Death at Hallows End by Leo Bruce Page B

trying to find out what has become of him,” Carolus explained.
    â€œBut whatever has that got to do with me, may I ask?” She was not hostile, but seemed genuinely puzzled.
    â€œNothing, I’m sure, but I thought I had better see everyone living up this lane.”
    â€œYou better come in to the fire, then. We can’t stand shivering out here in this cutting wind.”
    Carolus followed her into a lamplit kitchen where a coal fire burnt in the range. She told him to sit down and did so herself.
    â€œI don’t know why you should ask me,” she said. “I was too taken up with my husband’s dying to know anything about it.”
    â€œYour husband worked for Neasts?”
    â€œYes, for fifteen years. It was only when the new laws came in that they paid him properly, but then they couldn’t help it. He was all right in the last few years but his working stopped him from drawing his pension.”
    â€œHe died in hospital?”
    â€œYes. Cancer. He’d been feeling off for some time and I kept telling him, why don’t you go to the doctor, I said. When at last he did go it was too late. He had a lot of pain towards the end. I don’t like to think about it, really.”
    â€œWhich day did he die?”
    â€œOn the Wednesday and buried on Saturday afternoon. There was a lot turned out for it and I must say the wreaths was lovely. Reverend Whiskins, well, Father Whiskins he calls himself, did the burial service. They’d brought the body over from the hospital at Swanwick, you see.”
    â€œI understand you are putting a very fine memorial over his grave.”
    â€œWell, I like something with a bit of show to it and Mr. Neast has been very good about that, I must say. I thought to myself they could underpay him all those years, then want to make a lot of it when he’s gone. Still, I must say they’ve been very good about it.”
    â€œThey lost a relative of their own two days after your husband was buried,” Carolus remarked.
    â€œYes. I heard about that.”
    â€œYou never saw the gentleman?”
    â€œNo. According to what I hear he only came to the farm a few days before he died, and never went out so far as anyone saw. They only had the doctor to him after he was gone, so they tell me. It seems funny, doesn’t it?”
    Carolus thought that if he heard the word “funny” misused again he would throw up the case. It was beginning to haunt him.
    â€œDo you remember last Monday afternoon, Mrs. Rudd? That was the day on which my friend set out for Hallows End and disappeared.”
    â€œNot specially, I don’t. It was a nice afternoon, if that’s what you mean.”
    â€œDid you go out?”
    â€œNot to say out, I didn’t. I fed my chickens and shut them up about five o’clock, I should say, then I was busy looking at the cards from the funeral.”
    â€œWhen you were out of doors, did you hear anything unusual?”
    â€œGoodness me, whatever do you mean?”
    â€œFrom the farm or anywhere?”
    â€œI shouldn’t have heard anything from the farm, not if they were all murdering one another. It’s too far away. Besides, there was no one there. Mr. Stonegate went home early that day because he wasn’t well, and the Neasts was over at the market at Cashford.”
    â€œYou don’t know what time they came back?”
    â€œWell, they’re usually back by about five, but of course I can’t say to the minute. I didn’t see or hear anything of them that evening but then I wouldn’t, would I?”
    â€œAnd since then? Have you noticed anything unusual?”
    â€œNot to say unusual I haven’t. But there’s one man I don’t like the look of, that’s the one they call Darkin who came with the Neasts’ uncle. Him I don’t like the look of at all.”
    â€œI wonder why?”
    â€œWell, why doesn’t he go away now the old