The Body at the B & B
by
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It was Susan who made a most startling discovery inside the museum. “JC did you have a look at this old instrument? Look at the name—the person who built it.”
JC had been enthralled with the clocks, timepieces that had solved the knotty problem of ‘longitude’ back in the 1700’s, and had been stuck at that display for a long time. This was something that a Navy man could really appreciate, not that he had ever done any actual navigating. He left that glass case and came to where Susan was standing. “My God, Sir Howard Grubb!”
Susan read out part of the description of the very elegant but old telescope on display, “It says that Howard Grubb was one of the finest instrument makers in the world in the 19th century. Queen Victoria knighted him for his valuable contributions to science. Well, what do you know?” She looked up at JC and grinned.
JC said, “I would say that if Harry is related to this fellow he has certainly fallen a considerable way from the Grubb tree.” He laughed, “I’d be willing to bet there are a lot of Grubbs in England.”
On the way down they made their way to the large National Maritime Museum that was situated at about the halfway mark.
It was late afternoon when, after threading their way through the village, they approached the sightseeing dock where they were to catch their boat for the return journey to Westminster Bridge. There was a buzz of activity. Near the dock several police vans were present with their blue lights flashing.
Susan was immediately curious, “Hey, I wonder what’s going on. It looks like something has happened right at the place we got off the boat. Let’s have a closer look.”
JC was a little more cautious, “We better stay back, Susan. Don’t forget we are just guests in this country. We’re already embroiled in one mess. Let’s not ask for another.”
Susan paid no attention to her husband and hurried ahead to get a better look at the action. There were at least a dozen constables present. Some were down on the dock next to the moored tourist craft. Three were in the process of stringing yellow tape on temporary plastic poles around the scene. Susan squeezed past a dozen or so curiosity seekers trying to get a look at what was causing all the excitement and managed to slip by a constable and get inside the barrier.
JC called out in a low but urgent voice, “Susan, get back. You’ll be in trouble.”
She was out of earshot and had actually got herself down onto the dock next to a couple of burly PCs struggling with something in the water. They were so occupied that they hadn’t noticed her presence. Meanwhile another PC did notice her on the dock and was making his way down to remove her—get her back behind the yellow tape. Susan watched in horror as she saw the two hoisting the limp and bloated form of a naked human up onto the dock. Just at that moment the pursuing PC firmly grasped her from behind.
“I’m sorry, miss, the public are not allowed inside the warning tape area. Please step back with me.”
Susan resisted and had one last look, gawking at the gruesome sight, as the two men laid the body out on the dock to await the inevitable black plastic bag that would soon be there.
Her eyes opened wide. She grabbed the vest of the officer trying to hustle her away. She spoke out loudly, “I know that man. That’s Harry Grubb.”
To say this got their attention would be putting it mildly. “Come with me, miss—up to the van please.”
By this time JC had managed to talk his way past the PC watching the tape barrier and joined Susan and the constable that had steered her off the dock. The side door to this large van was open. Inside JC could make out the trappings of a mobile communications center. Two other constables joined the gathering. They all stood at the side of the van facing toward the river and out of sight of the gathering crowd. One of the police, easily identified as a sergeant, took charge.
With a strict air of courtesy he asked, “Miss, I understand you were able to identify the deceased we have just taken from the river. Is that correct?”
“Yes.” Said Susan.
“And is this your husband here? May I have your names, please?” The sergeant had a notebook in his hand and was writing rapidly. They gave him their full names.
“You called out that you thought this was a person named Harry Grubb. Is that correct?”
“Yes, I’m sure. It was only a day or so ago that I was in his house on Clink Street. That is—my husband,” she gestured to JC, “and I were both there—together. We don’t really know him.”
The sergeant could see this was getting complicated. He turned to a man in the van. “Get a hold of the inspector. Get some instructions. I reckon we’ll be taking these two in for a few questions.”
The sergeant frowned, “You two are Americans, right?” Both Susan and JC nodded in the affirmative. “A bit odd, I’d say, being over in Clink Street visiting this bloke.”
JC broke in, “Sergeant, we don’t really know him. We were just trying to follow up on some business that he was involved in that concerned us back home—in Iowa.”
A quixotic slight smile appeared on the Sergeant’s face, “Harry Grubb had business in
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About the Book
This is the second murder mystery starring Jeremiah Cuthbert (JC) Shelby and Susan, his wife, a latter day detective pair reminiscent of Nick and Nora Charles. While on their honeymoon in London, relaxing after solving the grisly murders at their college in Iowa, the body of the cook at the small hotel near Paddington Station where they are staying starts them off on another puzzling and dangerous adventure. Their investigation, or meddling, takes them far afield - to Ukraine, Russia, and Pakistan. Before the crime is solved four different police agencies of the British and who knows how many spy agencies of Ukraine, Russia, Pakistan and India are involved.
About the Author
Hood, a physicist, started his adult life in WWII aboard a destroyer. After the war he worked in aerospace engineering designing optical star trackers for ancient versions of intercontinental air-breathing missiles. Then he joined a laboratory of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography devoted to the science of military camouflage and visibility. Later he headed electro optics technology work at the Navy’s Electronics Laboratory Center in San Diego where development of lasers and fiber optics stimulated him to take leave to study for his PhD in England. After 25 years of Navy service he joined the faculty of San Diego State University where he taught Natural Science courses and Physics for 23 years. His activities included presidencies of the local section of the Optical Society of America and later of the Friends of the Library Board at the University. He taught in the school of business and studied and lectured Jungian psychology. He has published four fiction books: one of short stories which includes a children’s fairy tale, a short horror tale, the humorous and satiric adventures of a modern Dr. Panglos with the unlikely name of Throttlebottom. His recent novels are Dark Matter, Adam’s Isle, and the first of the Shelby detective series, The Body in the Stacks.