“My mother can’t see you,” she repeated. “Anything you want to say to her can be said to me.”
Sir Frank admired her courage. He tried to soften her.
“My dear Miss Neobard, I wish you would let me speak to you as a friend. You can’t think I have come here as an enemy. If I had I should have brought Dr. Cassilis with me. Or rather I should have sent him instead of coming myself.”
This shot told as he had expected. It was evident that Sarah cherished a strong resentment against me. It was a new light to her that my chief might take a different view of the case. For the first time she looked at him as if she thought it possible that he might be sincere.
“Dr. Cassilis has practically accused me of murder,” she said.
“Dr. Cassilis is a young man without much experience. He has let himself become interested in the young lady you seemed to suspect. He spoke in her defence; I don’t believe that he really thinks you had anything to do with Dr. Weathered’s death. He went too far, of course, and I have told him so. In fact, I have now taken him off the case.”
The defiance began to die out of Miss Neobard’s eyes. They were fine eyes and she knew how to use them with effect.
“Does that mean that I am not under suspicion any longer?” she inquired in a more gracious voice.
“You never have been under suspicion as far as I am concerned,” the doctor answered a little evasively. “I feel sure you are a truthful woman, and whatever you choose to tell me in confidence I shall believe.”
Sarah was fairly conquered. Her voice broke down as she replied.