A cur that had been left napping in the sun woke with a start, looked about in a bewildered fashion, gave a frightened yelp, and bolted through a doorway.
It was all clearly not to the taste of the Coroner, and he cast an uneasy glance about him.
“Where do we go?” he asked.
“That’s the widow’s room over there, if she hasn’t moved. We’ll give it a look first,” said the detective.
The door was off the latch, and, without knocking, he kicked it open and walked in.
The room was small, but immaculately clean. Beneath a patched white quilt could be seen the form of a woman. Two other women were sitting in utter silence beside the bed.
The form under the covers moaned.
“Drop that,” the detective commanded. “And answer some questions.”
The moaning stopped.
“Where were you yesterday and last night?”