Of course, both men were convinced that murder had been done.

Not only were arms and body bound in a manner that was impossible of accomplishment by the dead woman herself, but an ugly wound on the smooth forehead seemed to indicate that she had been stunned or killed outright before being flung into the river.
And then, the rope and the staple suggested an outlandish, maniacal disposal of the victim.

Here was no effort at concealment, but rather a making sure, in most brutal and callous fashion, that early discovery must be unavoidable.
The bucolic mind works in well-scored grooves.

Receiving no assistance from his master, Bates pulled the body a little farther up on the strip of gravel so that it lay clear of the water.
"I mum fetch t' polis," he said.
The phrase, with its vivid significance, seemed to galvanize Grant into a species of comprehension.
"Yes," he agreed, speaking slowly, as though striving to measure the effect of each word.

"Yes, go for the police, Bates.