“Once only, and for the first time after twenty-five years. It was also the last. On Friday the seventh of December, she came back from visiting the old nurse, Grace Holmes, in Canada. Mrs. Holmes is the only surviving witness to Peregrine’s will. Candace went out to pay her a sum of money—I think she said ten thousand pounds—to thank her for the help she gave in nursing Peregrine Westhall. The other witness, Elizabeth Barnes, was a retired member of the Westhall household and had been receiving a small pension, which, of course, ended with her death. Candace felt that Grace Holmes shouldn’t go unrewarded. She was also anxious to have the nurse’s evidence about the date of her father’s death. She told me about Robin Boyton’s ludicrous allegation that the dead body was concealed in a freezer until twenty-eight days after the grandfather’s death had elapsed. Here is the letter Grace Holmes wrote and gave to her. She wanted me to have a copy, perhaps as insurance. If necessary I would pass it on to the head of the firm.”

He lifted the copy of the will and took from beneath it a sheet of writing paper, which he passed to Dalgliesh. The letter was dated Wednesday 5 December 2007. The writing was large; the letters were round and carefully formed.

Dear Sir,

Miss Candace Westhall has asked me to send you a letter confirming the date of the death of her father, Dr. Peregrine Westhall. This occurred on 5 March 2007. He had been getting much worse during the two preceding days and Dr. Stenhouse saw him on 3 March but did not prescribe any fresh medicines. Professor Westhall said that he wanted to see the local clergyman, the Reverend Matheson, and he came at once. He was driven by his sister. I was in the house at the time but not in the sickroom. I could hear the professor shouting but not what Mr. Matheson was saying. They did not stay very long and the Reverend looked distressed when they left. Dr. Westhall died two days later, and I was in the house with his son and Miss Westhall when he passed away. I was the one who laid him out.

I also witnessed his last will, which was in his own handwriting. This was some time in the summer of 2005, but I don’t remember the date. This was the last will I witnessed, although Professor Westhall did make others during the preceding weeks, which Elizabeth Barnes and I witnessed, but which I believe he tore up.

All I have written is true.

Yours sincerely, Grace Holmes

Dalgliesh said, “She was asked to confirm the date of his death, so why, I wonder, the paragraph referring to the will?”

“Since Boyton had raised doubts about the date his uncle died, perhaps she thought it important to mention anything concerned with Peregrine’s death which might later be questioned.”