The Birth of Venus

The Birth of Venus
And now," said Craddock, "we'll see what our correct City gentleman has to say about it all."
Harold Crackenthorpe, thin-lipped, had very little to say about it. It was most distasteful - a very unfortunate incident. The newspapers, he was afraid…. Reporters, he understood, had already been asking for interviews…. All that sort of thing…. Most regrettable….
Harold's staccato unfinished sentences ended. He leaned back in his chair with the expression of a man confronted with a very bad smell.
The Birth of Venus
The inspector's probing produced no result. No, he had no idea who the woman was or could be. He had been unable to come down until Christmas Eve - but had stayed on over the following week-end.
"That's that, then," said Inspector Craddock, without pressing his questions further. He had already made up his mind that Harold Crackenthorpe was not going to be helpful.
He passed on to Alfred, who came into the room with a nonchalance that seemed just a trifle overdone.
The Birth of Venus