"No, I hadn't heard. Are you sure he was murdered?"

"He was shot through the chest, you see," said Mr. Amberley gently. "Seated at the wheel of an Austin Seven."

"I see," Shirley said.

Mr. Corkran was puzzled. "Yes, he was. But how the devil did you know all that?"

"I found him," said Mr. Amberley.

He created a sensation; only the dark girl at his side betrayed neither surprise nor incredulity. There was something rather tense in the way she held herself, but her eyes, travelling from Joan's shocked face to Felicity's eager one, were indifferent to the point of boredom.

"I thought," said Mr. Amberley, interrupting the fire of questions, "that you might as well know now as later."

"Oh, did you?" said Felicity witheringly. "Go on, tell us how it happened!"

He threw her a mocking glance. "I'm reserving my evidence for the inquest, loved one."

Shirley Brown stiffened slightly. She said, as though jesting: "The whole truth and nothing but the truth, in fact."

" I see you know all about the procedure," said Mr. Amberley.

She gave him back look for look, but said nothing. The two dogs, who had been snarling softly all the time, created a diversion by attempting to lunge suddenly at each other's throats. Shirley twisted the bull-terrier's leash round her hand and stepped back. "I mustn't wait any longer," she said. "I have some shopping to do. Goodbye."

Joan watched her walk away down the street. "What a queer sort of a girl!" she remarked.

"Oh, I don't know! Rather nice, I thought," said Felicity. "Look here, we can't stand here for ever. I've got to go to Thompson's and Crewett's. Come with me? Frank, for God's sake hold on to Wolf. I shan't be more than five minutes."

Left to their own devices the two men began to stroll down the street together.

"I say, Amberley, there's something damned odd about this murder," Anthony said.