II

I rang Hardcastle.

“Yes,” he said in answer to my questions. “It’s just as they say.”

His voice sounded hard and bitter.

“I went to see her night before last. I told her her story about the scarjust wouldn’t jell. That the scar tissue was comparatively recent. Funnyhow people slip up. Just by trying to overdo things. Somebody paid thatwoman to identify the corpse as being that of her husband, who ran outon her years ago.

“Very well she did it, too! I believed her all right. And then whoever itwas tried to be a little too clever. If she remembered that unimportantlittle scar as an afterthought, it would carry conviction and clinch the iden-tification. If she had plumped out with it straight away, it might havesounded a bit too glib.”

“So Merlina Rival was in it up to the neck?”

“Do you know, I rather doubt that. Suppose an old friend or acquaint-ance goes to her and says: ‘Look here, I’m in a bit of a spot. A chap I’ve hadbusiness dealings with has been murdered. If they identify him and all ourdealings come to light, it will be absolute disaster. But if you were to comealong and say it’s that husband of yours, Harry Castleton, who did a bunkyears ago, then the whole case will peter out.’”

“Surely she’d jib at that—say it was too risky?”

“If so, that someone would say: ‘What’s the risk? At the worst, you’vemade a mistake. Any woman can make a mistake after fifteen years.’ Andprobably at that point a nice little sum would have been mentioned. Andshe says O.K. she’ll be a sport! and do it.”

“With no suspicions?”

“She wasn’t a suspicious woman. Why, good lord, Colin, every time wecatch a murderer there are people who’ve known him well, and simplycan’t believe he could do anything like that!”

“What happened when you went up to see her?”

“I put the wind up her. After I left, she did what I expected she’d do—tried to get in touch with the man or woman who’d got her into this. I hada tail on her, of course. She went to a post office and put through a callfrom an automatic call box. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the box I’d expectedher to use at the end of her own street. She had to get change. She cameout of the call box looking pleased with herself. She was kept under obser-vation, but nothing of interest happened until yesterday evening. Shewent to Victoria Station and took a ticket to Crowdean. It was half past six,the rush hour. She wasn’t on her guard. She thought she was going tomeet whoever it was at Crowdean. But the cunning devil was a step aheadof her. Easiest thing in the world to gang up behind someone in a crowd,and press the knife in … Don’t suppose she even knew she had beenstabbed. People don’t, you know. Remember that case of Barton in theLevitti Gang robbery? Walked the length of a street before he fell downdead. Just a sudden sharp pain—then you think you’re all right again. Butyou’re not. You’re dead on your feet although you don’t know it.”

He finished up: “Damn and damn and damn!”

“Have you—checked on—anybody?”

I had to ask. I couldn’t help myself.

His reply came swift and sharp.

“The Pebmarsh woman was in London yesterday. She did some businessfor the Institute and returned to Crowdean by the 7:40 train.” He paused.

“And Sheila Webb took up a typescript to check over with a foreign authorwho was in London on his way to New York. She left the Ritz Hotel at 5:30approx. and took in a cinema—alone—before returning.”

“Look here, Hardcastle,” I said, “I’ve got something for you. Vouched forby an eyewitness. A laundry van drew up at 19, Wilbraham Crescent at1:35 on September the 9th. The man who drove it delivered a big laundrybasket at the back door of the house. It was a particularly large laundrybasket.”

“Laundry? What laundry?”

“The Snowflake Laundry. Know it?”

“Not offhand. New laundries are always starting up. It’s an ordinary sortof name for a laundry.”

“Well—you check up. A man drove it—and a man took the basket intothe house—”

Hardcastle’s voice came suddenly, alert with suspicion.

“Are you making this up, Colin?”

“No. I told you I’ve got an eyewitness. Check up, Dick. Get on with it.”

I rang off before he could badger me further.

I walked out from the box and looked at my watch. I had a good deal todo—and I wanted to be out of Hardcastle’s reach whilst I did it. I had myfuture life to arrange.