"I don't believe it," said Susan. "I believe if you knew definitely who committed a crime you could always get the evidence."

"I wonder now." Mr Entwhistle sounded thoughtful. "I very much wonder..."

"Have they any idea at all - in Aunt Cora's case - of who it might be?"

"That I couldn't say. Not as far as I know. But they would hardly confide in me - and it's early days yet - the murder took place only the day before yesterday, remember."

"It's definitely got to be a certain kind of person," Susan mused. "A brutal, perhaps slightly half-witted type - a discharged soldier or a gaol bird. I mean, using a hatchet like that."

Looking slightly quizzical, Mr Entwhistle raised his eyebrows and murmured:

"Lizzie Borden with an axe

Gave her father fifty whacks

When she saw what she had done

She gave her mother fifty-one."

"Oh," Susan flushed angrily, "Cora hadn't got any relations living with her - unless you mean the companion. And anyway Lizzie Borden was acquitted. Nobody knows for certain she killed her father and stepmother."

"The rhyme is quite definitely libellous," Mr Entwhistle agreed.

"You mean the companion did do it? Did Cora leave her anything?"

"An amethyst brooch of no great value and some sketches of fishing villages of sentimental value only."

"One has to have a motive for murder - unless one is half-witted."

Mr Entwhistle gave a little chuckle.

"As far as one can see, the only person who had a motive is you, my dear Susan."

"What's that?" Greg moved forward suddenly. He was like a sleeper coming awake. An ugly light showed in his eyes. He was suddenly no longer a negligible feature in the background. "What's Sue got to do with it? What do you mean - saying things like that?"

Susan said sharply:

"Shut up, Greg. Mr Entwhistle doesn't mean anything -"

"Just my little joke," said Mr Entwhistle apologetically. "Not in the best taste, I'm afraid. Cora left her estate, such as it was, to you, Susan. But to a young lady who has just inherited several hundred thousand pounds, an estate, amounting at the most to a few hundreds, can hardly be said to represent a motive for murder."

"She left her money to me?" Susan sounded surprised. "How extraordinary. She didn't even know me? Why did she do it, do you think?"

"I think she had heard rumours that there had been a little difficulty - er

-over your marriage." Greg, back again at sharpening his pencil, scowled. "There had been a certain amount of trouble over her own marriage - and I think she experienced a fellow feeling."

Susan asked with a certain amount of interest:

"She married an artist, didn't she, whom none of the family liked? Was he a good artist?"

Mr Entwhistle shook his head very decidedly.

"Are there any of his paintings in the cottage?"

"Yes."

"Then I shall judge for myself," said Susan.

Mr Entwhistle smiled at the resolute tilt of Susan's chin.