“How long is this going to go on?” Belinda said. “When do you think we’ll be free to leave?”

“I’ve no idea,” I said. I didn’t like to say that it probably wouldn’t be until they had found a more likely suspect than Belinda.

Then just as the grandfather clock was chiming twelve the door opened and Detective Inspector Watt came in, followed by Detective Inspector Purdy. He cleared his throat before addressing us.

“Belinda Warburton-Stoke, I am arresting you for the murder of Anthony James Summers,” he said. “You have the right to remain silent but anything you say may be used against you in a court of law.”

Chapter 24

OCTOBER 19

TREWOMA, CORNWALL

What am I going to do? Poor Belinda. I have to help her but I can’t do it alone.

Belinda and I rose to our feet at the same time. “No!” she exclaimed. “No. That’s not true. I didn’t kill him.”

I put out my hand to hold on to her, as much to stop her from bolting as for support.

I felt that I had to do something. “Detective Inspector, what makes you so sure that Miss Warburton-Stoke killed him? Are you jumping to conclusions only because you found her prints on the knife or because you can’t come up with anyone better?”

He gazed at me long and hard, the hint of a frown on his brow before answering. “Actually new evidence has come to light,” he said. “Rather compelling evidence, as it happens.” He turned to Belinda. “I’m afraid you weren’t quite honest with us, young woman. Pretending that you hadn’t had any contact with Mr. Summers since childhood. According to his wife you and he acted like old friends. He knew about your mews cottage in London. You were seen flirting together.”

“I was there all the time, Inspector,” I said before Belinda could answer. “If there was any harmless flirting it was from Tony, not Belinda. And it was in front of the rest of us, including his wife.”

“I did tell you that I bumped into Tony several years ago at a club in London,” Belinda said. “One does. But I hadn’t seen him since, I swear. I didn’t even know he was living here. Why won’t you believe me?”

I thought I detected the hint of one of those smirks.

“Then why had he written ‘Belinda!’ with an exclamation point after it in his diary on the day you arrived? Oh, and we went through the papers in his study. Your name and address are in his address book. I don’t know what exactly you’d been to him in the past but I’d say you came down here trying to win him back, and when he told you he wasn’t interested, you stabbed him.”

“That is simply not true,” Belinda said.