At least I guessed, but I knew it would
seem the wildest idea until there was a little more proof, and so I
determined to make a few enquiries and then tell you at once if there
seemed to be anything in my idea. So next morning I went to the Scollays
and paid them a friendly visit and began talking about Jock and his
habits and movements, and I found he had disappeared for a good part of
that day when Bolton was murdered. I also found he was often out at
nights, and that he kept that locked box in the barn."
"So you felt sure?"
"I would have if you hadn't made me rather less confident about my
guesses. Still, I'd have told you next morning, only when you showed me
that pocket-book you seemed so positive that you quite shook me. And then
I determined to go myself and break into the box and see if I could find
some proof."
"That's the one thing I can't quite forgive you for; running all that
risk by yourself!"
"But that was just the point! I had somehow got it into my head that
since I had found you out, perhaps he had too, and I remembered what
happened to Bolton, and I couldn't let you run the risk when it was quite
safe for me!"
"Quite safe!" I exclaimed. "Quite safe if he had caught you
opening his box?"
"Oh, one has to run a _little_ risk," she admitted. "But I knew unless he
actually caught me he would never suspect me.
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