murder your master, but a lot of people think I did. Can’t you help me in any way?”
I can imagine at this point that Lawrence must have looked extremely appealing. His handsome head thrown back, his Irish blue eyes appealing. Rose softened and capitulated.
“Oh, sir! I’m sure—if any of us could help in any way. None of us think you did it, sir. Indeed we don’t.”
“I know, my dear girl, but that’s not going to help me with the police.”
“The police!” Rose tossed her head. “I can tell you, sir, we don’t think much of that inspector. Slack, he calls himself. The police indeed.”
“All the same, the police are very powerful. Now, Rose, you say you’ll do your best to help me. I can’t help feeling that there’s a lot we haven’t got at yet. The lady, for instance, who called to see Colonel Protheroe the night before he died.”
“ Mrs. Lestrange?”
“Yes, Mrs. Lestrange. I can’t help feeling there’s something rather odd about that visit of hers.”
“Yes, indeed, sir, that’s what we all said.”
“You did?”
“Coming the way she did. And asking for the colonel. And of course there’s been a lot of talk—nobody knowing anything about her down here. And Mrs. Simmons, she’s the housekeeper, sir, she gave it as her opinion that she was a regular bad lot. But after hearing what Gladdie said, well, I didn’t know what to think.”
“What did Gladdie say?”