“This about settles it, sir. That’s three people who heard the shot. We’ve got to find out now who fired it. This business of Mr. Redding’s has delayed us. But we’ve got several starting points. Thinking Mr. Redding was guilty, I didn’t bother to look into them. But that’s all changed now. And now one of the first things to do is look up that telephone call.”
“ Mrs. Price Ridley’s?”
The inspector grinned.
“No—though I suppose we’d better make a note of that or else we shall have the old girl bothering in here again. No, I meant that fake call that got the vicar out of the way.”
“Yes,” said Melchett, “that’s important.”
“And the next thing is to find out what everyone was doing that evening between six and seven. Everyone at Old Hall, I mean, and pretty well everyone in the village as well.”
I gave a sigh.
“What wonderful energy you have, Inspector Slack.”
“I believe in hard work. We’ll begin by just noting down your own movements, Mr. Clement.”
“Willingly. The telephone call came through about half-past five.”
“A man’s voice, or a woman’s?”
“A woman’s. At least is sounded like a woman’s. But of course I took it for granted it was Mrs. Abbott speaking.”
“You didn’t recognize it as being Mrs. Abbott’s?”