around,” I said. “I found some
interesting items which I’ll show you in a moment. First tell me, did
any of your men take anything from the flat?”
“No. Is there anything missing?”
“A number of pairs of silk stockings, most of her clothes, and a
diamond bracelet and scarf-pin.”
“Valuable?”
“The bracelet cost two hundred pounds three years ago. It’ll be
worth double that now. I don’t know about the pin.”
“How do you know they’re missing? Couldn’t she have sold t
hem?”
I hadn’t thought of that, and said so. “All the same I don’t think
she did. She was fond of those pieces and nothing would persuade her
to get rid of her stockings. No, I don’t believe she did sell the stuff.”
Corridan eyed me. “Now you’re being obstinate,” he said quietly.
“I should say it was most likely. She may have been pressed for money
at one time.”
The waiter interrupted us with the whiskies. We paused before
we started on the
“But she wasn’t the type to kill herself,” I said. “I remember once
she said she’d never take that way out of trouble. If you’d have heard
her you’d know she wasn’t the type.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Two years. Oh, I know you’ll say people change, but I’m still sure
she wasn’t the type.”
“What else?” The blue eyes probed, the thin mouth came near to
a smile again. “Ignoring the jewel ery, the stockings and her type,
what else have you got?”
“I haven’t started yet,” I said, “but it’ll keep until we’ve fed. You
don’t know anything about the girl?”
“She hasn’t a record if that’s what you mean,” he returned,
contentedly chewing his food. “She worked at the
dance hostess and she’s been fined once or twice for car offences,
