‘He didn’t ought to be too busy to see me if he knowed what I come about.’
‘Well, you can tell me what you have come about and I will let him know what it is as soon as he is free.’
‘It’s about the old house, mum. Something us found there, me and the lad.’
‘Well, what was it?’
‘Beg pardon, mum, but it’s for the master, not you, if you’ll excuse me. There’s something as the fire chief and me think as he ought to see.“
‘Oh, get on with it, Platt! What is it?’
Even then it did not occur to me, nor, I am sure, to Celia, that he was talking about a burnt and blackened corpse which he had found among the ashes.
7
Ichabod
« ^ »
This shocking news brought along the police, of course. Anthony’s complaint about destructive hooligans went by the board in the face of this far more serious issue. According to the firemen, petrol or paraffin must have been poured over the heap of chopped-up timber in the hall for the house to have burnt so fiercely.
‘If only we’d moved the stuff out instead of my taking time off to go out in my car to visit Hetty Pegler’s Tump!’ I said remorsefully.
‘Nonsense, my dear chap. I put the job off myself because I wanted the fallen leaves swept off the lawn. But this business is the very devil. One of the wretched gang of youths who thought they would amuse themselves by setting fire to the place must have been trapped by the flames or overcome by the smoke, and his mates ran off and left him to it.’
It turned out to be even worse than that. The fire must have been started with the deliberate intention of covering up a murder, and the corpse was not that of a boy, but of a woman.
We did not know this at first. At the preliminary interview which Anthony had, the uniformed inspector who called took a most unexpected line. I was not present, of course, but got a full account later. The inspector asked whether Anthony had ever suspected that the old house had been taken over by squatters.
‘Most certainly not,’ my friend replied. ‘The house was quite unfit for human habitation. Besides, I have had an offer for it from somebody who was prepared to do it up — the headmaster of the preparatory school next door. He has been inside it more than half a dozen times during the past month or so and would have informed me at once of any tenants. Apart from that, my gardener would have known if anybody had been living there. Besides, I myself passed the house every time I went to the garage for my car. What makes you ask about squatters?’
‘In a corner of the cellar which the fire had hardly reached we found empty tins which had contained food and beer, sir.’
‘Sounds more like a passing tramp. Anyway, I’m certain the house had not been taken over by squatters.’
‘Have you missed any food lately?’
‘You had better ask my cook. She has made no mention of anything missing from her stores.’
‘Oh, well, that can wait, sir. I mentioned we have evidence that the house was occupied. I take it you have heard of the body discovered among the debris?’
‘My wife would hardly have telephoned you if we had not. The body must be that of some unfortunate tramp, or one of the fire-raisers who didn’t get away in time. A truly dreadful business, Inspector, and I’m glad the body was removed before I saw it.’
‘I’m afraid I shall have to ask you to take a look at it, sir. The fire was not the cause of death. We are investigating a case of wilful murder. There will be a pathologist’s report, but our own police surgeon says that accident or suicide can be ruled out. Our immediate aim is to get the dead person identified. That is partly why I asked whether you had been aware that you had squatters on your premises. Now, in the face of your denials, it’s a long shot, I know, but I would like you to accompany me to the mortuary to see whether you can identify the corpse, as your gardener informs me you had people staying here.’
‘But my denials are absolute. I can’t possibly help you. I assure you that I have never known that anybody was occupying the old place, let alone ever having seen anybody there. As for my guests, they all left safely and can be accounted for. The only one who is still here is Mr Stratford and he is hale and hearty enough.’
‘And you are sure there were no squatters?’
‘Only a few days ago some friends of mine went in to look at a portrait which had hung in one of the downstairs rooms for years. They would most certainly have told me if they had suspected that the house was occupied. The headmaster who has an option to purchase was one of them — he has a key. As I told you, I’m sure he would have known if squatters had taken over the building. No, no, a gang of young hooligans is far more likely and I should not be able to recognise any of them.’
‘Just so, sir. All the same, I would like you to take a look at the body that was found. We need to get it identified.’
‘But how the hell can I identify a person who was entirely unknown to me?’
‘The body was found on your premises, sir. This is more like an elimination than an identification.’
‘Elimination? Oh, but, dammit, look here — !’
‘I’m afraid I must insist, sir.’
‘Is the body — well, is it, as it were, very badly — er — ?’
