The Talleyrand Maxim Part 26

"Oh, it's natural enough!" agreed Collingwood. "But--if things are as I think, Pratt would be an incubus, a mill-stone, for ever. Anyway, I came out to tell you what I've learned, and what I have an idea may be the truth, and above all, to get your definite opinion. You want the Pratt influence out of the way--at any cost?"

"At any cost!" she affirmed. "Even if I have to go back to earning my own living! Whatever pleasure in life could there be for me, knowing that at the back of all this there is that--what?"

"Pratt!" answered Collingwood. "Pratt! He's the shadow--with his deep schemes. However, as I said--there may be--developing at this moment--another way of getting at Pratt. Gentlemen like Pratt, born schemers, invariably forget one very important factor in life--the unexpected! Even the cleverest and most subtle schemer may have his delicate machinery broken to pieces by a chance bit of mere dust getting into it at an unexpected turn of the wheels. And to turn to plainer language--I'm going back to Barford now to hear what another man has to say concerning certain of Pratt's recent movements."

Eldrick was already waiting when Collingwood reached his chambers: Byner came there a few moments later. Within half an hour the barrister had told his story of Cobcroft, and the inquiry agent his of his visit to the _Green Man_ and the quarries. And the solicitor listened quietly and attentively to both, and in the end turned to Collingwood.

"I'll withdraw my opinion about the nature of the doc.u.ment which Pratt got hold of," he said. "What he's got is what you think--John Mallathorpe'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't either of you forget this fact. Not out of willingness on her part, but because she's got to do it, Mrs. Mallathorpe and Pratt are partners in that affair. He's got the will--but she knows its contents. She'll pay any 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 spoke them.

"They can destroy that will whenever they like!" he said. "And once destroyed, nothing can absolutely prove that it ever existed!"

"The duplicate?" suggested Collingwood.

"Nothing to give us the faintest idea as to its existence!" said Eldrick.

"We might advertise," said Collingwood.

"Lots of advertising was done when John Mallathorpe died," replied the solicitor. "No!--if any person had had it in possession, it would have turned up then. It may be--probably is--possibly must be--somewhere--and may yet come to light. But--there's another way of getting at Pratt.

Through this Parrawhite affair. Pratt most likely had not the least notion that he would ever hear of Parrawhite again. He is going to hear of Parrawhite again! I am convinced now that Parrawhite knew something about this, and that Pratt squared him and got him away. Aren't you?" he asked, 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 anybody could fail to agree with him.

"Why not, then?"

"Because," replied Byner. "I am certain that Pratt murdered Parrawhite on the night of November twenty-third last. That's why. He didn't square him. He didn't get him away. He killed him!"

The effect of this straightforward p.r.o.nouncement of opinion on the two men who heard it was strikingly different. Collingwood's face at once became cold and inscrutable; his lips fixed themselves sternly; his eyes looked hard into a problematic future. But Eldrick flushed as if a direct accusation had been levelled at himself, and he turned on the inquiry agent almost impatiently.

"Murder!" he exclaimed. "Oh, come! I--really, that's rather a stiff order! I dare say Pratt's been up to all sorts of trickery, and even deviltry--but murder is quite another thing. You're pretty ready to accuse him!"

Byner moved his head in Collingwood's direction--and Eldrick turned and looked anxiously at Collingwood, who, finding the eyes of both men on him, opened his. .h.i.therto 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 up my own ideas on this matter, got from the various details that have been supplied to me since I came to Barford. Just consider my points one by one. 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 a book which came from the late John Mallathorpe's office at Mallathorpe Mill. He puts that paper in his pocket.

"2. Immediately afterwards Mr. Bartle goes to your office. n.o.body is there but Pratt--as far as Pratt knows.

"3. Bartle dies suddenly--after telling Pratt that the paper is John Mallathorpe's will. Pratt steals the will. And the probability is that Parrawhite, 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--in Stubbs' Lane. He was seen to go with Pratt into the disused quarry. And there, in my opinion, Pratt killed him--and disposed of his body.

"6. What does Pratt do next? He goes to your office first thing next morning, and removes certain moneys which you say you carelessly left in your desk the night before, and tears out certain cheque forms from your book. When Parrawhite never turns up that morning, you--and Pratt--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 blank cheques, and that--in all probability--the stolen bank-notes have never reached the Bank of England. On that last point I'm making inquiry--but my feeling is that Pratt destroyed both cheques and bank-notes when he stole them.

"8. This man Parrawhite out of the way, Pratt has a clear field. He's got 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 agree to his demands upon her--and, accidentally, to go to any lengths--upon which we needn't touch, at present--towards getting possession of the will from him.

"9. And the present situation--from Pratt's standpoint of yesterday--is this. He's so sure of his own safety that he doesn't mind revealing to the daughter that the mother's in his power. Why? Because Pratt, like most men of his sort, cannot believe that self-interest isn't paramount with everybody--it's beyond him to conceive it possible that Miss Mallathorpe would do anything that might lose her several thousands a year. He argued--'So long as I hold that will, n.o.body and nothing can make me give it up nor divulge its contents. But I can bind one person who benefits by it--Miss Mallathorpe, and for the mother's sake I can keep 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 invariably forgets something. Pratt forgot that there might arise what actually has arisen--inquiry for Parrawhite. The search for Parrawhite is afoot--and if you want to get at Pratt, it will have to be through what I firmly believe to be a fact--his murder of Parrawhite and his disposal of Parrawhite's body.

"That's all, Mr. Eldrick," concluded Byner who had spoken with much emphasis throughout. "It all seems very clear to me, and," he added, with a glance at Collingwood, "I think Mr. Collingwood is inclined to agree with most of what I've said."

"Pretty nearly all--if not all," a.s.sented Collingwood. "I think you've put into clear language precisely what I feel. I don't believe there's a shadow of doubt that Pratt killed Parrawhite! And we can--and must--get at him in that way. What do you suggest?" he continued, turning to Byner. "You have some idea, of course?"

"First of all," answered Byner, "we mustn't arouse any suspicion on Pratt's part. Let us work behind the screen. But I have an idea as to how he disposed of Parrawhite, and I'm going to follow it up this very day--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 that they 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 had gone, 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 further comment.

CHAPTER XXII