Twenty-seven NARRACOTT ACTS

Two mornings later Emily was seated in Inspector¹ Narracott’s office. Shehad come over from Sittaford that morning.
Inspector Narracott looked at her appraisingly². He admired Emily’spluck, her courageous³ determination not to give in and her resolute⁴ cheer-fulness. She was a fighter, and Inspector Narracott admired fighters. Itwas his private opinion that she was a great deal too good for Jim Pearson,even if that young man was innocent of the murder.
“It’s generally understood in books,” he said, “that the police are intenton having a victim and don’t in the least care if that victim is innocent ornot as long as they have enough evidence to convict him. That’s not thetruth, Miss Trefusis, it’s only the guilty man we want.”
“Do you honestly believe Jim to be guilty, Inspector Narracott?”
“I can’t give you an official answer to that, Miss Trefusis. But I’ll tell youthis—that we are examining not only the evidence against him but theevidence against other people very carefully.”
“You mean against his brother—Brian?”
“A very unsatisfactory gentleman, Mr. Brian Pearson. Refused to answerquestions or to give any information about himself, but I think —” In-spector Narracott’s slow Devonshire smile widened, “I think I can make apretty good guess at some of his activities. If I am right I shall know in an-other half hour. Then there’s the lady’s husband, Mr. Dering.”
“You’ve seen him?” asked Emily curiously⁵.
Inspector Narracott looked at her vivid face, and felt tempted⁶ to relax of-ficial caution. Leaning back in his chair he recounted his interview withMr. Dering, then from a file at his elbow he took out a copy of the wirelessmessage he had dispatched to Mr. Rosenkraun. “That’s what I sent,” hesaid. “And here’s the reply.”
Emily read it.
Narracott 2 Drysdale Road Exeter. Certainly confirm Mr.

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