The Purple Sickle Murders

The first step which French took to meet his new problem was to make a reconnaissance of the enemy's country. He went early next morning to Tate's Lane, so as to get the job over before Welland should turn up. The gate of the coachbuilder's yard was open and he walked boldly in and had a look round.

A closer inspection confirmed the impression of a small, moribund business which the view from the street had suggested. The establishment covered a narrow frontage, but stretched a good way back. In the foreground stood a number of horse carts and lorries, awaiting the scrapheap, if one were to judge by appearances. These with some spare parts filled up all the open space to the high boundary wall on the left, except for a narrow passage to the back of the yard. Along the right ran a grimy brick building from which came sounds of hammering. The only structure with a well-to-do appearance was a new shed of about twenty feet by ten, built as a lean-to in the back lefthand corner. Numerous pneumatic tire tracks leading to the large door in the gable showed that this was Curtice Welland's garage.