“Is it still your opinion that Miss Turold is guilty—after this letter?” he asked.
“Her disappearance lays upon her the obligation of explaining her secret visit to her father on the night of the murder,” was the guarded reply.
“Then you intend to arrest her?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know where she is?”
A quick consideration of this question led Barrant to the conclusion that it would do no harm to let the lawyer know the scanty truth.
“She is in London. I have traced her to Paddington.”
Mr. Brimsdown decided that, as the detective knew that much, it absolved him from any obligation to betray the daughter of his dead client. His feeling of relief unsealed his lips, and led him into an indiscretion.
“It seems incredible that she can be guilty.” As he spoke the memory of Sisily’s tender and wistful face, as he had seen it that night, came back to him.
“She had some justification, you know, if she was listening at the door that afternoon,” replied Barrant thoughtfully.