“Oh, Mr. Dobble isn’t about to leave Mrs. Agatha,” said Mrs. Puffley, before turning the conversation back to where it should be. “Surely it had to be one of the murder writers who tried to do away with your master.”

“He and Mrs. Rollingbroke did have a bit of a testy exchange on the telephone a while back,” said Mr. Drewson. “I only heard one side of the conversation, but he was quite annoyed and it sounded as if he were threatening her.”

“Threatening her?” Mrs. Puffley leaned forward. “Do you mean he was threatening to kill her?”

“No, no, not like that—though the man is always talking about how to kill people, isn’t he?” Mr. Drewson looked at Mrs. Dilly for affirmation, and she nodded earnestly. “Takes his writing awfully seriously. Don’t let anyone look at his notes or pages till they’re done, though, and he keeps’em in a locked drawer. A locked drawer! It’s not as if it’s some sort of treasure map or stock certificate or even that it’s worth anything but the paper it’s typed on!”

“What did you hear in the conversation with Mr. Alastair and Mrs. Rollingbroke?”

“The only thing that struck me was when Mr. Alastair said, ‘I’m sure Sir Rolly would want to know all about that,’ or something of that nature. It was the look on his face when he said it—sent a shiver up my spine it did. Shortly after that, Mr. and Mrs. Alastair received an invitation to a soiree at the Rollingbrokes’.”

“Good heavens,” said Mrs. Puffley. “That certainly sounds like a threat to me! I wonder what he was talking about.”

“I haven’t any idea. Of course, Mr. Alastair, being a solicitor, must know a lot of secrets about a lot of people,” said Drewson, nodding knowingly.

“Quite so,” replied Mrs. Puffley, turning that over in her mind. She was suddenly grateful she’d never had occasion to speak to a solicitor here in Listleigh.

She was just about to ask another question when they heard the roar of the motorcar starting up outside. She glanced out and noticed that Mr. Eugene and Mrs. Alastair were in the sedan.

“Mrs. Alastair is driving her husband’s estranged brother?” Mrs. Puffley said as the vehicle started down the hill.

“Mr. Alastair refuses to allow Mr. Eugene to drive either of their motorcars, so he has to get a ride when he can,” said Drewson.

Mrs. Puffley’s eyes narrowed. “Does Mrs. Alastair drive him very often?”