A smile of considerable affection was bestowed upon him. "You great fool, what do you think you can do?" asked Timothy.
"I can run down to Berkshire, and dissuade Mother from taking the first train up to town!" said Jim grimly.
"If ever I spoke of you in opprobrious terms, I take them all back!" said Timothy. "You're a tower of strength, Jim!"
"Get out!" said his ungrateful half-brother. "You said this Beulah of yours was implicated in the murder: were you serious?"
"She knew Seaton-Carew, she disliked him, she had the opportunity to murder him. She's implicated to that extent. Like several others, including me."
"Could she have done it? I don't mean, did she: I'll accept that she didn't: but could any woman?"
"Easily," replied Timothy. "I know one or two neat ways of doing a man in, but I rather think this has 'em beat. I saw the body, and I saw how the trick had been worked. No strength required. Hold your arm up! I'll show you. All I need is a handkerchief, and - and - this ruler will do, for purposes of demonstration." He cast his folded handkerchief round Jim's wrist, applied the ruler, and turned it twice.
"Hi!" exclaimed Jim.
Timothy released the tourniquet. "Sorry! Wouldn't take many seconds, if that was round your neck, would it? In the actual murder, picture-wire was used - bought, earlier in the day, by Beulah, on Mrs. Haddington's instructions, and left on a shelf in the cloakroom. No secret about that - a fact which I trust our old friend has assimilated. I should think he would have: he's got a damned intelligent face."
"Hemingway? Got any reason to think he suspects the girl?"