Chapter 22 Chapter 21

The venue for the interrogation was set at the corn market.The coroner, Monsieur Fimarche, was a small, fussy man with spectacles who knew his own importance very well. Beside him sat Inspector Spence, a tall, foreign-looking man with a black beard, who sat in an unobtrusive position.The Cloades: Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Cloade, Mr. and Mrs. Linier Cloade, Rowley Cloade, Mrs. Marchmont, and Mr. and Mrs. Suzy all came.Major Porter sat alone, seemingly bewildered and fidgeting.David and Rosalind were the last to arrive, and sat aside. The coroner cleared his throat, looked at the jury of nine local dignitaries, and proceeded.

Inspector Peacock... Constable Fann... Dr. Linier Cloade... "You were treating a patient at the Stringer Hotel when Gretty Atkin came to you. What did she say?" "She told me that the guest in room five was lying dead on the floor." "So you go to room five?" "yes." "Can you describe what you found?" Dr. Cloade described it: the corpse of a man... face down... wounded in the back of the head... pokers. The fatal injury was caused by the aforementioned poker? " "Part of it undoubtedly is." "How many times did the murderer hit?"

"Yes. I didn't double check because I thought it was best not to move or touch the body until the police arrived." "You did the right thing. Is that person dead?" "Yes, dead for hours." "How long do you think?" "I'm not sure. Eleven hours at least . . . maybe thirteen or fourteen hours—let's say between seven-thirty and ten-thirty the night before." "Thank you, Dr. Cloade." Then it was the forensic doctor's turn, and he described the wounds in detail: the chin was scratched and swollen, and the back of the head was knocked five or six times, some of which were even intentionally added after the death of the deceased.

"Extreme brutality?" "exactly." "Did it take a lot of strength to cause those injuries?" "No...no, not necessary. Just grab the pincer part of the poker and swing it without much effort. The heavy steel ball on the poker head is a terrible weapon. If you are emotionally excited, even a delicate person can cause such injuries.” "Thank you, doctor." Then came the details of the dead body: well nourished, healthy, about forty-five years old, no signs of disease - heart, lungs, etc. were in very good condition. Beatrice Lippincourt attested to the time of the deceased's arrival at the hotel, registered as Enoch Arden, from Cape Town.

"Did the deceased show you the ration card?" "No, sir." "Did you ask him to show you?" "Not at first, because I don't know how long he's going to be staying?" "But then you asked him for it?" "Yes, sir. He arrived on Friday, and on Saturday I told him to show me his ration card if he planned to stay longer than five days." "How did he say?" "He said he would give it to me." "But not in fact?" "No." "He didn't say he lost it or didn't have it at all?"

"Oh, no. He just said, 'I'll find it for you.'" "Miss Lippincott, did you overhear a conversation on Saturday night?" Beatrice Lippincott went to great lengths to explain why she was in Room Four before telling her story.The coroner guided her with tact from time to time. "Thank you. Have you mentioned this to anyone?" "Yes, I told Mr. Rowley Cloade." "Why did you tell Mr. Cloade?" "I think he should know," Beatrice replied, blushing. A tall man (Mr. Gaisong) stood up and demanded questions. "Did the deceased actually identify himself as Robert Underhay when he spoke to David Hunter?"

"No...no, he didn't say that." "The fact that he referred to 'Rob Underhay' as if Robert Underhay was someone else at all?" "Yes, it is." "Thank you, Mr. Autopsy, that's all I want to know." Beatrix Lihucourt sat down and passed on to Rowley Cloade. He confirmed that Beatrice had told him about the conversation, and how he had met the dead man. "He finally said to Huo: 'I don't think you can prove that without my cooperation.' By 'that' he meant that Robert Underhay was still alive?" "He said so, yes. And he laughed."

"He smiled, didn't he? What do you think he meant?" "Oh... I thought he was just asking for an offer, but then I thought..." "Mr. Cloade—it doesn't matter what you thought afterward. May we say that after that meeting you managed to find someone who knew Robert Underhay? Then with some help you succeeded? " Rowley nodded. "yes." "What time did you leave the dead?" "As far as I remember, it was five minutes to nine." "How do you judge the time?" "As I was walking down the street, I heard a window of a family's house open. There was a chime sounding the nine o'clock news."

"Did the deceased say when another guest would arrive?" "He said 'anytime'." "He didn't mention his name?" "No." "David Hunter." When the tall, lanky young man stood in front of the coroner with a challenging expression, the residents of Wensley Village all looked up at him, and there was a slight murmur among the crowd. The coroner's office quickly asked for the necessary preface, and then went on: "Saturday night, did you see the dead?" "Yes, I received a letter from him asking for help, and the letter also said that he knew my brother-in-law when he was in Africa."

"Have you brought the letter?" "No, I never keep letters." "You just heard Miss Beatrice Lihucourt explain that she heard what you were talking to the dead man. Is what she said true?" "Not at all. The deceased mentioned knowing my late brother-in-law, complained about his own bad luck, and asked me to help him financially, which he believed he would be able to afford in the future." "Did he say that Robert Underhay was alive?" David smiled slightly. "Of course not. He said: 'If Robert was alive, he would help me.'"

