“Can’t you guess?” French said, blandly. “Surely there can be but one answer. I couldn’t hope to do it without the able and distinguished help of Superintendent Howells.”
The other laughed.
“I thought it was shaping to that. Well, what do you want me to do?”
“Trace the run, Superintendent. You can do it in a way I couldn’t attempt. I would suggest that with a map we work out the area which could have been visited during that night, allowing time for unpacking the duplicating machine and putting the body in its place. Then I think this area should be combed. If murder has taken place, you’ll hear of it.”
“And you?”
“I shall go to Ashburton, learn what I can from the order, and, if it seems worth while, follow it up to London. Then I’ll come back here and join forces with you. Of course we shall have to get Superintendent Griffiths on the job also.”
After some further discussion this program was agreed to. French, with the superintendent’s help, was to estimate the area to be covered and to organise the search. To-morrow was Sunday, and if by Monday evening nothing had come of it he was to leave Howells to carry on while he paid his visits to Ashburton and if necessary to London.
The longest unknown period of the lorry’s operations being from 8.30 to 12.30 at night, this was taken as being the ruling factor in the case. During these four hours the machine had travelled from Neath to Gorseinon, a distance of about twenty-five miles. About two hours would be accounted for by the journey and the changing of the contents of the crate, leaving two or more hours for additional running—an hour out and an hour back. This meant a radius of about twenty-five miles. The problem, therefore, was to make an intensive search of the country within, say, thirty miles of Swansea.
This was a large area and the work involved the coöperation of a good many men. However, with Superintendent Howells’s help it was arranged, and by that evening operations were everywhere in progress.
During the whole of the next two days French remained on the job, working out possible routes for the lorry and making special enquiries along them. But no further information was obtained, and when Monday evening came without result he decided that unless he heard something next morning he would start for Ashburton.