A fishing boat passed, returning with a catch and followed by seagulls. Then another boat came into view, sailing out from somewhere near us and heading across to the far side of the estuary. It was a small yacht, towing a rowing boat behind it. There was one man at the tiller.

“Isn’t that Jago?” Belinda asked.

“It looks like him,” I agreed.

He had his back to us and was soon lost to view.

“Up to no good again,” Belinda said.

“You don’t know that.”

“That’s what Tony thought, wasn’t it?” Belinda said. “He thought this foreign man got his money through illegal means and Jago was his willing henchman.” She broke off. “Oh gosh, Georgie. What if Tony found out what was going on and Jago silenced him? It would be so easy to moor the boat, come ashore in the rowing boat . . .”

“Hold on a minute.” I held up a hand to stop her. “That really is leaping to conclusions. How on earth would Jago know where to find Tony? Or where to find the dagger? And why stab him in your bedroom? He’s clearly interested in you. . . .”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” She turned red. “He’s a natural flirt.”

“Anyway, if Jago wanted to kill him it wouldn’t be in that dramatic fashion. It would be a knife in the back where nobody could see and then his body taken out to sea and dumped.”

Belinda nodded. “Yes, that does make sense. I’m so desperate to find someone who might have a good reason to want Tony dead. Oh, I do hope they’ve nabbed Uncle Francis. I am tempted to just jump in my little sports car and drive back to London as fast as possible.”

“Don’t do that, please,” I said. “It wouldn’t look good if you ran away at this moment.”

“No, you’re right.” She nodded. She turned to go up the steps, then she shrank back and grabbed my arm.

“You were right. Someone is watching us.”

“Where?”

“I saw a movement behind those bushes.”

I had had enough of suspicion and drama. Had Mrs. Mannering sent one of the servants to keep an eye on us? Or perhaps one of the policemen?

“Come out and show yourself,” I said in my loudest voice. Instead of echoing, it fell flat in the heavy air of the dell. “If you don’t come out, I’ll go and report you to the policeman who is up at the house.”

There was blundering among the bushes and the old man who had given me directions appeared, looking flustered.

“I weren’t doing no harm,” he said. “Don’t you go setting the police on me, missy.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, gently now, because he looked really agitated. “I just thought that someone was spying on us.”