“I couldn’t understand there not being any work laid out for me or any message. Then I started looking around, and I saw the door to Mr. Hocksley’s room was open. Then I saw spots of blood. I went in and saw the safe with a great pool of blood in front of it, and then I went out to the garage where we keep the car.”

“That’s in the house next door?”

“Yes. The Gentries rent Mr. Hocksley a garage.”

“And the car was there?”

“Yes; but there were bloodstains in it, all over the back seat. Really, Mr. Mason, that’s all I know. Then I called the police.”

“Why not call them now?”

“I can’t explain my being here. I can’t explain — lots of things.”

“What, for instance?”

“Things — complications that would be brought about by what’s happened here. Don’t you see. They’d think that Mrs. Perlin and I had worked together to get Mr. Hocksley out of the way.”

“Why should you want him out of the way?”