"Yes - yes, he did."

"Thank you, Mr Coroner, that was all I wanted to get clear."

Beatrice Lippincott stood down and Rowley Cloade was called.

He confirmed that Beatrice had repeated the story to him and then gave his account of his interview with the deceased.

"His last words to you were, 'I don't think you'll prove that without my cooperation?' 'That' - being the fact that Robert Underhay was still alive."

"That's what he said, yes. And he laughed."

"He laughed, did he? What did you take those words to mean?"

"Well - I just thought he was trying to get me to make him an offer, but afterwards I got thinking -"

"Yes, Mr Cloade - but what you thought afterwards is hardly relevant. Shall we put it that as a result of that interview you set about trying to find some person who was acquainted with the late Robert Underhay?

And that, with certain help, you were successful."

Rowley nodded.

"That's right."

"What time was it when you left the deceased?"

"As nearly as I can tell it was five minutes to nine."

"What made you fix on that time?"

"As I went along the street I heard the nine o'clock chimes through an open window."

"Did the deceased mention at what time he was expecting this client?"

"He said 'At any minute.'"

"He did not mention any name?"

"No."

"David Hunter!"

There was just a faint soft buzz as the inhabitants of Warmsley Vale craned their necks to look at the tall thin bitter-looking young man who stood defiantly facing the coroner.

The preliminaries went rapidly. The coroner continued:

"You went to see the deceased on Saturday evening?"

"Yes. I received a letter from him asking for assistance and stating he had known my sister's first husband in Africa."

"You have got that letter?"

"No, I don't keep letters."

"You have heard the account given by Beatrice Lippincott of your conversation with the deceased. Is that a true account?"

"Quite untrue. The deceased spoke of knowing my late brother-in-law, complained of his own bad luck and of having come down in the world, and begged for some financial assistance which, as is usual, he was quite confident of being able to repay."

"Did he tell you that Robert Underhay was still alive?"

David smiled:

"Certainly not. He said, 'If Robert were still alive I know he would help me.'"

"That is quite different from what Beatrice Lippincott tells us."

"Eavesdroppers," said David, "usually hear only a portion of what goes on and frequently get the whole thing wrong owing to supplying the missing details from their own fertile imaginations."

Beatrice flounced angrily and exclaimed, "Well, I never -"

The coroner said repressively, "Silence, please."

"Now Mr Hunter, did you visit the deceased again on the night of Tuesday -"

"No, I did not."

"You have heard Mr Rowley Cloade say that the deceased expected a visitor?"