“Did a quarrel take place between you and Mr Vereker on that occasion?”
“Oh lord, no!” Mesurier cried. Vereker was a bit peeved that morning, but we did not quarrel. I mean, why should we?”
Hannasyde laid his notes down. “I think,” he said, “that we shall get along faster if I tell you at once, Mr Mesurier, that I am in possession of a certain letter concerning you which Mr Vereker wrote to the firm's solicitor on Saturday. You may read it, if you choose.”
Mesurier held out his hand for the letter, and said: “This - this isn't Vereker's writing.”
“No, it is mine,” said Hannasyde. “That is a copy of the original.”
Mesurier, a tinge of colour in his cheeks, read the letter, and put it down on the table. “I don't know what you expect me to say. It's an absolute misstatement—”
“Mr Mesurier, please understand me! The particular point raised in that letter does not concern me. I am not investigating the accounts of this company, but the murder of its chairman. The information contained in the letter tells me that your interview with Arnold Vereker on Saturday morning cannot have been a pleasant one. In addition, I have already ascertained that both your voices were heard raised in anger. Now -”
“That bloody cat, Rose Miller!” exclaimed Mesurier, flushing. “Of course, if you're going to believe what she says! She's always had her knife into me. It's a complete lie to say that we quarrelled. Vereker went for me, and I shan't attempt to deny that he was in a bad temper. In fact, he actually accused me of embezzling. Utterly ridiculous, I need hardly say. As a matter of fact I got into a bit of a mess - I borrowed a little from the firm, just to tide me over. Of course I know I oughtn't to have done it, but when you're hard pressed you do silly things. But to say I stole the money is - is positively laughable! I mean, if I'd wanted to do that I shouldn't be paying it back, which even Vereker admits I am doing. He simply had a down on me -”
“Because he had discovered that you had become engaged to his half-sister?”
“That had nothing to do with him at all!” Mesurier said quickly. “He didn't care a brass farthing about Tony.”