“Good riddance,” said Cobb.
“And the second thing?”
“We’ve found ourselves a bona fidedetective, ain’t we?”
And he looked admiringly, imploringly atCobb.
***
In bed that night, after she had heard all of thepertinent details of the case and accounts of Cobb’s brilliance,Beth said, “Do you think Thurgood went after Betsy while she wasnursing her sick mom?”
“Thurgood told the magistrate that the girlslept beside her mother the whole time – ostensibly to nurse herbetter.”
“It seems that Betsy did lie to get the fivepounds to procure an abortion. Why would she herself have nothinted that a midwife would be a good idea that evenin’, knowin’ itwould be the notorious Mrs. Trigger?”
“She knew her father, eh? He’d never call adoctor. Who else, then, but Mrs. Trigger? And remember, Betsyplayed ignorant of the facts of life when it’s obvious now that sheknew the trouble she was in and, vaguely, who might help her out ofit.”
“The poor girl probably only knew that amidwife would know what to do.”
“She was still an innocent in my book.”
“What I don’t get, though,” Beth said,stifling a yawn, “is why Thurgood would pursue Uncle Seamus somadly when he himself defiled his own daughter. Wouldn’t he havebeen wise to just let sleepin’ dogs sleep?”
“True. But Thurgood tried to extort moneyfrom the Baldwins before making his charge against Uncle Seamuspublic. He was enraged when they slighted him, and once the wholebusiness got rolling, after Jake Broom’s accusation, there was noway for him to stop it. Besides, he never imagined anyone woulddiscover the truth. Once Betsy appeared to have named Uncle Seamusas the father of the child and he had his alibi handed to him, hemust have felt invulnerable.”
“He also had a wicked temper,” Beth pointedout. “And all that grief and guilt had to go somewhere, didn’tit?”
“This whole affair has been one vasttragedy.”
Beth brightened. “But it was you who realizedsomeone other than Uncle Seamus could have big, grey hair. It wasyou who thought up the idea that the wheat chaff and trickylighting could’ve caused Jake Broom to make a terriblemistake.”
Marc smiled. “It was, wasn’t it? You know,Mrs. Edwards, you’re married to a genius.”
Beth leaned over, kissed him and said, “Youain’t there yet, luv.”