“Angina,” said the Colonel shortly. “But, as far as I know, he's only had two not very severe attacks.”
“Yes, Mr. Haswell, who happened to be with the Vicar when I called, said there was no reason why Mr. Ainstable shouldn't live for a good many years yet. On the other hand, you don't have to be a doctor to know that he might go very suddenly. That adds quite a bit of colour to what I'd already noticed. Which was that when I mentioned those two letters Harbottle found in Warrenby's office I knew I'd given the Squire and Mrs. Ainstable a nasty jolt. I got the impression that the last thing either of them wanted me to do was to start nosing round that gravel-pit, or all the timber he's been felling. And on top of that, when the Vicar started to say something about the gravel-pit, Mr. Haswell nipped in as neat as you please, and flicked his mind off on to something quite different. Which leads me to think that he's got pretty much the same idea as I have about what the Squire's up to.”
There was a short silence. The Colonel broke it. “This is a damned, nasty affair, Hemingway! Well—it's up to you, thank God! If you're right—if Warrenby was blackmailing the Squire, not for money, but merely to force him to sponsor him socially—does that, in your view, constitute a sufficient motive for murder?”
Hemingway rose to his feet. “I don't remember, offhand, how many cases I've had, sir,” he said dryly. “A good few. But I couldn't tell you what constitutes a motive for murder, not yet what doesn't. Some of the worst I've handled were committed for reasons you wouldn't even consider to be possible if homicide didn't happen to be your job. You don't need me to tell you that, sir.”
“No,” said the Colonel. “But it depends on the type of man involved.”
“That's right, sir: it does.”
The Colonel glanced up. “Blackmail,” he said heavily. “Yes, that's a motive, Chief Inspector—a strong motive.”
“Yes, and it gives us a nice wide field,” agreed Hemingway. “Because, unless I miss my bet, I don't think the Squire was the only person Warrenby was putting the black on.” He glanced at his watch. “If you'll excuse me, sir, I'll be leaving you. I told my chief I'd be giving him a ring about now.” He walked over to the door, and looked back, as he opened it, a twinkle in his eye. “I've got upwards of half a dozen people who could have committed this murder, as far as their alibis go, which is nowhere,” he remarked. “At least four of them have got what'll pass for motives, and the end of it will very likely be that it'll turn out to be someone I haven't begun to consider yet.”
“I hope to God you may be right!” said the Colonel.