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something with which to cover her face.’

    â€˜You’ll do no such thing. I want to see what’s happened to her and if it is Kerensa I’ll get every man from the Trelyn Estate up here to search for Albert.’
    â€˜That would be a great help. I have already sent to Launceston for all available constables to help in the search for him. We will be able to make use of anyone else who can join them but, with all due respect, I feel it would be far better if you did not see her face until the doctor who will carry out an autopsy has been able to examine her and perhaps clean her up….’
    â€˜Why does there have to be an autopsy? Isn’t it enough that she should have fallen and disfigured herself, if that’s what has happened to her? Does her body have to be mutilated as well?’
    â€˜I am afraid it is necessary, Mr Morgan, because I do not believe her injuries to have been caused by an accident.’
    Startled, it was some moments before Morgan seemed able to take in what Amos had said, then, in a strangled voice he queried, ‘Not an accident … what do you mean?’
    â€˜I mean that she appears to have been murdered. Now, I regret the need for this, but do you mind coming up to the tor with us and checking whether the body is that of your wife but, if it is, please don’t touch her?’
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    Horace Morgan was able to confirm that the body lying on the moor at the base of Hawk’s Tor was that of his wife, Kerensa. He not only recognized the clothes she was wearing, but also identified the wedding ring which, when removed from the stiff third finger of her left hand revealed the inscription, ‘ K & H ’ engraved inside the gold band.
    Trying hard not to look at her disfigured face, he demanded tearfully, ‘Who would do such a thing to her, and why … and where can Albert be? What would they have done with him?’

    The Trelyn estate steward glanced up at the tor towering above them and, correctly reading his thoughts, Amos said, ‘Sergeant Churchyard has been up there and found nothing, but as soon as policemen from Launceston arrive here we will organize a thorough search of the rest of the moor.’
    Seemingly grateful for an opportunity to do something positive, Morgan said, ‘There’s no need to wait for them, I’ll bring every man from the estate up here and begin the search right away. If Albert is on the moor he’ll have been out in the open all night, that’s already far too long for a helpless baby.’
    â€˜That’s a splendid idea,’ Amos agreed. ‘Take Sergeant Churchyard’s pony and gather all the men you can. We will wait here until Sergeant Dreadon comes to take your wife’s body down to Trelyn.’
    â€˜What do you intend doing about finding Kerensa’s killer?’ Some of Horace Morgan’s natural aggression returned when he posed the question to Amos.
    â€˜While you’re away we will see if we can find anything up here that might help us, but our main investigation will begin when we have the results of the autopsy and know exactly how and when she died. We will also have to obtain a statement from you, Mr Morgan, distressing though it might be for you. We will find your wife’s killer, and your son too, but I am afraid nothing we are able to do is going to bring your wife back to you.’

Chapter 4
    N EWS OF KERENSA’S murder and the disappearance of baby Albert spread quickly and soon the party searching the moor was augmented by miners from many of the nearby copper mines. They scoured a vast area until poor light brought the search to an end, but nothing was found of the child.
    When darkness fell not a single searcher remained on the moor. Rumours of a ‘beast’ or some supernatural creature roaming the high ground at night was not wholly believed by everyone but with the unexplained death of Kerensa Morgan no one was willing to put it to