Invisible Weapons

Invisible Weapons
John Rhode

A classic crime novel by one of the most highly regarded exponents of the genre.The murder of old Mr Fransham while washing his hands in his niece’s cloakroom was one of the most astounding problems that ever confronted Scotland Yard. Not only was there a policeman in the house at the time, but there was an ugly wound in the victim’s forehead and nothing in the locked room that could have inflicted it.The combined efforts of Superintendent Hanslet and Inspector Waghorn brought no answer and the case was dropped. It was only after another equally baffling murder had been committed that Dr Lancelot Priestley’s orderly and imaginative deductions began to make the connections that would solve this extraordinary case.

JOHN RHODE

Invisible Weapons

an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

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www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published in Great Britain by Collins Crime Club 1938

Copyright © Estate of John Rhode 1938

Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1938, 2018

John Rhode asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008268817

Ebook Edition © February 2018 ISBN: 9780008268824

Version: 2017-01-02

Table of Contents

Cover (#u365b8580-462b-5bad-b7d5-6cc6bf6ab0d8)

Title Page (#uf6e5b9f4-3fbe-52e6-8f70-83164e502c94)

Copyright (#u2683e3e0-81e3-5ccb-8c8d-e13bf740bc33)

Part One: The Adderminster Affair (#ued8e1176-39ed-5349-8bfa-df1a5e593a57)

Chapter I (#ub9b9a75a-e253-5f04-b22a-c2062999a7ce)

Chapter II (#u7c1798a9-43a7-57e0-86f2-6eca22226bfa)

Chapter III (#u9791bb65-5b8c-55b6-a89d-02dddcfb5bbf)

Chapter IV (#u59569978-ac83-51e2-be2b-bd184c2e9a67)

Chapter V (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter VI (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter VII (#litres_trial_promo)

Part Two: Death Visits Cheveley Street (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter I (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter II (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter III (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter IV (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter V (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter VI (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter VII (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter VIII (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter IX (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

By the Same Author (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

PART ONE (#u34dbf89f-eca2-5482-ac80-b4de7b6e871f)

CHAPTER I (#u34dbf89f-eca2-5482-ac80-b4de7b6e871f)

It was very hot in the charge-room of Adderminster Police Station. Sergeant Cload mopped his head with one hand while he held the telephone receiver with the other.

‘Yes, sir, yes, sir,’ he repeated at intervals. ‘Certainly, sir, I will take the necessary steps at once. I’m very sorry that you have been subjected to this annoyance. Good-morning, sir.’

He put the instrument aside and growled. ‘Alfie Prince again!’ he exclaimed. ‘I don’t know what we’re going to do about that chap, Linton.’

‘What’s he been up to now?’ asked Constable Linton, the only other occupant of the room.

‘Oh, the same old game. Going round to people’s houses asking for fags and cursing if he doesn’t get them. This time it’s Colonel Exbury. It seems that he went round there and that the colonel had the devil of a job to get rid of him. He’s not a bit pleased and wants to know what we mean to do about it.’