Agatha Raisin and The Walkers of Dembley

Three

Jessica sat moodily on the end of the bed on Monday evening and said to her lover, Jeffrey Benson, who was propped up against the pillows, "I don't know what came over that little twit, Deborah. Or the rest of you, for that matter."

Jeffrey scratched his hairy chest. "Come on, Jessica. I'm all for fighting nasty landowners, but when one of the breed is civil enough to send us a decent letter and issue an invitation to tea, then I'm prepared to meet him halfway. And if you plan on clumping over his precious field, then you can bloody well go alone."

"I didn't think you would let me down like this, after all we've been to each other."

"Don't use emotional blackmail on me, Jessica. You were the one who said that all we had going for each other was sex. The trouble with you feminists is that your idea of equality is to adopt the nastier characteristics of the men you despise. Maybe I should take up with Deborah. She's showing some good old-fashioned female characteristics."

An ugly light came into Jessica's eyes. "You'd better watch your mouth, Jeffrey dear. I mean, don't you think MI5 might be interested in that couple of Irishmen you gave house room to two years ago?"

A wary look shone in his eyes. "How do you know about that? You weren't here."

"You got blind drunk after Alice's party and bragged about it. I mean, that would be around the time that IRA bomb went off in the High Street and killed a child."

"It was nothing to do with them. They were just friends of friends who wanted a bed. They only stayed two nights."

"Oh, but in your cups you mumbled away about striking a blow for the freedom of Ireland." She threw her head back and laughed, an irritatingly stagy laugh.

He plunged across the bed and seized her by the throat. He was a powerful man. One brown eye which had a slight cast gave him a sinister look when he was angry. "You dare to tell anyone about those Irishmen and I'll kill you. We're finished. Get your stuff and get out, by the morning."

Jessica struck at his hands. Her eyes flashed. "I'm not frightened of you."

He sat back on the bed on his heels, a powerful naked figure.

"Oh, but you should be, Jessica. You should be."

That was Monday evening.

"It's good of you to put me up," said Jessica, looking around Deborah's small flat. "I don't know what came over Jeffrey. But that's men for you."

"Well, he has a point," said Deborah. "Why must you insist on going through with it?"

"Because Sir Charles stands for everything we are against. Privilege, unfair wealth, keeping people from enjoying the countryside. Oh, let's not argue." She smiled slowly down into Deborah's eyes. "Let's go to bed. I feel like an early night."

"All right," sighed Deborah. "I'll make us some coffee first. Put your stuff in the bedroom."

As Jessica walked through to the bedroom, the phone rang. Deborah picked up the receiver.

"Hello there," came the voice of Sir Charles Fraith. "Look, there's a showing of Citizen Kane at the Art Cinema tomorrow night. Feel like seeing it with me and having a bit of supper afterwards?"

"Love to," said Deborah, clutching the phone hard and marvelling that there was someone still left on the planet who hadn't seen Citizen Kane.

"Give me your address and I'll pick you up."

Deborah looked nervously towards the bedroom. "No, I'll meet you there. What time?"

"Begins at seven thirty. Meet you outside at quarter past."

"Yes, thank you."

"See you then. Bye."

Deborah walked into the bedroom, a mulish look on her normally weak face. "I think I'll sleep on the sofa," she said to Jessica. "And I like my space. You can only stay here the one night."

Jessica looked at her, feeling a hot burst of rage. What had happened to all her acolytes? "Who was that on the phone?" she demanded.

"Just a friend," said Deborah. "I do have friends other than you, you know."

"I'll bet it was Jeffrey"

Deborah remained silent, with the set stubbornness of the weak and frightened stamped on her face.

"So it was Jeffrey," said Jessica. "Well, before you get the hots for that oaf, just think what he would say if he knew you had sex with me that evening he was away at the teachers' conference in Birmingham."

"You wouldn't," shouted Deborah, not giving a damn what Jeffrey would think, but terrified that any such gossip would get around and might reach the ears of Sir Charles, her mind so distorted by fear that she did not pause to think it highly unlikely any part of her world would cross that of Sir Charles Fraith.

"Oh, I would, I would."

"Get out in the morning!" screamed Deborah, beside herself with fear and hatred. "I never want to see you again."

That was Tuesday.

Happy and quite drunk, Kelvin Hamilton lay in bed and watched Jessica strip. He had hardly been able to believe his luck when she had arrived on his doorstep with her two suitcases, claiming to have always fancied him. Past insults were forgotten. He was not surprised that she did not wear a bra and had breasts that were quite magnificent. This, he thought, was going to be a night to remember. When she removed her jeans and he saw she was wearing men's Y-fronts, he felt a sudden sharp diminution of lust.

