‘All that stuff about birds,’ said the Chief Constable thoughtfully. ‘Never known such a chap for birds – and other wild things, too. And he does know a fair amount about this affair. Do you think a little bird told him?’

‘Nothing could be more likely. But it is extremely doubtful whether the same or any other little bird will tell us!’

‘Will you tell me something? – What about young Emming?’

‘Oh, Emming typed the anonymous letters, that’s certain. And Emming knew that his mother wrote the earlier ones. He must have been the person who posted the one that came to Jonathan about Deborah.’

‘Couldn’t that have been Tiny Fullalove?’

‘Well, yes, it might have been. Did you search Emming’s lodgings, though, for a typewriter? – And with that I must be going.’

‘No, you don’t. You’re coming indoors again. I want to hear more about all this.’

CHAPTER 17

Point-to-Point

‘Behold him (priests) and though he stink of sweat

Disdain him not.’

George Gascoigne

‘Do go on,’ said the Chief Constable, when they were settled in his study in front of the fire. He looked lovingly at his pipe. ‘And don’t hurry. If I stir from this room I shall be expected to dispense tea to the Women’s Union. I don’t know how it is, but the parsons seem to have shed quite a few of their social duties since the war. Wiping Emming off the slate for the moment we are left with …’

‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,’ said Mrs Bradley. ‘In other words, with Mr Obury, Mr Mansell and the ghost of Parson Pile.’

‘Say on. This promises well.’

‘It fulfils its promise. Figure to yourself last Christmas Eve.’

‘Filled a bran-tub for my nephew’s kids. Nearly set the house on fire trying out the candles on the Christmas tree. Gave a tramp half-a-crown instead of setting the dogs on him. Was rung up about a burglary at Cirencester.’

‘Nothing of which affects my narrative. At the manor house we entertained two guests. They were not, properly speaking, my nephew’s guests, but were the friends of the Fullaloves. We put them up because the bungalow is small. Before midnight they went out for a walk …’

‘In heaven’s name, why? The night was as black as pitch!’

‘One went to see badgers, the other to debunk ghosts.’

‘And …?’

‘I don’t think there were any badgers, but there definitely was a ghost.’

‘Another of these balloon things?’

‘Oh, you heard about that, did you? Well, I wasn’t there, but that may have been what it was.’

‘But what was the aim and object?’

‘It is impossible to say with any certainty.’

‘But they put the thing up again, later. That beastly balloon thing, I mean.’