‘Mr Austin was upset too? Come now, Mr Innes, you’ll agree to that, surely?’
‘Well, he may have been a bit.’
‘Was that when he was going or on arrival and departure both?’
‘He seemed a bit absent-minded when he was going, but, Lord! Mr Tanner, what’s that? He may have been feeling a bit seedy, or had a headache, or half a dozen things.’
The man seemed nervous and ill at ease. More strongly than ever Inspector Tanner felt there was more to come. He racked his brains to guess what might have happened, and to frame leading questions. Suddenly an idea occurred to him. He bent forward and tapped the valet on the knee.
‘Now, Mr Innes, about the trouble they had that night. You might tell me what you know.’
The valet gave his questioner a sour look.
‘I suppose Parkes told you about that,’ he grumbled, ‘but I think he might have kept his mouth shut. It’s no business of yours, or mine either.’
‘Tell me anyway.’
‘I heard them in the study. Their voices were raised, and that’s all there’s of it.’