“And you?” I asked, turning to Kitty.
“No,” she said, shaking her head, “I never heard of any.”
“And then there is the possibility that when he left Midlington he never came to Cartordale at all. That is where our investigation begins. Where did he go when he left Midlington? Let us return to your interview in the ‘King’s Head.’ At what time did it take place?”
“In the afternoon,” Thoyne responded. “It would be three o’clock when we left the ‘King’s Head.’”
“And did he give you no indication of the nature of his engagement?”
“Nothing at all.”
“Did he say when he was coming to Cartordale?”
“No, I don’t think he mentioned it—at all events, nothing definite.”
“Well, now, let me put it like this. Suppose that after the meeting at Midlington there had been no tragedy, would your brother’s prolonged absence have worried you?”
“Oh, no,” Kitty replied. “One never knew what Billy was going to do and frequently he wasn’t sure himself. He would just do it.”