The Cliffside Death and Its First Interpretation

Bobby Jones’s chance discovery of a dying stranger develops from an apparent accident into the first clue in a concealed murder.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Misjudged Drive

A Misjudged Drive The unexpected discovery Bobby Jones slices a golf ball toward the coastal path while playing with Dr Thomas on Marchbolt Golf Course. He hears what might be a cry but cannot see clearly through the sea mist. A life-changing detour Searching near the next hole, Bobby spots a man lying below the cliff. What began as an ordinary game abruptly becomes an encounter with death.

The Dying Stranger

The Dying Stranger A desperate vigil Dr Thomas judges that the stranger’s back is broken and that nothing can save him. He leaves Bobby beside the unconscious man while he goes to summon help. A cryptic last question The stranger opens his clear blue eyes and asks, “Why didn’t they ask Evans?” before dying. The words are the only apparent message he leaves, and their obscurity gives them lasting importance.

An Accidental Death

An Accidental Death Evidence at the inquest Dr Thomas explains how the path turns inland and how mist could hide the cliff edge. Bobby recalls a possible cry but cannot identify its source. A convenient verdict The coroner and jury accept misadventure and recommend a railing. The verdict closes the official inquiry before anyone asks whether the fall was deliberately caused.

A False Family Identification

A False Family Identification A sister appears Amelia Cayman identifies the dead man as her brother, Alex Pritchard, and describes his recent return from abroad. Her account gives the body a plausible identity and a reason for being in Wales. The first disguise Bobby notices that Amelia looks unlike the beautiful woman in the photograph he glimpsed in the dead man’s pocket. The mismatch is an early warning that the identification may be part of a larger deception.

The Real Victim Named

The Real Victim Named A forgotten witness Bobby and Frankie discover that the missing witness Gladys Evans is now Mrs Roberts at the Marchbolt Vicarage. The name hidden in the dying man’s last words was close to them all along. The cliff death reinterpreted Roger’s later confession reveals that the dead man was Alan Carstairs, whom he pushed from the cliff. The supposed accident was the first successful attempt to suppress an investigation.

Early October, late afternoon

Minutes after the fall

The following day

During the inquest

Near the end, after Rose Chudleigh is questioned