That's the only reason I came to Danemouth and left him alone at home - to find out the truth."
"I know, dear," said Miss Marple. "That's why I'm here too."
Chapter 34
In a quiet hotel room Edwards was listening deferentially to Sir Henry Clithering.
"There are certain questions I would like to ask you, Edwards, but I want you first to understand quite clearly my position here.
I was at one time commissioner of the police at Scotland Yard.
I am now retired into private life.
Your master sent for me when this tragedy occurred. He begged me to use my skill and experience in order to find out the truth."
Sir Henry paused.
Edwards, his pale, intelligent eyes on the other's face, inclined his head.
He said, "Quite so. Sir Henry."
Clithering went on slowly and deliberately,
"In all police cases there is necessarily a lot of information that is held back. It is held back for various reasons - because it touches on a family skeleton, because it is considered to have no bearing on the case, because it would entail awkwardness and embarrassment to the parties concerned."
Again Edwards said, "Quite so. Sir Henry."
"I expect, Edwards, that by now you appreciate quite clearly the main points of this business.
The dead girl was on the point of becoming Mr Jefferson's adopted daughter.
Two people had a motive in seeing that this should not happen. Those two people are Mr Gaskell and Mrs Jefferson."
The valet's eyes displayed a momentary gleam.
He said,
"May I ask if they are under suspicion, sir?"
"They are in no danger of arrest, if that is what you mean.
But the police are bound to be suspicious of them and will continue to be so until the matter is cleared up."
"An unpleasant position for them, sir."
"Very unpleasant.
Now to get at the truth, one must have all the facts of the case. A lot depends, must depend, on the reactions, the words and gestures, of Mr Jefferson and his family.
How did they feel, what did they show, what things were said?
I am asking you, Edwards, for inside information, the kind of inside information that only you are likely to have. You know your master's moods. From observation of them you probably know what caused them. I am asking this, not as a policeman but as a friend of Mr Jefferson's. That is to say, if anything you tell me is not, in my opinion, relevant to the case, I shall not pass it on to the police."
He paused.
Edwards said quietly,
"I understand you, sir.
You want me to speak quite frankly; to say things that, in the ordinary course of events, I should not say, and that, excuse me sir, you wouldn't dream of listening to."
Sir Henry said, "You're a very intelligent fellow, Edwards.
That's exactly what I do mean."
Edwards was silent for a minute or two, then he began to speak.
"Of course I know Mr Jefferson fairly well by now. I've been with him quite a number of years.
And I see him in his 'off moments, not only in his 'on' ones.
Sometimes, sir, I've questioned in my own mind whether it's good for anyone to fight fate in the way Mr Jefferson has fought. It's taken a terrible toll of him, sir. If, sometimes, he could have given way, been an unhappy, lonely, broken old man -well, it might have been better for him in the end.
But he's too proud for that. He'll go down fighting, that's his motto.
But that sort of thing leads, Sir Henry, to a lot of nervous reaction.
He looks a good-tempered gentleman. I've seen him in violent rages when he could hardly speak for passion.
And the one thing that roused him, sir, was deceit."
"Are you saying that for any particular reason, Edwards?"
"Yes, sir. I am.
You asked me, sir, to speak quite frankly."
"That is the idea."
"Well, then, Sir Henry, in my opinion the young woman that Mr Jefferson was so taken up with wasn't worth it.
She was, to put it bluntly, a common little piece.
And she didn't care tuppence for Mr Jefferson. All that play of affection and gratitude was so much poppycock.
I don't say there was any harm in her, but she wasn't, by a long way, what Mr Jefferson thought her.
It was funny, that, sir, for Mr Jefferson was a shrewd gentleman; he wasn't often deceived over people.