“Dr. Rotherhope was unfortunately prevented from seeing the corpse until some hours had elapsed. Dr. Warcop—the deceased's medical adviser—was called in by young Haswell. It is true that he did not commit himself to any very precise time, but he is a man of strict integrity, and the time was, in any event, fixed by Miss Warrenby's evidence.”
“Any reason, barring a bit of professional jealousy, sir, why Dr. Rotherhope doesn't what-you-might-call confirm that?”
A laugh was surprised out of the Chief Constable. “You're very acute! None at all! Dr. Warcop has been for long established in Bellingham, and is perhaps thought by his colleagues to be a trifle—er—out of date! But a perfectly sound man!”
“I see, sir. Is it known yet who stands to benefit by this death?”
“Barring a few very minor legacies, his niece. His Will was in the safe at his office. If you want to go into his business affairs, you'll find his head clerk very helpful. Coupland's his name: decent little chap, living in Bellingham pretty well all his life.”
“On good terms with him, sir?”
“Oh, I think so! Speaks very nicely about him. He comes in for a small legacy—a couple of hundred pounds, I think: nothing much! A good deal shocked by the murder, wasn't he, Sergeant?”
“Yes, sir, he was. Well, he's a very respectable man, Mr. Coupland is, so it's natural he would be shocked. Setting aside that it's a pretty serious thing for him. Head clerkships don't grow on every tree, as you might say, and I'm sure I don't know where he's to find another. Not in Bellingham, he won't, for even if Throckington & Flimby wanted a new head clerk it isn't quite the kind of business he'd fancy, and Mr. Drybeck's had his head clerk with him for thirty years.”
“Drybeck,” repeated Hemingway. “That's the gentleman you told me was given a lift to his home after this tennis-party. Where does he live?”
The Sergeant placed a spatulate finger on the plan. “Here sir, nearly opposite the opening into Fox Lane. As far as we can make out, he must have been set down there at about seven o'clock, or just after. He sat down to his supper at half-past seven. That's corroborated by his housekeeper. What he was doing before that she doesn't know, not having seen him.”