The Hog's Back Mystery (25 page)

“But you've not explained how Campion knows of the secret safe?”

“I suggest that Earle has shown it to him. According to Campion's own story, they read over and discussed Earle's book (p.
131
). Very well, Campion would see for himself the danger of Earle's discovery becoming public. They would undoubtedly speak of the need for keeping it secret. It is impossible to believe that the safe should never have been mentioned.”

“Yes, I dare say you're right.”

“Very well, sir, that left me believing that in spite of certain obvious difficulties, Campion might have been party to Frazer's murder. Nurse Nankivel was the next victim. Could he have murdered her?”

“Another chapter,” said Mitchell with a significant glance at the superintendent.

French laughed.

“As you say, sir, it's the artistic method. Campion according to his own story might have met the nurse on the Hog's Back at six o'clock. He had, he said, and I checked the statement, had tea on that Sunday afternoon with some people called Slater at Puttenham. After tea he had driven home somewhere between half-past five and half-past six (p.
135
). He could unquestionably have picked up the nurse, and no doubt could have murdered her and disposed of her body. I didn't see exactly how, but I felt sure it could have been done.

“Next I went on to consider whether Campion could have murdered Earle. I had gone into this when I had suspected him of stealing the manuscript, and I had found Campion had an alibi. You remember it, I'm sure. He was with his womenfolk at the time, or within a minute or two of the time of the murder (pp.
135
-
137
). I thought over the thing for long enough and I felt I couldn't break the alibi down. There was too much independent evidence.

“This was my second great difficulty and it stuck me for a long time. Then like the first, I saw that it was no difficulty at all.”

French paused again and Mitchell seized on the delay. “A short chapter, that! Short but pithy, eh, super?”

“He feels all these tricks are necessary to make it go,” said Sheaf, continuing to be heavily humorous.

“Of course. Well, what was the great idea that put you on the right track for the second time?”

“Simply,” French went on, “that again there wasn't any contradiction. I'll tell you how I got on to that. I dropped this question of Earle's murder and went back to that of Ursula Stone. Now in Ursula Stone's case, Campion could have provided transport, but could neither have committed the murder nor buried the body. Hence obviously Campion must have had an accomplice. Now I asked myself, Could this accomplice have murdered Earle?”

The others nodded appreciatively. “And were you able to answer it?” Mitchell asked.

“Yes, sir, though not quite in the way I thought at first. This idea involved going over once again everyone who could possibly be suspected, because the conditions of suspicion were now altered. Could there be anything between Campion and Mrs. Frazer? There might, but I had never heard such a thing whispered. I took a note to make enquiries. An entanglement with Mrs. Earle would not account for Frazer's death. Nor would dealings between Campion and Miss Lawes, Miss Stone or Slade. Gates was left, and when I thought about Gates he seemed to fill the bill.

“Gates was hard up. Gates would benefit to the tune of £30,000 or thereabouts by his uncle's death. What was more, Gates was associated with Campion at race-meetings. Campion was reported to be hard up (pp.
88
and
253
). I asked myself whether these two had conspired to murder Frazer and to share the proceeds, and had been forced into these other three murders to keep their secret from leaking out.”

“Quite good theory,” Mitchell approved, “but still only theory.”

French agreed. But he held that it was progress, because it gave him something to test. He had, he pointed out, from nothing reached the definite opinion that Campion and Gates were guilty. That was the first half of his analysis. He would now go on to the second, the proof that this opinion was the truth.

Chapter XXIII

And Establishes It

“I think,” said Sheaf slowly and unexpectedly, “that this occasion merits some more than ordinary notice. Let us mark the starting of the second half in suitable manner.” He took a bunch of keys from his pocket, and going to a cupboard, unlocked it and took out a bottle, three glasses and a cup. “I don't do this every day, chief inspector,” he went on, “but then we don't have private entertainments like this every day. Some water, Sheepshanks. I can do a good deal here, but I can't run to soda at a moment's notice. Say when, chief inspector.”

Mitchell said when in satisfied tones and French, who in his excitement had allowed his pipe to go out, now refilled and lit it up again. He was delighted with the reception his story was receiving. When Mitchell descended to anything like what might be called sublimated ragging it showed he was pleased, and Mitchell's pleasure, if caused by French's activities, was an important matter to French. When Sheepshanks returned with a large jug of water, they said that here was to the story and for French to get on with it, as they didn't want to sit on those blessed chairs all night. French accordingly got on with it.

“With this theory of the guilt of Campion and Gates in my mind, I turned back to reconsider the murder of Miss Stone. If my idea was correct, Gates must have murdered Miss Stone. I assumed this had happened and tried where it would take me.

“Gates, then, upon this theory, must have stood behind the bush and watched the study, and presumably been seen by Miss Stone. Why should he do so? Obviously, I thought, to wait for the window to be opened for him. If so, who would open it for him? Obviously again, his accomplice, Campion. Had Campion done so?

