The Crozier Pharaohs

‘I did it with the best of intentions.’

‘One so often does.’

‘It’s about that Watersmeet business. I know it was murder. I know what the murder weapon was and where it is.’

‘Have you told the police?’

‘No. They will be so angry with me that I am quite alarmed at the thought. I believe they could put me in prison for withholding evidence and concealing a murder weapon.’

‘No doubt you had a reason for what you did. You spoke of good intentions.’

‘Oh, yes, of course I had a reason. I thought Susan had done it. She found Sekhmet and the body. I thought perhaps she had seen the man kicking Sekhmet or something of that sort, and had attacked him with a sharp piece of flint. I found it — or, rather, one of the dogs did.’ Bryony proceeded to tell the story of how curiosity had taken her to Watersmeet and of the hole in the bank which had interested the hound.

Dame Beatrice listened and did not interrupt. At the end of Bryony’s confession she said, ‘So why do you now think that Susan is innocent?’

‘Oh, because whoever killed that man at Watersmeet must be the valley murderer. That stands to reason. Susan has an alibi for the whole evening on which Goodfellow was murdered. She was here for supper and we had it later than usual. She spent the rest of the evening at the Crozier Arms. She told us she did and I was mean enough to check. Regrettably, in a way, she got very drunk and the poacher Adams took her home and put her to bed. He seemed to think it was a good joke. I checked again, because it seemed very necessary in view of my previous suspicions, and it seems they made so much noise that they disturbed her neighbours, so there are witnesses.’

‘Susan has now told me where she was at the time of the Watersmeet death, too, and I believe her. I am sure that Susan is not a murderess. I have almost enough evidence to convict the same person of both the crimes.’

‘I suppose I mustn’t ask.’

‘Better not. I should not answer you at this juncture. We had better go and find the Watersmeet weapon, don’t you think? If it was a sharp piece of flint, it should be identifiable among the other stones in the river.’

‘The police will be so angry with me,’ repeated Bryony unhappily.

‘Then let me bear the brunt. Laura and I will go to Watersmeet and retrieve this talisman and bear our sheaves rejoicing to the Axehead police station.’

‘You will have to involve me, of course.’

‘Not unless you are a murderess,’ said Dame Beatrice, with a grim cackle, ‘but, if you were, you would hardly have come to me with this somewhat belated confession.’

‘Remorse might have overtaken me.’

‘Well, it has, but only because you now know that your suspicions of Susan were unjustified, although, to my mind, they were reasonable enough. I shall not involve you with the police if I can help it. After all, the piece of flint can hardly of itself identify the guilty party.’

‘Would the running water have washed away fingerprints?’

‘Yours and those of the murderer? As neither of you is likely to have had your fingerprints taken by the police, the question is immaterial at present.’

‘Do you know who the murderer is, then?’

‘I think I do, but actual proof is missing.’

‘Will he or she murder anybody else?’

‘Myself, perhaps, but that has been my occupational hazard for so many years that I have ceased to regard it as important.’

‘If I may be permitted the question,’ said Laura, ‘why did you tell Bryony that we wanted to borrow Sekhmet and take her to Watersmeet with us? You don’t suppose she will dash into the stream and retrieve this piece of flint, do you?’

‘It is merely to check a statement. We have been told that the dog will go along with anybody who speaks kindly to her. I am relying on you to find out whether that is correct. Furthermore, I trust that you will go prepared to wade into the river and attempt to locate this piece of flint.’

‘Don’t you think the murderer may have gone there and located it and removed it?’

‘No. According to Bryony’s story, it had been hidden in a hole in the riverside bank. He or she — I refer to the guilty party — may have gone back with the intention of retrieving the piece of flint, but would have found it had disappeared from where it had been hidden. I doubt whether it would have occurred to him to look for it in the river. In any case, I doubt whether he will have gone back for it yet. He will let time pass and the story die down.’

‘But by that time there won’t be any point in finding it. It could no longer be dangerous to him.’

Dame Beatrice hummed the air of Among My Souvenirs. Laura looked hopefully at her, but received no satisfaction. She said, harking back to a previous subject, ‘And supposing Sekhmet won’t be cajoled into coming with me?’

‘Then we were given unproven information, for the dog did know the person who led her away that morning.’

Laura tried again.

‘Why didn’t the murderer chuck the piece of flint into the river instead of hiding it in a hole? Did he think the police might search the riverbed and find it?’

‘I think not. I think he wanted to be sure that he himself could find it again when, as I said, all the local interest in the death had died down and he could safely retrieve it.’