"How far off does he live from here?" asked Katty slowly. The scene at the inquest rose up before her, especially that moment when "Greville Howard's" affidavit, accompanied by his doctor's certificate, had been read aloud amid a ripple of amusement from the general public present.
"About four miles—but no one ever sees him. He's more or less of an invalid. It's a beautiful old house, and they say he's got some wonderful pictures and furniture there."
"Does he live quite alone?"
Her host hesitated. "Well, yes—but sometimes he has a lady of sorts there. He brought one back from France last June (he has a villa at Monte Carlo), and then—" Tony Haworth hesitated again, but Katty was looking at him eagerly—"then something dreadful happened! The poor woman died. She got a chill, developed pneumonia, and, to do the old rascal justice, he got down the biggest man he could from town. But it was no good—she died just the same! As far as I know, he's quite alone now—and precious lonely he must find it!"
Katty was very silent for the rest of the meal, and after luncheon she drew her host aside.
"Look here," she said abruptly. "I've something to tell you, Tony. I want to see that person we were speaking about—I mean Greville Howard. I want to see him about Godfrey Pavely. You know he is one of the few people who actually saw the man who killed Godfrey. At the time of the inquest he was ill, and so couldn't attend—I think the police thought he shammed illness. Sir Angus Kinross was convinced (and so was Lord St. Amant) that this Greville Howard knew a great deal more about Fernando Apra than he was willing to tell."
Tony Haworth was much taken aback.
"My dear girl, I don't think there's a chance of your getting at him! However, of course you shall be driven over as soon as you like. He may see you—you're not the sort of person he's afraid of."
He looked at her a little sharply. "You never had any money dealings with him, had you, Katty? Now, honour bright——"
"Of course not," she laughed. "Is it likely? My husband may have had, in the long, long ago—but I, never!"