“If Campion had, it must have been during the visit to St. Kilda, between 5.15 and 6.0 p.m. But Campion was with the others during that visit. This bothered me for long enough.”

“Even I,” murmured Mitchell, “can see the way out of that.”

“Yes, sir: I saw it myself after a while. I was wrong in thinking Campion was with the others all the time. He had left them twice, once at the beginning of the visit and once at the end. The first time he had ‘forgotten' some doll's furniture that he had made for Miss Stone. He went to the hall to get it out of his coat pocket (p.
173
). Plenty of time to slip into the study, unlock the french-window and give a sign to Gates outside. Incidentally I thought, was it likely a man like Campion, who was so frightfully keen on his hobby, should
forget
the furniture? I didn't think it was likely at all.

“The second time Campion left the others was just before they came away. He went out to start up the car (p.
174
). That would have given time to lock the window again, which, though perhaps not quite necessary, would prevent attention being concentrated on the study. It must be noticed here that there was not the slightest necessity to start up the engine before they were ready to leave. The engine was warm. They had come from the Red Cottage and it must then have been hot, and it couldn't possibly have cooled in the time. So that this leaving the others to start up the engine on the face of it was only an excuse.”

French stopped to finish his whisky, which he had been slowly eking out as he talked. Once again his pipe had gone out, and once again he went through the formality of lighting it. The others sat smoking in silence. The attention they were giving to the story showed how much they thought of it, and French was profoundly satisfied.

“Then something else occurred to me,” he went on, “which, if it had happened, would have drawn all this together. I was wondering how Miss Stone could have come to see Gates. When Mrs. Earle had left her she was lying reading on her bed. Why should she have got up just at the precise moment that Gates should have been at the bush?

“Because, I realised, she would have heard the car. She would have got up to see who was arriving, so as to know whether or not to go downstairs. From her window she would have seen both Campion and Gates, Gates perhaps creeping into the study in a stealthy way (p.
176
). She would naturally go down to find out what he was about.”

“Why should she not have gone to Mrs. Earle?”

“I suggest that she realised from the behaviour of both men that they were in league in something underhand. She wouldn't then go to Mrs. Earle, because Campion was with Mrs. Earle. I suggest she did not intend to reveal her presence, and I suggest further that when Gates saw that she had learned his secret he murdered her because he had no option.”

“Then you think her murder was not premeditated?”

“I imagine not, sir.”

“Then how did Campion know his part?”

“I'm just coming to that, sir.”

“Shall we pass that, super?”

“Provisionally I think so, chief inspector. We can go back on it if necessary.”

There was a gleam in Mitchell's eye which pleased French, but all he said was: “Very well, French. Go ahead.”

“This led to a further step. If I was right, Gates must have been engaged in the plot during certain hours. I next considered whether Gates' statement would work in.

“Gates had the choice of three cars, but none of them were out (p.
286
). He had, however, access to a bicycle (p.
284
). The use of this bicycle seemed to make the thing possible.

“According to the theory, Gates must have reached St. Kilda about 5.10 or 5.15 (pp.
171
-
173
). At, say, twelve miles an hour he would therefore have had to leave his own house, Polperro, about 4.40, and this was just about the time he said he had done so (pp.
282
and
286
). He would have entered the study, rifled the safe, murdered Miss Stone and carried the body away. Then he would be faced with a nasty problem. Here was the body on his hands: how was he to get rid of it. He would instantly think of the by-pass, as presumably he had helped to bury Earle there. But how was he to get the body to the by-pass? Campion's car would be needed: he must therefore see Campion. I suggest he put the body down in the first secluded place he came to, Thicket No. 1, and then hurried back to St. Kilda in the hope of being able to communicate with Campion. Whether or not he did so there I don't know, but it seems evident that he saw him before supper. He might have ridden to the Red Cottage and seen him there. At all events he saw Campion, fixed up a plan with him, went back to the wood, moved the body to Thicket No. 2, where it could be easily picked up by Campion, and rode home.

“Here again I worked out how long all this should take. I made it a little short of two hours, and a little short of two hours was exactly the time Gates said he spent on his walk (pp.
282
and
285
-
286
). So that again worked in. And you remember also that no proof that he took that walk was forthcoming.”

Mitchell moved sharply.

“But look here, French,” he interrupted. “Earle was murdered on Sunday, the 9th of October. Why did those two wait a whole fortnight to get the analysis? Wasn't that running rather a risk?”

“Yes, sir; very much so. It was important that the safe should be cleared at the first possible moment, and so it was.”

“But it wasn't. I don't see that.”

“It was, sir. You're evidently not aware that Gates was ill during that whole fortnight: an attack of bronchitis (p.
148
). Sunday was the first day since Earle's murder that they could have tried the safe. It had to be a Sunday owing to the servant being out. I thought that important, because it also worked in.”

