corners of the carpets lifted. I couldn’t stay in there. I rushed out. Went upstairs. The scene was the same. All his clothes taken out of the wardrobe and thrown on the floor. Drawers had been pulled out and the contents tipped on to the floor. Pictures thrown in a pile.’
Angel rubbed his chin. ‘Sounds as if the intruder was looking for something, Norma. Had the vicar anything of value?’
Her eyes grew big. ‘In a vicarage?’ She shook her head. ‘If he had, I never saw it.’
‘To your knowledge, did the vicar have anybody call on him over the past few days? I am thinking in particular of anybody unsavoury, who might wish to harm him?’
‘All sorts of people called there, Inspector. Mostly by appointment , so they’ll be in his diary, on his desk. But he also had a steady flow of men on hard times. Sometimes women, who came for a handout.’
‘Do you remember any particularly difficult person calling, or anyone who you might think would want to do him any harm?’
‘Oh no. Mr Smart was the nicest and most gentle of men. But of course there were the down and outs,’ she said. ‘Hardly a day went by without a knock on the door. It was usually a man who looked a bit grubby, needed a shave, sometimes smelled of beer or something worse. Couldn’t look me in the face. He would look down or to one side and say, “I want to see the vicar.” If the vicar was in, I’d ask him to wait a moment. Then I would tell the vicar there’s a “man of the road” to see him. The vicar would always come out in good humour. Sometimes he would deal with the man at the door. Chat with him several minutes, then put his hand in his pocket, give him something and then he would leave. Other times, the vicar would lead him into his study. And they might be together twenty minutes or more.’
‘And would the “man of the road” leave happily?’
She hesitated. ‘I think so. I didn’t always see them go. Depended what I was doing.’
‘The vicar gave them money?’
‘Oh yes. And probably said a prayer and gave them a blessing. And in some cases, probably counselling. Not that they necessarily took any notice of him.’
Angel nodded. He squeezed the lobe of his ear between finger and thumb. He was looking for a murderer. Casual callers had been known to be guilty of murder and robbery. He needed to be sensitive to the possibility that the murder might have been spontaneous, committed by a man who saw something he wanted and the vicar was an obstacle in his way, preventing him from getting it.
‘Can you recall the “men of the road” who called during the past week or so, Norma?’
‘I don’t know any actual names.’
‘Tell me what you know.’
‘Well, there is a big, ugly Irishman in a navy blue duffle coat. The vicar used to refer to him simply as “Irish John”. He came only yesterday morning. The vicar took him into his study. They were there twenty minutes or so.’
‘Did the vicar keep a record of such a visit?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘And where did he keep the money he handed out?’
‘In his pocket, I believe. We are not talking big sums, Inspector.’
Angel understood that and nodded in agreement. ‘Anybody else who called during the past week or so?’
‘There was a young man who had a crutch. He came last Friday morning. He’s been many times before. He used to limp up the path. He also had bandages on one hand. I think the crutch and bandages were just for show. He had very fair hair and for a man, a lot of it. I recall the vicar once referring to him as “Blondie”.’
‘Blondie,’ Angel said, nodding several times. ‘And you’d recognize him if you saw him again?’
‘Certainly would.’
‘Anybody else?’
‘There’s a man who used to say that he wanted to see the priest to make a confession. Now he comes almost every week. I have heard the vicar call him Peter.’
‘Peter,’ Angel said thoughtfully and leaned back in his chair. ‘Do you think you’d be
Angel rubbed his chin. ‘Sounds as if the intruder was looking for something, Norma. Had the vicar anything of value?’
Her eyes grew big. ‘In a vicarage?’ She shook her head. ‘If he had, I never saw it.’
‘To your knowledge, did the vicar have anybody call on him over the past few days? I am thinking in particular of anybody unsavoury, who might wish to harm him?’
‘All sorts of people called there, Inspector. Mostly by appointment , so they’ll be in his diary, on his desk. But he also had a steady flow of men on hard times. Sometimes women, who came for a handout.’
‘Do you remember any particularly difficult person calling, or anyone who you might think would want to do him any harm?’
‘Oh no. Mr Smart was the nicest and most gentle of men. But of course there were the down and outs,’ she said. ‘Hardly a day went by without a knock on the door. It was usually a man who looked a bit grubby, needed a shave, sometimes smelled of beer or something worse. Couldn’t look me in the face. He would look down or to one side and say, “I want to see the vicar.” If the vicar was in, I’d ask him to wait a moment. Then I would tell the vicar there’s a “man of the road” to see him. The vicar would always come out in good humour. Sometimes he would deal with the man at the door. Chat with him several minutes, then put his hand in his pocket, give him something and then he would leave. Other times, the vicar would lead him into his study. And they might be together twenty minutes or more.’
‘And would the “man of the road” leave happily?’
She hesitated. ‘I think so. I didn’t always see them go. Depended what I was doing.’
‘The vicar gave them money?’
‘Oh yes. And probably said a prayer and gave them a blessing. And in some cases, probably counselling. Not that they necessarily took any notice of him.’
Angel nodded. He squeezed the lobe of his ear between finger and thumb. He was looking for a murderer. Casual callers had been known to be guilty of murder and robbery. He needed to be sensitive to the possibility that the murder might have been spontaneous, committed by a man who saw something he wanted and the vicar was an obstacle in his way, preventing him from getting it.
‘Can you recall the “men of the road” who called during the past week or so, Norma?’
‘I don’t know any actual names.’
‘Tell me what you know.’
‘Well, there is a big, ugly Irishman in a navy blue duffle coat. The vicar used to refer to him simply as “Irish John”. He came only yesterday morning. The vicar took him into his study. They were there twenty minutes or so.’
‘Did the vicar keep a record of such a visit?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘And where did he keep the money he handed out?’
‘In his pocket, I believe. We are not talking big sums, Inspector.’
Angel understood that and nodded in agreement. ‘Anybody else who called during the past week or so?’
‘There was a young man who had a crutch. He came last Friday morning. He’s been many times before. He used to limp up the path. He also had bandages on one hand. I think the crutch and bandages were just for show. He had very fair hair and for a man, a lot of it. I recall the vicar once referring to him as “Blondie”.’
‘Blondie,’ Angel said, nodding several times. ‘And you’d recognize him if you saw him again?’
‘Certainly would.’
‘Anybody else?’
‘There’s a man who used to say that he wanted to see the priest to make a confession. Now he comes almost every week. I have heard the vicar call him Peter.’
‘Peter,’ Angel said thoughtfully and leaned back in his chair. ‘Do you think you’d be
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