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Constable Davis and I were the first to be on the scene of the crime. Colonel Townsend's body lay on the ground. He wore a light coat and no hat; I noticed spots of blood on his gray hair. Dr. Sutton had been informed, of course, and shortly after we had arrived, he drove up. He said that Colonel Townsend was killed eight or ten hours ago. He said it seemed that a blunt, heavy instrument was hitten over the head from behind. Death had to be immediate. Looking around the scene of the crime Constable Davis found a brown leather glove next to the body. On the road nearby I found the victim's wallet. Completely empty.
In the afternoon I went to Mrs Townsend to ask her some questions about her husband and what she had done at the time when her husband was murdered. I also asked her about her or his enemies. She did not answer my question. I was surprised to learn that Mrs Townsend was only about 37 years old and very attractive because her husband was least 60 or even older. She wore a black skirt and blouse, and was very pale, but there was no emotion in her voice. She told me that she had last seen her husband the night before he went to the chess club. The Colonel had the habit of playing chess every Thursday evening which was quite well-known in Great Stapleton as it turned out later. Normally he returned home between half past ten and eleven o'clock. That night she went to bed at about ten . She did not realise until breakfast that her husband was missing. She identified the wallet as her husband's. Then I showed her the glove which we found next to the body. She shook her head. She had never seem it before.
After this interview I went to the chess club. I asked Miss Thorne and Miss Graham a few questions about the Colonel and his death. Miss Thorne told me that the Colonel left the chess club at about half past ten with Mr Beedie, the vicar, because they often played together on Thursday evenings. After having thanked the two ladies I went back along the High Street to Mr Beedie's place. He was a tall man of about 55. The vicar thought that it was right what the two old ladies had told me. When I took my coat from the hall-stand I saw a glove. Mr Beedie informed me that he had lost the other one somewhere yesterday afternoon. I showed him the glove which we found next to the body and he identified it as his own. I asked him if he had killed Mr Townsend but he shook his head and said no. I believed him. He told me where he could have lost the glove. Then Mrs Evans, the vicar's housekeeper came and told me that it was true what Mr Beedie had said.
So it looked as if the vicar was telling the truth. But who could have
put the glove behind the body? One thing seemed certain: the murderer had
used the empty wallet as a blind and had done his best to make the chase
more confusing by leaving the vicar's glove beside the body. What a devilish
mind!
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