Wendover, scanning his friend's face, could see that all the carelessness had vanished from its expression. With the prospect of definite work before him, Sir Clinton seemed to have dropped his holiday mood completely.
“I think the first port of call should be the doctor,” he suggested as he turned the car into the road leading to Lynden Sands village. “We'd better start at the beginning, inspector; and the doctor seems likely to have been the earliest expert on the spot.”
They found Dr. Rafford in his garden, tinkering at a spotless motor-cycle; and Wendover was somewhat impressed by the obvious alertness of the young medico. Armadale introduced his companions, and then went straight to the point.
“I've come over about that case, doctor—the caretaker at Foxhills. Can you give us something to go on before we start to look into it up there?”
Dr. Rafford's air of efficiency was not belied when he told his story.
“This morning, at about half-past eight, young Colby came hammering at my door in a great state. He does some of the milk delivery round about here; and Peter Hay's house is one at which he leaves milk. It seems he went up there as usual; but when he got to the gate of the cottage he saw old Hay's body lying on the path up to the door. I needn't describe how it was lying; you'll see for yourself. I didn't disturb it—didn't need to.”
Inspector Armadale's nod conveyed his satisfaction at this news. The doctor continued:
“Young Colby's only a child; so he got a bit of a fright. His head's screwed on all right, though; and he came straight off here to get hold of me. Luckily I hadn't gone out on my rounds as early as that, and he found me just finishing breakfast. I got my bike out and went up to Foxhills immediately.
“When I heard young Colby's tale, I naturally concluded that poor old Hay had had a stroke. I'd been doing my best to treat him for high blood-pressure, off and on; but I hadn't been able to do much for him; and once or twice he'd had slight attacks. He was bound to go, some time or other; and I concluded that he'd had a final attack through over-exertion or something of the sort.”
He paused in his narrative for a moment and glanced from face to face in the group.