Fred Davy

In the novel At Bertram's Hotel, Chief Inspector Fred “Father” Davy is a Scotland Yard detective who sees the link between the missing person case and recent large scale burglaries. He works with Miss Marple.

Chief Inspector Davy is given the nickname "Father" because he is nearing retirement age, and appears to be even more elderly than he is. He has a "large, heavy, bovine face". He is described as having "a comfortable spreading presence", and "such a benign and kindly manner that many criminals had been disagreeably surprised to find him a less genial and gullible man" than he had seemed to be.

He is known to wander around the Criminal Investigation Department, humming to himself. This is a well-known idiosyncrasy of his, and causes no particular notice, except comments that "Father was on the prowl again".

Chief Inspector Davy is able to remember names and addresses with a perfect and photographic memory, and the memory stays with him for twenty-four or even forty-eight hours. This is a skill which he had learnt early in life, and had deveoped into a highly-skilled art.

Chief Inspector Davy attends an informal conference at Scotland Yard, on the subject of organised robberies on a large scale. He expresses the opinion that the operation is growing in size, with more people becoming involved. He also mentions a case where a Morris Oxford car with number plate CMG 265 was proceeding along the street shortly after a bank robbery, and the driver was recognised as Mr Justice Ludgrove. However, Mr Justice Ludgrove was proved to have been at the Law Courts at that time. He did own a Morris Oxford, but its number plate was CMG 256. Davy thought that this was the kind of coincidence that ought to mean something, but apprently it did not.

Comstock then mentions another similar case, involving an Admiral who had been identified as having been on the scene of a jewellery robbery in Brighton, but who was proved to have been in London at the time. He was staying at Bertram's Hotel, which was also where Mr Justice Ludgrove had been staying, in the case Davy had mentioned. This begins to arouse Davy's interest in Bertram's Hotel.

Davy later becomes interested when he finds that Inspector Campbell is investigating the disappearance of Canon Pennyfather, who had been staying at Bertram's Hotel. He says that Bertram's Hotel sounds "almost too good to be true", and decides to go there with Inspector Campbell.

At the hotel, Davy interviews General Radley and Miss Marple, who both knew Canon Pennyfather. Miss Marple tells him that she had heard footsteps outside her door at about 3 a.m., and had looked out. She saw Canon Pennyfather leaving his room and going down the stairs with his overcoat on.

Davy also sees Ladislaus Malinowski drive up to the hotel, and takes note of his number plate, FAN 2266. A car answering to that description had been seen near the site of a robbery, and its number plate was FAN 2299.

In order to find out the true owner of Bertram's Hotel, Davy goes to see Mr Robinson, who reveals that the owners are Wilhelm and Robert Hoffman.

Miss Marple later tells Davy about seeing Elvira Blake with Ladislaus Malinowski at Battersea Park. She is worried about Elvira, and asks if he can do anything to help. Shortly after this, shots and screams are heard from outside, and Davy runs out to investigate.

After the death of Michael Gorman, Davy questions Elvira, who believes someone tried to kill her. Davy also questions several other people in Elvira's circle, including Bess Sedgwick.