Last Bus To Woodstock

are question papers about.'

'You mean you leave your doors open and let anybody just walk in and help himself to your booze or your books — or your typewriter?'

'No, it's not like that. But quite a few of the Fellows do drop in.'

'Who in particular, would you say?'

'Well, there's a new young don here this term, Melhuish, for example. He's been in quite a few times recently.'

'And?'

'And a dozen others.' He sounded a little uneasy.

'Have you ever seen any of these er friends of yours using your typewriter?'

'Well, no. I don't think I have.' They'd use their own, wouldn't they?'

'Yes. I suppose they would.'

'Not much 'suppose' about it, is there, sir?' said Morse.

'No.'

'You've no idea then?'

'I'm not being very helpful, I know. But I've no idea at all.'

Morse abruptly switched his questioning. 'Did you know Mrs. Crowther?'

'Yes'

'You've heard about her?'

'Yes,' said Newlove quietly.

'And Bernard Crowther?' Newlove nodded. 'I understand he's one of your best friends?' Again Newlove nodded. 'I've been to his room this morning, sir. If you want to put it crudely I've been snooping around. But you see, I often have to snoop around. I take no particular delight in it.'

'I understand,' said Newlove.

'I wonder if you do understand, sir.' There was a clipped impatience in his voice now. 'He often drops in to see you, is that right?'

'Quite often.'

'And do you think he'd come to you if he wanted anything?'

'You mean rather than to somebody else?'

'Yes.'

'He'd come to me.'

'Did you know that his typewriter can't even cope with a comma?'

'No, I didn't,' lied Newlove.

After dropping Morse at Lonsdale College, Lewis had his own duties to perform. For the life of him he couldn't understand the point of this particular errand, but Morse had said it was of vital importance. Something had galvanized the Inspector into new life. But it wasn't the gay, rumbustious Morse of the early days of the case. Something grim had come over him and Lewis found him a little frightening sometimes. He only hoped they got no more letters upon which Morse could practise his misdirected ingenuity.

He pulled the official police car into the small yard of the Summertown Health Centre, situated on the corner of the Banbury Road and Marston Ferry Road. It was a finely built, large, red-stone structure with steps up to a white porch before the front door — one of the many beautiful large houses built by the well-to-do along the Banbury Road in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Lewis was expected and had only a minute or so to wait before being shown into the consulting room of the senior partner.

'That's the lot, Sergeant.' Dr. Green handed over a file to Lewis.

'Are you sure it's all here, sir? Inspector Morse was very anxious for me to get everything.'

Dr. Green was silent for a moment. 'The only thing that's not there is. . is er any record that we had er may have had about any er conversation we er may have had with Miss Kaye about her er private sex life. You understand, I know, Sergeant, that there are er there is the ethical side of er the er confidential nature of the er doctor's relationship with the er patient.'

'You mean she was on the pill, doctor.' Lewis stepped boldly with his policeman's boots where the angelic Green had so delicately feared to tread.

'Er. . I er didn't say that, did I, Sergeant? I er said that we er it is er improper yes improper to er betray to betray the confidences that we er we er hear in the consulting room.'

'Would you have told us if she wasn't on the pill?' asked Lewis innocently.

'Now that's er a very difficult er question. You er we er you er you are putting words into my er mouth a bit aren't you, Sergeant? All I'm saying is er. .'

Lewis wondered what the senior partner would say to a patient who had malignant cancer. It would be, he was sure, a most protracted er interview. He thanked the good doctor and left as quickly as he could, although he was half-way down the porch steps before he finally shook off the er persistent Green. He'd have to tell his wife about er Doctor Green.

As they had agreed, Lewis picked up Morse outside Lonsdale College at one o'clock. He told the Inspector