CHAPTER XXI
THE DIRECT CHARGE
While Byner was pursuing his investigations in the neighbourhood of the_Green Man_, Collingwood was out at Normandale Grange, discussingcertain matters with Nesta Mallathorpe. He had not only thought long anddeeply over his conversation with Cobcroft the previous evening, but hadbegun to think about the crucial point of the clerk's story as soon ashe spoke in the morning, and the result of his meditations was that herose early, intercepted Cobcroft before he started for Mallathorpe'sMill and asked his permission to re-tell the story to Miss Mallathorpe.Cobcroft raised no objection, and when Collingwood had been to hischambers and seen his letters, he chartered a car and rode out toNormandale where he told Nesta of what he had learned and of his ownconclusions. And Nesta, having listened carefully to all he had to tell,put a direct question to him.
"You think this document which Pratt told me he holds is my late uncle'swill?" she said. "What do you suppose its terms to be?"
"Frankly--these, or something like these," replied Collingwood. "And Iget at my conclusions in this way. Your uncle died intestate--consequently,everything in the shape of real estate came to your brother and everythingin personal property to your brother and yourself. Now, supposing thatthe document which Pratt boasts of holding is the will, one fact is verycertain--the property, real or personal, is not disposed of in the wayin which it became disposed of because of John Mallathorpe's intestacy.He probably disposed of it in quite another fashion. Why do I think that?Because the probability is that Pratt said to your mother, 'I have gotJohn Mallathorpe's will! It doesn't leave his property to your son anddaughter. Therefore, I have all of you at my mercy. Make it worth mywhile, or I will bring the will forward.' Do you see that situation?"
"Then," replied Nesta, after a moment's reflection, "you do think thatmy mother was very anxious to get that document--a will--from Pratt?"
Collingwood knew what she was thinking of--her mind was still uneasyabout Pratt's account of the affair of the foot-bridge. But--the matterhad to be faced.
"I think your mother would naturally be very anxious to secure such adocument," he said. "You must remember that according to Pratt's storyto you, she tried to buy it from him--just as you did yourself, thoughyou, of course, had no idea of what it was you wanted to buy."
"What I wanted to buy," she answered readily, "was necessity fromfurther interference! But--is there no way of compelling Pratt to giveup that document--whatever it is? Can't he be made to give it up?"
"A way is may be being made, just now--through another affair," repliedCollingwood. "At present matters are vague. One couldn't go to Pratt anddemand something at which one is, after all, only guessing. Your mother,of course, would deny that she knows what it is that Pratt holds.But--there is the possibility of the duplicate to which Cobcroftreferred. Now, I want to put the question straight to you--supposingthat duplicate will can be found--and supposing--to put it plainly---itsterms dispossess you of all your considerable property--what then?"
"Do you want the exact truth?" she asked. "Well, then, I should justwelcome anything that cleared up all this mystery! What is it atpresent, this situation, but intolerable? I know that mymother is in Pratt's power, and likely to remain so as long as ever thisgoes on--probably for life. She will not give me her confidence. What ismore, I am certain that she is giving it to Esther Mawson--who is mostlikely hand-in-glove with Pratt. Esther Mawson is always with her. I amalmost sure that she communicates with Pratt through Esther Mawson. Itis all what I say--intolerable! I had rather lose every penny that hascome into my hands than have this go on."
"Answer me a plain question," said Collingwood. "Is your mother fond ofmoney, position--all that sort of thing?"
"She is fond of power!" replied Nesta. "It pleased her greatly when wecame into all this wealth to know that she was the virtualadministrator. Even if she could only do it by collusion with Pratt, shewould make a fight for all that she--and I--hold. It's useless to denythat. Don't forget," she added, looking appealingly at Collingwood,"don't forget that she has known what it was to be poor--and if one doescome into money--I suppose one doesn't want to lose it again."
"Oh, it's natural enough!" agreed Collingwood. "But--if things are as Ithink, Pratt would be an incubus, a mill-stone, for ever. Anyway, I cameout to tell you what I've learned, and what I have an idea may be thetruth, and above all, to get your definite opinion. You want the Prattinfluence out of the way--at any cost?"
