“I thought you might be. Alice Corrigan was found strangled in Caesar’s Grove on Blackridge Heath—not ten miles from Marley Copse where Nellie Parsons was found—and both those places are within twelve miles of Whiteridge where Mr. Lane was vicar.”

Poirot said:

“Tell me more about the death of Alice Corrigan.”

Colgate said:

“The Surrey police didn’t at first connect her death with that of Nellie Parsons. That’s because they’d pitched on the husband as the guilty party. Don’t quite know why except that he was a bit of what the Press calls a ‘mystery man’—not much known about him—who he was or where he came from. She’d married him against her people’s wishes, she’d a bit of money of her own—and she’d insured her life in his favour—all that was enough to raise suspicion, as I think you’ll agree, sir?”

Poirot nodded.