“Quite,” agreed the Doctor, smothering a yawn. “If he had a woman with him.”
Chapter Two
Inspector Jerrold made a very early call on the Chief Constable next morning, and found him eating his breakfast. He apologised for disturbing him, but the Colonel merely waved him to a chair, and said: “Not at all. What's your trouble? Anything serious?”
“Pretty serious, sir. Man found stabbed to death at Ashleigh Green at 1.50 this morning.”
“Good God! You don't say so! Who is it?”
“Gentleman of the name of Arnold Vereker, sir, of Riverside Cottage.”
“God bless my soul!” ejaculated the Colonel, putting down his coffee-cup. “Who did it? Any idea?”
“No, sir, none. No clues at all so far. The body was found by Constable Dickenson - in the stocks.”
“In the what?”
“Does sound odd, doesn't it, sir? But that's how it was.”