Have His Carcase

The Superintendent and the Inspector were perhaps even more surprised than pleased to hear of the identification of Mr Haviland Martin. They felt that the amateurs had somehow stolen a march on them, although, as they both hastened to point out, the case now remained as obscure as ever, if not more so. That is to say, considered as a murder, it was obscure; on the other hand, the evidence for suicide was perhaps a little strengthened, though only negatively. Instead of the sinister Martin, who might have been anybody, they now had merely Mr Henry Weldon, whom they knew. True, it was now extremely plain that Henry Weldon had a most cogent reason for wishing Paul Alexis out of the way. But his own explanation of his presence at Darley steemed plausible, if foolish, and there remained the absolute certainty that he could not possibly have been at the Flat-Iron at two o’clock. Moreover, the fact that he had been known for five years as the bespectacled Haviland Martin of the tinted glasses, robbed his’ latest masquerade of half its significance. The character of Martin had not been invented for the present purpose, and, since it already existed, it was natural enough that Weldon should have assumed it for the purpose of spying on his mother.

As to the outstanding points of Weldon’s story, these could be easily checked. The bill: for the collars was dated June 18th, and the date did not appear to have been altered in any way. A telephone-call to the shop confirmed it, and brought the additional information that the bill referred to was one of the last half-dozen made out on that day. Since Thursday had been early-closing day, when the shop closed at one o’clock, it was fairly evident that the purchase had been made shortly before that time.

Next, perhaps, in importance was the evidence of the Darley policeman. He was, quickly found and interrogated. He admitted that Weldon’s account of the matter was perfectly true. He had been in Wilvercombe that evening at about nine o’clock on a visit, to his young lady (being then off duty) and had met one of the Wilvercombe Police, Rennie by name, outside the Resplendent. He had asked if there was any news about the body found at the Flat-Iron and Rennie had mentioned the identification. Rennie confirmed this, and there was no reason to doubt it the photographs had been developed and printed within an hour of their arrival at the police-station; the hotels had been among the first places visited by the police; the identification had been made shortly before nine o’clock, and Rennie had been on duty with Inspector Umpelty while the manager of the Resplendent was being interrogated. The Darley constable further admitted having mentioned the identification in the bar at the Three Feathers. He had gone into the bar, quite legitimately, just before closing-time, in search of a man who was suspected of some trifling misdemeanour,’ and he distinctly remembered that ‘Martin’’ was present at the time. Both constables were reprimanded for talking too freely; but the fact remained that Weldon had been told — of the identification that night,

‘So what have we got left?’ inquired Superintendent Glaisher.

Wimsey shook his head.

‘Nothing very much, but still, something. First: Weldon knows something about that horse — I’ll swear he does. He hesitated when I asked him if he’d seen any person, thing, or animal, and I am almost certain he was wondering whether to say “No” or to make up a tarradiddle. Secondly: All this story is so thin. A child. would know better than to set about his precious inquiries in the way he did. Why should he twice. go into Wilvercombe and twice come away without; really doing anything much? Thirdly: His story is so glib, and so full of exact times. Why, if he wasn’t deliberately preparing an alibi? Fourthly: Just at the, most crucial moment of all, we get an account of his having been seen by an unknown person who asks the time. Why on earth should a man who had just passed through a village full of people and clocks, walk down Hinks’s Lane to ask a casual camper for the time? The man who asks the time is part of the regular stock-in-trade of the alibi-maker. The whole thing is so elaborate and fishy — don’t you think so?’

Glaisher nodded.

‘I agree with you. It is fishy. But what does it mean?’

‘There you’ve got me. I can only suggest that, whatever Weldon was doing that morning in Wilvercombe, it wasn’t what he said he was doing, and that he may, somehow be in league with the actual murderer. How about, this car 010100,

‘It’s a shire number, but that means nothing. Everybody buys second-hand cars these days. Still, naturally, we’ll send out an inquiry. A wire to the shire authorities will put us on the track. Not that that helps us very much about what Weldon was doing later in the day.’

‘Not a bit, but there’s no harm in getting hold of the lady. And, have you asked at the Winter Gardens what the performance was last Thursday morning?’