"That's nothing like what Beatrix Lippincott said." "An eavesdropper," says David, "often only hears bits and pieces, and then tries to embellish them so much that they often get the whole thing wrong." Beatrice shouted angrily: "Nonsense, I didn't..." The coroner said in a dignified tone: "Please keep quiet." "Well, Mr. Hunter, Tuesday night, did you go to see the dead again—" "No." "You heard Rowley. Mr. Cloade said that the dead man was expecting a visitor?" "Perhaps he did expect a visitor, but it wasn't me. I've given him five quid, which should have been enough, and besides, he had no way of proving that he really knew Robert Underhay. My sister has not since inherited her husband's estate." After the large inheritance, there were a lot of people writing to ask her for help, and she became the target of every parasite around here." He glanced silently at the Cloade family. "Mr Hunter, can you tell us where you were on Tuesday night?" "Look it up!" David said. "Mr. Hunt!" said the coroner, thumping the table vigorously. "What a fool you are!" "Why should I tell you where I am and what I do? Anyway, before you accuse me of murdering that man, there is still enough time for you to investigate." "If you persist in that attitude, we'll just charge you early. Do you recognize this, Mr. Hunt." David leaned forward, holding the gold lighter in his hand.Seeming confused, he handed the lighter back to the coroner and said slowly, "Yes, it's mine." "When was the last time you used it?" "I lost my lighter—" He paused. "Go on, Mr Hunter," said the coroner's voice. Ge Song fidgeted, as if he wanted to say something, but David spoke before him. "Friday...it was Friday morning, and I haven't read it since then." Mr. Gaisson stood up. "Permit me to speak, Mr. Coroner. Mr. Hunt, you went to see the dead man on Saturday night. Wasn't it then forgotten there?" "Possibly," said David slowly, "but I don't really remember seeing it after Friday—" he added, "where did I find it?" "At a later date, you may sit down, Mr Hunter," said the coroner. David walked back to his place slowly, lowered his head and talked softly with Rosalyn Cloade. "Major Porter." Major Porter stood up hesitantly.He stood upright, like a soldier on the march.Only the movement of licking his lips lightly revealed that he was actually very nervous. "Are you George Douglas Potter, who used to serve in the Royal African Rifles?" "yes." "How well do you know Robert Underhay?" Major Porter called out many times and places in a counting voice. "Have you seen the dead body?" "seen it already." "Do you recognize who it is?" "I recognize it. It's Robert Underhay." There was an excited hum around the courtroom. "Are you absolutely sure, without any doubt?" "yes." "It's absolutely impossible to get it wrong?" "impossible." "Thank you, Major Potter. Mrs. Gordon Cloade." Rosaleen stood up, and as she passed Major Potter he stared at her curiously, but she did not look at him. "Mrs Cloade, the police took you to see the dead body, didn't they?" She shuddered. "yes." "You said you didn't know that person at all?" "yes." "Major Porter expressed his opinion just now, do you need to retract or amend your words?" "No need to." "You still vehemently deny that the deceased was your husband, Robert Underhay?" "That's not my husband's body, I've never seen that man in my life." "Now, Mrs. Cloade, Major Porter has recognized the deceased with certainty as his friend Robert Underhay." Rosalin said expressionlessly: "I was mistaken by the special major." Mrs. Cloade, this court does not require oaths, but you may soon be in another court where oaths are required.When the time comes, are you ready to swear that the deceased is not your husband, but a complete stranger? " "I'm really ready to swear that the deceased was not my husband, but a strange man." Her voice was clear and steady, and her eyes did not blink when they met the coroner. He murmured, "You can sit down now." Then he took off his pince-nez and addressed the jury. There was little doubt that a jury would have to determine the cause of death.It couldn't have been an accident or suicide, and it couldn't have been manslaughter, so there was only one verdict - premeditated murder.The identity of the deceased has yet to be ascertained. The jury had heard from an honest and trustworthy witness that the deceased was indeed his friend Robert Underhay.On the other hand, the fact that Robert Underhay died of fever has been confirmed by the local authorities without any doubt.But Robert Underhay's widow, who is now Mrs. Gordon Cloade, told the exact opposite of Major Porter, and she said that the deceased was definitely not Robert Underhay.These two statements are polar opposites.In addition to the question of the identity of the deceased, the jury will also have to decide whether there is any evidence sufficient to identify the murderer.They may think that the evidence points to a certain person, but before a case can be decided, many other pieces of evidence are needed—the motive for the murder, the timing of the murder.Someone must have seen the suspect nearby at the appropriate time.Without this evidence, the jury could at best convict of "intentional murder by unknown perpetrator."In this way, the police will have to do the necessary investigation again.He then ordered the jury to go down to consider the verdict. The jury spent a total of three quarters of an hour. Their sentence was to charge David Hunt with attempted murder.