“And you might warn the others in the household not to leave the premises till I have seen them,” they heard the inspector say as they passed through it. “I shall have to interrogate everyone, of course.”
Roger drew Alec into the dining room and thence out into the garden. They reached the middle of the lawn before he spoke.
“Alec,” he said seriously, “what do you make of it all?”
“Make of what?” asked Alec.
“Make of what?” Roger repeated scornfully. “Why, the whole blessed business, of course. Alec, you’re uncommonly slow in the up-take. Can’t you see that Jefferson is hiding something for all he’s worth?”
“He did seem a bit reticent, certainly,” Alec agreed cautiously.
“Reticent? Why, if that fellow’s telling one tenth of what he knows I should be surprised. And what about Mrs. Plant? And why doesn’t anybody know the combination of that safe? I tell you, there are wheels within wheels going on here.”
Alec threw caution to the winds. “It is curious,” he admitted recklessly.
Roger was intent on his own thoughts. “And why was Jefferson searching Mr. Stanworth’s pockets?” he demanded suddenly. “Oh, but of course, that’s obvious enough.”
“I’m dashed if it is. Why was he?”