"He left from Westover in a ship called the Ira Jones."
"Westover! Who says so?"
"He does. And according to the harbourmaster, a ship of that name did leave Westover on the night that Patrick went missing."
Since this seemed to leave Simon without speech, she went on: "And everything he did from then on has been checked. The hotel he worked at in Normandy is no longer there, but they have found the ship he sailed from Havre in-it's a tramp, but it belongs to a firm in Brest-and people have been shown photographs and identified him. And so on, all the way back to England. Till the day he walked into Mr. Sandal's office."
"Is that how he came back?" Eleanor asked. "Went to see old Mr. Sandal?"
"Yes."
"Well, I should say that proves that he is Patrick, if anyone is in any doubt about it. But I don't know why there should be doubt at all. After all, it would be very easy to catch him out if he wasn't Patrick, wouldn't it? All the family things he wouldn't know…."
"It isn't Patrick."
"It is a shock for you, Simon, my dear," Bee said, "and, as Eleanor says, it won't be easy for you. But I think it will be easier when you see him. Easier to accept him, I mean. He is so undeniably an Ashby, and so very like you."
"Patrick wasn't very like me."