'Not straightaway, no.'
'But later he wished he had.'
'You could say that.'
'How did it get reported?'
'The landlord called the police. Bit unlucky, really. Wasn't all that much of a fight at all.'
Lewis consulted his notes. 'Yon wouldn't say you 'went berserk' on that occasion?'
'NO.'
'Why do you reckon you got so violent with Mr. Rodway, then?'
Davies stared awhile at the carpet, then answered, though without looking up. 'It's simple, really. I was in love with bet.'
'And so was Mr. Rodway?' Davies nodded. 'Yeah.'
'Have you seen her since?'
'A few times.'
'Recently?'
'No.'
'Can you tell me why you didn't go back to Oxford--to finish your degree? You were only rusticated for a term, weren't yon?'
'Rest of the Michaelmas and all the Hilary. And by the time I was back, what with Finals and everything... I just couldn't face it.'
'How did your parents feel about that.'?'
'Disappointed, naturally.'
'Have you told them why I'm here today?'
'l'hey're on a cruise in the Aegean.'
'I see.' Lewis stood up and closed his notebook and walked over to the window, enviously admiring the white Porsche that stood in the drive. 'Fhey've left you the car, I see T'
'No, that's mine.'
Lewis turned. 'I thought you--well, you gave me the impression, sir, that fifty pounds might be a bit on the ex- pensive si'de.... '
'I came into some money. That's perhaps another reason I didn't go back to Oxford. Rich aunt, bless her! She left me... well, more than enough, let's say.'
Lewis asked a f'mal question as the two men stood in the front porch: 'Where were you last Sunday, sir?'
'Last Sunday?
'Yes. The day Dr. Mc Clure was murdered.'
'Oh dear! You're not going to tell me...? What pos-sible reason could I have '
'I suppose you could say it was because of Dr. Mc Clure that...'
'That they kicked me out? Yes.'
'You must have hated him for that.'
'No. You couldn't really hate him. He was just an offi-cious bloody bore, that's all.'
'Did you know that he fell in love with Ellie Smith, too T'
Davies sighed deeply. 'Yes.'
'Last Sunday, then?' repeated Lewis. 'I went bird-watching.'
'On your own?'
'Yes. I went out--must've been about nine, half-nine? Got back about three.'
'Whereabouts did you go?'
Davies mentioned a few names--woods or lakes, as Lewis assumed.
'Meet anyone you knew?
'bio.'
'Pub? Did you call at a pub? Hotel7 Snackbar? Shop? Garage T'
'No, don't think so.'
'Must have been quite a lot of other bird-watchers around?'
'No. It's not the best time of year for bird-watching. Too many leaves still on the trees in late summer. Unless you know a bit about flight, song, habitat--well, you're not going to spot much, are you? Do you know anything about bird-watching, Sergeant?'
