had acquired an unwilling respect for Crewe's
abilities during the course of the investigations into the Riversbrook
case, but he retained all the intolerance which regular members of the
detective force feel for the private detectives who poach on their
preserves. Rolfe's professional jealousy was intensified in Crewe's case
because of the brilliant successes Crewe had achieved during his career
at the expense of the reputation of Scotland Yard. Rolfe had an
instinctive feeling that Crewe's mind was of finer quality than his own,
and would see light where he only groped in darkness. If Crewe had been
his superior officer in Scotland Yard, Rolfe would have gone to him
unhesitatingly and profited by his keener vision, but he could not do so
in their existing relative positions. He ransacked his brain for some
other course.

After long consideration, Rolfe decided to go and see Mrs. Holymead and
question her about the packet of letters which Hill declared she had
removed from Riversbrook after the murder. He realised that this was
rather a risky course to pursue, for Mrs. Holymead was highly placed and
could do him much harm if she got her husband to use his influence at the
Home Office, for then he would have to admit that he had gone to her
without the knowledge of his superior officer, on the statement of a
discredited servant who had arranged a burglary in his master's house the
night he was murdered. Nevertheless, Rolfe decided to take the risk. The
chance of getting somewhere nearer the solution of the Riversbrook
mystery was worth it, and what a feather in his cap it would be if he
solved the mystery! He was convinced that Chippenfield had shut out
important light on the mystery by doggedly insisting, in order to
buttress up his case against Birchill, that the piece of handkerchief
which had been found in the dead man's hand was a portion of a
handkerchief which had belonged to the girl Fanning, and had been brought
by Birchill from the Westminster flat on the night of the murder. It was
more likely, in view of Hill's story of the letters, that the
handkerchief belonged to Mrs. Holymead. Rolfe had not made up his mind
that Mrs. Holymead had committed the murder, but he was convinced that
she and her letters had some connection with the baffling crime, and he
determined to try and pierce the mystery by questioning her. Having
arrived at this decision, he replaced his notebook in his coat pocket,
knocked the ashes ou