a death almost literally on her doorstep and very tired but unable to sleep, miscounting the drops from a bottle of medicine that she expected to give her some relief.

Hamish said, “But ye ken, it isna’ sae simple!”

Rutledge went to find Leticia.

“I’ll have to leave for London later in the afternoon.”

“There’s a cold luncheon in the dining room. I need to speak to you.”

He followed her there, and as she filled a plate and handed it to him, she asked, “What did you say to Walter?”

“What is it you think I said?” he asked.

She shook her head irritably. “He’s gone up to his room and locked himself in. The dressing room door, as well. They’ve come to collect Jenny’s body. Shall I tell them to wait?” She began putting food on her own plate with scarcely a glance at what she was choosing.

“Let them go ahead. What about Harry?”

“Mary has decided it would be too upsetting for him to see his mother’s body. She’s staying with him at the rectory.”

“If his father finds that acceptable, the police will have no objection.”

“It wouldn’t matter if you did.”

He smiled. “What do you really want me to say, Miss Teller? Very well. The inquiry is closed in Hobson, with the arrest of Florence Teller’s killer. It was someone who knew her. And while the evidence was unequivocally pointing to your brother—Captain Teller—he was not the cause of her death.”

He could hear the hiss of breath as she released it. “Then Peter was never guilty. Even though he died expecting to be arrested at any moment. Dear God. That breaks my heart.”

“He couldn’t see how events unfolded after he’d driven away. Until we tried to account for certain missing items, nor could we. But we might have reached our conclusions earlier if there hadn’t been so many lies to cover up who Florence Teller really was.”

“But I thought you knew,” she said forcefully. “She was Peter’s wife. The foolish mistake of a young man whose father refused to allow him to marry his cousin.”

“I’m sure Florence Teller would be happy to hear she was only a foolish mistake.”

Leticia had the grace to flush. “I wasn’t referring—”

“Yes, you were. She’s been a thorn in the side of this family since you first learned of her. Did you believe your brother Walter left the Belvedere Clinic to travel to Hobson? Is that why you sent Peter there to find out what he could?”

“Peter didn’t discuss his private affairs with us.”

“Come now. I was told that he’d gone to Cambridge with Edwin. And that was a lie; he was in Hobson. Susannah told me about Lieutenant Burrows, and that was a lie. She knew the truth and was trying to help conceal it. But Jenny knew nothing.” He considered her for a moment. “What did you do, go through his papers looking for some clue to why Walter was ill and not responding? At a guess you found something that set off alarm bells. And you haven’t put it back, have you? Because I saw the file this morning, and it held only a will.”

He could read the answer in her eyes. That was precisely what someone had done.

“Was it your brother Edwin and his wife? The head of the family, with his strong sense of duty? Yes, I’m sure it was. The truth must have come as a shock. And so Peter—the real Peter Teller—was dispatched to Lancashire to see who this woman was, what she might want, and whether Walter was leaving Jenny for her.”

She picked up her plate and put it on the tray for Mollie to collect. “I’ll leave you to enjoy your lunch, Inspector. I’m afraid I have much to do.”

Leticia walked out without looking back.

Rutledge said to the empty room, “With Florence Teller dead, and Peter, and Jenny, the past is wiped out. Except for Harry . . .”

Hamish answered him, “There’s the Captain’s wife.”

Susannah, who refused to set foot in this house again.

“But she’s loyal to the family.”

“Was loyal.”

It was a very good point. Could she be trusted to keep the secret? He went to the telephone and put in a call to the Yard. Sergeant Gibson listened to Rutledge’s request, then said, “It’s going to be difficult getting it past the Chief Superintendent, but I’ll see that a watch is set. You don’t care to explain why it’s needed?”

Rutledge said, “Early days,” and let it go at that.

Edwin Teller met him in the passage and said, “I should think