Alan nodded crossly. “But I wish that your sixth sense would tell you who murdered Grison.”
“We shan’t learn that until we question the sister. If she admits that she took the peacock to The Monastery at Belstone, Sorley will be exonerated. If she declares that she did not, Sorley will have to account for its being in his possession.”
“But confound it man, can’t you see that if—as Sorley says—she wishes to get him into trouble, she will certainly decline to tell the truth.”
“What is the truth anyhow?” asked Dick, after the fashion of Pontius Pilate.
“Lord knows!” replied Fuller disconsolately. “Of course Jotty never said that Grison had the peacock on the precise night of his murder. The boy only saw it on previous occasions. It is quite possible that the dead man may have given it to his sister to send to Sorley and make trouble. They both hated the man, and evidently with good reason.”
“Yes; but if that were the case, it would argue that Grison knew he would be murdered, which is ridiculous. Besides Sorley told a lie about his motor bicycle, which shows that he does not wish it known he was able to slip up to town and back again without making use of the publicity of the railway. I am inclined to suspect Sorley as the guilty person.”
“Do you think Bakche may have killed Grison?”
“No; for if he had he would scarcely have given the peacock to the sister for Sorley’s benefit.”
Alan nodded. “I thought that myself,” he said slowly. “Well what is to be done now, Dicky?”
“Inspector Moon ought to know,” said Latimer significantly.