7_3

“Stokes is back” he said.
Bidding a respectful farewell to Meg Tyler, de Hogue returned to Bailey’s home where he found the rest of the men arguing about the most dangerous animals.
Impassively he listened to Stokes theory and then told them that he suspected Jack Kirby of arson.
“I’ve looked at the house this morning and it bears all the marks of a typical burning. Most of the building is stone, and even the roof was slate, so the fire had to be started with some other material. Their feed shed is still standing, despite it all, and it was broken into. The lock was splintered from the door by a single heavy blow and there were even foot prints inside. Everything had been knocked about and several barrels had been moved against the building and then set alight.
Who ever did this was clumsy and stupid. They left clues every where.”
“You say there were foot prints?” Arkwright asked.
De Hogue produced a piece of paper with a rough foot print drawn onto it. The foot was not very large.
“Is this to scale?” Bailey asked.
“Yes”
“Kirby is a very small man” Bailey looked up at de Hogue.
“I know, but this doesn’t prove much by itself.”
“Have you spoken to Kirby yet?”
De Hogue shook his head. I went around to see his mother, but she claims to have not seen him at all since yesterday. According to her, he never returned home last night. I asked her if she wasn’t worried, but she only laughed. Apparently young Jack is often away all night long fishing and he never tells his mother when he’s going or how long he is going to be.”
Bailey rubbed his chin as he thought through what de Hogue was saying.
“You want to arrest him?”
“I want to ask him a few questions. There were plenty of people down the Cracked Bell last night heard him threatening to burn the witches.”
“That doesn’t prove anything.” Bailey replied.
“I know. That’s why I want to ask him a few questions” de Hogue answered. He almost pointed out that he didn’t need Bailey’s authority to do this, but the two men got on well with each other and de Hogue could see Bailey was under pressure.
“Don’t you worry about it Tom” Arkwright said. “We’ll soon have the truth out of him!”
Bailey shrugged and sat down. He really didn’t care one way or the other he decided.
“Do what you wish” he told de Hogue.
Norris and Arkwright both nodded and grinned broadly. Neither of them had any particular feeling for the islanders, and unlike de Hogue and Bailey they had not lived on Saint Albans or had any chance to empathise with the islands people. As far as they were concerned, this was just one job among many.
Stokes, who had thus far sat quietly, observing, spoke up;
“Where is this Kirby person?”
De Hogue turned.
“No one seems to know. No one remembers having seen him after he left the Cracked Bell.”
“So, perhaps, some one else could have set the fire and made it look as though Kirby had done it?” Stokes asked.
De Hogue nodded. It was possible he agreed, but who and why?
Stokes did not answer beyond a shrug.
“So what are we going to do?” Arkwright asked. “Or are we just going to sit here waiting for some else to get killed?”
Bailey shook his head.
“No. We shall check every house in the village, searching for anything suspicious, and any trace of Jack Kirby, and then tonight we continue to watch over the fields. Any questions”
“I think we ought to choose new fields” Stokes said.
Bailey nodded, and looked about the room. Norris and Arkwright both nodded and de Hogue shrugged. Melchior looked miserable but nodded wearily. Stokes was already cleaning his rifle in anticipation.