With Dawson's colourful statement under his hand Harding asked: "When you sent Dawson out of Captain Billington-Smith's room, was Mr Geoffrey — er — "holding his head in his hands, and looking fit to kill Himself"?"
Peckham gave a sniff. "I'm sure I couldn't say, sir. I didn't notice him particularly."
"Thank you, that's all then. Will you ask the butler to send Mr. Guest to me, please?"
When she had left the room the Sergeant shook his head. "She's speaking the truth all right, sir. That was a lie what Mr. Halliday told you: he never had that talk with his wife which he said he did. If you was to ask me, I should be bound to say that to my way of thinking he had his suspicions about her little game all along, and he found that cheque when she'd gone out on to the terrace. It looks bad, sir; uncommon bad it looks."
Harding had picked up Stephen Guest's statement. "Do you know if there's any truth in what Mrs. Halliday said about Guest and Lady Billington-Smith?"
"I never heard anything about it," said the Sergeant. "Of course the General was a lot older than her ladyship, not that that proves anything."
"Mr. Guest!" announced Finch, from the doorway.
Stephen Guest came in with his slow, deliberate tread.
Chapter Twelve
Guest's deep-set eyes considered the Sergeant for one indifferent moment, and then passed on to Harding's face, and remained there. "Good afternoon, Inspector," he said, and walked up to the chair by the table and sat down.