When the dead body of Sir William Ponson is found in a nearby river, he is presumed to have died due to drowning. But then the clues start pointing towards a gruesome murder. Now it is up to Inspector Tanner to find the owner of the mysterious footprints and prevent the estate from falling into the hands of Sir William's murderers.
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Freeman Wills Crofts. The Ponson Case (Musaicum Vintage Mysteries)
The Ponson Case (Musaicum Vintage Mysteries)
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1. Mystery at Luce Manor
CHAPTER 2. A Sinister Suggestion
CHAPTER 3. Hoaxed?
CHAPTER 4. Inspector Tanner Grows Suspicious
CHAPTER 5. Inspector Tanner Becomes Convinced
CHAPTER 6. What Cosgrove Had To Tell
CHAPTER 7. Cosgrove’s Trip North
CHAPTER 8. Tanner Finds Himself Duped
CHAPTER 9. Lois Drew Takes A Hand
CHAPTER 10. A Woman’s Wit
CHAPTER 11. A Fresh Start
CHAPTER 12. A Stern Chase
CHAPTER 13. Blackmail?
CHAPTER 14. A Dramatic Discovery
CHAPTER 15. In the Luce Manor Boathouse
CHAPTER 16. Conclusion
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Freeman Wills Crofts
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Austin Ponson was Sir William’s son. In many ways he was a disappointment to his father. On leaving Cambridge he had moved to chambers in London, ostensibly to read for the bar. But though he had read, it was not law, and after a couple of years of wasted time, and a scene with his father, he had dropped the pretence of legal work and turned himself openly to the pursuit of his own special interests. Finding the boy was determined to go his own way, Sir William had decided discretion was the better part of valour, and withdrawing his opposition to Austin’s plans, had instead enabled him to carry them out, increasing his allowance to £1000 a year. Austin was extremely clever and versatile. Something of a dreamer, his opinions and ideals irritated his practical father almost beyond endurance. He was a Socialist in politics, and held heterodox views on the relations of capital and labour. He read deeply on these subjects, and wrote thoughtful articles on them for the better class papers. He had produced a couple of social problem novels which, though they had had small sales, had been well reviewed. But his chief study and interest was natural history, or rather that branch of it relating to the life and habits of disease-bearing insects. To facilitate research work in this direction, he had thrown up his London chambers and, partly because his relations with his father were too strained to live with him with any pleasure, and partly because the latter’s residence in Gateshead was unsuitable for his hobby, he had taken a house with a good garden near Halford. That was eleven years ago, and he had lived there with an elderly couple—butler and housekeeper—ever since. Though caring nothing for society, he was not unpopular among his neighbours, being unassuming in manner, as well as kindly and generous in disposition. When his father had signified his intention of retiring, Austin had suggested the former’s taking Luce Manor, which was then for sale. The two had agreed to sink their differences, and by avoiding controversial subjects, they continued on good though not very cordial terms. When, therefore, Innes suggested Sir William had gone to visit his son, Parkes could not but agree this might be the truth.
‘It’s not like him all the same,’ the butler went on, ‘he never would walk two miles at night when he could have had a car by just ringing for it.’
