“On spell with his tribe,” replied Sawtell. “Abie was on hand, and Pedersen is confident of Abie. Anyway, the boong didn’t have much of a go because all around the house are cement paths, and a man could walk in from the street and amble around without once putting his feet on soft earth.”

“Abie reported nothing?”

“Nothing. Pointed to the cement and laughed.”

“Was he taken inside the house?” pressed Bony.

“No. Why?”

“With what are the floors covered?”

“Small mats here and there. The floors are linoleum-covered. There was one peculiarity, however. The electric power was turned off at the master switch which is on the outside wall of the house… at the front.”

“The house, has it been reoccupied?”

“No. Nothing much was touched in it by us or by the Perth men. We have the keys here.”

“Good!” This item definitely pleased Bonaparte. “The doctor seems certain that the same man killed both these women. There appears to be no connection between them, nothing to unite them on any point save that they were both widows.”

“Both still attractive widows.”

“And both had money.”

“Mrs. Cotton’s estate hasn’t yet been submitted for probate. It totals many thousands.”

“Who benefits?”

“The boy. He gets the lot save five hundred pounds left to Black Mark, who was made the boy’s guardian.”

“The barman sounds interesting. Tell me about him.”

“He’s been up here in the North-West all his life,” Sawtell obliged. “He’s been a drover, a gold prospector, a sea captain, a lugger owner, a diver, a hotel licensee, a storekeeper, and many other things. He’s black of hair and eyes, and he could strangle a big man with one hand almost… although he must be getting on for fifty. He owns property in Broome, and I wish I was as high as he is from the bread-line. Told Pedersen once that he wanted to settle down and where better to settle down than at Dampier’s Hotel? Said he must have something to do, and why not run a bar? Seems to have given Mrs. Cotton every satisfaction. He never married, and he seems to have taken charge of her and the boy. We have nothing against him. If it wasn’t for the say so of two identities who were in the bar that night and provided Black Mark with an alibi, I’d think seriously about him.”