"Well, that sounds like philanthropy, doesn't it? What was Seaton-Carew's job in life?"
"I have no idea."
"Now, look here!" said Hemingway. "You've thrown out a few hints that he was up to no good, so presumably you have got an idea! Suppose you were to stop behaving as though you thought you were Little Red Ridinghood and I was the Wolf! If I were, I should start getting nasty about your failure to report yourself while on licence, whereas I'm not saying anything about that at all. At the same time, you're on a sticky wicket, and the best thing you can do is to come clean."
"I thought it wouldn't be long before we reached threats!" Beulah said, her lip curling.
Hemingway sighed. "Have sense!" he begged. "So far, the only member of this outfit who's got a record is you. You haven't got an alibi; you bought the wire which was used to strangle him. If you can add that lot up to a different total than what I come to you're a darned sight smarter than I think! Which isn't saying much," he added caustically.
Her eyes narrowed. "Look!" she said, between closed teeth. "Once upon a time Little Red Ridinghood thought the police were her guardian angels, and that all she had to do was always to tell them the truth. Then she discovered her error, and, being several darned sights smarter than you think, she didn't fall into it again! I'm not spilling my heart out to you, Chief Inspector! The only thing I'm going to tell you is that I didn't murder Seaton-Carew - though I rather wish I'd thought of it - and if you can pin it on to me, good luck to you! I don't care a damn! I know what kind of a merry hell one can live through if one is a released convict, and I'd a lot rather be dead! I haven't the slightest doubt that you'll tell the world my record, so you may as well make a clean sweep, and arrest me for murder while you're about it!"
"Yes, but, you know, I'm handicapped," objected Hemingway. "We do have to be so careful in the Force. Telling the world about your record would be clean against regulations."
She looked up quickly, but only said: "Well, I don't care. I don't know anything about Dan Seaton-Carew."
"All right, we'll leave it at that," said Hemingway. "Tell me something you do know! When you took that call, what did you do with the receiver?"
"What did I do with it? Put it on the table, of course!"