The Case with Nine Solutions

round the corner.

The tourniquet was obviously intended to mislead us, or it would never have been left beside the body. The Heatherfield tourniquet was a makeshift thing which indicated no one in particular; this new one, with its pressure-tubing and banjo-string, seems constructed specially as evidence. The tubing suggests the Croft-Thornton chemical work; the banjo-string points to Silverdale, since I learned from Ringwood that Silverdale was a banjo-player. Both these points would be familiar to Markfield.

The laboratory coat was apparently left on its peg every night after work was done. It was therefore accessible to anyone in the Croft-Thornton, after Silverdale had gone for the day. Markfield could have procured it, if necessary, and returned it when his work with it was over. If the Whalley murder was committed in some secluded spot⁠—say inside a house⁠—the murderer would hardly have left a clue, like this button and shred of cloth, in his victim’s hand, since he would have plenty of time to search the body at leisure. As things are, it looks like a manufactured clue, especially since the shred of cloth is so characteristic.

Silverdale again has no alibi; but neither has Markfield, since his housekeeper was away nursing a relative. We shall need to wait for further evidence.

Written after the raid on Avice Deepcar’s house

Flamborough has arrested Silverdale. Perhaps it’s a sound move, though not from his point of view. I hope it will bring things to a crisis, and that we may be able to fish something out of the disturbed waters.

One point is already established: Silverdale had nothing to do with this raid on Miss Deepcar’s house.

The raider must have been a man. Miss Deepcar herself could not have impersonated me well enough to deceive her own maid. Miss Hailsham has a girl’s figure and could hardly have posed as myself. The shape of her face, and especially her mouth, would make that impossible. No other woman that we know about is sufficiently mixed up in the business to make it worth while to run a risk like that.

Markfield, according to Ringwood’s evidence, used to go in for amateur theatricals. Further, Markfield knew⁠—for he told me so at the Croft-Thornton⁠—that Miss Deepcar was out of town on the night of the raid on her house, so if he was the raider, he could be sure that he wouldn’t have to meet her and run the risk of meeting (a) a person who knew him when undisguised; and (b) a person who knew my appearance well enough.

What was he after? Letters, evidently. And again this limits the circle, since the raider must be someone who has knowledge of the relations between Silverdale and Miss Deepcar.

Miss Deepcar’s evidence gives Silverdale a complete alibi for the time of the bungalow murder. On the other hand, they may both have been mixed up in it; in which case her evidence carries no weight. But the Heatherfield affair seems the key to the whole business, and Silverdale had no motive for that murder, even assuming he wanted to destroy the draft of his wife’s new will. On the face of it, Miss Deepcar’s evidence seems sound and clears Silverdale.

Written after the receipt of the photographs

Curious how people will never let well alone. If this fellow “Justice” had been content to stay out of the case, we’d have had a much stiffer job. Now at last he’s let us see what side he’s on⁠—anti-Silverdale definitely.

The photographs are obvious fakes if one examines them carefully. Their only importance is as a guide to the identity of “Justice.”

They limit the circle still further, since the production of them implies the use of a good microphotographic camera; and the Croft-Thornton Institute has more than one of these.

Points which seem to tell against Markfield:

1. He was intimate with Mrs. Silverdale shortly after she came here.

2. He was near Heatherfield on the night of the murder.

3. He knew the maid was alone in Heatherfield except for her sick companion.

4. He could easily have obtained possession of Silverdale’s cigarette-holder.

5. Owing to his housekeeper’s absence, he could move about freely with no check on the times when he left his house or returned to it.

6. He was out at the Research Station on the Lizardbridge Road early in the evening on the night of the bungalow affair.

7. The evidence he gave us, for all his pretence of reluctance, was directed against Silverdale.

8. He was well acquainted with all the arrangements of the Croft-Thornton Institute.

9. Owing to his earlier association with Mrs. Silverdale, he had access to specimens of her writing.

10. His car’s number, GX.9074, was known to Whalley, who made inquiries about it with reference to the night of the murders.

11. He knew that Silverdale had a banjo.

12. He had access to Silverdale’s laboratory coat.

13. He knew of the relations between Silverdale and Miss Deepcar.

14. He knew that Miss Deepcar would be out of town on the night when the raid was made on her house.

15. He was a good amateur actor.

16. He had access to a microphotographic camera.

These are established facts. Make the assumption that his earlier association with Mrs. Silverdale was a guilty and not an innocent one, and see where that leads. It suggests the following:

1. That they took special care to conceal their intimacy, since Silverdale would have been glad of a divorce.

2. That they themselves did not wish for a divorce, possibly for financial reasons.

3. That Hassendean was utilised as a shield for the real intrigue, without understanding that he was serving this purpose.

4. That he took the bit in his teeth and resorted to hyoscine to gain his ends.

5. That Markfield, on his way home from the Research Station that night, caught a glimpse of Hassendean driving Mrs. Silverdale out to the bungalow, and became suspicious.

6. That he followed them and the tragedy ensued.

7. That after the tragedy, Markfield realised the danger of his love-letters to Mrs. Silverdale which were in her room at Heatherfield.

8. That the Heatherfield murder followed as a sequel to this.

Finally, there is the inscription in the ring which Mrs. Silverdale wore. Markfield has no initial B in his