Mr Billingsley

In the novel A Pocket Full of Rye, Mr Billingsley of the London firm Billingsley, Horsethorpe & Walters, is the solicitor of the Fortescue family. Adele Fortescue used a local firm, Ansell & Worrall on the High Street in Baydon Heath, to set up her will.

Mr Billingsley is described as an "urbane man whose discretion was concealed habitually by a misleadingly forthcoming manner". He had known Rex Fortescue for sixteen years, and knew him fairly well. However, his was not the only firm of solicitors Rex had used.

Mr Billingsley told Inspector Neele that Consolidated Investments Trust was not doing well financially. He said that it was due to Rex's behaviour, as he had been selling good stock, buying speculative investments, and talking big about it for the past year. Percival Fortescue had asked Mr Billingsley to use his influence to reason with Rex, but Rex did not listen.

Mr Billingsley also tells Inspector Neele that there was a clause in Rex's will stating that Adele Fortescue did not inherit the hundred thousand pounds he had left her if she did not survive him for one month. Since she did not survive him for one month, the hundred thousand pounds went to the residuary legatee, Percival.

Portrayals
Mr Billingsley does not appear in the BBC 1985 adaptation of the novel which formed part of the Miss Marple series.

In the ITV 2008 adaptation of the novel (Episode 1, Season 4 of Agatha Christie's Marple), the part of Billingsley is played by Paul Brooke.