Jefferson nodded amicably, and the two strolled out on to the lawn. It was only just beginning to get dusk, and the light was still strong. “I’ve found out who the handkerchief belongs to, Alec,” Roger said in a low voice. “Have you? Who?” “Mrs. Plant. I was almost certain before we sat down to dinner, but what she said clinched it. That scent is jasmine right enough.” “And what are you going to do?” Roger hesitated. “Well, you heard what she said,” he replied, almost apologetically. “She didn’t actually deny it, because I never asked her; but she wouldn’t admit to being in the library at all yesterday evening.” “But surely it’s a perfectly innocent thing to be in the library?” Alec protested. “Why, Stanworth wasn’t even there. He was out in the garden with you. Why shouldn’t she have been in the library?” “And, equally, why shouldn’t she acknowledge it?” Roger retorted quickly. “It may have slipped her memory. That’s nothing. You were saying yourself how difficult it is to remember exactly where one’s been.” “It’s no use, Alec,” Roger said gently. “We’ve got to clear this up. It may be innocent enough; I only hope it is! On the other hand, it may be exceedingly important for us to find out just exactly why Mrs. Plant was in that library, and what she was doing there. You must see that we can’t leave it as it is.” “But what do you propose to do? Tackle her about it?” “Yes. I’m going to ask her point-blank if she was in the library last night or not, and see what she says.” “And if she denies it?” Roger shrugged his shoulders. “That remains to be seen,” he said shortly. “I don’t like it,” Alec frowned. “In fact, I hate it. It’s a beastly position. Look here, Roger,” he said with sudden earnestness, “let’s chuck the whole thing! Let’s assume, as the police are doing, that old Stanworth committed suicide and leave it at that. Shall we?” “You bet we won’t!” Roger said grimly. “I’m not going to leave a thing half threshed out like that; especially not such an interesting thing as this. You can back out if you like; there’s no reason for you to be mixed up with it if you don’t want. But I’m most decidedly going on with it.” “Oh, if you do, I shall, too,” Alec replied gloomily. “But I’d much rather we both chucked it.” “That’s out of the question,” Roger said briskly. “Couldn’t dream of it. Well, if you’re going to stick to it with me, you’d better be present at my chat with Mrs. Plant. Let’s stroll round to the drawing room and see if we can find an excuse to speak with her alone.” “All right, then,” Alec agreed unhappily. “If we must.” Luck was on their side. Mrs. Plant was alone in the drawing room. Roger drew a chair up so as to face her squarely and commented casually on Lady Stanworth’s absence. Alec turned his back on them and gazed moodily out of the window, as if washing his hands of the whole affair. “Lady Stanworth?” Mrs. Plant repeated. “Oh, she’s gone in to help Major Jefferson, I think. In the morning room.”