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Page 51
He stood there, watching the dead man until the sound of
footsteps behind him gave warning of the return of Dick
Bewery, who, in another minute, hurried through the bushes,
followed by Mitchington. The boy stared in silence at the
still figure, but the inspector, after a hasty glance, turned
a horrified face on Bryce.
"Good Lord!" he gasped. "It's Collishaw!"
Bryce for the moment failed to comprehend this, and
Mitchington shook his head.
"Collishaw!" he repeated. "Collishaw, you know! The man I
told you about yesterday afternoon. The man that said--"
Mitchington suddenly checked himself, with a glance at Dick
Bewery.
"I remember--now," said Bryce. "The mason's labourer! So
--this is the man, eh? Well, Mitchington, he's dead!--I found
him dead, just now. I should say he'd been dead five to ten
minutes--not more. You'd better get help--and I'd like
another medical man to see him before he's removed."
Mitchington looked again at Dick.
"Perhaps you'd fetch Dr. Ransford, Mr--Richard?" he asked.
"He's nearest."
"Dr. Ransford's not at home," said Dick. "He went to
Highminster--some County Council business or other--at ten
this morning, and he won't be back until four--I happen to
know that. Shall I run for Dr. Coates?"
"If you wouldn't mind," said Mitchington, "and as it's close
by, drop in at the station again and tell the sergeant to come
here with a couple of men. I say!" he went on, when the boy
had hurried off, "this is a queer business, Dr. Bryce! What
do you think?"
"I think this," answered Bryce. "That man!--look at him!--a
strong, healthy-looking fellow, in the very prime of life--that
man has met his death by foul means. You take particular care
of those dinner things of his--the remains of his dinner,
every scrap--and of that tin bottle. That, especially. Take
all these things yourself, Mitchington, and lock them up
--they'll be wanted for examination."
Mitchington glanced at the simple matters which Bryce
indicated. And suddenly he turned a half-frightened glance on
his companion.
"You don't mean to say that--that you suspect he's been
poisoned?" he asked. "Good Lord, if that is so--"
"I don't think you'll find that there's much doubt about it,"
answered Bryce. "But that's a point that will soon be
settled. You'd better tell the Coroner at once, Mitchington,
and he'll issue a formal order to Dr. Coates to make a
post-mortem. And," he added significantly, "I shall be
surprised if it isn't as I say--poison!"
"If that's so," observed Mitchington, with a grim shake of his
head, "if that really is so, then I know what I shall think!
This!" he went on, pointing to the dead man, "this is--a sort
of sequel to the other affair. There's been something in what
the poor chap said--he did know something against somebody,
and that somebody's got to hear of it--and silenced him. But,
Lord, doctor, how can it have been done?"
"I can see how it can have been done, easy enough," said
Bryce. "This man has evidently been at work here, by himself,
all the morning. He of course brought his dinner with him.
He no doubt put his basket and his bottle down somewhere,
while he did his work. What easier than for some one to
approach through these trees and shrubs while the man's back
was turned, or he was busy round one of these corners, and put
some deadly poison into that bottle? Nothing!"
"Well," remarked Mitchington, "if that's so, it proves
something else--to my mind."
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