“Yes,” I replied slowly, “but then, what of the hatpin?”
His face fell at that.
“Clevedon certainly didn’t stab himself with a hatpin,” I added. “But you may as well finish the story,” I went on, “and tell me why you spirited Tulmin away.”
“Oh, that’s quite simple,” he replied. “Kitty was worried about her brother, whose absence puzzled her, as it did the rest of us. So I offered Tulmin a job, and he jumped at it.”
“Of course not, I’m not a fool.”
“And was that why you offered to buy my house?”
He laughed at the recollection of that particular interview.
“I dare say you thought me an awful idiot,” he said.
“And now you’ve told me everything.”