Part I, Old Hall Summary

Disappointed that the pubs aren't open, Richard Jury walks into a church in the village of Washington and interrupts a christening as chapter one opens. He leaves hurriedly and walks into a cemetery where he discovers a woman, stooped over headstones. The woman, later identified as Helen Minton, seems dizzy and Jury walks her home where she invites him in for a drink. They also share sandwiches and Jury invites her out to dinner later in the week. She accepts. During this initial meeting, Jury admits to her that he's a police officer and adds that it's often a problem when he's attempting to date. He learns that she works at a historic home part time and asks why she's unhappy. She doesn't answer that question but comments on his astute observation. She mentions that the dizziness...