Free Find the Innocent by Roy Vickers Page B

any dabs on that copy at the lockhouse?”
    â€œYes, sir. Report on your table. Stranack’s. Two clear, the others blurred but not wiped. Copy was handled with gloved hand after Stranack had handled it.”
    â€œGloves, eh! In the middle of a heat wave. Now’s the time for you to nip along to the lockhouse and find out what they did with that picture of Mrs. Brengast.”

Chapter Five
    Walking between Jill and the coroner’s officer, after the identification, Veronica was caught by reporters. She posed for the cameramen: she answered the stock questions graciously and fully. She enjoyed it so much, thought Jill, that she was little the worse for her visit to the mortuary.
    â€œIt wasn’t as horrible as I thought it would be,” she said over tea in their sitting-room. “Everyone was so kind. Jill, what d’you think I ought to wear for dinner?”
    â€œA dressing gown if you like, dear. We’ll have it sent up here, of course.”
    â€œOh—Yes, I suppose we must. I wonder if those snapshots will come out all right. There’s a proper photo of me in The Prattler this week—a whole page—the colour is a bit disappointing, but on the whole it might have been worse—it was part of an interview with poor WillyBee … Jill, you think I’m callous, don’t you?”
    â€œNot exactly! I think you’ve written off WillyBee and intend to forget him, beginning now. I expect I’d do the same if I had married a WillyBee. Not being his wife, I liked him rather a lot.”
    â€œWhy, I liked him ever such a lot! He was kind to me, though he did treat me, mostly, as if I were a child. Except sometimes, of course. Then we’d sort of change round, and I had to be the grown-up. I never understood him really, but I could always get him into a good temper, and that helped his business … I know people think I married him for his money!”
    â€œSome do. And they are the ones who will jump on any mistake we make here.”
    â€œYou mean if my name gets in the papers in the wrong way?”
    â€œDarling, your name is already in the papers and you would hardly call it the right way!” On the table were three of the early editions which Jill had studied before they went to the mortuary. “The police are sure to come here again—and we don’t want them to spring anything on you. I’ve taken notes of all the snags I can find.”
    â€œBut it seems so ridiculous! Surely—”
    â€œShut up, dear! Listen! Do these names mean anything to you?—Rupert Eddis, Lyle Canvey, Arthur Stranack?”
    Jill thought that the last name had produced a reaction. But Veronica’s expression was always a very doubtful guide.
    â€œNo,” said Veronica. “I seem to have heard the names somewhere but I can’t place any of them. Who are they?”
    â€œScientists on WillyBee’s staff.”
    â€œThat explains it. He often talked shop to me, not expecting me to take it all in. What about them?”
    â€œThey’ve been detained by the police. The three I read out were staying at a lock on the river, near here—Peasebarrow Lock.”
    â€œWhy are they detained? They can’t be mixed up with what happened to poor WillyBee!”
    Jill summarised the reported movements of the Ford car. “Apparently, two of them went out in this car, while the third stayed behind to mind the lock. It doesn’t make clear which did which.”
    â€œHow could the one who stayed behind at the lock have anything to do with the murder?”
    Jill perceived that Veronica was suddenly taking an interest—that she was leaning forward as if anxiously awaiting an answer about the man who had stayed behind at the lock.
    â€œThe man who stayed behind at the lockhouse had a girl-friend with him.”
    â€œIs that what the man at the lockhouse says?”
    â€œHe’s not quoted as saying anything. A