Rolfe departed, to do his chief’s bidding, a little crestfallen.  He was at first inclined to think that he had made a bit of a fool of himself in his desire to prove to Inspector Chippenfield that he had been hoodwinked by Hill into arresting Birchill.  But that night, as he sat in his bedroom smoking a quiet pipe, and reviewing this latest phase of the puzzling case, the earlier doubts which had assailed him on first learning of Hill’s flight recurred to him with increasing force.  If Hill were innocent he would have been more likely to seek police protection before flight.  Hill’s flight was hardly the action of an innocent man.  It pointed more to a guilty fear of his own skin, now that the man he had accused of the murder was free to seek vengeance.  Chippenfield’s theory seemed plausible enough at first sight, but Rolfe now recalled that he knew nothing of the missing letters and Hill’s midnight visit to Riversbrook to recover them.  Rolfe had concealed that episode from his superior officer because he lacked the courage to reveal to him how he had been hoodwinked by Mrs. Holymead’s fainting fit the morning he was conducting his official inquiry at Riversbrook into the murder.

“It’s an infernally baffling case,” muttered Rolfe, refilling his pipe from a tin of tobacco on the mantelpiece, and walking up and down the cheap lodging-house drugget with rapid strides.  “If Birchill is not the murderer who is?  Is it Hill?”

He lit his pipe, closed the window, opened his pocket-book and sat down to peruse the notes he had taken during his investigation of Sir Horace Fewbanks’s murder.  He read and re-read them, earnestly searching for a fresh clue in the pencilled pages.  After spending some time in this occupation he took a clean sheet of paper and a pencil, and copied afresh the following entries from his notebook: 

August 19.  Went Riversbrook.  Saw Sir H.F.’s body.  Discovered fragment of lady’s handkerchief clenched in right hand.

August 22.  Made inquiries handkerchief.  Unable find where purchased.

September 8.  Found Hill at Riversbrook searching Sir H.F.’s papers.  Told me about bundle of lady’s letters tied up with pink ribbon which had been taken from secret drawer.  Says they disappeared morning after murder when investigation was taking place.  C.’s visitors that day:  Dr. Slingsby / Seldon to arrange inquest / newspaper men / undertaker’s representatives / Crewe.  C. saw one visitor alone, Hill says.  Mrs. H——­, who fainted.  C. fetched glass of water, leaving her alone in room.  Hill suggests her letters indicate friendly relations between her and Sir H.F.  Sir H.F. expected visit, probably from lady, night of murder.  Hurried Hill off when he returned from Scotland.  Mem:  Inadvisable disclose this to C.

Underneath his entries of the case Rolfe had written finally: 

Points to be remembered: 

(1) Crewe said before the trial that Birchill was not the murderer and
    would be acquitted.  Birchill was acquitted.