I am so happy. Belinda is free. Now all we need to do is to have Rose confess and we can go home. If there are no further complications, that is.

“So what do we do now?” Belinda asked as we stepped out into the fresh air. “I have my solicitor arriving from London today and then Daddy may show up as soon as he gets the telegram, if the wicked witch doesn’t burn it first.”

“Oh surely not,” I said.

“You don’t know my stepmother. She’ll think with me out of the way she’ll get my inheritance, even though it will probably go to horrid Uncle Francis. In fact if she was anywhere within a hundred miles of Cornwall she’d be my prime suspect. But the Highlands of Scotland are a wee bit far to come and commit a murder overnight.” She sighed. “So do you think I should stay on in Truro?”

“I think that’s probably wise,” I said. “You’ll have to meet your solicitor from the London train, won’t you?”

“Oh yes. Gosh, he’s going to be annoyed that he’s come all this way for nothing.”

“Nonsense. He’ll probably spend a couple of days at a nice Cornish hotel and put it on your bill,” I said.

“So I should stay somewhere nearby, you think?”

I nodded. “Remember, the inspector will want to know where you are. We’ll get you settled in but I have something I have to do back near Trewoma.”

“You’re not going to confront Rose?”

I laughed. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m not going near the actual house but there is one thing I have to do.” When she gave me a questioning look I went on, “I can’t tell you what it is yet, but it may be helpful.”

“You’re being enigmatic. If it’s something to do with the case, why can’t you tell me?”

“I’ll tell you later, I promise,” I said. “Just trust me.”

“So I suppose my hunch about Colin is now quite irrelevant? We shouldn’t bother mentioning it to the police?”

“Let’s hold off for the moment,” I said. “If Rose confesses, then we don’t need to go any further. So why don’t we find you a hotel near the station? You can pop in and tell the police where to find you.”

“You’ll come back after you’ve done . . . what you said you wanted to do?”

“If necessary I’ll stay at White Sails,” I said.

“That is above the call of duty,” she said.

“I’ll survive.”

“What if Jago decides to visit again in the middle of the night?”

“That could be interesting,” I said and gave her a challenging smile.

“You’re a married woman.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the occasional middle-of-the-night visit.”