C. saw one visitor alone, Hill says. Mrs. H----, who fainted. C.
fetched glass of water, leaving her alone in room. Hill suggests her
letters indicate friendly relations between her and Sir H.F. Sir H.F.
expected visit, probably from lady, night of murder. Hurried Hill off
when he returned from Scotland. Mem: Inadvisable disclose this to C.
Underneath his entries of the case Rolfe had written finally:
Points to be remembered:
(1) Crewe said before the trial that Birchill was not the murderer and
would be acquitted. Birchill was acquitted.
(2) Crewe suggested we had not got the whole truth out of Hill. Hill
disappears the night after the trial. Is Hill the murderer?
(3) The handkerchief and the letters point to a woman in the case,
although this was not brought out at the trial. Is it possible that
woman is Mrs. H.?
Rolfe realised that the chief pieces of the puzzle were before him, but
the difficulty was to put them together. He felt sure there was a
connection between these facts, which, if brought to light, would solve
the Riversbrook mystery. Without knowing it, he had been so influenced by
Crewe's analysis of the case that he had practically given up the idea
that Birchill had anything to do with the murder.
Pages:
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320