“I have the strongest impression that somewhere or somehow she must have left a message for me⁠—before she went. I can’t argue about it, but there it is.”

I shook my head. “She left no letter or word of any kind. I asked.”

“Sheppard, I’m convinced that she did. And more, I’ve a feeling that by deliberately choosing death, she wanted the whole thing to come out, if only to be revenged on the man who drove her to desperation. I believe that if I could have seen her then, she would have told me his name and bid me go for him for all I was worth.”

He looked at me. “You don’t believe in impressions?”

“Oh, yes, I do, in a sense. If, as you put it, word should come from her⁠—”

I broke off. The door opened noiselessly and Parker entered with a salver on which were some letters.

“The evening post, sir,” he said, handing the salver to Ackroyd.