mes ▁as ▁an ▁appropriate ▁assass in . ▁Hol mes , ▁one ▁of ▁four ▁assistant ▁tre as ur ers ▁of ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁appointed ▁by ▁Thor pe ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁had ▁been ▁best ▁man ▁at ▁Thor pe ' s ▁wed ding , ▁and ▁was ▁completely ▁loyal ▁to ▁him . ▁ ▁B ess ell ▁further ▁maintained ▁that ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁Thor pe ▁called ▁him ▁to ▁a ▁meeting ▁together ▁with ▁Hol mes , ▁and ▁that ▁again ▁Thor pe ▁put ▁forward ▁suggestions ▁for ▁elimin ating ▁Scott . ▁These ▁were ▁dismiss ed ▁as ▁imp ract ical ▁or ▁rid icul ous ▁by ▁B ess ell ▁and ▁Hol mes , ▁who ▁never theless ▁agreed ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁matter ▁further ▁consideration . ▁They ▁hoped , ▁said ▁B ess ell , ▁that ▁if ▁they ▁st alled , ▁Thor pe ▁would ▁see ▁the ▁abs urd ity ▁of ▁his ▁murder ▁scheme ▁and ▁abandon ▁it . ▁Hol mes , ▁who ▁largely ▁confirmed ▁B ess ell ' s ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁meeting , ▁later ▁just ified ▁this ▁decision ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁" if ▁we ▁had ▁simply ▁said ▁no , ▁he ▁might ▁have ▁gone ▁elsewhere — and ▁that ▁might ▁have ▁led ▁to ▁an ▁even ▁greater ▁dis aster ." ▁According ▁to ▁B ess ell ▁and ▁Hol mes , ▁discuss ions ▁of ▁the ▁plan ▁ended ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁after ▁the ▁surprising ▁news ▁of ▁Scott ' s ▁wed ding ▁that ▁month . ▁ ▁Party ▁enqu iry ▁By ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁Thor pe