Free Death at Hallows End by Leo Bruce Page B

You’ve been very patient. Now when you reached the car that Monday afternoon, did you notice any wheel marks in the grass?”
    â€œHe’d never have noticed if there had been,” said Doll. “He never notices anything except what’s on the plate in front of him.”
    â€œAs I see it,” Carolus hurried on, “if any car had come up the road behind the Jaguar at the time when you found it, that car would be forced onto the grass border to pass.”
    â€œThere was nothing of the sort,” said Stonegate. “Otherwise …” he looked fiercely at his daughter. “Otherwise I’d of noticed it for certain.”
    â€œAnd when you found the car again in the morning?”
    â€œNeither there was then. I couldn’t help but see it if there had been.”
    â€œWas there anywhere about there for a car to turn?”
    Stonegate thought deeply.
    â€œNot for a hundred yards or more away from there, there wasn’t. But some way back towards the village there’s an entrance to a field belongs to Mr. Harker, a big farmer whose ground joins on to the Neasts’ and the Hickmansworths’. Hekeeps his place up better than what they do and he’s had some stones put down between the road and the gate. If anyone wanted to turn a car there he’d have to back in to that to do it. But it might not show because the tractor goes through there.”
    â€œYou saw no one else in the road up to the farm that afternoon?”
    â€œDidn’t I, then, and told the police so. There was a chap going the same direction as I was. I passed him just before reaching the village.”
    â€œWhat kind of chap?”
    â€œCan’t tell you that. I came up behind him and didn’t look round.”
    â€œWas it unusual to meet a stranger there?”
    â€œCourse it was. Well, who is there to be? There’s no one much goes up there but the postman, unless it’s to the church, and then they’d be in motorcars, or on Sunday when they get a few from the village. With old Rudd dead and buried and Mrs. Rudd not going out much, there was only me and the Neasts likely to be up that way.”
    â€œWhat about the Rector?”
    â€œWell, he does sometimes pop up to the church, but he didn’t that afternoon because I saw him as I went through the village after, and he hadn’t even got his bicycle with him.”
    â€œAre there no other dwellings near the church?”
    â€œThere’s Hickmansworths, but they don’t use that road. Their place lies beyond the church over to the left, but the Potters Cross road runs past them and they don’t have to go by Church Lane at all. They fell out with the Neasts years ago and the two lots haven’t spoken for I don’t know how long. There used to be a cart track between their place and Monk’s Farm but it’s been Let Go and I doubt if you could find it now. There’s a lot of funny people round here.”
    Carolus looked pained.
    â€œI don’t see anything funny about Hickmansworths,” said Doll. “I think they’re very nice.”
    Carolus stood up.
    â€œThank you very much, Mr. Stonegate,” he said. “You’ve been very co-operative. I hope your information will help me to find Duncan Humby.”
    â€œIt’ll make him look pretty silly if you do, after him telling everyone he was the last to see him alive,” said Doll.
    Stonegate ignored this, and told Carolus grandly he was glad if he’d been any assistance, and he wished him luck.
    â€œYou’re not by any chance going past the Falstaff, are you?” he asked.
    â€œYes. I’ll give you a lift,” said Carolus, who remembered that the landlord of the Falstaff had told him of Stonegate’s nightly visit.
    â€œThere he goes again.” said Doll. “Go and tell that lot up there how you’ve been interviewed. They’ve heard it a dozen times but you’re