‘Who brought Campion down?’
She looked at him in surprise.
‘Why, Anne,’ she said. ‘I told you. They arrived together about the same time that I did. Why the interest? Anything I can do?’
Abbershaw hesitated.
‘Well, yes,’ he said at last. ‘She’s a friend of yours, isn’t she?’
Meggie nodded.
‘Rather; I’ve known her for years.’
‘Good,’ said Abbershaw. ‘Look here, could you get her to come down into the garden? Meet me down there in half an hour in that shrubbery we found last night? There’s one or two things I want to ask her. Can you manage that for me?’
‘Of course.’ She looked up at him and smiled; then she added, ‘Anything happened?’
Abbershaw looked at her, and noticed for the first time that there was a faintly scared expression in her narrow brown eyes, and a sudden desire to comfort her assailed him. Had he been a little less precise, a little less timid in these matters, he would probably have kissed her. As it was, he contented himself by patting her hand rather foolishly and murmuring, ‘Nothing to get excited about,’ in a way which neither convinced her nor satisfied himself.