“Because,” said Mary, “directly after discovering it I found Bruce Wright, who used to be one of Mr. Parrish’s private secretaries, hiding behind the curtains in the library. Now, Bruce Wright is a great friend of Robin Greve’s, and I immediately suspected that Robin had sent him to Harkings, particularly as ...”
“As what?...”
“As he practically admitted to me, that he had come for a letter written on slatey-blue official-looking paper.”
The girl held up the letter from Rotterdam.
“All this,” the girl continued, “made me think that this letter must have had something to do with Hartley’s death ...”
“Surely an additional reason for giving it to the police!...”
Mary Trevert set her mouth in an obstinate line.
“No!” she affirmed uncompromisingly. “The police believe that, as the result of a scene between Hartley and Robin, Hartley killed himself. Until I’ve found out for certain whether this letter implicates Robin or not, I sha’n’t give it to the police ...”
“But, if Greve really had nothing to do with this shocking tragedy, the police can very easily clear him. Surely they are the best judges of his guilt ...”
Again a touch of warm colour suffused the girl’s cheeks. Euan MacTavish remarked it and looked at her wistfully.