She climbed into bed and he proceeded to try to make love to her, but nothing happened. After he seemed to have been thrashing around on top of her for some time, Jessica said in a disgusted voice, "Oh, for heaven's sake, Kelvin, give up. You've got distiller's droop. Go to sleep."

The contempt in her voice sobered him. Soon she was gently snoring. He lay with the tears rolling down his cheeks. He thought he would die of sheer humiliation. He wanted her dead. He woke her up and began to shout.

That was Wednesday night.

Jessica was determined to find free lodgings. She called at the Copper Kettle, but Peter and Terry squeaked nervously like bats and backed away from her. "Haven't an inch to spare, sweetie," said Terry. "Must rush. Lots of customers." So Jessica went round to Alice Dewhurst's, to the flat she shared with Gemma Queen.

"I'm all for helping one of the sisterhood," boomed Alice, "but as you can see, we really haven't room for anyone else. Have you tried the Y?"

And so Jessica moved in with Mary Trapp, whom she secretly despised, and only found comfort in the fact that Mary slavishly adored her. Mary even said she would go with her on the walk across that field of Sir Charles Fraith's on Saturday.

But on the Friday, Mary complained of stomach pains. Then she disappeared to the bathroom, from which sickening retching noises could soon be heard.

"It's your own fault," said Jessica unsympathetically. "You will buy junk from the health shops and overeat, thinking it's all right because it comes from a health shop. Honestly, you are a pill."

"Leave me alone," said Mary.

"At least you should be fit enough to come with me tomorrow," said Jessica.

Mary hunched a shoulder. "I won't."

So on Saturday, wearing a large pair of studded boots, a short denim skirt and sleeveless blouse, and with a militant gleam in her eye, Jessica Tartinck set out alone.

On the following Monday, Jeffrey approached Deborah in the staff-room. "How's Jessica getting on?"

"I don't know," said Deborah. "I haven't seen her. I believe she moved in with Mary"

"I'm meeting the others for lunch in the Grapes," said Jeffrey, meaning the ramblers. "We'll ask her then."

But when they were all settled over their beer and sandwiches in the Grapes, it was to learn from Mary that Jessica had set out on her walk across Sir Charles's estate and had not returned.

"He probably sent her off with a flea in her ear and she blames all of us," commented Jeffrey. "You know she likes to sulk."

"She's a bitch," said Kelvin moodily.

"That's not true!" Mary looked outraged. "What's happened to all of you? You should be ashamed of yourselves."

"Why didn't you go with her, Mary?" asked Alice.

"I was too ill," said Mary. "Food poisoning."

"I'm a teensy bit worried." Peter looked around the group with wide eyes. "The poor thing came to the Copper Kettle looking for a bed from us. Did you throw her out, Jeffrey?"

"Yes," he said curtly. "What happened with you, Deborah? Didn't she try you?"

"I've got a small flat, as you know, and only one bed," said Deborah. "I could only give her one night's lodgings."

"I said we should have put her up," whispered Gemma.

Alice's eyes flashed with jealousy. "Now, we're not going to have a row about that again."

"So what should I do?" asked Mary. "Call the police?"

"We don't want to have anything to do with the filth," said Jeffrey, and there was a general murmur of agreement. "I'll ask Jones if he's heard anything from her." Mrs Jones was the head teacher.

"I've already done that," said Deborah. "I asked this morning. She hasn't phoned in sick or anything."

"Then maybe you'd better ask your friend, Sir Charles, if he saw her on Saturday," suggested Jeffrey, looking at Deborah.

"No friend of mine," muttered Deborah. She had not told the others of her date with Sir Charles. She had enjoyed her evening, although, in her case, seeing Citizen Kane for the umpteenth time and then being entertained to supper in a Burger King had not seemed like an upper-class evening out. But Sir Charles had been easy company, although he had not suggested seeing her again. She longed to phone him. Now, surely, she had an excuse to do so.

"I could phone him up," she offered.

"Knowing Jessica," tittered Peter, "she could already be shacked up with him."

"I'll ring," said Deborah.

She went over to the public phone in the corner. Gustav answered. She breathlessly asked for Sir Charles.

"Sir Charles is not at home," said Gustav.

"Oh, I wondered if you had seen anything of my friend, Miss Jessica Tartinck?"