"At any cost!" she affirmed. "Even if I have to go back to earning myown living! Whatever pleasure in life could there be for me, knowingthat at the back of all this there is that--what?"
"Pratt!" answered Collingwood. "Pratt! He's the shadow--with his deepschemes. However, as I said--there may be--developing at thismoment--another way of getting at Pratt. Gentlemen like Pratt, bornschemers, invariably forget one very important factor in life--theunexpected! Even the cleverest and most subtle schemer may have hisdelicate machinery broken to pieces by a chance bit of mere dust gettinginto it at an unexpected turn of the wheels. And to turn to plainerlanguage--I'm going back to Barford now to hear what another man has tosay concerning certain of Pratt's recent movements."
Eldrick was already waiting when Collingwood reached his chambers: Bynercame there a few moments later. Within half an hour the barrister hadtold his story of Cobcroft, and the inquiry agent his of his visit tothe _Green Man_ and the quarries. And the solicitor listened quietly andattentively to both, and in the end turned to Collingwood.
"I'll withdraw my opinion about the nature of the document which Prattgot hold of," he said. "What he's got is what you think--JohnMallathorpe's will!"
"If I may venture an opinion," remarked Byner, "that's dead certain!"
"And now," continued Eldrick, "we're faced with a nice situation! Don'teither of you forget this fact. Not out of willingness on her part, butbecause she's got to do it, Mrs. Mallathorpe and Pratt are partners inthat affair. He's got the will--but she knows its contents. She'll payany price to Pratt to keep them from ever becoming known or operative.But, as I say, don't you forget something!"
"What?" asked Collingwood.
Eldrick tapped the edge of the table, emphasizing his words as he spokethem.
"They can destroy that will whenever they like!" he said. "And oncedestroyed, nothing can absolutely prove that it ever existed!"
"The duplicate?" suggested Collingwood.
"Nothing to give us the faintest idea as to its existence!" saidEldrick.
"We might advertise," said Collingwood.
"Lots of advertising was done when John Mallathorpe died," replied thesolicitor. "No!--if any person had had it in possession, it would haveturned up then. It may be--probably is--possibly must be--somewhere--andmay yet come to light. But--there's another way of getting at Pratt.Through this Parrawhite affair. Pratt most likely had not the leastnotion that he would ever hear of Parrawhite again. He is going to hearof Parrawhite again! I am convinced now that Parrawhite knew somethingabout this, and that Pratt squared him and got him away. Aren't you?" heasked, turning to Byner.
But Byner smiled quietly and shook his head.
"No!" he answered. "I am not, Mr. Eldrick."
"You're not?" exclaimed Eldrick, surprised and wondering that anybodycould fail to agree with him.
"Why not, then?"
"Because," replied Byner. "I am certain that Pratt murdered Parrawhiteon the night of November twenty-third last. That's why. He didn't squarehim. He didn't get him away. He killed him!"
The effect of this straightforward pronouncement of opinion on the twomen who heard it was strikingly different. Collingwood's face at oncebecame cold and inscrutable; his lips fixed themselves sternly; his eyeslooked hard into a problematic future. But Eldrick flushed as if adirect accusation had been levelled at himself, and he turned on theinquiry agent almost impatiently.
"Murder!" he exclaimed. "Oh, come! I--really, that's rather a stifforder! I dare say Pratt's been up to all sorts o
f trickery, and evendeviltry--but murder is quite another thing. You're pretty ready toaccuse him!"
Byner moved his head in Collingwood's direction--and Eldrick turned andlooked anxiously at Collingwood, who, finding the eyes of both men onhim, opened his hitherto tight-shut lips.
"I think it quite likely!" he said.
Byner laughed softly and looked at the solicitor.
"Just listen to me a minute or two, Mr. Eldrick," he said. "I'll sum upmy own ideas on this matter, got from the various details that have beensupplied to me since I came to Barford. Just consider my points one byone. Let's take them separately--and see how they fit in.
"1. Mr. Bartle is seen by his shop-boy to take a certain paper from abook which came from the late John Mallathorpe's office at MallathorpeMill. He puts that paper in his pocket.
"2. Immediately afterwards Mr. Bartle goes to your office. Nobody isthere but Pratt--as far as Pratt knows.
