"I'll say he's not!" said Cook, and without further encouragement regaled Hemingway with a description of Wally Carter which, though crude, would have been sworn to by any member of Wally's family.
Inspector Hemingway nodded. "That's what I thought. Now let's go over the dramatis personnae. We'll take the widow first. Anything on her?"
"I can't say as I have," replied Cook reluctantly. "She's one of those flashy blondes, but apart from her silly way of carrying on, I've nothing against her. Mind you, if you was to ask anybody hereabouts, they'd tell you that Carter's death just suits her plans. It's common knowledge Mr. Steel's been hanging round her for the past three years. He only came to live in the district a few years ago. Grim sort of chap, not given to talking much. Until this Prince turned up, the general opinion was that it was a wonder Mrs. Carter didn't divorce Carter, and hitch up with Steel. But from what I can make out, the Prince has changed all that. He's staying at Palings now, and if you was to ask me, he means to marry Mrs. Carter. It was him told me about Carter suspecting that it was Steel took a pot-shot at him on that shooting-party."
"It was, was it? Didn't hear him hiss, did you?"
"Hiss?" repeated Cook.
"Let it go," said Hemingway. "Sounds a bit on the snakeish side to me, that's all."
"Well, I don't know," said Cook. "It's possible, of course, but there's no doubt there wasn't any love lost between Carter and Steel."
Hemingway consulted the typescript under his hand. "No proper alibi, I see. Out on the farm, but can't bring anyone forward to corroborate. Well, it's my experience that that kind of alibi is the hardest of all to upset. Give me what looks like a water-tight alibi every time!"
"Seems plausible to me," said Cook doubtfully. "You'll see that he says he didn't even know Carter was going to the Dower House that afternoon. Well, why should he? Stands to reason he wouldn't hide himself in the shrubbery on the off chance."
"I'm bound to say I don't fancy him for the chief part," replied Hemingway. "All the same, that statement of his will bear looking into. As far as I can make out, you've only got his word for it he didn't know about this assignation."