"No."

And then, somewhere in the regions of the house behind Gustav, Deborah distinctly heard Sir Charles calling, "Who is it, Gustav?"

"No one," called back Gustav and put the phone down.

Deborah stared at the receiver in baffled fury. Then she slowly replaced it. Pride stopped her from telling the others she had been snubbed by a servant.

"No, he hasn't heard anything," she said.

Jeffrey looked at her in surprise. "But didn't one of his keepers or gardeners see her?"

"No," said Deborah, head bent.

"Now what do we do?" demanded Alice.

"We're not in the pages of a Gothic romance," said Jeffrey. "I mean, if you're thinking she's in the deepest dungeon of Barfield House in chains, forget it."

"It may have nothing to do with Sir Charles," said Gemma. "All sorts of awful things happen to women these days."

"Wimmin like Jessica mug folks, they don't get mugged themselves," said Kelvin.

It was at last agreed to leave the matter for another couple of days. A few more drinks and they all began to feel confident that Jessica was staying away to get even with them for having stood up to her.

But two more days passed, and the Dembley Walkers met in the school.

No Jessica. It was Jeffrey who addressed the group. "I think we should all get together after work tomorrow and go out there and see if we can find any sign of her."

"No need for that," said Mary Trapp. "I'm convinced she is staying away to punish and frighten us."

"An' I say, whit do we pay taxes for?" demanded Kelvin truculently. "Call the cops."

"No," retorted Jeffrey fiercely. "Let's see what we can do ourselves first."

It was a clear warm evening when they all met up again. Ill-assorted as they were, Jeffrey could not help thinking how relaxed and happy they all were without Jessica around. She had dominated them so much. He mentally pulled himself up. He was already thinking of her in the past tense. They marched out of Dembley in the golden evening. When they reached Sir Charles's estate, Jeffrey unfurled a large Ordnance Survey map of the Pathfinder series and with one grubby fingernail outlined the route.

A silence fell on the group. Without the militant Jessica heading them, none could get away from an uneasy feeling of trespass. The evening was very still and quiet. They carefully shut farm gates behind them. Jessica would have left them open. Soon they reached the field of oil-seed rape blazing golden in the westering sunlight.

"Look!" said Jeffrey, stopping at the edge of the field. Jessica, they assumed it must have been Jessica, had certainly marched right into the field, trampling and stamping down the flowers.

"She must have jumped her way along to do this damage," said Alice, quite awed.

They fell into single file, Jeffrey at the head, and followed the track. Over the trees at the far end of the field rose the bulk of Barfield House.

"The track stops here," said Jeffrey. "Was she burying something?"

They all gathered around and looked down at the mound of earth and torn yellow flowers.

Kelvin edged forward and scraped at the earth with one large foot. A little cascade of loose earth fell from the mound and there, sticking out, was a booted foot and a white leg, a white hairy leg. Jessica never shaved her legs.

"Oh, God," shrieked Alice. She knelt down and scrabbled at the earth with her fingers. Gradually Jessica's body was exposed. Her earth-soiled face stared sightlessly up to the calm evening sky.

Deborah turned away and was violently sick, Gemma began to weep, and Mary Trapp fainted, falling over the dead body in a grotesque embrace.

Kelvin pulled her away. "We've done enough. Get the police. Don't you daft pillocks see? Someone's murdered her."

It was quickly discovered, once Jessica's body had been turned over, that someone had struck her a vicious blow on the back of the head with a spade, striking down with the edge, and then had made an ineffectual attempt to bury her. Bill Wong, waiting patiently by the tent which now covered Jessica's body for one of his superiors to give him instructions, had a fleeting thought that it was odd that Agatha should return from London to take up rambling and now here was a rambling murder. The lights placed on the field round the tent blazed into the darkness. An owl hooted from the trees. A rising wind rustled the oil-seed-rape blossoms, bleached white by the lights.

Detective Chief Inspector Wilkes came up to him. "They're all at the house, are they?"

Bill nodded.

"We'd better start questioning them. We've learned all we can at the moment. She was struck violently from behind."

"Must have been a pretty powerful man."

"No, a woman could have done it. One good swing. It was a heavy spade."

"So who would have a spade to hand?"

"That's what we've got to find out. Too early for fingerprints yet. And it's been raining since the murder, if she set out last Saturday, as she threatened to do."

"Think Sir Charles lost his rag and biffed her?"

