Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?

‘Bobby,’ said Frankie. ‘You’re not putting any money into this business venture, I hope?’

‘I haven’t got any money to put,’ said Bobby.

‘That’s just as well,’ said Frankie.

‘Naturally,’ went on Bobby. ‘Badger has tried to get hold of someone with a little capital to invest. But it isn’t so easy as you’d think.’

‘When you look round you,’ said Frankie, ‘you wouldn’t believe people had any sense at all – but they have.’

The point of these remarks seemed at last to strike Bobby.

‘Look here, Frankie,’ he said. ‘Badger’s one of the best – one of the very best.’

‘They always are,’ said Frankie.

‘Who are?’

‘The ones who go to Australia and come back again. How did he get hold of the money to start this business?’

‘An aunt or something died and left him a garage for six cars with three rooms over and his people stumped up a hundred pounds to buy second-hand cars with. You’d be surprised what bargains there are to be had in second-hand cars.’

‘I bought one once,’ said Frankie. ‘It’s a painful subject. Don’t let’s talk of it. What did you want to leave the Navy for? They didn’t axe you, did they? Not at your age.’

Bobby flushed.

‘Eyes,’ he said gruffly.

‘You always had trouble with your eyes, I remember.’

‘I know. But I just managed to scrape through. Then foreign service – the strong light, you know – that rather did for them. So – well – I had to get out.’

‘Grim,’ murmured Frankie, looking out of the window.

There was an eloquent pause.

‘All the same, it’s a shame,’ burst out Bobby. ‘My eyes aren’t really bad – they won’t get any worse, they say. I could have carried on perfectly.’

‘They look all right,’ said Frankie.

She looked straight into their honest brown depths.

‘So you see,’ said Bobby, ‘I’m going in with Badger.’

Frankie nodded.

An attendant opened the door and said, ‘First luncheon.’

‘Shall we?’ said Frankie.

They passed along to the dining car.

Bobby made a short strategic retreat during the time when the ticket collector might be expected.

‘We don’t want him to strain his conscience too much,’ he said.

But Frankie said she didn’t expect ticket collectors had any consciences.

It was just after five o’clock when they reached Sileham, which was the station for Marchbolt.

‘The car’s meeting me,’ said Frankie. ‘I’ll give you a lift.’

‘Thanks. That will save me carrying this beastly thing for two miles.’

He kicked his suitcase disparagingly.

‘Three miles, not two,’ said Frankie.

‘Two miles if you go by the footpath over the links.’

‘The one where –’

‘Yes – where that fellow went over.’

‘I suppose nobody pushed him over, did they?’ asked Frankie as she handed her dressing-case to her maid.

‘Pushed him over? Good Lord, no. Why?’ ‘Well, it would make it much more exciting, wouldn’t it?’ said Frankie idly.

Chapter 4 The Inquest (#ulink_59c9646b-6acc-5241-a594-211b1e763323)

The inquest on the body of Alex Pritchard was held on the following day. Dr Thomas gave evidence as to the finding of the body.

‘Life was not then extinct?’ asked the coroner.

‘No, deceased was still breathing. There was, however, no hope of recovery. The –’

Here the doctor became highly technical. The coroner came to the rescue of the jury:

‘In ordinary everyday language, the man’s back was broken?’

‘If you like to put it that way,’ said Dr Thomas sadly.

He described how he had gone off to get help, leaving the dying man in Bobby’s charge.

‘Now as to the cause of this disaster, what is your opinion, Dr Thomas?’

‘I should say that in all probability (failing any evidence as to his state of mind, that is to say) the deceased stepped inadvertently over the edge of the cliff. There was a mist rising from the sea, and at that particular point the path turns abruptly inland. Owing to the mist the deceased may not have noticed the danger and walked straight on – in which case two steps would take him over the edge.’

‘There were no signs of violence? Such as might have been administered by a third party?’