However, he had more important things to think about than Mrs. Crosbie's airs and graces, and spent a wakeful night building up theories and knocking them down again. By dawn he had arrived at the conclusion that Geary was the criminal. "I expect," thought Haskins, while taking his bath, "that Geary found his hold over Rebb was getting lax, so he deliberately killed Bellaria, knowing that the Major had gone to the Pixy's House, in the hope of getting blackmail by threatening to throw the blame of the murder on his master. And by the murder he secured to Rebb an income out of which large sums could be paid. Yes. I really believe that Geary will prove to be the guilty person. But how am I to fix the crime on him?" This was a hard question to answer, and Gerald waited for the arrival of Tod to put it to him, since two heads are better than one. The solicitor arrived at midday, along with Arnold, having come from Belldown--so they explained--by railway. Tod looked anxious, and not so healthy as he had done in London, but Haskins put this down to the man's unavoidable fretting after his bride. Arnold had not changed in the least, and appeared to be as tiny and gnome-like as ever. First and foremost the two men, being hungry, had dinner, and then Gerald conducted them both to the hotel drawing-room--a gorgeous apartment, which had been placed at his disposal by Mrs. Jennings, for an extra pound on the bill. Having the apartment to themselves, the three men saw that the door was closed, and then sat down to talk. Gerald immediately asked the question which had been trembling on his tongue from the moment he set eyes on his friend. "In the first place, Tod," he said impatiently, "what took you and Arnold to Belldown?" "That is a long story," said Tod leisurely. "Then tell it as shortly as you can." "One moment, let us do things in order. First let me know your doings here, Jerry." "But----" began Haskins with irritation. Tod cut him short. "See here, Jerry," said he firmly. "I am supposed to be your solicitor, and it is my place to conduct the business. I want things done in order. First your story and then mine. Both will be extremely interesting, I have no doubt." Gerald stared. "Why should you think that I have anything to tell?" "Well," observed Macandrew jocularly, "a little bird--Mrs. Jennings by name--whispered to me that two London ladies had come down on a visit to Major Rebb, who is camping--so to speak--at the Pixy's House." "Yes. Mrs. Crosbie and her mother. What of that?" "I shall tell you when I have heard what you have to say about them." Arnold uttered a grunt and raked his long beard with lean fingers. Haskins looked from one to the other quite mystified. "Has what you have to say anything to do with those ladies?" "A great deal to do with them, Jerry." A light broke in on Haskins' clouded brain. "Mrs. Crosbie said that she had stopped at Belldown--that is where you have been."