The meeting with Deputy Chief Constable Evans did not got as well as Nicholls had hoped.

Despite the discovery of the murder weapons, the broken button and possible albeit imperfect fingerprints, Evans was already expressing doubt that the crime would ever be solved.

As far as I can see, there remains not a single worthwhile clue for the police to work upon, he told the man from Scotland Yard.

Evans was 65 years old and less than two months from retirement from the force.

It seemed to Nicholls that perhaps the Deputy Chief Inspector was already thinking of his garden and his pipe, though he chose not to share such thoughts with the local officers.

Evans did however place at Nicholls disposal the full assistance of the Carmarthenshire Constabulary to investigate the crime as he saw fit.

In reality, the full assistance of the force meant the services of Sergeant Richards and Constable Thomas.

Nicholls was assured however that should there be a breakthrough in the case any other assistance that he might require would be readily given, but for the day-to-day ground-work of the investigation he should look no further than the support provided by the two Garnant officers.

With little more to be gained from further discussions, Nicholls, Canning, Sergeant Richards, PC Thomas and Deputy Chief Constable Evans made their way to New Bethel Chapel where John William Nicholas, the Carmarthen County Council solicitor, was in his role as county coroner to open the inquest into the death of Thomas Thomas.

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