‘About two months ago.’
‘Seems rather a long time. And when did he dine?’
‘About a week before that. I happened to mention about the pension, and he said he had some addresses and would look them up.’
‘And what kind of man is he personally?’
Lois did not reply for some moments.
‘That’s hardly a fair question,’ she said at last. ‘I have to admit taking a dislike to him. But it’s not a question of my likes or dislikes. I think it is essential that you should find out something about him. Find out where he was on that Wednesday evening.’
Daunt smoked in silence. He was thinking that if Austin were out of the way as well as Sir William, Cosgrove’s gains would not improbably be considerably increased. There might be something in this idea of Lois’s after all. A few inquiries would do no harm at any rate.
‘Well,’ he said at last, ‘I’ll do as you say. I’ll find out something about him.’
They continued the discussion, and it was arranged that as soon as any information was forthcoming, Lois would go to town, and they would have another talk.
As Sir William Ponson’s will was to be one of the factors in the Crown case, Daunt had no difficulty in obtaining a copy. That, and a few judicious inquiries convinced him of the importance of Lois’s suggestion. There seemed no question that Cosgrove’s motive for the deed was at least as strong as Austin’s.