"Then may I ask, sir, how you come to be here?"
"I came to discover just what had happened."
"You knew something had happened?"
"Yes, certainly I did. I had gone to call at Palings, and I ran into Miss Fanshawe on the lawn outside the drawing-room windows. She had apparently come from here, and was on her way to break the news to her mother."
"That's right," said White. "She turned up just after I'd got back here from ringing up the doctor, and the police station. We were too late to be able to head her off."
"Miss Fanshawe being the deceased's stepdaughter?" said the Inspector. "From what direction did the young lady come?"
"Down that path," replied White, pointing to the thicket across the stream. She had her dog with her."
"Indeed, sir!" said the Inspector, in an expressionless voice. "Well, I think that's all we can do here, but if you gentlemen, and you, miss, will take me up to the house, my men can get on with what they've got to do before we have the body removed. There are one or two more questions I'd like to ask you, Mr. White, and you too, Mr. Jones."
"I'm ready to answer anything," offered Jones. "But I would like to have my coat back, if it isn't wanted any longer."
The inspector said indulgently: "No, sir, I'm sure we don't want your coat. You should have spoken about it before. Give the gentleman his coat, Sergeant."