"We'll get a better idea of what sort of man he is after we speak to him. I hear the bane of your life is back in Carsely"

"My friend Agatha?" Bill grinned. "I wonder what she'll make of this."

Wilkes shuddered. "Don't even tell her."

Gustav greeted them at the door. "I have put the persons you wish to question in the ballroom."

"We would like a word with Sir Charles first, if we may?"

Gustav inclined his head. "Come this way." His formal manner suddenly dropped. "And don't take all night over it." He looked over their shoulders. "What is it, Parsons?"

The policeman turned round. A tall thin man with a broken shotgun in the crook of his arm stood there.

"I have shut the gates, Gustav," said Parsons. "But the press are trying to get to the house."

"Then shoot them," said Gustav patiently. "This way, gentlemen." He held open the door of Sir Charles's study. Wilkes hesitated a moment, obviously wondering if that order to shoot the press was to be taken seriously, and then decided it wasn't.

He introduced himself and Bill Wong.

Sir Charles sat behind a large leather-topped desk. He folded his hands neatly on top of it, and surveyed them with bright interest.

"Now, Sir Charles," said Wilkes. "Just a few questions. The dead body in your field is that of a member of a rambling group called the Dembley Walkers. We believe she was killed last Saturday, possibly around the middle of the afternoon. That was the time she intended to be walking across your land. Did you see her?"

"No."

"Where were you last Saturday?"

"In London. I have a flat in Westminster."

"Address?"

He gave it to them.

"Did anyone see you?"

"Gustav drove me up and my aunt, Mrs Tassy, came with us."

"We will be having a word with both Gustav and Mrs Tassy"

"You can speak to Gustav for as long as you like. But must you speak to my aunt? She is lying down at the moment. All this has been a great shock to her."

"Perhaps tomorrow. But we must speak to her. Tell us what you know of the Dembley Walkers."

"Not much," said Sir Charles. "Here's a letter Miss Tartinck wrote to me and here's a copy of the letter I sent in return."

They studied both. Wilkes said, "So with such a charming invitation, why was Miss Tartinck alone, do you think?"

"Oh, I can tell you that. I took one of the girls from the ramblers out to the cinema. Citizen Kane. Jolly good film. Have you seen it?"

"Many times," said Wilkes.

"Anyway, she said that the rest didn't like this Jessica's militant attitude and told her to go by herself."

"So you knew she was coming?"

"Yes, but I had friends to see in London and so I decided to make myself scarce."

"The name of these friends?"

"The Hasseltons. But I didn't get around to seeing them. It was a wet day and I decided to stay in my flat and watch television."

"So you really have no witness to the fact that you were in London?"

"But I told you, my aunt and Gustav."

"We would have liked a witness less close to you."

"Meaning they would lie for me? That's a bit naughty."

"We'll speak to you again, if we may, Sir Charles," said Wilkes, getting to his feet.

"Must you? Don't be all night, will you?"

"Where would the murderer have found that spade?"

"I don't really know. I suggest you talk to my land agent, Mr Temple. He lives in Dembley." Sir Charles scribbled on a piece of paper. "That's his address and phone number."

Wilkes took it. "Where are these ramblers?"

"I think Gustav's put them in the ballroom."

"Why there?" asked Wilkes curiously.

"I suppose because we hardly ever use it."

Wilkes turned in the doorway. "Which one of the ramblers was it you took out?"

"Nice little thing called Deborah Camden."

Gustav was waiting outside the door. He led the way across the vast expanse of the hall, down a corridor at the end and threw open a door. The ballroom was oak-panelled like the rest of the house. In a little island of chairs, which had been unshrouded from their covers for the occasion, sat the ramblers. A great Waterford chandelier blazed overhead. In the musicians' gallery overlooking the ballroom sat one policeman, and another stood guard beside the door.

Wilkes turned to Gustav. "I would like to question them one at a time. Is there somewhere we could use?"

Gustav hesitated and then said, "Come with me, sir."

He opened a door next to the ballroom. "Used to leave cloaks here in the old days," he said. "Good enough?"

Wilkes looked round. There were a few hard chairs, a long mirror along one wall, and nothing else except a black and empty fireplace.

"I suppose this will do. Send Deborah Camden in first."

"I have to attend to Sir Charles," said Gustav. "Get her yourself."

"I used to dream that one day I would be rich," said Bill Wong after Gustav had left, "and have servants. A short experience of Gustav is enough to persuade me that robots would be preferable."

"May as well get started instead of discussing the servant problem. Get Deborah in."

