“Yes, indeed,” Miss Fordingbridge replied, without hesitation. “That's one of the things we left behind when we shut up Foxhills. It's of no great value, and so we didn't send it to the bank strong-room with the rest of the stuff.”
“Peter Hay told someone it was valuable,” the inspector broke in.
“Oh, so it was, in a way,” Miss Fordingbridge replied. “It was a present to me from an old friend, and so it had a sentimental value. But in itself it's worth next to nothing, as you can see.”
Evidently Peter Hay had misunderstood something which he had heard. Armadale, rather disgusted by the news, carried the article back to the chief constable's car.
“We'll need to keep that and the other things in our charge for a time,” Sir Clinton said apologetically. “They were found at Peter Hay's cottage. Perhaps you could suggest some reason for their removal from Foxhills?”
“There's no reason whatever that I can see,” Miss Fordingbridge replied promptly. “Peter Hay had nothing to do with them, and he'd no right to take them out of the house. None at all.”
“Possibly he mistook them for things of value, and thought they'd be safer in his cottage,” Wendover suggested.
“He had no right to touch anything of mine,” Miss Fordingbridge commented decidedly.
“Suppose we go up to the house?” Paul Fordingbridge suggested in a colourless voice. “You'll take your own car? Good. Then I'll go ahead.”
He pressed the self-starter and took his car up the avenue. Sir Clinton and his companions got into their own car and followed.