"Doesn't it strike you as strange, though," suggested Viner, "that the
first news of this diamond comes from Van Hoeren? One would have thought
that Ashton would have mentioned it--and shown it--to Miss Wickham and
Mrs. Killenhall. Yet apparently--he never did."
"Yes, that does seem odd," asserted Mr. Pawle. "But there seems to be no
end of oddity in this case. And there's one thing that must be done at
once: we must have a full and thorough search and examination of all
Ashton's effects. His house must be thoroughly searched for papers and so
on. Viner, I suppose you're going home? Do me the favour to call at Miss
Wickham's, and tell her that I propose to come there at ten o'clock
tomorrow morning, to go through Ashton's desk and his various belongings
with her--surely there must be something discoverable that will throw
more light on the matter. And in the meantime, Viner, don't say anything
to her about our journey to Marketstoke--leave that for a while."
Viner went away from Crawle, Pawle, and Rattenbury's in company
with Armitstead. Outside, the Lancashire business man gave him a
shrewd glance.
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