Arms on Saturday night."
"When he was fighting with Private Morris?"
Polly looked as if she were about to cry. "Yes, but—"
"You didn't see him again until you saw him at the church on Sunday night?"
"No, sir, I didn't."
"Excuse me, madam," Martin said from the doorway. "I remember the church bells ringing that night."
"Yes, Martin, I'm sure you do." Elizabeth smiledapologetically at the captain. "Martin was quite upset. The bells woke us all up—"
"No, madam. I beg your pardon, but I was already awake. It was the young American who had woken me up. The wind must have caught the door as he left. It slammed very hard indeed. It was quite some time after that when the bells rang."
The captain gave him a sharp look. "Young American? Are you talking about Squadron Leader Sam Cutter?"
Martin appeared offended at being spoken to so harshly. "I believe that is the gentleman's name, yes."
"Do you know what time he left the house?"
Elizabeth cut in. "Martin sometimes gets confused, Captain. I'm sure he doesn't remember what time it was."
"Oh, but I do, madam. I remember precisely. I heard the grandfather clock in the hall chime twice as I stood at the window."
Elizabeth's gasp of dismay sounded loud in the quiet room.
The captain looked down at his notes. "According to the squadron leader, he attended a card game on the base, then returned home shortly before midnight. Did anyone see him enter the house?"
"Why don't you ask his fellow officers?" Elizabeth suggested. "They must know what time he arrived home."
"They do." Captain Johansen lifted his head. "They confirmed he arrived at the time he said he did. It's the time he left again that we can't agree on. No one remembers seeing him in the room when the church bells rang, and now, if this gentleman is correct—"
"There is no question about it," Martin declared, sounding more lucid than he had in weeks. "I heard a noise and went to my window to investigate. I saw the American chap running down the steps and across thecourtyard. The moon was very bright that night. I saw his face quite clearly."
Of course Martin had to choose this time to experience a clear mind, Elizabeth thought. "Thank you, Martin," she said quickly. "The coffee, please?"
"Yes, madam." With a courtly little bow, Martin left the room.
"Sam did leave before the bells rang," Polly said suddenly. "He was at my house."
Elizabeth threw her a startled glance. Heavens, surely the child was not going to lie in order to save the squadron leader?
The captain pounced on her at once. "Didn't you tell me you didn't see Cutter that night until you arrived at the church?"
Polly stared steadily into the man's suspicious face. "Yes, I did. That
was
when I first saw him. Sam and I'd had a row, and he came to my house that night to make up. It was late and everyone was asleep. He told me he sat outside my house for a long time trying to think what he wanted to say, and wondering whether he should wake me up or not. Then he heard the bells ringing and everyone started coming out of their houses. Sam said he didn't want to get me in trouble, so he drove back past the church and that's when he saw his mates, so he went over to join them."
The captain made no comment, but just sat there scribbling in his notebook. Elizabeth glanced at Lieutenant Wiles and tried to read his expression. Neither man was giving much away.
"So you see," Polly said, a little desperately, "it couldn't have been Sam that murdered Kenny Morris. He didn't go near the church until after the bells stopped ringing and everyone saw him there with his mates. If he'd done the murder, he wouldn't have hung around like that, would he?"
"Who knows what a guy will do when he's understress," Captain Johansen murmured. "Or what he'll say. My guess is that he met Morris at the church, they fought, cutting Cutter's hand in the struggle. Cutter choked Morris with the bell rope, making the bells ring, then panicked. He was on his way to your house,
"When he was fighting with Private Morris?"
Polly looked as if she were about to cry. "Yes, but—"
"You didn't see him again until you saw him at the church on Sunday night?"
"No, sir, I didn't."
"Excuse me, madam," Martin said from the doorway. "I remember the church bells ringing that night."
"Yes, Martin, I'm sure you do." Elizabeth smiledapologetically at the captain. "Martin was quite upset. The bells woke us all up—"
"No, madam. I beg your pardon, but I was already awake. It was the young American who had woken me up. The wind must have caught the door as he left. It slammed very hard indeed. It was quite some time after that when the bells rang."
The captain gave him a sharp look. "Young American? Are you talking about Squadron Leader Sam Cutter?"
Martin appeared offended at being spoken to so harshly. "I believe that is the gentleman's name, yes."
"Do you know what time he left the house?"
Elizabeth cut in. "Martin sometimes gets confused, Captain. I'm sure he doesn't remember what time it was."
"Oh, but I do, madam. I remember precisely. I heard the grandfather clock in the hall chime twice as I stood at the window."
Elizabeth's gasp of dismay sounded loud in the quiet room.
The captain looked down at his notes. "According to the squadron leader, he attended a card game on the base, then returned home shortly before midnight. Did anyone see him enter the house?"
"Why don't you ask his fellow officers?" Elizabeth suggested. "They must know what time he arrived home."
"They do." Captain Johansen lifted his head. "They confirmed he arrived at the time he said he did. It's the time he left again that we can't agree on. No one remembers seeing him in the room when the church bells rang, and now, if this gentleman is correct—"
"There is no question about it," Martin declared, sounding more lucid than he had in weeks. "I heard a noise and went to my window to investigate. I saw the American chap running down the steps and across thecourtyard. The moon was very bright that night. I saw his face quite clearly."
Of course Martin had to choose this time to experience a clear mind, Elizabeth thought. "Thank you, Martin," she said quickly. "The coffee, please?"
"Yes, madam." With a courtly little bow, Martin left the room.
"Sam did leave before the bells rang," Polly said suddenly. "He was at my house."
Elizabeth threw her a startled glance. Heavens, surely the child was not going to lie in order to save the squadron leader?
The captain pounced on her at once. "Didn't you tell me you didn't see Cutter that night until you arrived at the church?"
Polly stared steadily into the man's suspicious face. "Yes, I did. That
was
when I first saw him. Sam and I'd had a row, and he came to my house that night to make up. It was late and everyone was asleep. He told me he sat outside my house for a long time trying to think what he wanted to say, and wondering whether he should wake me up or not. Then he heard the bells ringing and everyone started coming out of their houses. Sam said he didn't want to get me in trouble, so he drove back past the church and that's when he saw his mates, so he went over to join them."
The captain made no comment, but just sat there scribbling in his notebook. Elizabeth glanced at Lieutenant Wiles and tried to read his expression. Neither man was giving much away.
"So you see," Polly said, a little desperately, "it couldn't have been Sam that murdered Kenny Morris. He didn't go near the church until after the bells stopped ringing and everyone saw him there with his mates. If he'd done the murder, he wouldn't have hung around like that, would he?"
"Who knows what a guy will do when he's understress," Captain Johansen murmured. "Or what he'll say. My guess is that he met Morris at the church, they fought, cutting Cutter's hand in the struggle. Cutter choked Morris with the bell rope, making the bells ring, then panicked. He was on his way to your house,
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