Mystery of the Week

Hosted by Sherlock, Mystery of the Week is a new regular feature of the Progress of Pilgrims. Leave your answer in the comments section, and when someone is correct, I'll give the solution. This one is easy.

THE CASE OF THE FARM FATALITY

Three men sat around the kitchen table in the Borden farmhouse that afternoon in late April. With John Borden were William Ryan, chief of the Baskerville police, and Thomas P. Stanwick, the amateur logician. Officer Wetherbee of the Baskerville police stood near the kitchen door.

“Rigg had had a grudge against me for a while,” said Borden, a tall, lean farmer with a furrowed face and sharp, gray eyes. He was in his mid-fifties and wore a plaid shirt and blue-jean overalls. “But he was a good hand, and I kept him on because I needed his help, at least through the spring.”

“Why did he have a grudge against you?” asked Stanwick.

“Well, he’d been paying attention to my daughter Elizabeth, and I didn’t like it. She wants to study medicine, and I thought she could do better in choosing a fellow.”

“And this morning, John? Once more, please,” said Ryan quietly.
Borden paused a moment and frowned.

“I was digging a fence furrow by the outer pasture,” he stated. “Some of my cows have been wandering out that way. It was about ten-thirty. Rigg snuck up behind me, from the direction of the barn. Luckily I saw his shadow, with the upraised knife. I spun around and got him first with the shovel. Pure self-defense.”

“And then?” asked Ryan.

“Once I saw he was laid out, I ran back here and called it in. Nothing else to tell, really.”

“In that case, if you’ll excuse me, chief,” said Stanwick, standing up, “I think I’ll take another stroll out to the pasture.”

“Go ahead, Tom,” said Ryan. “I’ll see you there soon.”

A few minutes later, Stanwick stood where the body of Steven Rigg had lain. After pausing to gaze north at Mount Blylock, Stanwick swept his eyes over the area. The barn was a few hundred yards to his left, and to his right lay bramble fields and woods. By his feet, the unfinished fence furrow ran toward the distant mountain. As Stanwick squatted and peered at the grass to look for signs of a struggle, Ryan came up to him.

“I left Borden with Wetherbee,” Ryan said. “Anything more here?”

“I’m not sure,” said Stanwick, standing up. “You know, I thought farmers dug post holes rather than trenches for fences.”

“Some use the trench method, especially around here.” Ryan scratched his chin solemnly. “You know, I had a report once of a quarrel between Borden and Rigg when they were in town getting cattle feed. It was nothing serious, as I recall. I sure hope this wasn’t deliberate, Tom. The Bordens have farmed this land for generations.”

“I know. I buy corn at their farmstand every summer. Let’s see, now. I was inside all morning, and was napping when you phoned me about this. When did these clouds roll in?”

“About noon.”

“Now, the side of Rigg’s head was crushed in. Is that consistent with being hit by a shovel in the way Borden describes?”

“The doc thinks so. Of course, there’ll be an autopsy. We’ve impounded the shovel in the meantime.”

“That’s a point for Borden, anyway. And a knife with Rigg’s fingerprints was found by the body. Could that have been planted on him?”

“Can’t say just yet.” Ryan’s face was gray.

Stanwick took a long breath, sighed, and looked again at distant Blylock.
“Well, Bill, I think it was. I hate to say this, but Borden is lying. This was a deliberate murder.”

HOW DOES STANWICK KNOW BORDEN IS LYING?

As adapted from Five-Minute Mini-Mysteries by Stan Smith (Sterling Publishing, 2003)