“Shortly before one. He was perfectly self-possessed. He came to arrange with me about reading the Will, and various other business matters.”
“He knew he was the heir, I suppose?”
“Oh yes! He's my fellow-executor.”
“Did he seem at all anxious to find out what had been happening down at Grinley Heath?”
“Not more than was natural. He wanted to know who was the fool who had started the murder-scare, but as I didn't know—”
“Who told him there was any question of murder? Did you?”
Giles looked at him. “No, I don't think I did. But it rather leaps to the mind when you hear there's to be a post-mortem, doesn't it? I suppose he assumed there was a suspicion of poisoning, same as I did. He didn't seem to me to set much store by it, though. He said he had no doubt that the various members of his family were running entirely true to type, and added that the temptation to go down and watch them making fools of themselves was too strong to be withstood. I believe he did go down to Grinley that afternoon.”
“I've no doubt,” said Hannasyde. “Very understandable that he should—and if there was any evidence at the Poplars waiting to be destroyed, even more understandable.”
“You sound a trifle peevish, my dear chap. Not like yourself.”
“Well, it's enough to make a saint swear, Mr Carrington: it really is! A man is poisoned on the evening of the 14th May. His own doctor finds natural causes, and is ready to sign the certificate, but one member of the family objects, so they think they'll have a post-mortem. The Divisional Surgeon makes no more of it than the family doctor, but the organs are sent up to the Home Office, as per regulations. No one at Grinley taking it seriously; no official action being taken. Result, it's five days before we get the case, during which time everyone connected with it has not only known that an inquiry was being conducted, but has also had plenty of time to dispose of whatever evidence there may have been. Dead man's room all nice and tidy, bottle of tonic providentially broken, everything cleared away.”