II

Elspeth McKay pricked some sausages with a fork, laid them on a bakingdish, put it in the Frigidair and started to peel potatoes.

The telephone rang.

“Mrs. McKay? Sergeant Goodwin here. Is your brother there?”

“No. He’s in London today.”

“I’ve rung him there—he’s left. When he gets back, tell him we’ve had apositive result.”

“You mean you’ve found a body in the well?”

“Not much use clamming up about it. The word’s got around already.”

“Who is it? The au pair girl?”

“Seems like it.”

“Poor girl,” said Elspeth. “Did she throw herself in—or what?”

“It wasn’t suicide—she was knifed. It was murder all right.”