The Dog Collar Murders Read Online Free PDF

you went through to the platform?’
    ‘Yes. On my way to the platform I passed the priest coming off the platform. I didn’t take much notice but a dog collar makes you look again, if you know what I mean.’
    Angel’s heart leaped. She had seen the priest
from the front
. He nodded encouragingly. ‘Would you describe him?’ he said.
    She shrugged. ‘A typical, average, middle-aged man in a dark suit, with a dog collar and black shirt and, I think, black shoes.’
    ‘How tall was he?’
    ‘Say, about five foot eight.’
    ‘What was his hair like? Did he have a moustache or a beard? And was he wearing specs?’
    ‘I only saw him for two seconds, Inspector. But I don’t think he had any facial hair, and he wasn’t wearing spectacles. His hairline was average, I suppose. To tell the truth, I can’t remember. There wasnothing striking about his face or his hair. It must have been brown or black. He was just … ordinary. Except for the dog collar, everything about him was … very ordinary.’
    Angel nodded.
    ‘I must say,’ she said, ‘he looked very much like a priest. Smart, intelligent and sober. He could be a
real
priest.’
    Angel considered it. She was right, of course, but what a dreadful thought! ‘Mmm. Then what happened?’
    ‘I went on to the platform.’
    ‘Did you see anybody on the platform … either platform?’
    ‘There were a few people … fifteen or twenty … all sorts of people …’
    ‘Can you describe any of them?’
    ‘No. There were people of all kinds. Looked like workmen, students, housewives doing what I was doing, shopping and so on …’
    ‘So where do you think the gunman came from? Which direction ?’
    ‘He definitely came from the direction of the platforms. Don’t ask me which platform. I didn’t see.’
    ‘Then what happened?’
    ‘I could hear my train coming in the distance. I looked down the platform for it. Then I heard a loud, angry voice behind me. It was from the ticket office. I was only a few yards away from the barrier. He shouted something like, “Where was he going? That’s what I want to know.” I think that’s what he said. If the clerk replied, I didn’t hear him. I thought it was unusual, so I turned round, stepped up the platform to the barrier and peered round the corner. My train was almost at the platform. The brakes shrieked. Carriage doors slammed. I saw the priest reach down into his right pocket – well, I assume that’s what he did. It was his right-hand side. I could only see his left-hand side. Anyway, up came his hand with the gun in it. He pointed the gun at the window and then there was a very loud bang. It was
very
loud. I pulled back round the corner before he saw me. I went all shivery and leaned back against the wall. Then the stationmaster rushed past me. My heart was pounding. He had been on the platform. He was making for the ticket office. I recovered myself and looked round the corner again, but there was nosign of the man with the gun. The stationmaster was having trouble unlocking the ticket-office door. The key seemed to be stuck. He was very upset. I helped him. We went in together and found the ticket clerk on the floor bleeding profusely from his chest.’
    She stopped and reached in her pocket for a tissue.
    ‘Then you phoned for an ambulance and the police?’ Angel said.
    Her mouth turned down. A tear rolled down her cheek. She nodded.
    Angel stood up. ‘Well, thank you. We’ll take a little break, shall we?’
    She nodded again.
    ‘Won’t be a minute,’ he said, making for the door. ‘I’ll see what’s happened to that tea.’
    He came out into the passageway. He looked up at the green corridor. It was very quiet, then he heard the rattle of pots. Ahmed came round the corner with a tin tray holding cups, saucers and teapot.
    ‘I thought you must have gone to Bombay for that tea, lad,’ Angel said. ‘Take it straight in. Then bring in the laptop with the videos of the rogues’ gallery. Then