Inspector Morse 11 The Daughters of Cain

"My eyesight is not what it was, Inspector. But I had a good view of her, yes." She glanced keenly at Morse. "You see, I'm a nosey old woman with very little ele to do--- that's what you're thinking, anyway." / / "Well, I--we all like to know what's going on. It's only human nature."

"Oh, no. I know several people who aren't in the slightest bit interested in 'what's going on,' as you put it. But I'm glad you're nosey, like me. That's good."

Lewis was enjoying the interview immensely.

"Can you tell us something about this woman? Any-thing?"

"Let's say I found her interesting."

"Why was that?"

"Well, for a start, I envied her. She was less than half his age, you seegood deal less, I shouldn't doubt."

"And he," mused Morse, "was sixty-six.... "

"Sixty-seven, Inspector, if he'd lived to the end of the month."

"How--?"

"I looked him up in Distinguished People of Today. He's a Libra."

Like me, thought Morse. And I wonder how old you are, you old biddy.

"And I'm eighty-three in December," she continued, "just in case you're wondering."

"I was, yes," said Morse, smiling at her, and himself now beginning to enjoy the interview.

"The other thing that struck me was that she wasn't at all nice-looking. Quite the opposite, in fact. Very shabbily dressed---darkish sort of clothes. Sloppy loose blouse, mini-skirt right up to..."

"The top of her tibia," supplied Morse, enunciating the "t" of the last word with exaggerated exactitude.

"Absolutely! And she had a big old shoulder-bag, too."

I wonder what was in that, thought Morse.

"Anything else you can remember?"

"Long--longish--dark hair. Earrings--great brassy-looking things about the size of hula-hoops. And she had a ring in her nose. I could see that. For all I know, she could have had two rings in her nose."

God helps us all, thought Morse.

"But I'm not sure about that. As I say, my eyesight isn't what it used to be."

I wonder what it used to be like, thought Lewis.

"Did she come by car?" asked Morse.

"No. If she did, she left it somewhere else."

"Did she come in from...?" Morse gestured vaguely to his left, towards the Banbury Road.

"Yes. She came from the Banbury Road not the Wood-stock Road."

"Would you recognise her again?"

For the first time the old lady hesitated, robbing the thin ringless fingers of her left hand with her right.

"Oh dear. Do you think she may have murdered him? I only--"

"No, no. I'm sure she didn't." Morse spoke with the bo-gus confidence of a man who was beginning to wonder if she had.

"I only wanted to help. And I'm not at all sure if I would recognise her. Perhaps if she dolled herself up in some decent outfit and..."

Took that bull-ring out of her nose, thought Morse.

"... and took that ring out of her nose."

Phew!

But some of the bounce had gone out of the old girl, Morse could see that. It was time to wind things up.

"Do you think they went to bed when she came?"

"I expect so, don't you?"

"Things must have changed a good deal since your day, Miss Wynne-Wilson.'

"Don't be silly, Inspector! I could teach some of these young flibbertigibbets a few things about going to bed with men. After all, I spent most of my life looking after men in bed, now didn't I? And, by the way, it's Mrs. Wynne Wilson.

I don't wear a wedding ring any longer...."

Phew!

Morse got to his feet. He had only one more question: "Were you looking out of the window on Sunday morning--you know, about the time perhaps when Dr. Mc Clure was murdered?"

"No. On Sunday mornings I always hear the omnibus edition of The Archers on the wireless, that's from ten to eleven. Lovely. I have a really good long soak and hear everything again."

Dangerous thing that having a radio in the bathroom, thought Lewis.

"It's dangerous they tell me--having a wireless propped up on the bath-rail. But I do so enjoy doing silly things, . now that I'm so old."

Phew!

It had not been much of a contest, Lewis appreciated that; but from his scorecard he had little hesitation in de-claring Mrs. W-W the winner, way ahead of Morse on points.

Quite mistakenly, of course.

Chapter Seven

For 'tis in vain to think or guess At women by appearances (SAMUEL BUTLER, Hudibras)

"What did you make of that, then?" asked Lewis, when the two detectives had returned to Mc Clure's apartment.

Morse appeared disappointed. "I'd begun to think he was a civilised sort of fellow--you know "Morse gestured vaguely around the bookshelves.

"But he wasn't?"

"We-ell."

"You mean... this woman he was seeing.9"

Morse's features reflected disapproval. "Rings in her nose, Lewis? Pretty tasteless, isn't it? Like drinking lager with roast beef."

"For all you know she may be a lovely girl, sir. You shouldn't really judge people just by appearances."

"Oh?"

Morse's eyes shot up swiftly. "And why the hell not?"

"Well ..." But Lewis wasn't sure why. He did have a point, though; he knew he did. Morse was always making snap judgements. All fight, one or two would occasionally mm out to be accurate; but most of them were woefully wide of the mark--as, to be fair, Morse himself readily ac-knowledged.