When Deborah came in, Wilkes studied her closely. She was very pale. A shy, insignificant little thing, he thought, amazed that Sir Charles should even consider dating her.

"This is just an initial interview, Miss Camden," he said. "We will need you to call at the police station tomorrow, where we will take an official statement. What were you doing last Saturday afternoon?"

"I went shopping in Dembley"

"And would any of the shop assistants remember you?"

"I shouldn't think so. I was window-shopping. A teacher's pay doesn't go very far."

"How is it you know Sir Charles?"

"I was sent out to check the right of way but I didn't want to be accused of trespass, so I called at the house. Sir Charles gave me tea, took my phone number, and then asked me out."

"We'll return to Sir Charles in a moment. What do you know of Jessica Tartinck?"

Deborah's eyes filled with tears. "I wish I hadn't quarrelled with her," she said shakily.

"Was the quarrel about the right of way?"

Deborah nodded dumbly.

"It's a sad business, but try to compose yourself. Tell us what you know of Jessica's background."

In a faltering voice, Deborah outlined what she knew. She knew Jessica had been with the anti-nuclear women protesters on Greenham Common when it had been a missile base. She had been arrested on a couple of occasions for cutting the wire. She had been vague about the posts in teaching she had held before she came to Deinbley. No, no, they hadn't been close. Jessica had been living with Jeffrey Benson but he had thrown her out.

"Why?"

"The same reason that the rest of us got angry with her. She liked finding out rights of way that quite often the landowner didn't even know he had, and then making trouble. It was exciting for a bit, but I suppose we were all getting a bit tired of her bossing us around," said Deborah. "I'm only speculating, of course. I wasn't there when Jessica had the row with Jeffrey"

Deborah visibly grew more at ease as the questioning continued. She said that although Jessica seemed to have annoyed them all in one way or another, she could not think of anyone actually hating Jessica enough to kill her. "But I think I know who did," she ended triumphantly.

"Who?" demanded Wilkes.

"Gustav, that servant. He's weird and I think he could be violent."

"We'll be checking on him. We expect to see you at the central police headquarters in Mircester tomorrow to make a statement, Miss Camden. See the policeman at the door of the ballroom before you leave and he will give you a time to call on us. And send in Jeffrey Benson."

Bill Wong studied Jeffrey when he entered. Something was tugging at the back of his mind. He felt the police had been interested in Jeffrey before. Jeffrey Benson was a big, powerful man with receding hair tied back in a pony-tail.

He was warned it was a preliminary interview and then asked about his relations with Jessica Tartinck.

"We were lovers," said Jeffrey. "I suppose you want the old-fashioned term."

Being well aware of what the new-fashioned description would be, Wilkes pressed on.

"We'd like you to begin at the beginning and tell us how it came about that Miss Tartinck went out walking along the old right of way on her own."

For one who did not like the police, Jeffrey appeared, surprisingly, an ideal witness. He described everything from the beginning, then Jessica's speech trying to rally them all, then how they had had a row, although he omitted any mention of Irishmen, simply saying he was tired of 'bossy women'. "There was no real affection between us," he said. "She wanted what I'd got and I gave it to her." Like Deborah, he had no alibi for the Saturday afternoon. He had done a few chores at home. Maybe he had gone to the Grapes. He couldn't really remember.

The next to be interviewed was Kelvin Hamilton. When asked if Jessica had applied to him for a place to stay, he said, "Of course not. I had no time for that lassie's bullying ways and she knew it." Kelvin thought furiously. He had not said anything to anyone of Jessica's visit. Had he? Then he thought with a sinking heart that the police might interview his neighbours, would probably interview his neighbours, and might find out about the visit and the subsequent row. The walls between the flats were thin and Jessica had shouted a few choice insults at him on her road out. But he dare not tell them he had been lying. "I think you'll find it was Deborah Camden," he blustered.

"Why would that be?" asked Wilkes.

"Because she was so carried away wi' the idea o' being friendly wi' an aristo, och, you wouldnae think we was living in the twentieth century."

"And you think that would be enough motive to kill a woman for simply walking across a field?"

"It's the wee quiet ones you have tae watch."

They then took Kelvin through when he had first met Jessica, what he knew of her, what he judged her relationship with Jeffrey to have been, and where he had been last Saturday, before letting him go, wiping the look of relief off his face by saying they would see him at police headquarters in Mircester the following day.

"Another one without an alibi for Saturday," said Wilkes.

