Part 10 (1/2)
”I suppose you will want me to tell you all about it,” she said, with a faint shudder.
”Not unless you know something fresh. I have every particular in my head that has been published.”
Helen looked surprised.
”You read all about it, I suppose?” she asked.
”Yes; such things interest us, naturally. This one did me particularly, because, from the first, I saw that the police were on the wrong tack.”
”What is your idea about it, then?” she asked.
”Simply this,” he answered, turning round and facing her for the first time. ”All the time and trouble spent in scouring the country and watching the ports and railway stations was completely wasted. The murder was not committed by an outsider at all. The first thing I shall want, when we begin to work this, is the name and address of all the people living within a mile or two of the scene of the murder, and then every possible particular concerning Mr. Bernard Brown, of Falcon's Nest.”
She could not help a slight start. And from his looking at her now for the first time so fixedly, and from the abrupt manner in which he had brought out the latter part of his sentence, she knew that he was trying her.
”There is one more question, too, Miss Thurwell, which I must ask you, and it is a very important one,” he continued, still looking at her. ”Do you suspect any one?”
She answered him without hesitation.
”I do.”
Mr. Levy, senior, stirred in his chair, and leaned forward eagerly. Mr.
Benjamin remained perfectly unmoved.
”And who is it?” he asked.
”Mr. Brown.”
Mr. Benjamin looked away and made a note. If she could have seen it, Helen would certainly have been surprised. For, though her voice was low, she had schooled herself to go through her task without agitation.
Yet, here was the note.
”Query: Connection between Mr. Brown and Miss T. Showed great agitation in announcing suspicion.”
”Do you mind telling us your reasons?” he went on.
She repeated them after the manner of one who has learned a lesson.
”Mr. Brown came to our part of the country just at the time that Sir Geoffrey came from abroad. They had met before, and there was some cause of enmity between them----”
”Stop! How do you know that?” Mr. Benjamin interrupted quickly.
She told him of Mr. Brown's admission to her, and of the tragedy of Rachel Kynaston's last words. He seemed to know something of this too.
”Any other reason?”
”He seemed agitated when he came out from the cottage, after the crime was discovered. From its situation he could easily have committed the murder and regained it unseen. It would have been infinitely easier for him to have done it than anyone else.”
Mr. Benjamin looked at his father, and his father looked at him.
”Can you tell me anything at all of his antecedents?” he continued.