At 10 o’clock the next morning the first man came to the cabin.
When he entered the cabin John said as he looked at his list. “You must be, let me see now oh yes Mr Justin Falconer.”
“That’s correct sir.”
“ Well Mr Falconer when you last saw Mr Frank Armstrong.”
“Yes in fact I think I must have been the last person to see Frank. Because he was on his way out of camp on his way up the north trail, I was on my way back into came, I spoke to Frank because he had a bag on his back and a shovel and a pick in his hand, which usually meant that he was going to look for samples, but I thought it funny to go out at that time of day, I said to him that it was a bit late to go up the trail he might get caught in the dark, he said he was just going to check on something and I was not to worry, he then said goodbye and off he went.”
“About what time would that be Mr Falconer.”
“Oh please call me Justin, and the time I would say was about 2 o’clock and 2 o’clock is late to go out, you see it gets dark about 3 o’clock.”
“Are you sure about the time.”
“Oh yes very sure you see Frank asked me the time.”
“Ok Justin and thank you, could you tell the Doctor to send the next one up.”
When he had gone John turned to face Jean and said. “Now there’s a funny thing, according to Mr Mc Cracked he was leaving camp about 1 o’clock but Falconer said it was about 2 o’clock, now what I want to know is what happened to the missing hour.”
There was a knock on the door and John shouted. “Come in.”
Then another man of about average size walked into the room.
John said. “Good morning you must be?”
My name is as you know on your list, my name is Adam Irgens and I am German and I do not give a damn if you are English or not.”
“Ok Mr Irgens, but we just want a few answers if you don’t mind.”
“You go ahead shoot what do you want to know.”
After the interviews were finished and the last man had gone John turned to Jean and said. “ Well Jean what do you make of that lot.”
“I don’t know John you’re the detective, what do you think.”
“Well there’s three in that bunch that I would that I would like to keep my eyes on, and the first one is that Frenchman, Mr Cruzan and the German Irgens,
And I’m not too sure of Franks mate Mr Mc Cracken, and the other thing is the missing hour, I would love to find out about that, no Jean everything here does not meet the eye, I think tomorrow I will take a look up the north trail that seems to be the last place your brother was seen.”
“Yes well I’m coming too so don’t even think about leaving me here.”
“Ok but you do as I say, if I say stand on your head then that’s what I want you to do.”
“Ok master I’ll take my orders from you, and now I will put you in a good mood, I will go make something to eat ok, now John take a couple of pans and fill them with snow.”
“Ok I will then I will go look over your notes while you are making a meal, is that ok boss.”
“Yes.”
John sat down and read through the notes and he came to the same conclusion, and was that was that Mr Cruzan and Mr Irgens were not in his opinion not to be trusted.
He had no reason to think this it was only a hunch.
After dinner that night John said to Jean. “How about we get cleaned up and we go over to the what did he call it, oh yes the den, we might pick up something there.”
“Right John I have the pan on to wash the plates and when that’s done we can go and have a drink or two.”
It was about seven when they got to the den.
There must have been about eight or nine people there but the Doctor was nowhere to be seen.
