"Worn out, that's what you are," said Miss Entwhistle in the
indignant and bullying tones adopted by devoted sisters towards brothers
for whom they keep house. "You shouldn't do it, at your age. What's it
all got to do with you, I'd like to know? You've retired, haven't you?"
Mr Entwhistle said mildly that Richard Abernethie had been one of his oldest friends.
"I dare say. But Richard Abernethie's dead, isn't he? So I see no
reason for you to go mixing yourself up in things that are no concern of
yours and catching your death of cold in these nasty draughty railway
trains. And murder, too! I can't see why they sent for you at all."
"They communicated with me because there was a letter in the
cottage signed by me, telling Cora the arrangements for the funeral."
"Funerals! One funeral after another, and that reminds me. Another
of these precious Abernethies has been ringing you up - Timothy, I think
he said. From somewhere in Yorkshire - and that's about a funeral, too!
Said he'd ring again later."
A personal call for Mr Entwhistle came through that evening. Taking it, he heard Maude Abernethie's voice at the other end.
"Thank goodness I've got hold of you at last! Timothy has been in
the most terrible state. This news about Cora has upset him dreadfully."
"Quite understandable," said Mr Entwhistle.
"What did you say?"
"I said it was quite understandable."
"I suppose so." Maude sounded more than doubtful. "Do you mean to say it was really murder?"
("It was murder, wasn't it?" Cora had said. But this time there was no hesitation about the answer.)
"Yes, it was murder," said Mr Entwhistle.
"And with a hatchet, so the papers say?"
"Yes."
"It seems quite incredible to me," said Maude, "that Timothy's sister - his own sister - can have been murdered with a hatchet!"
It seemed no less incredible to Mr Entwhistle. Timothy's life was
so remote from violence that even his relations, one felt, ought to be
equally exempt.
"I'm afraid one has to face the fact," said Mr Entwhistle mildly.
"I am really very worried about Timothy. It's so bad for him all
this! I've got him to bed now but he insists on my persuading you to
come up and see him. He wants to know a hundred things - whether there
will be an inquest, and who ought to attend, and how soon after that the
funeral can take place, and where, and what funds there are, and if
Cora expressed any wish about being cremated or what, and if she left a
will -"
Mr Entwhistle interrupted before the catalogue got too long.
"There is a will, yes. She left Timothy her executor."
"Oh dear, I'm afraid Timothy can't undertake anything -"
"The firm will attend to all the necessary business. The will's
very simple. She left her own sketches and an amethyst brooch to her
companion, Miss Gilchrist, and everything else to Susan."
"To Susan? Now I wonder why Susan? I don't believe she ever saw Susan - not since she was a baby anyway."
"I imagine that it was because Susan was reported to have made a marriage not wholly pleasing to the family."
Maude snorted.
