Hours to Kill

A few months after Philip Byrne had jilted Margaret Russell to marry her sister Cornelia when she had received an unexpected legacy from a cousin, Miss Wilma Trumbell, Margaret was asked to mind their house, as Cornelia needed a holiday after being ill. It also meant looking after Hilary Beverton, an inquisitive eight-year old who had been staying with them.
The dark and gloomy house was trouble enough without Hilary breaking ornaments and collecting mementos of the absent owner, Mrs. Isabel Foale. Among other things Hilary found was a photo of Philip, and Margaret realised he had lied when he said he didn't know the owner.
One day when Hilary was at the movies, Margaret was startled to see a young man trying the unlocked door. He said he was looking for Mrs. Foale, then introduced himself as Jerome Kincaid, saying he had gone to school with Margaret, but she ' was not sure she remembered him. Her next visitor was much more unpleasant-a small, dark-skinned, drunken man calling himself Julio who came to wind the clock and insolently demanded payment.
Adding to Margaret's worries, Hilary became feverish with a chill and was in bed when Miss Elizabeth Honeyman called for a book she had lent Mrs. Foale. During the conversation Margaret gathered Philip had stayed with Mrs. Foale after her husband's death, but Miss Honeyman had doubts that he was Mrs. Foale's cousin, as had been stated.
That night, Julio came back. Margaret, keeping the door closed, told him to go away. The next morning she found bloodstains where he had stood. Without thinking, she immediately washed them away. Frightened he might come back, she is startled by the doorbell.