Fifteen
Mark Easterbrook’s Narrative¹
I liked Divisional Detective-Inspector² Lejeune at first sight. He had an airof quiet ability. I thought, too, that he was an imaginative man—the kindof man who would be willing to consider possibilities that were not ortho-dox.
He said:
“Dr. Corrigan has told me of his meeting with you. He’s taken a great in-terest in this business from the first. Father Gorman, of course, was verywell known and respected in the district. Now you say you have some spe-cial information for us?”
“It concerns,” I said, “a place called the Pale Horse.”
“In, I understand, a village called Much Deeping?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me about it.”
I told him of the first mention of the Pale Horse at the Fantasie. Then Idescribed my visit to Rhoda, and my introduction to the “three weird³ sis-ters.” I related, as accurately⁴ as I could, Thyrza Grey’s conversation onthat particular afternoon.
“And you were impressed by what she said?”
I felt embarrassed.
“Well, not really. I mean, I didn’t seriously believe—”
“Didn’t you, Mr. Easterbrook? I rather think you did.”
“I suppose you’re right. One just doesn’t like admitting how credulousone is.”
Lejeune smiled.
“But you’ve left something out, haven’t you? You were already interes-ted when you came to Much Deeping—why?”
“I think it was the girl looking so scared.”
“The young lady in the flower shop?”
“Yes. She’d thrown out her remark about the Pale Horse so casually⁵. Herbeing so scared seemed to underline the fact that there was—well, some-thing to be scared about. And then I met Dr. Corrigan and he told meabout the list of names. Two of them I already knew. Both were dead. Athird name seemed familiar. Afterwards I found that she, too, had died.”
“That would be Mrs. Delafontaine?”
“Yes.”
“Go on.”
“I made up my mind that I’d got to find out more about this business.”

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