Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie Page A

parked cars along the Common.”
    P.C. Hoskins was by this time an absolute specialist on the subject of sexual “goings-on.” They formed a large portion of his conversation when off duty and having his pint in the Bull and Bear. Bland said:
    “I don't think there was anything - well, of that kind. The doctor will tell us, of course, as soon as he's finished his examination.”
    “Yes, sir, that'll be up to him, that will. But what I say is, you never know with foreigners. Turn nasty, they can, all in a moment.”
    Inspector Bland sighed as he thought to himself that it was not quite as easy as that. It was all very well for Constable Hoskins to put the blame conveniently on “foreigners.” The door opened and the doctor walked in.
    “Done my bit,” he marked. “Shall they take her away now? The other outfits have packed up.”
    “Sergeant Cottrill will attend to that,” said Bland. “Well, Doc, what's the finding?”
    “Simple and straightforward as it can be,” said the doctor. “No complications. Garrotted with a piece of clothes line. Nothing could be simpler or easier to do. No struggle of any kind beforehand. I'd say the kid didn't know what was happening to her until it had happened.”
    “Any signs of assault?”
    “None. No assault, signs of rape, or interference of any kind.”
    “Not presumably a sexual crime, then?”
    “I wouldn't say so, no.” The doctor added, “I shouldn't say she'd been a particularly attractive girl.”
    “Was she fond of the boys?”
    Bland addressed this question to Constable Hoskins.
    “I wouldn't say they'd much use for her,” said Constable Hoskins, “though maybe she'd have liked it if they had.”
    “Maybe,” agreed Bland. His mind went back to the pile of comic papers in the boathouse and the idle scrawls on the margin. “Johnny goes with Kate,” “Georgie Porgie kisses hikers in the wood.” He thought there had been a little wishful thinking there. On the whole, though, it seemed unlikely that there was a sex angle to Marlene Tucker's death. Although, of course, one never knew... There were always those queer criminal individuals, men with a secret lust to kill, who specialised in immature female victims. One of these might be present in this part of the world during this holiday season. He almost believed that it must be so - for otherwise he could really see no reason for so pointless a crime. However, he thought, we're only at the beginning. I'd better see what all these people have to tell me.
    “What about time of death?” he asked.
    The doctor glanced over at the clock and his own watch.
    “Just after half-past five now,” he said. “say I saw her about twenty past five - she'd been dead about an hour. Roughly, that is to say. Put it between four o'clock and twenty to five. Let you know if there's anything more after the autopsy.” He added: “You'll get the proper report with the long words in due course. I'll be off now. I've got some patients to see.”
    He left the room and Inspector Bland asked Hoskins to fetch Miss Brewis. His spirits rose a little when Miss Brewis came into the room. Here, as he recognised at once, was efficiency. He would get clear answers to his questions, definite times and no muddle-headedness.
    “Mrs Tucker's in my sitting-room,” Miss Brewis said as she sat down. “I've broken the news to her and given her some tea. She's very upset, naturally. She wanted to see the body but I told her it was much better not. Mr Tucker gets off work at six o'clock and was coming to join his wife here. I told them to look out for him and bring him along when he arrives. The younger children are at the fкte still, and someone is keeping an eye on them.”
    “Excellent,” said Inspector Bland, with approval. “I think before I see Mrs Tucker I would like to hear what you and Lady Stubbs can tell me.”
    “I don't know where Lady Stubbs is,” said Miss Brewis acidly. “I rather imagine she got bored with the fкte and