Free The Sussex Downs Murder by John Bude Page B

you.”
    Meredith’s interest quickened at the faintly veiled excitement in Rodd’s voice.
    â€œWhat is it? News?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œVital?”
    â€œI think so. Do you know a place called Hound’s Oak Farm?”
    â€œNever heard of it.”
    â€œWell, it’s not far from Bindings Lane. The constable here happened to be talking to the shepherd at Hound’s Oak this afternoon. It appears that he’d been over to Bindings for the loan of some wire-netting which he wanted urgently. On his way back to Hound’s Oak a chap suddenly dashed out of the wood through which the path runs in those parts, and ran off up the track before he could stop him.”
    â€œWhen was this?”
    â€œNight of July 20th,” said Rodd importantly.
    â€œWell, go on.”
    â€œMike Riddle, that’s the shepherd chap, thought at first that it was a poacher. He called out for the fellow to stop and got no answer. Just at that point the path leaves the wood and Mike was hoppy enough to catch a glimpse of the man on the open downside. You’ll remember that there was a bit of a moon that night?”
    â€œWhat time was this?”
    â€œAbout ten o’clock Mike reckons.”
    â€œI see. Well?”
    â€œWell, sir—Mike noticed one or two things about the chap which didn’t seem to fit in with the idea of a poacher. For one thing he was carrying an attaché-case, and for the other he wore a cloak and a big-brimmed, soft hat.”
    Meredith, for all his interest, guffawed.
    â€œGood heavens, man, it sounds like fancy-dress! Are you sure this Riddle fellow has got it right?”
    â€œHe swears to it. It was only because the man was dressed so out-of-the-ordinary that he happened to mention the fact to the constable today. Of course Mike didn’t connect it up with the Rother case because it was only today that the facts of the inquest were published. I mean it was only today that he knew John Rother had been murdered.”
    â€œYes, I see that. Now let’s get this straight. This track connects Bindings Farm with Hound’s Oak, is that it?”
    â€œThat’s the idea. It starts out of Bindings Lane just before the farmhouse, runs up through a bit of wood, then on to the open down and ends about a couple of hundred yards higher up the slope at Hound’s Oak.”
    â€œAnd if the chap went on past Hound’s Oak—what then?”
    â€œWell, it’s all open down for a few miles. Park Brow they call it. After that if he kept a straight course he’d land somewhere down in Steyning or Bramber.”
    â€œThanks, Rodd,” said Meredith in official tones. “This may be of some use to us. You might get a signed statement from Riddle and have it sent over here. And don’t forget that other business. Good-bye.”
    The moment Meredith had replaced the receiver he remained perfectly still, thinking hard. What the devil was this fancy-dress merchant doing on a lonely path at ten o’clock in the night? Yes, and on the night of the murder too, only a short distance from where John Rother had been killed? Why the attaché-case?
    A sudden stream of ideas flowed through Meredith’s brain. Was this cloaked figure William Rother’s partner-in-crime? Had this man actually done the killing before William arrived with his car to take the body to the farm? Was it possible that John Rother had arrived quite early in the evening under the shadow of Cissbury and been attacked at once by the unknown man? Suppose the attaché-case contained a set of surgical instruments and a large rubber sheet—the murderer could have then laid out the sheet in the midst of the gorse bushes and gone about the ghastly operation of dismembering and decapitating his victim before William came on the scene. Confound it! William might have set out for Littlehampton with a metal-lined cabin-trunk in the back of his car ready for the reception