You weren't aware that I included the art of embalming among my accomplishments.

Nevertheless, it is so.' 'But why ?' asked Racksole, more mystified than ever.

'Why should you trouble to embalm the poor chap's corpse ?' 'Can't you see?
Doesn't it strike you?
That corpse has to be taken care of.
It contains, or rather, it did contain, very serious evidence against some person or persons unknown to the police.

It may be necessary to move it about from place to place.

A corpse can't be hidden for long; a corpse betrays itself.