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them Edna Brent would not have gone along the lower road at all.
Hardcastle studied the three possibilities.
He took No. 20 first. The knife used in the original murder had been found there. It seemed more likely
that the knife had been thrown there from the garden of No. 19 but they didn t know that it had. It could
have been thrust into the shrubbery by the owner of No. 20 herself. When questioned, Mrs Hemming s
only reaction had been indignation. How wicked of someone to throw a nasty knife like that at my
cats! she had said. How did Mrs Hemming connect up with Edna Brent? She didn t, Inspector
Hardcastle decided. He went on to consider Miss Pebmarsh.
Had Edna Brent gone to Wilbraham Crescent to call on Miss Pebmarsh? Miss Pebmarsh had given
evidence at the inquest. Had there been something in that evidence which had aroused disbelief in
Edna? But she had been worried before the inquest. Had she already known something about Miss
Pebmarsh? Had she known, for instance, that there was a link of some kind between Miss Pebmarsh and
Sheila Webb? That would fit in with her words to Pierce. It couldn t have been true what she said.
Conjecture, all conjecture, he thought angrily.
And No. 18? Miss Waterhouse had found the body. Inspector Hardcastle was professionally prejudiced
against people who found bodies. Finding the body avoided so many difficulties for a murderer it saved
the hazards of arranging an alibi, it accounted for any overlooked fingerprints. In many ways it was a
cast-iron position with one proviso only. There must be no obvious motive. There was certainly no
apparent motive for Miss Waterhouse to do away with little Edna Brent. Miss Waterhouse had not given
evidence at the inquest. She might have been there, though. Did Edna perhaps have some reason for
knowing, or believing, that it was Miss Waterhouse who had impersonated Miss Pebmarsh over the
telephone and asked for a shorthand typist to be sent to No. 19?
More conjecture.
And there was, of course, Sheila Webb herself...
Hardcastle s hand went to the telephone. He got on to the hotel where Colin Lamb was staying.
Presently he got Colin himself on the wire.
Hardcastle here what time was it when you lunched with Sheila Webb today?
There was a pause before Colin answered:
How do you know that we lunched together?
A damned good guess. You did, didn t you?
Why shouldn t I have lunch with her?
No reason at all. I m merely asking you the time. Did you go off to lunch straight from the inquest?
No. She had shopping to do. We met at the Chinese place in Market Street at one o clock.
I see.
Hardcastle looked down his notes. Edna Brent had died between 12.30 and one o clock.
Don t you want to know what we had for lunch?
Keep your hair on. I just wanted the exact time. For the record.
I see. It s like that.
There was a pause. Hardcastle said, endeavouring to ease the strain:
If you re not doing anything this evening
The other interrupted.
I m off. Just packing up. I found a message waiting for me. I ve got to go abroad.
When will you be back?
That s anybody s guess. A week at least perhaps longer possibly never!
Bad luck or isn t it?
I m not sure, said Colin, and rang off.
CHAPTER 18
I
Hardcastle arrived at No. 19, Wilbraham Crescent just as Miss Pebmarsh was coming out of the house.
Excuse me a minute, Miss Pebmarsh.
Oh. Is it Detective Inspector Hardcastle?
Yes. Can I have a word with you?
I don t want to be late at the Institute. Will it take long?
I assure you only three or four minutes.
She went into the house and he followed.
You ve heard what happened this afternoon? he said.
Has anything happened?
I thought you might have heard. A girl was killed in the telephone box just down the road.
Killed? When?
Two hours and three quarters ago. He looked at the grandfather clock.
I ve heard nothing about it. Nothing, said Miss Pebmarsh. A kind of anger sounded momentarily in her
voice. It was as though her disability had been brought home to her in some particularly wounding way.
A girl killed! What girl?
Her name is Edna Brent and she worked at the Cavendish Secretarial Bureau.
Another girl from there! Had she been sent for like this girl, Sheila what s-her-name was?
I don t think so, said the inspector. She did not come to see you here, at your house?
Here? No. Certainly not.
Would you have been in if she had come here?
I m not sure. What time did you say?
Approximately twelve-thirty or a little later.
Yes, said Miss Pebmarsh. I would have been home by then.
Where did you go after the inquest?
I came straight back here. She paused and then asked, Why did you think this girl might have come to
see me?
Well, she had been at the inquest this morning and she had seen you there, and she must have had some
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