“Don’t be shy, young man. There have been four murders in this town, if you count poor Theo Hartle. I have a woman who comes and cleans for me, and another who brings my evening meal. We gossip.”

He was sure they did.

“Have you seen anything else from your window? Strangers who come to Eastfield in the night but who aren’t to be found during the day?”

“There was a man, before the killings began—perhaps a week before. It was dark when he came walking up the Hastings Road. I couldn’t see him clearly enough to identify him. He was moving without haste, like a sightseer taking in the view. I thought it was odd, even so, but I decided he was looking for work and trying to determine whether he stood a better chance here or in Hastings. I expect he chose Hastings, because I never saw him again.”

He said, taking a chance, “Did you know Daniel Pierce well enough to say with any certainty that the man wasn’t Pierce?”

Her eyebrows rose. “Danny Pierce? Do you think he’s come home? Or considered it?”

“I don’t know. You must tell me.”

She gave that some thought. “I can’t see Danny slinking through Eastfield in the dark. He’d come striding in. There are those who would be happy to see him, if he did.”

“Then who else could that man have been?”

“If I come up with a name, I’ll tell you,” she promised. “Meanwhile, there’s Constable Walker standing by your motorcar, wondering where you might have got to.”

Rutledge rose and glanced out the window. And he had a perfectly clear view of the constable, framed as neatly as a photograph for Mrs. Sanders’s pleasure.

He thanked her and left, closing the house door behind him. As he started across the street, Constable Walker called testily, “I wondered where you went. I was about to try the hotel.” He waited until Rutledge had reached him and added, “What did you learn about those discs? I hope it was worthwhile. I’ve had to put up with enough abuse while you were away.”

“The Yorkshire corporal had never had discs. The Welsh sapper found that his were still in his trunk, where he expected them to be. There was no time to move on to Cheshire, but I’m beginning to think we need to take a closer look at those discs we have.”

“You’re saying there’s no feud between companies?”

“The two men I questioned had never heard of our victims. But they knew Daniel Pierce by hearsay. He was a colorful man, apparently.”

Walker frowned. “Mr. Pierce—his father—won’t be pleased with that news.”