The stationmaster at Market Longer remembered Celia’s arrival on the late, or rather the very early, train, and it seemed well within the bounds of probability that she had been unable to procure a conveyance from the station to the house. To check Clive’s movements after he had left the garage where his bicycle had been put up proved to be impossible. By careful checking of times, however, the inspector satisfied himself that either the story of the puncture was true or else it had been so carefully thought out that to detect flaws in it would be a matter of great difficulty. He inclined strongly to the belief that it was entirely true. His next important task was to attempt to ascertain exactly what had happened to Anthony after he had left Kost. The most careful questioning, however, failed to produce the required information, and the inspector was forced to the conclusion that, the murderer excepted, no one had seen Anthony alive after about five minutes past nine on the fatal evening.
