In the Teeth of the Evidence Read Online Free PDF Page B

from Wapley, and after a bit, the Inspector here and Dr Crofts from Baldock, and they made a search and asked a lot of questions, which I answered to the best of my ability, and I can’t tell you no more sir.’
        ‘Did you notice,’ asked Parker, ‘whether Mr Payne had any stains of blood about him?’
        ‘No sir – I can’t say that he had. When I first saw him, he was standing in here, right under the light, and I think I should have seen it if there was anything, sir. I can’t say fairer than that.’
        ‘Of course you’ve searched this room, Inspector, for bloodstains or a weapon or for anything such as gloves or a cloth, or anything that might have been used to protect the murderer from bloodstains?’
        ‘Yes, Mr Parker. We searched very carefully.’
        ‘Could anybody have come downstairs while you were in the dining-room with Mr Grimbold?’
        ‘Well, sir, I suppose they might. But they’d have to have got into the house before half-past seven, sir, and hidden themselves somewhere. Still, there’s no doubt it might have happened that way. They couldn’t come down by the back stairs, of course, because they’d have had to pass the kitchen and Cook would have heard them, the passage being flagged, sir, but the front stairs – well, I don’t know hardly what to say about that.’
        ‘That’s how the man got in, depend upon it,’ said Parker. ‘Don’t look so distressed, Hamworthy. You can’t be expected to search all the cupboards in the house every evening for concealed criminals. Now I think I had better see the two nephews. I suppose they and their uncle got on together all right?’
        ‘Oh, yes, sir. Never had a word of any sort. It’s been a great blow to them, sir. They were terribly upset when Mr Grimbold was ill in the summer—’
        ‘He was ill, was he?’
        ‘Yes sir, with his heart, last July. He took a very bad turn, sir, and we had to send for Mr Neville. But he pulled round wonderfully, sir – only he never seemed to be quite such a cheerful gentleman afterwards. I think it made him feel he wasn’t getting younger, sir. But I’m sure nobody ever thought he’d be cut off like this.’
        ‘How is his money left?’ asked Parker.
        ‘Well, sir, that I don’t know. I believe it would be divided between the two gentlemen, sir – not but what they have plenty of their own. But Mr Harcourt would be able to tell you, sir. He’s the executor.’
        ‘Very well, we’ll ask him. Are the brothers on good terms?’
        ‘Oh, yes, indeed, sir. Most devoted. Mr Neville would do anything for Mr Harcourt – and Mr Harcourt for him, I’m sure. A very pleasant pair of gentlemen, sir. You couldn’t have nicer.’
        ‘Thanks, Hamworthy. That will do for the moment, unless anybody else has anything to ask?’
        ‘How much of the pheasant was eaten, Hamworthy?’
        ‘Well, my lord, not a great deal of it – I mean, nothing like all of what Mr Grimbold had on his plate. But he’d ate some of it. It might have taken three or four minutes or so to eat what he had done, my lord, judging by what I helped him to.’
        ‘There was nothing to suggest that he had been interrupted, for example, by somebody coming to the windows, or of his having got up to let the person in?’
        ‘Nothing at all, my lord, that I could see.’
        ‘The chair was pushed in close to the table when I saw him,’ put in the Inspector, ‘and his napkin was on his knees and the knife and fork lying just under his hands, as though he had dropped them when the blow came. I understand that the body was not disturbed.’
        ‘No sir, I never moved it – except, of course, to make sure that he was dead. But I never felt any doubt of that, sir, when I saw that dreadful wound in his back. I just lifted his head and let it fall forward again, same as before.’
        ‘All right, then, Hamworthy. Ask Mr Harcourt to