The track began to fall away round the bends until it came to flat country where grew bigger trees and the scrub was thick and verdant.

“A bit further on is where they found Ed Carlow’s van,” Mike said. “It’s where three tracks junction at an old logging stage.”

Bony recalled the details of the sketch map attached to the Official Summary of the Carlow Murder Investigation, but to pursue the subject taken up by this nonchalant young man, he asked:

“About a mile from Answerth’s Folly, isn’t it?”

“Yair. Three mile to Edison. Seventeen and a bit to Manton. Can’t get what Ed Carlow was doing with his van at the logging stage. There was nothing on it when old Mawson found it.”

“You have been to Answerth’s Folly, I suppose?”

“Usta sneak a bit of fishin’ in it with the other kids,” replied Mike. After a prolonged chuckle, he added: “Had to keep wide of Miss Mary Answerth, though. She wouldn’t haveno one inside their fences.”

“Ever go to the house?”

“No, never. Water all round it. Leastways, water all round the sorta island it’s built on. There’s a causeway to the island, but the water covers it now. You can wade over the causeway if you know where the holes in it are.”

“The Answerths use a boat, of course?”

“Yair. But they keeps it locked to a tree stump this side, and don’t never use it unless specially. Theywades over the causeway. Funny lot, them Answerths.”

Shortly after giving that information, Mike Falla drove his service car into a large clearing. On the far sidewas a car and a station wagon. Beside the car stood a man and a woman. Compared with the woman, the man was puny.

Chapter Two

The Misses Answerth

THEMANWASof average height, raw-boned, of sandy colouring. His mouth was large, his nose prominently bridged. The steady eyes were granite-grey.