The next was Alice Dewhurst. She wanted to be jointly interviewed with Gemma Queen and it took several minutes of argument to persuade her that they had to be seen separately.

Alice sat down sulkily after Gemma had been led away. "So," said Wilkes after Bill had taken down particulars of Alice's address, age and job, "what can you tell us about Jessica Tartinck?"

She heaved her great bottom uneasily on the small hard chair. "I dunno. Seemed to have all the right ideas, but too pushy even for a dedicated feminist. I mean, it's the men you're supposed to push around, not the women."

Wilkes found this rather a mad piece of reasoning but he let it go.

Instead he said, "Did any of you know Jessica Tartinck before she came to Dembley?"

"No," said Alice. Something flickered at the back of her eyes. Bill Wong had an uneasy feeling she was lying.

"You will appreciate, Miss Dewhurst, that some of these questions may seem random, but it is important to establish what sort of person Miss Tartinck was. Miss Tartinck's family is in Milton Keynes, I believe she has a mother and sister living there, and they are being informed of her death. But she was killed here, and so we must try to find out why someone hated her enough to kill her."

"It's all very simple," said Alice in heavy patronizing tones. "Sir Charles or one of his minions on this estate lost their temper with her and struck her with a spade."

Wilkes reflected wryly that this reasoning seemed quite logical, as no one had made any attempts on Jessica's life before her solitary ramble, or none that they yet knew of. So they questioned Alice about Jessica, her interests, her friendships, and were left with a feeling that Alice had been jealous of Jessica and had not really liked her.

Alice said she had been at home with Gemma the previous Saturday. They had watched a video on television and had not gone out at all.

Gemma Queen, who was next, backed this alibi in a shy voice. She seemed to Wilkes to be typical of a certain type of unambitious shopgirl, the kind who should have been giggling about boyfriends with other shop-girls and not getting tied up with the tetchy and angry ramblers. Asked about Jessica, Gemma had nothing but praise and admiration for the dead woman.

"Did you share her militant views towards landowners?" asked Wilkes.

"Beg pardon?"

"Did you dislike landowners as much as Miss Tartinck?"

"You'll need to ask Alice."

"Miss Queen! Don't you have any views of your own?"

"I dunno. To tell the truth, I don't know half what they're talking about. But Jessica was all right. Real attractive. She took me to the ballet once." Gemma suddenly giggled. "Alice was furious."

Wilkes decided he wasn't going to get anything much out of Gemma that was useful. Besides, she would be interviewed again the following day. By that time they would know a lot more about the characters in the case.

Peter Hatfield and Terry Brice appeared refreshingly gossipy in comparison to the others. Both had been working on Saturday afternoon and appeared to be the only ones with cast-iron alibis. Although they were interviewed separately, their stories were much the same. Their motive in joining the walkers on their outings was because neither of them wanted to get 'too fat'. Yes, they usually took Saturday afternoon off, but this Saturday, when the restaurant was closed between three and seven, they had volunteered to stay on to set up the tables for the evening. Their stories were so alike that Wilkes was sure they had rehearsed them carefully while waiting in the ballroom. Although the one alibied the other, it did cross his mind that one of them could have left the restaurant, gone out to the estate in a car, murdered Jessica, and returned.

After them, he turned to Bill Wong, stretched and yawned, and said, "Now, for Gustav."

But there was an interruption. A policeman who had been on guard outside the house came in and said, "Excuse me, sir, but one of the farm labourers is here. I think you should listen to him. His name is Noakes, Joe Noakes."

"Send him in."

A large, burly man with a bad-tempered-looking face came in. He said he was Joseph Noakes and worked on the home farm for Mr Dyke, who ran it for the estate.

"And what have you got to tell us?"

"I seen Sir Charles and that dead woman."

Wilkes tensed.

"Go on. When?"

"Last Satterday, it were. Her was scraping and jumping her way across the rape field. Sir Charles met her."

"Where? Which part of the field? The middle, where the body was found?"

"No, t'war a bit towards the far side o' the field from the house."

"Could you hear what he was saying?"

"No, I war over in t'other field. But he was waving his fists at her. Then he turned away and walked back towards the house."

"And she was still alive?"

"Yerse," admitted Mr Noakes with obvious reluctance.

"And then what happened?"

"I went away, didn't I, and saw nothing else."

"Wait outside," said Wilkes. "We'll be taking you down to the station."

When the door closed, he turned to Bill Wong.

"And we'll be taking Sir Charles as well. I think we've found our murderer."