Harriet is badly shaken, and does not want her honeymoon to become the scene of a crime investigation. She wants to ask Peter not to get involved in it, and to go away, but knows that if he had only himself to consider Peter would feel it was his duty to investigate a murder. He says that he hates violence and quarrelling and while Noakes is not a very likable old man, he should not have been killed.
They learn that Noakes was a dubious sort of character, who lent money, pressured simple people into dodgy deals and who was clearly borrowing more than he could afford. Peter owns the house, but there are 2 companies which lent him money and they want to take away the furniture and other possessions against the debt. Frank Crutchley, the young gardener, is upset and angry, because he had put some money into Noakes' business and now, won't be able to get it back and he was saving up to set up his own garage business.
Peter makes friends with Sam Kirke the local police inspector, and Bunter befriends Tom Puffett, who is in the building trade and has come to Talboys to sweep the chimneys.
Harriet feels sorry for Miss Twitterton, Noakes' niece, who has also put her small savings into Noakes' business and now finds that her money is gone and that she wont inherit anything but debts from her uncle. To her dismay, Harriet realises that Miss Twitterton might be considered a suspect, since she was his heir, and had keys and access to the house.
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