Have His Carcase

‘Good! Well, that’s all, except that I went along and had some lunch at the Feathers. My good lady dropped me there and I think she went off up the Heathbury Road. After lunch, that is, at about 1.45, I went and had another go at the car, but couldn’t get the slightest sign of a spark, So I thought I’d see if the local man could make anything of it. I went and got him and he came, and after a time they traced the trouble to a fault in the H. T. lead and put it right.’

‘Well, that seems pretty clear. What time did you and the lady in the Bentley get to the Feathers?’

‘Just on one o’clock. I remember hearing the church clock strike and saying I hoped she wouldn’t be late for her tennis-party.’

‘And what time did you go to the garage?’

‘Blest if I know. About three or half-past I should think. But they could probably tell you.’

‘Oh, yes, they’ll be able to check that up all right. It’s, very lucky you’ve got so many witnesses to your alibi, isn’t it? Otherwise, as you say, it might have looked fishy. Now, here’s another thing. While you were in Hinks’s Lane on Thursday, did you happen to notice anybody or anything going along the shore?’

‘Not a soul. But, as I’ve been trying to explain, I; was only there up to ten o’clock and after 1.45, so it wasn’t very likely I should see anything.’

‘Nobody passed between 1.45 and three o’clock?’

‘Oh! between 1.45 and three o’clock? I thought you meant earlier. Yes, there was a chap a little pip-squeak of a — fellow, in shorts, with horn-rimmed goggles on. He came down Hinks’s Lane just after I got back — at 1.55, to be exact — and asked the time.’

‘Did he? Where did he come from?’

‘From the village. I mean, from the direction of the village ‘ he seemed to be a stranger. I told him the time, and he went down to the shore and had his lunch on the beach. He cleared off later — at least, he wasn’t there after I came back from the garage, and I think he went earlier than that. I didn’t have much conversation with him. In fact, he wasn’t keen for any, after I’d booted him one in the behind.’

‘Great Scott! What for?’

‘Nosey-parkering. I was struggling with the infernal car, and he stood about asking silly questions. I told him to clear out — standing there bleating “Won’t it start?” Blasted little idiot!’

Wimsey laughed. ‘He can’t be our man, anyhow.’

‘What man? The murderer? You still want to make out it’s murder? Well, I’ll swear that little shrimp had nothing to do with it. Sunday-school teacher, that’s what he looked like.’

‘And he was the only person you saw? Nothing else: neither man, woman nor child? Neither bird nor beast?’

‘Why, no. No. Nothing.’

‘H’m. Well, I’m much obliged to you for being so frank. I’ll have to tell Umpelty about all this, but I don’t imagine he’ll bother you much and I don’t see the least need to inform Mrs Weldon.’

‘I told you there was nothing in it.’

‘Exactly. What time did you leave on Friday morning, by the way?’

‘Eight o’clock.’

‘Early start, wasn’t it?’

‘There was nothing to stay for.’

‘Why?’

‘Well, Alexis was dead, wasn’t he?’

‘How did you know that?’

Henry broke into a great guffaw.

‘Thought you’d got something that time, didn’t you? Well, I knew it because I was told. I went into the Feathers on Thursday night, and of course, they’d all heard about the dead man being found. Presently the local bobby came in — he doesn’t live at Darley, but he comes through on his bike from time to time. He’d been over to Wilvercombe for something or other and he told us they’d got a photo of the body and had. just developed it up and. identified it as a fellow called Alexis from the Resplendent. You ask the bobby, and he’ll tell you. So I began to think I’d better pop off home, because that’s where my mother would expect the condolences to come from. How’s that,’ eh?’

‘Overwhelming,’ said Wimsey.

He left Henry Weldon and made for the police-station. ‘Water-tight, water-tight, water-tight,’ he muttered to himself. But why did he lie about the horse? He must have seen it, if it was running loose. Unless it broke out of the field after eight o’clock in the morning. And why shouldn’t it? Water-tight, water-tight — damned suspiciously water — tight!

Chapter XX. The Evidence Of The Lady In The Car

‘Madam, we’re strangers:

And yet I knew some while ago a form Like thine.’

— The Bride’s Tragedy

Thursday, 25 June