Inspector Morse 13 The Remorseful Day

"Which doesn't help me much, does it?"

"All right.  Get back to your facts."

"She was burgled.  At some point that evening the back patio window was

smashed in from the outside and somebody was after something.  The TV was

unplugged ' " But not taken.  "

' so he was probably disturbed.  He must have thought the place was empty.

Probably none of the lights would have been on not then anyway.  Midsummer,

wasn't it?  Sunset was about a quarter-past nine I looked it up.  " (Morse

nodded approvingly.) " I know some people always leave one or two lights on

anyway when they go out ' "But she didn't go out."

"No.  So as I say the burglar must have thought the coast was clear, and must

have been prepared for the alarm to ring it's quite a way to the next house

while he grabbed a few of the valuables, smartish like."

"The alarm was ringing when Harrison got there, wasn't it?

Twenty-past eleven.  "

Lewis nodded.

"Two hours or so after she was murdered."

"And the alarm would cut out automatically after twenty minutes' ringing?"

"Yes."

"So?"

"I dunno, sir.  But it seems we didn't discount the theory that the murderer

might have set it off himself."

"You mean two hours la terT " I don't know what I mean.  "

"Pretty little puzzle."

"You're not trying to help me, are you?  You've usually got some theory or

other of your own."

Morse smiled amiably.

"The obvious one.  Mrs H surprised a burglar and the burglar panicked and

murdered her.  Or perhaps .  .  ."  (the smile had faded) '.  .  perhaps she

was enteritaining one of her lovers that night and things went wrong

things went sadly wrong.  That's all I've got to offer: the burglar theory

and the lover theory.  What else is there?  "

"Maybe a bit of both, sir?  Say she was in bed with some fellow when she

heard the window being smashed in and .  .."

"Could well be."

"You see, she'd not had sex that night, sir certainly not been raped or

tortured or physically assaulted.  Clothes all neatly folded by the side of

the bed."

"Couldn't the murderer have folded them?  Doesn't take me long to fold a pair

of pyjamas."

Lewis shook his head slowly.

"Naked, gagged, hand- cuffed ..  ."

"Yes," agreed Morse.

"Don't forget the handcuffs."

"Not much good remembering them, either."

"No.  I recall they were, er, not to be found later on."

"But all the proper procedures were gone through.  Left on her wrists till

the PM, and the path people did all the usual checks blood, fib res hairs.

Couldn't come up with anything though, could they?  And they checked them for

prints job they'd normally leave to the SO COs Bit of a muddle, by the sound

of it.  Probably that's how they came to be lost."

"Temporarily misplaced, Lewis."

"Not the only things that went missing, were they?  There was a file of

personal letters .  .."

"I doubt they'd ever have been much help."

"We still didn't do a very good job."

"Bloody awful job."

"If only we knew who rang Frank Harrison in London that night!"

"One of his children, the builder, the burglar, the lover, the

candlestick-maker?  I'm like you: I don't know.  But unlike you I'm not

concerned with the case."

Lewis looked shrewdly into Morse's face.  You're interested though, I think.

"

Morse got to his feet.

"Just give me a lift down to Oddbins.  I'm out of Glenfiddich."

The phone rang as they were leaving.

"Morse?"  (Strange's unmistakable voice.  ) "Sir?"

"Listen to this!"

"Not me, sir.  It just so happens that Sergeant Lewis ' 'morse!  But the

receiver had already been transferred; and although aware of the explosions

at the other end of the line, Morse walked out into the corridor and along to

the Gentle- men's loo.

On his return, the telephone conversation had concluded.

"They've found a body.  Out at Sutton Courtenay."

Just like I said.  "

"No, sir.  Not just like you said.  You told the people there not to worry

any more.  It was me who told them to keep looking."

"Well done!  You were right and I was wrong.  I thought Repp was due for his

comeuppance and probably he thought so too.  But I just didn't follow it

through.  That letter he wrote from prison was a cry for help in a way,

asking us to keep a protective eye on him.  Which we did, of course.  Or

rather which we didn't."

Suddenly he gave his chest a vigorous massage with his right hand.

"OK, sir?"

"Bit of indigestion."

"You sure?"

"They've found the body, you say?"

"Half an hour ago."

"You'd better get off then."

"Will you come along?"

"Certainly not.  I'm not worried about him any longer.  He was a cheap crook,

a part-time burglar, a nasty piece of work should have been rumbled years

ago.  Good riddance.  Harry Repp!"

121

chapter twenty-seven In the afternoon they came unto a land In which it

seemed always afternoon, All round the coast the languid air did swoon,

Breathing like one that hath a weary dream (Tennyson, The Lotus-eaters) after

an excited, if somewhat dispirited, Lewis had dropped him off at Oddbins,

Morse picked up two bottles of single-malt Glenfiddich (' 4 Off When Two Are

Purchased'); then walked further down the Summertown shops to Boots, where he