The Crozier Pharaohs

Because of her need to confide in somebody, Bryony gave in.

‘Morpeth,’ she said, ‘I think I found the stone which killed that man Susan found in the river. At least, I myself didn’t find it. One of the hounds did.’

‘But where? You couldn’t know that’s what it was if you found it in the river.’

‘I didn’t find it in the river. I only put it there after I had winkled it out of a hole in the bank.’

‘What bank?’

Having committed herself thus far, Bryony came out with the whole story. She concluded it by saying, ‘Well, I hauled Anubis away from the hole and found this stone with the rusty stains. I didn’t see how rust could get on to a stone, so I wetted it and rubbed it with my handkerchief. It came off a dirty red colour. Oh, Morpeth, I’m sure it was blood.’

‘Well, you had better tell the police. They can make tests. It probably wasn’t blood at all. We know the man had a head wound. You simply put two and two together. Anybody else would have done the same. Not to worry. If you planted the stone in the river, it’s probably washed clean by this time. The river was tumbling down quite fast, I suppose. All the same, you may find it a bit embarrassing when you tell the police what you did. I can see why you feel troubled.’

‘I have no intention of telling them anything. Neither must you.’

‘But if you think that man was attacked — ’

‘Look, there are three reasons for keeping our mouths shut. First, I might be in dead trouble for destroying evidence of a crime. Second, the last thing we want is to upset the fortunate verdict at the inquest.’

‘Fortunate?’

‘Of course. Any moderately intelligent person would see that there was something distinctly odd, to say the least, about that piece of cloth being cut — cut, not torn — out of the trousers.’

‘Oh, I don’t know. People do the most extraordinary things to their clothes.’

‘Third, and most important, we have to protect Susan.’

‘Good gracious! You don’t really think Susan attacked the man, do you? I know we did wonder, but when we were sure it was not Ozymandias — ’

‘But we’re not sure. We never saw the body. Whoever it was, if Susan found him ill- treating Sekhmet after he stole her, or if he kicked one of the hounds she had taken with her, I would not go bail for anything Susan might do. Have you forgotten how she collared and thrashed the butcher’s boy when he got Nephthys in the ribs with a half-brick? She’s as strong as a horse and doesn’t give a damn for anybody. I wouldn’t put anything past her if she was in a rage.’

‘She would never go so far as murder.’

‘Intentionally, perhaps not, although I wouldn’t take my oath on that either. She is capable of extreme violence. All the same, I don’t forget that the doctors didn’t say the head wound killed the man. Actually it was brought in as accidental death by drowning. I think it more than likely that the man annoyed Susan, that she attacked him with this sharp piece of stone, that she then attempted to hide it in this hole in the bank, that she then realised that he was unconscious, so de-trousered him and chucked the trousers to Fret to keep her occupied, and then dumped the man in the river, perhaps with the idea that the cold water would revive him.’

‘Oh, Bryony, she couldn’t have done! I’ll never believe it. Besides, why would she chop a bit out of the trousers? She wouldn’t have had any scissors, for one thing.’

‘See here, Morpeth. The man is dead. Nothing can bring him back to life. We must let the matter rest. Do you really want to have another inquest and another verdict, and police and the press and crowds of morbid sightseers swarming all over the place?’

‘No, of course I don’t. All right, then, I’ll keep absolutely quiet about what you’ve told me. All the same, innocent blood, you know, cries from the ground for vengeance. We are told so.’

‘This wasn’t innocent blood. He was attempting to steal one of our dogs.’

‘Well, if you suspect Susan as you say you do — ’

‘Suspicion is not proof. I don’t propose to accuse her of anything. I simply want things left exactly as they are and the verdict given at the inquest to stand. I don’t want this business stirred up again.’

‘All I was going to say is that, if you think as you do, we must get rid of Susan. We can’t possibly keep her here.’

‘And blow the lid off the whole thing? I refuse to think of Susan as a murderess, although she may have been an agent of death, as I believe she was. Anyway, we can’t do without her. You know that, as well as I do. She manages the hounds far better than you and I can. Besides, I am going only on suspicion and surmise, and that is very wrong of me. There isn’t an atom of proof against her. We must remember that.’

‘But we may be shielding another murderer, not Susan at all.’

‘We must take our chance of it, I’m afraid.’

6

The Poacher’s Story

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I’ve got another of those nutters outside, sir,’ said the desk sergeant to Police Inspector Burfield. ‘Name of Adams.’

‘Not somebody else who wants to tell us he knows who murdered that man we took out of the river?’