Find the Innocent by Roy Vickers Page A

Jill. “I could have waited.”
    Curwen got up.
    â€œIt’s very good of you to take that trouble, Mrs. Brengast—we knew, of course, that the poor gentleman couldn’t have been murdered for what was in his Will, but we have to tick it off.”
    With the inverted values of the policeman, he was very pleased with her for having lied to him about the lift to Renchester.
    â€œOne trifling matter before I go. When you arrived at Diddington yesterday, you were carrying a suitcase—or ought I to say dressing case?”
    â€œI was!” Veronica was innocently surprised. “How did you know?”
    â€œGuessed!” grinned Curwen. “Could you let me see it?”
    â€œWe didn’t finish unpacking,” said Jill to Veronica. “I’ll empty it.”
    â€œInspector, do tell me,” said Veronica, when they were alone. “What does ‘residuary legatee’ mean?”
    Curwen explained and added: “For instance—your marriage settlement. I expect it would be forfeited under certain conditions—that is, if you were to marry again and—er—that sort of thing. In such a case the capital sum would go back to the estate—meaning Miss Aspland.”
    â€œOh-h! … I see! I hadn’t thought of that!”
    Curwen noted details of the dressing case, then explained that the coroner’s officer would call during the afternoon—without saying why—and bowed himself out.
    â€œI think that went off very well!” said Veronica.
    Poor Veronica, wanting to be told she had been perfectly splendid, or something. Jill couldn’t manage it.
    â€œI wonder why he wanted to see my dressing case?”
    â€œI suppose because people at Diddington noticed you were carrying it. And the railway people—ticket inspectors and so on. So that he can check your movements.”
    â€œI didn’t know they would do things like that!” Veronica was depressed. She chattered on until Jill interrupted.
    â€œVeronica! Why did you dump yourself on your sister? I have to know this sort of thing, with the police dropping in on us. I mean, why didn’t you sit on in the train and go back to the flat, instead of landing yourself in for the rush you had this morning?”
    â€œI don’t know. Impulse, I suppose. It was rather silly, now you point it out. I’m glad the Inspector didn’t think of it.”
    â€œIf I thought of it, you can bet he did,” said Jill. “If I were a policeman—”
    â€œYou are a bit of a policeman, darling! And it’s ever so useful just now. I don’t know how I could possibly have managed without you.”
    â€œYou speak as if it were all over. It hasn’t begun yet. I’m not at all sure you wouldn’t manage better without me.”
    â€œDarling, that’s utterly absurd! I always get flustered when people ask me why I did things.”
    â€œAnd men enjoy putting you right and helping you. But my mind works rather like theirs—which makes it all the easier for them if anything goes wrong. I’m no good unless I have all the facts and know just where I am.”
    â€œBut you have all the facts! And why should anything go wrong?”
    â€œI don’t know—and I hope nothing will.”
    â€œJill. You aren’t going to walk out on me. You won’t leave me in the lurch?”
    â€œWhat lurch?” demanded Jill. “You haven’t told me anything about a lurch.”
    â€œDon’t pick me up like that! There’s nothing special. It’s just that I do feel frightfully alone. I suppose that’s why I’m not howling for poor WillyBee. I don’t feel anything except that he’s somehow missing.”
    Jill softened. These cushioned women, she thought, were unfairly treated. Men would share their possessions with them but not their wisdom.
    â€œDon’t worry about being left alone. I’ll cope with the