Fourteen THE WILLETTS

At the same moment that Charles and Emily started out to visit MajorBurnaby, Inspector¹ Narracott was seated in the drawing room of SittafordHouse, trying to formulate² an impression of Mrs. Willett.
He had not been able to interview her sooner as the roads had been im-passable until this morning. He had hardly known what he had expectedto find, but certainly not what he had found. It was Mrs. Willett who hadtaken charge of the situation, not he.
She had come rushing into the room, thoroughly³ businesslike and effi-cient. He saw a tall woman, thin-faced and keen-eyed. She was wearingrather an elaborate knitted silk jumper suit that was just over the borderline of unsuitability for country wear. Her stockings were of very expens-ive gossamer⁴ silk, her shoes high-heeled patent leather. She wore severalvaluable rings and rather a large quantity of very good and expensive im-itation pearls.
“Inspector Narracott?” said Mrs. Willett. “Naturally, you want to comeover the house. What a shocking tragedy! I could hardly believe it. Weonly heard about it this morning, you know. We were terribly shocked. Sitdown, won’t you, Inspector? This is my daughter, Violet.”
He had hardly noticed the girl who had followed her in, and yet, she wasa very pretty girl, tall and fair with big blue eyes.
Mrs. Willett herself took a seat.
“Is there any way in which I can help you, Inspector? I knew very littleof poor Captain Trevelyan, but if there is anything you can think of—”
The Inspector said slowly:
“Thank you, madam. Of course, one never knows what may be useful orwhat may not.”
“I quite understand. There may possibly be something in the house thatmay throw light upon this sad business, but I rather doubt it. CaptainTrevelyan removed all his personal belongings⁵. He even feared I shouldtamper with his fishing rods, poor, dear man.”
She laughed a little.
“You were not acquainted with him?”
“Before I took the house, you mean? Oh! no. I’ve asked him here severaltimes since, but he never came. Terribly shy, poor dear. That was whatwas the matter with him. I’ve known dozens of men like it. They are calledwomen haters and all sorts of silly things, and really all the time it’s onlyshyness. If I could have got at him,” said Mrs. Willett with determination,“I’d soon have got over all that nonsense. That sort of man only wantsbringing out.”

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