"Wait a bit," said Conniston, who was reading his precis. "This diary is meant for her eye alone. Still, she may have thought it might fall into the hands of another person, and therefore made her son safe. Michael called before ten—for then, Bernard, you were with Durham and myself. Michael saw Sir Simon, and then Mrs. Gilroy, pretending the man was you, says he departed, leaving your grandfather alive. See! here's the bit," and he read, "Sir Simon was alive after Mr. Gore left the house."
"Go on," said Bernard. "If I am innocent, why did she accuse me?"
"Because I believe her son is guilty. He left Sir Simon dead. Mrs. Gilroy found the body, knew what had occurred, and then ran out on hearing Jerry's whistle knowing she would meet you. It's all plain."
"Very plain," said Gore, emphatically. "A regular trap. Go on."
"Afterwards, and shortly before a quarter past ten, there came a ring at the door. Mrs. Gilroy went, and there she found Signor Tolomeo, who asked to see Sir Simon. She took him up the stairs, and left him to speak with Sir Simon. What took place she did not know, but she was sitting below working, and heard the door close. It was just before a quarter to eleven that she heard this."
"About the time I came," muttered Bernard.
Mrs. Gilroy—as appeared from the diary—ran up to see if the master was all right. She found him strangled, and with the handkerchiefs tied over his mouth and round his neck. Then she ran out and found Gore at the door. He had come back again, and Mrs. Gilroy said she accused him. She then stated in her diary that she looked upon Bernard as an accessory after the fact. He had hired Guiseppe Tolomeo to kill his grandfather, and then came to see if the deed had been executed thoroughly. Mrs. Gilroy ended her diary by stating that she would do her best to get both the Italian and his nephew hanged.
"Very much obliged to her," said Bernard, when Conniston concluded reading, and beginning to walk to and fro. "Well, it seems my uncle is the guilty person, Conniston."
"I don't believe it," said Dick, firmly. "Mrs. Gilroy is trying to shield her son. I believe he killed him."
"If we could only find Michael," said Bernard, dolefully.