I? Oh yes. It was they whom Redwin asked to take up his case, and they turned him down.”
“But he surely wouldn’t have gone to Sir Daniel’s firm? He couldn’t have been his secretary for three years without knowing who his lawyers were.”
“They didn’t act for Sir Daniel, as far as I’ve heard. His lawyers were a London firm—Scarf, Scarf, and Wheeler. I don’t know how Forbes and Fisher come on the scene now.”
“Well, we soon shall. And if they want information from us, I think I’ll invite them to say what Redwin asked them to do for him, and why they refused.”
“You don’t think he was concerned in Sir Daniel’s death?”
“No, I don’t. But I’ve had lunch with him, and I’ve seldom met anything more suggestive than the things he hints, and won’t say. I haven’t done with him yet.”
“He must have seen a good deal, living in the house for three years. But we’ve got to remember that he’s a malicious and discredited man.”
“There’s no doubt he’s malicious. As to being discredited, I should say we ought to reserve opinion till we know more about how he came to leave the house in that sudden way. I shall be interested to hear Lady Denton’s account of that.”
“You haven’t got anything specific from him so far?”
“No. He wasn’t easy to handle at first, and the conversation was broken off when some men came into the room. He professed to be very bitter about the enquiries concerning his own movements which you very properly made. I told him that he brought them on himself, and he’d always be under some vague suspicion unless the matter were properly cleared. I can’t say he opened up after that. But he made it plain that he thought it was murder, and that he wasn’t surprised—that was the significant point—that it should have happened soon after he left. He hinted that if we were any good, we should be able to manage without his help.”
“Well, perhaps we shall. You haven’t been down here for twenty-four hours yet, and things are beginning to stir.”
It was a generous speech, as Inspector Pinkey could not fail to perceive. The Superintendent might still wonder in his own mind whether it might not have been as well to arrest Adelaide Denton at once, as he had decided to do, and how things might have gone then.
But he knew that whatever development there might now be would be ascribed—perhaps justly—to the superior technique and wider experience of the Metropolitan officer. Only in one event—if he should ultimately come to the same conclusion as to Lady Denton’s guilt—would Superintendent Trackfield be confirmed in the Chief Constable’s eyes as being adequate to the office he held. He did not exactly desire her conviction. She was an attractive lady, against whom he would have said that such an accusation was absurd a short fortnight ago. But he would not have been normally intelligent—and he was something better than that—had he not seen the position in which he stood.
Inspector Pinkey was moved to reply with equal generosity, and partial truth: “You mustn’t thank me too much for that. I’ve done no more at the Grange than to confirm what you’d done before. And whatever these lawyers are going to spill, you’d have got without help from me. I shouldn’t wonder if I’m back in London in a couple of days with no more to report than that you were taking the right course when you decided to give the lady a rent-free lodging.”
“Well, it still points to her. If we could get something more in the way of motive than we have now….”
“Yes—if, as you say. We may be coming to something we haven’t guessed, and we can’t tell where it’ll point. But it’s about time we gave these gentlemen a ring up.”
A moment later the Inspector was informed that Mr. Fisher’s voice was at the other end of the wire.
“Yes,” he said. “Inspector Pinkey from Scotland Yard.”
“Could you tell me if the adjourned inquest on Sir Daniel Denton is likely to be held at an early date?”
“I am afraid I can’t give you any information unless I know why it’s required.”
“It is in connection with an important point which has arisen in the course of the realization of Sir Daniel’s estate.”
“Realization? Isn’t it rather early for that? I shouldn’t have thought you’d have had time even to prove the will.”
“Well, perhaps it wasn’t quite the right word. I should explain that we are not the solicitors for Sir Daniel’s estate. We are acting for other interests. The question of proving the will does not arise.”
“Can’t you be rather more definite?”
There was a moment of silence before Mr. Fisher replied, with a note of hesitation in his voice: “I’m afraid not, not on the telephone, anyway. Would it be too much, Inspector, if I ask if you could give me a call?”
“No, I’ll do that. When would you like it to be?”
“At once, if you can. I should like to see you before—well, straightway, if you can.”
The Inspector turned from the instrument to ask: “How far off are they? They want to see me now. Can I get a car?” The heat of the afternoon was increasing, and he felt he had walked enough.
Being reassured on these points, he replied that he could be with Mr. Fisher in five minutes, and hung up the receiver.
CHAPTER VIII.
Mr. Fisher was a small, precise man, with little indication of age or youth, except in the greying of his close-cropped hair. He had a formal and somewhat hesitant manner, springing rather from habitual caution in the choice and use of words than any lack of confidence in his own capacity.
“I must thank you, Inspector Pinkey,” he began, “for your courtesy in calling upon me at such short notice, and on so vague a pretext. I am expecting several gentlemen here in about twenty minutes, and I shall be glad to give you a short explanation before they arrive of the business which calls them here, and, I hope, receive such information from you as will simplify the position.”
“Are you asking me to meet these gentlemen?”
“That must be for you to decide. I hope it may not be necessary.”
“Well, I expect you’re right. We’d better not decide that till I understand what the trouble is. I need scarcely say that I shall be glad to give you any help I can consistently with my own duty. In fact,” he added, “I was going to ask a somewhat similar favour from you.
“There’s a man named Redwin hanging about here who used to be Sir Daniel’s secretary (by the way, I wonder what he wanted a secretary for?), and was kicked out, so it is said, a few days before the death occurred. I’m rather anxious to learn anything I can about that.”
Mr. Fisher hesitated. He glanced at the clock. It was evident that he was unwilling to be diverted from that which was on his own mind. But it was a difficult request to rebuff, in view of that which he had to make.
“I need scarcely say,” he replied, “that I shall be glad to give you any help that I can. I believe Mr.
