part of the country.’
‘Ah, yes. Now, can you tell me which of the names you have down under this date is that of the older man we require?’
Mrs Beck could help him only a little over this. The bookings had been made and the fees sent by Steve Piggott. The other two were down as Tony Mackie and Bert Leeds, but which was which she had no idea, since Steve had handed in and, at the end of the stay, collected all three membership cards.
‘All I know is that Piggott, Mackie and Leeds are the three that came together, as you see by the way I’ve bracketed them in the book. I know which was Piggott because of the three cards being handled and all the fees paid in by him and him giving his own name to me, but none of them had ever been here before. Piggott wanted to hold some kind of gospel meeting in the common-room, but I said I couldn’t permit that, as the common-room was common to all and some members might object. He took it very well. It was a shame he was the one to be robbed, but it’s what the innocent must expect, I suppose.’
‘There was a photograph on the warning notices we sent out,’ said Ribble. ‘Couldn’t you have compared it with this third man, the scruffy one?’
‘Oh, it was very smudgy,’ said the warden. ‘Besides, he came with the other two, and all three cards handed in together, so I didn’t connect anything. Well, you wouldn’t, would you? If he’d come alone and without a membership card — but, then, he wouldn’t, would he? — I should have suspected something, but with everything seeming to be in order…’
Ribble said that he quite understood. He added that it must be very lonely for her in the winter, but it turned out that from the middle of November until the end of February she spent much of her time at her sister’s house in Long Cove Bay, returning to open up the hostel only if there happened to be any bookings. These, as she had explained, had to be made in advance, ‘I always know where I am, you see,’ she said. ‘It’s all down in writing.’
Ribble said that he was glad to hear it and was relieved that she had the dog. Then he showed her a clear photograph of the convict, but she refused to commit herself.
‘Well,’ she said, ‘if that’s all, I generally have a cup of tea about now, before I open up at five for the hostellers. Perhaps you’d join me.’
‘Thanks, but there is one other matter, Mrs Beck. I think I mentioned we’re interested in two people. One is this escaped convict, the other is a young woman aged somewhere between twenty-five and thirty, of slight build and brown-haired. She was a cyclist and could have been making for this hostel or coming away from it. She was wearing blue jeans, an orange-coloured shirt, a brown pullover, brown shoes and a bright yellow anorak.’
‘Oh, dear! You don’t mean something’s happened to her? Did she have an accident? Is she hurt?’
‘Yes, she met with a serious accident. You seem to recognise the description.’
‘Oh, good gracious, yes! That’s Tyne, Judy Tyne. She was one of the dancers, you know, only she had a tiff with one of the others and took herself off yesterday morning. She’s stayed here before. They’ve all stayed here before. It’s half-term holiday for them. Some are teachers and some might be students. They do sword-dances and jigs and sing the old-fashioned country songs. I’ve sometimes watched them rehearsing. But how bad is Judy? Is she in hospital?’
‘No, not in hospital. You say she had a disagreement with one of the others and took herself off?’
‘Yes, but I think the rest of them thought she would come back when she’d cooled down. They were booked in for three nights, you see, so she wouldn’t have anywhere else to sleep. But what has she got to do with this prisoner you’re chasing after?’
‘Probably nothing. Now, Mrs Beck, can you tell us something more about the rest of the party? I shall have to see them all if this girl is the one we think, but it would be useful to know your opinion of them first.’
‘Has something happened worse than what you’ve said?’
‘Yes, I’m afraid it has, ma’am. The accident was a fatal one and the evidence suggests that something
‘That’s right. Well, as you can see, there are nine of them. I can’t tell you a lot about them. We get all kinds, some rough diamonds, some quite cultured, and them all using the hostel because it’s cheap and most of them are young. This lot, the dancers and singers, are the sort that are no trouble at all. I had them last year at this time and I was glad to have them again.’
‘You mentioned some kind of disagreement. Did you gather what it was about?’
‘No, but I think it was between Judy and another of the girls.
‘We don’t know. When we get the body identified, I shall be able to tell you more. Don’t worry your head at present, ma’am, or begin jumping to conclusions. Just answer the questions, then we shall know where we are. I see that the party booked in on Wednesday.’
‘And are allowed three nights, so tonight is their last.’
‘Do you know where they are staying after tonight?’
‘No, I don’t. All I know is that they are giving a concert at Gledge End tomorrow afternoon, but if Judy has left I don’t see how they will manage. But this girl you’re talking about, oh, it couldn’t be Judy! She can’t have been murdered, not a respectable girl like her.’
‘Well, that’s what we’re not too sure about,’ said Ribble, giving up his comforting tone. ‘She seems to have been knocked or dragged off her bicycle, but we can’t talk about murder until we know that she wasn’t hit by a passing car. On the other hand, her injuries don’t really suggest a hit-and-run driver and our knowledge of our bird who is on the run from Hangwood gaol doesn’t suggest that he killed the girl who may not be Judy Tyne anyway. He is a convicted murderer, it’s true, but he is a poisoner and only of his wife, at that, so—’
‘
‘Yes. I didn’t mean it quite the way it sounded. I meant that he is most unlikely to murder anybody else, that’s all. What I would like you to do is to sum up these dance people for me. You say they have stayed here before and you see so many youngsters that you must be a pretty good judge of them. You mentioned a quarrel, and that, in case of violent death, is something which ought not to be overlooked.’
‘I don’t want my words to get anybody into trouble.’
‘Of course not. Personal opinion is only a very rough guide and can’t incriminate anybody. Just fire away. We are very discreet.’
‘But the sergeant is going to write down what I say.’
‘Nothing but names and addresses. Nothing you tell us can be used in evidence, but it would help me to get a line on these young people. First of all, what about the quarrel which caused Judith Tyne to take herself off? How serious would you say it was?’
‘I don’t know anything about it, but I think it must have been on account of one of the boys. Giles is the leader, and a very nice boy and I should think very capable. I don’t think the quarrel was anything to do with him. Then there is Willie. He is Scottish by birth, tall and dark. He might be the brooding type, but I wouldn’t think he bothered much about girls. Probably got a girl of his own back home, anyway. Micky is the youngest and very slight and fair, very like his sister to look at. The others are Ronnie, another nice boy, and then there is Peter. I’m sure Ronnie is much too lazy to bear malice to anybody. I wonder he can even exert himself to dance. He’s always saying how tired he is, but he’s big and healthy enough. Just bone idle when it comes to pulling his weight, but all the others seem to like him, and I must say I’ve got a soft spot for him myself.’
‘What about Peter?’ asked Ribble, checking the names in the book.
‘I don’t know. He seems very quiet and sort of nondescript, if you know what I mean. Keeps himself to himself. He’s the artistic one and very clever at making things.’
‘Could he be a dark horse, do you think?’
‘I really couldn’t say. I shouldn’t think he has enough character to be anything very much, but you never know, do you? Look at Doctor Crippen.’
‘Ah,’ said Ribble, looking alert. ‘You connect Peter with Doctor Crippen, do you?’
‘Good gracious, no! Who ever heard of such a thing? Don’t you put words into my mouth that I never intended!’