Mitchell nodded. “I believe I did read your note about Gates' illness. Yes, that's all right. My objection has turned in my hand and become confirmation. That's as it should be. Very well, French?”

“There was then the question of the burial,” went on French. “If my time-table was correct Campion could not have carried that out. He would only have had time to bring the body to the by-pass. The theory therefore demanded that Gates should have dug the grave and carried out the interment.

“In working out Campion's suggested movements, I had estimated that he must have reached the by-pass about 8.35 (pp.
174
-
175
). Now Gates admitted leaving his house about 8.30 and returning about nine (p.
281
), and my researches showed that he might have been nearly an hour (p.
286
). That would have enabled him to meet Campion and bury the body.”

“But not, surely, to dig the grave?” Mitchell put in.

“Yes, I think so. Remember the clay was freshly cast and loose and the grave was very shallow.”

“Very well. I think we must agree, super, that all that works in. But we'd like that bit of proof that you've promised us, French. What about it?”

“Not quite ready for it yet, sir, I'm afraid.”

“Did you ever hear what hope deferred does to the heart? Ah, well, we can't help it. We'll enjoy it all the more when it comes.”

French dutifully grinned. He gave a hurried glance at his notebook, then went on.

“I think, that given an adequate motive in the papers in the safe, that covers the murder of Ursula Stone, and it's obvious that Campion and Gates in partnership could have murdered Frazer. But there were a good many points about the murders of Earle and Nurse Nankivel still to be cleared up. Of the two, the case of the nurse seemed easier and I took it first.

“It began with the telegram she received, asking her to go to the Hog's Back on the Sunday evening. As you remember, the message and money was dropped into a letter box at Hampton Common: it was not taken to the post office (pp.
126
-
127
). Obviously either Campion or Gates could have dropped it in.

“Now we know that the nurse reached the by-pass bridge at six o'clock (p.
162
), the hour of the
rendezvous
, and drove off in a saloon car (p.
163
). We know also that she was buried that night or shortly afterwards. Further we know—”

“How do you know when she was buried?” Chief Inspector Mitchell interrupted.

“I'll prove presently, sir, that Earle's body was buried that Sunday evening. The nurse's was in the same grave (p.
241
), hence must have been buried at the same time. Besides, the position in the bank proves it approximately. Both bodies were just below the surface of where the tip extended to on that evening (pp.
239
-
240
).”

“Very good. Go ahead.”

“As I've already stated, Campion could have met the nurse on the Hog's Back at six o'clock, murdered her and hid her body. I cannot prove he did so. I simply show that he could have, and let the proof hinge on the general circumstances of the other murders.”

“Where could he have hidden the body?”

“In the bushes between the road and the by-pass. I've been over the ground and there are lots of suitable places. Remember it was dark about six and the burial must have taken place about nine. The body would only have to remain hidden for about three hours.”

“It's certainly possible. I suppose we might provisionally pass that, super?”

“Pending the proof we're waiting for, I think so.”

“Ah yes, we must have that proof. Well, French, let's hear what you have to say about Earle.”

“I found the murder of Earle a much tougher proposition, because both Campion and Gates had alibis and I had tested those alibis and found them watertight.

“I started working at them again, and the more I thought of them, the more watertight they seemed. You remember, sir, what they were? Campion was actually in the presence of his womenfolk and Miss Stone all the evening, except for a short time he spent in his workshop building a dolls' house (pp.
34
-
50
); and the whole of the time he spent on the work would have been required for it (p.
139
). Besides that, at the actual hour of the murder, or within a minute or two of it, he was in the drawing-room with the three ladies (pp.
137
-
139
). Of this there was ample confirmation. Then as to Gates. Gates walked from his own house to Galbraith's and back (p.
281
). The time he took would all have been required for the walk (pp.
285
-
286
). Moreover, he actually was at the door of Mr. Galbraith's house at, or within a minute or two, of the hour of the murder (p.
286
). It seemed impossible that either of these two could have been guilty. However, by this time I was satisfied that somehow or other both alibis had been faked, and I felt it was up to me to find out how.

“The first thing I went into was the question, Must the hour of the murder necessarily correspond with that of the disappearance?

“I came to the conclusion that it must. It seemed to me to be proved by Earle's clothes. If he had been going any distance to keep an appointment, he would have put on outdoor shoes and a coat and hat. He went out of the sitting-room, I felt sure, because someone came to the window and beckoned him, and I felt equally certain he had then been knocked senseless. Obviously he had expected to be out for a moment only.

“There was then no relief from the difficulty that way, and I just settled down to it.

“I took Campion first, and at once I saw a difference in what I might call the strength of his alibi at various times. Before eight o'clock on that Sunday night, Campion was at dinner with his household. After 9.20 he was again with the three ladies. Also for five minutes from about 8.30 till about 8.35 the same thing applied (pp.
135
-
137
). This alibi, I felt, simply could not be broken. All three ladies were sure of the facts.