“Then, excluding the squabs, the only women tagged onto the case are the two Feudists.”
“You’ve said it.”
“And they didn’t act in collusion?”
“Never!”
“Then it comes down to a decision between Miss Prall and her companion or Mrs Everett and her maid.”
“Not necessarily her maid.”
“Crickets! Not her daughter!”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve just started, Ziz. Help me, don’t jump around so.”
“Well, bless his heart, he shouldn’t be tormented. He should just be guided, counselored and befriended by his faithful helper. Now, to start straight, what’s the motive in each of these two cases?”
“Merely to get rid of the man who was for furthering the marriage of the two young people. Miss Prall knew that if Sir Herbert were dead, his fortune would be young Bates’ without any conditions and the boy could go on with his inventing in peace. Then, she felt, he’d get so engrossed he’d forget about the Everett girl, and as the Everett mother plans to move away all would be well.”