Adders on the Heath Read Online Free PDF Page A

account of the matter and so forth, but I expect my torch is a good bit more powerful than your own-you did say you saw the dead man by the light of your torch, sir?'
    'Yes, but it gives a pretty strong light, you know, and the battery's new.'
    'Quite so, sir. Well, now, if you don't mind just borrowing my torch while I stand by.'
    'What on earth for?' Richardson realised that, unintentionally, his voice was high-pitched and his tone nervous.
    'Well, sir, the circumstances being, as I say and as you will admit, unusual, I would appreciate it if you would just take another look at the body to make certain you don't know who it is.'
    Richardson's heart failed him. The Superintendent suspected something! There was nothing for it, however, but to comply with his request. He accepted the loan of the powerful torch and unwillingly crawled into the tent. It was a complete and almost devastating shock to see that the body was no longer that of Colnbrook. What lay there was the corpse of a man considerably shorter than Colnbrook. It must be that of the other runner, although both men had changed their clothes since he had seen them last. Colnbrook had had on a rather aggressive check suit. This man had on a tweed jacket and flannel trousers.
    Feeling sick, Richardson backed out of the tent and handed the torch to the Superintendent.
    'I don't know him,' he said. This, at least, was true. 'But, well, it doesn't look to me like the same man,' he added, desperately anxious to cover up his first lie.
    'Come, come, sir. You had a shock, I daresay, when you first saw the body. Not surprising, that. You can't identify him, then?'
    'He's pretty persistent,' thought Richardson. Aloud he said, 'No, I certainly can't. What can have induced him to plant himself on me?'
    'That we must find out, sir-that is, if he did plant himself on you.'
    'What do you mean by that?' (Murder, of course! They must believe the man had been murdered! And what about Colnbrook? Could he have been suffering from hallucinations when he thought that the first man was Colnbrook?)
    'We have to keep open minds, sir, when bodies are found in unexpected places under what might prove to be suspicious circumstances. That's all, sir,' said the Superintendent, soothingly. 'And now, come along, sir. Hop in the back and we'll soon find you a kip-down for the night. Best forget about this until the morning.'
    'Shall I-do I have to attend an inquest or anything?'
    'I'm afraid so, sir, but there's plenty of time for that. You'll only need to depose that you found the body. Then we'll have to get it identified, as you cannot help us there, and the rest is up to the medical officer. There's really nothing to worry about.'
    'Sez you!' thought Richardson grimly.
    The police car ground itself over the rough gravel until it reached the road which led to the hotel. It passed the hotel and turned through a shallow water-splash and up the main street of the sleeping village. At the top it turned to the right at the level crossing, and, some time later, after a smooth rush on an empty main road, it was driven in at the double gates of a large, red-brick, new-looking police station lighted fearsomely by the headlamps. At the back of this solid block was the Superintendent's private house and here the car drew up. Richardson was taken into the dining-room and given whisky and soda and a plate of biscuits and cheese. The Superintendent made no reference to the dead man in the tent, but drank whisky with his guest and then smoked placidly while Richardson, who found himself almost startlingly hungry, played havoc with the food provided.
    The young man had brought nothing with him from his camp, but, when he was shown up to the spare room which had been promised him, he found pyjamas laid out on the small single bed and the Superintendent, indicating these, observed that they might be a bit on the large side but would be better than nothing. He then showed him the bathroom and an electric razor and