"3. Bartle dies suddenly--after telling Pratt that the paper is JohnMallathorpe's will. Pratt steals the will. And the probability is thatParrawhite, unknown to Pratt, was in that office, and saw him steal it.Why is that probable? Because--
"4. Next night Parrawhite, who is being pressed for money by Pickard,tells Pickard that he can get it out of Pratt, over whom he has a hold.What hold? We can imagine what hold. Anyway--
"5. Parrawhite leaves Pickard to meet Pratt. He did meet Pratt--inStubbs' Lane. He was seen to go with Pratt into the disused quarry. Andthere, in my opinion, Pratt killed him--and disposed of his body.
"6. What does Pratt do next? He goes to your office first thing nextmorning, and removes certain moneys which you say you carelessly left inyour desk the night before, and tears out certain cheque forms from yourbook. When Parrawhite never turns up that morning, you--andPratt--conclude that he's the thief, and that he's run away.
"7. If you want some proof of the correctness of this last suggestion,you'll find it in the fact that no use has ever been made of those blankcheques, and that--in all probability--the stolen bank-notes have neverreached the Bank of England. On that last point I'm making inquiry--butmy feeling is that Pratt destroyed both cheques and bank-notes when hestole them.
"8. This man Parrawhite out of the way, Pratt has a clear field. He'sgot the will. He's already acquainted Mrs. Mallathorpe with that fact,and with the terms of the will--whatever they may be. We may be sure,however, that they are of such a nature as to make her willing to agreeto his demands upon her--and, accidentally, to go to any lengths--uponwhich we needn't touch, at present--towards getting possession of thewill from him.
"9. And the present situation--from Pratt's standpoint of yesterday--isthis. He's so sure of his own safety that he doesn't mind revealing tothe daughter that the mother's in his power. Why? Because Pratt, likemost men of his sort, cannot believe that self-interest isn't paramountwith everybody--it's beyond him to conceive it possible that MissMallathorpe would do anything that might lose her several thousands ayear. He argued--'So long as I hold that will, nobody and nothing canmake me give it up nor divulge its contents. But I can bind one personwho benefits by it--Miss Mallathorpe, and for the mother's sake I cankeep the daughter quiet!' Well--he hasn't kept the daughter quiet!She--spoke!
"10. And last--in all such schemes as Pratt's, the schemer invariablyforgets something. Pratt forgot that there might arise what actually hasarisen--inquiry for Parrawhite. The search for Parrawhite is afoot--andif you want to get at Pratt, it will have to be through what I firmlybelieve to be a fact--his murder of Parrawhite and his disposal ofParrawhite's body.
"That's all, Mr. Eldrick," concluded Byner who had spoken with muchemphasis throughout. "It all seems very clear to me, and," he added,with a glance at Collingwood, "I think Mr. Collingwood is inclined toagree with most of what I've said."
"Pretty nearly all--if not all," assented Collingwood. "I think you'veput into clear language precisely what I feel. I don't believe there's ashadow of doubt that Pratt killed Parrawhite! And we can--and must--getat him in that way. What do you suggest?" he continued, turning toByner. "You have some idea, of course?"
"First of all," answered Byner, "we mustn't arouse any suspicion onPratt's part. Let us work behind the screen. But I have an idea as tohow he disposed of Parrawhite, and I'm going to follow it up this veryday--my first duty, you know, is towards the people who want Parrawhite,or proof of his death. I propose to----"
Just then Collingwood's clerk came in with a telegram.
"Sent on from the _Central Hotel_, sir," he answered. "They said Mr.Black would be found here."
"That's mine," said the inquiry agent. "I left word at the hotel thatthey were to send to your chambers if any wire came for me. Allow me."He opened the telegram, looked it over, and waiting until the clerk hadgone, turned to his companions. "Here's a message from my partner, Mr.Halstead," he continued. "Listen to what he wires:
"'Wire just received from Murgatroyd, shipping agent, Peel Row, Barford. He says Parrawhite left that town for America on November 24th last and offers further information. Let me know what to reply!'"
Byner laid the message before Eldrick and Collingwood without furthercomment.