“Yes, that you’d gone to see your mother,” he snapped. “Can you imagine how worried I was when I went down to the cottage and you and your grandfather were not there and your mother had no idea where you had gone?”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I really am. I did try to include you.”

His expression softened a little. “I’m not angry because I couldn’t come,” he said. “I always felt that police business should be left to the police, as you know very well. It’s just that I was worried about you. I thought you might have been kidnapped or bumped off because you were interfering. You can’t imagine what went through my mind.”

I touched his shoulder tentatively. “Darcy, I said I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you but I’d been asked not to.”

“You could have at least let me know you were safely with the police.”

I was beginning to feel defensive. “You have plenty of secrets from me, don’t you? I don’t even know what you do when you go off on your little jaunts. Don’t you think I worry about you?”

He smiled. “You do have a point there. But I know how to take care of myself.”

“So do I,” I said.

He slipped his arms around my waist. “Well, you’re home and you’re safe. So let’s forget about it. Are you allowed to tell me what happened?”

“You’ll never believe this.” I led him down a long hallway until we were far from other people and told him everything.

“The man must be completely mad,” he said at last. “Killing off jurors one by one, in such an elaborate fashion. What for? What can it accomplish?”

“He’s a showman, Darcy. He wants to go out with a bang. Maybe he has no desire to live now that his wife is dead, and no desire to go back to that horrible prison.”

“Signing his own death warrant, you mean?”

I nodded. “And there’s something I want you to do,” I said, and I voiced my suspicions about the colonel.

He stood there, frowning. “Yes, I think I know someone who can find that out for me in a hurry,” he said. “Do you really think it’s possible that he’s been here among us, all this time? It doesn’t seem possible. How has he managed to go in and out to kill people at odd times?”

“It’s a big enough house. I’m sure it’s possible to slip out without being seen.”

“Extraordinary. I’ll send a telegram right away. And in the meantime stay well clear of him, understand? I don’t want him to get any hint that you know.”