‘Oh, yes,’ she said. ‘It would be Horbury.’
‘Horbury? You mean the valet?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why do you think that?’
‘Because he has the face of a thief. His eyes go so, from side to side, he walks softly and listens at doors. He is like a cat. And all cats are thieves.’
‘H’m,’ said Colonel Johnson. ‘We’ll leave it at that. Now I understand that all the family were up in your grandfather’s room this afternoon, and that some—er—angry words passed.’
Pilar nodded and smiled.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘It was great fun. Grandfather made them oh! so angry!’
‘Oh, you enjoyed it, did you?’
‘Yes. I like to see people get angry. I like it very much. But here in England they do not get angry like they do in Spain. In Spain they take out their knives and they curse and shout. In England they do nothing, just get very red in the face and shut up their mouths tight.’
‘Do you remember what was said?’
Pilar seemed rather doubtful.
‘I am not sure. Grandfather said they were no good—that they had not got any children. He said I was better than any of them. He liked me, very much.’
‘Did he say anything about money or a will?’
‘A will—no, I don’t think so. I don’t remember.’
‘What happened?’
‘They all went away—except Hilda—the fat one, David’s wife, she stayed behind.’
‘Oh, she did, did she?’
‘Yes. David looked very funny. He was all shaking and oh! so white. He looked as though he might be sick.’
‘And what then?’
‘Then I went and found Stephen. We danced to the gramophone.’
‘Stephen Farr?’
‘Yes. He is from South Africa—he is the son of Grandfather’s partner. He is very handsome too. Very brown and big, and he has nice eyes.’
Johnson asked:
‘Where were you when the crime occurred?’
‘You ask where I was?’
‘Yes.’
‘I had gone into the drawing-room with Lydia. And then I went up to my room and did my face. I was going to dance again with Stephen. And then, far away, I heard a scream and everyone was running, so I went too. And they were trying to break down Grandfather’s door. Harry did it with Stephen, they are both big strong men.’
‘Yes?’
‘And then—crash—down it went—and we all looked in. Oh, such a sight—everything smashed and knocked over, and Grandfather lying in a lot of blood, and his throat was cut like this’—she made a vivid dramatic gesture at her own neck—‘right up under his ear.’