Whitehall 1212 - The Case of Margery Tate

Superintendent Thomas Meredith was unable to accompany Inspector Cecile Daly of the CID when he went down to the Pembridge Court Hotel, Notting Hill, that Friday morning to investigate the reported death of a guest. When Meredith finally arrived there, two and a half hours later, he was glad he hadn't got there before. Inspector Daly told him all about it, though. He says "The guest was found lying face down on the bed, with one arm under her body. Meredith asks "Shot or what?" Daly says "She died of suffocation. The doctor says her face was buried in the pillow. Matter of fact, a good bit of the pillow had been stuffed into her mouth like a gag". Meredith says "You'd think she'd have got herself up". Daly says "She was tied to the bed. Her ankles were tied together with a bath towel. Her head was fastened to the frame of the bed with the belt of her coat". Meredith says "There are blood stains here on the bed. Did you see them?" Daly says "She had been beaten". Meredith asks "With what?" Daly says "From the marks on her back. I imagine it was a riding crop of some sort. They took her over to the Hammersmith Mortuary. You can go and have a look at the marks if you like". Meredith asks "Know who she was?" Daly says "There was a identity card and a ration book in her purse. Her name was Margery Tate". Meredith says "It's murder, of course". Daly says "Well, I don't think it was measles, sir". Meredith asks "You haven't any idea who did it?" Daly says "I think a bloke named Neville George Clovelly King. That's the name this room was booked under. He's had this room booked since yesterday morning. He had a key to the hotel front door". Meredith says "The way they run these places". Daly says "That's spot careless, isn't it? All the staff goes to bed at midnight, leaving the place locked up". Meredith says "So, nobody saw them come in then". Daly says "Not a bloody soul".