r 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. His real reason for
going to Hill's shop that morning was to try and extract something from
Hill which might put him on the track of the actual murderer. He believed
Hill knew more than he had divulged. Hill, before his disappearance, had
placed in his hands an important clue, if he only knew how to follow it
up. That incident of the missing letters must have some bearing on the
case, if he could only elucidate it.

Should he disclose to Chippenfield Hill's story of the missing letters?
Rolfe dismissed the idea as soon as it crossed his mind. He knew his
superior officer sufficiently well to understand that he would be very
angry to learn that he had been deceived by Mrs. Holymead, and, as she
was outside the range of his anger, he would bear a grudge against his
junior officer for discovering the deception which had been practised on
him, and do all he could to block his promotion in Scotland Yard in
consequence. Apart from that, he could offer Chippenfield no excuse for
not having told him before.

Should he consult Crewe?

Rolfe dismissed that thought also, but more reluctantly. Hang it all, it
was too humiliating for an accredited officer of Scotland Yard to consult
a private detective! Rolfe