Death at Hallows End (19 page)

“Tell me honestly, Mr. Deene, do you think we're going to clear up this case?”

“To our own satisfaction, yes,” said Carolus. “But
I
doubt if you will ever get a murderer arrested, convicted and hanged. Unless …”

“Unless what?”

“Unless somebody elects to give Queen's Evidence.”

“There's always that. But at the Yard, we consider a CID man who falls back on it to be in the last infirmity of noble minds.”

“Still, there have been plenty of cases where it was necessary, where it was the
only
method of establishing the truth. This may turn out to be one of them.”

“Let's hope not, anyway.”

Carolus found himself left to the mercy of Mr. Sporter. Before the landlord could ask him how they had got on disinterment-wise, he asked permission to telephone and got through to Thripp.

“I promised to let you know any major developments,” he said. “I'm afraid we've drawn another blank. The police got an exhumation order for a man buried here, and executed it this afternoon. It yielded nothing.”

“I'm beginning to doubt whether any such researches will. I fear Duncan is lost to us for good. However, I have something to communicate to you which seems to me of the first importance. I decided today that in the circumstances I should be justified in examining the contents of Duncan's private safe. I did so and among other things that surprised me, I found an earlier will of Grossiter.”

“Yes. That is important. When was it made?”

“About seven years ago. The fact that Duncan never mentioned it to me suggests that Grossiter exacted his promise of particular secrecy, even from his partner. I see that Duncan typed it on the small machine he keeps at home. I doubt if
anyone
knows of it.”

“And what were its provisions?”

“What
are
its provisions you may ask, for this is the will which can now be proved. It is a perfectly legal document. Its provisions are very simple. His estate was to be divided into four equal parts, one of which was to go to each of three branches of his family and the fourth to Darkin.”

“What branches?”

“They are named as: One, the Neasts, Holroyd and Cyril; Two, Hickmansworth, Gerald; Three, Grossiter, Raymond; Four, Darkin, Simon George. Since Grossiter's son Raymond is dead and left no issue, the sum for each of the remaining beneficiaries will be a considerable one. Although none of them was mentioned in the will Duncan had drawn—but which was never signed—I see no means of disputing this one.”

“I see.”

“Is this information likely to hasten your investigation at all, Deene? Every day of this is agony for Theodora, not to mention my own anxiety.”

“It is certainly very valuable,” said Carolus.

After he hung up, he stood staring for some moments at the notes he had made, then picked up the local telephone guide. He found the Neasts' number.

Holroyd answered.

“This is Carolus Deene. I should like to speak to Mr. Darkin, please.”

Another man might have repeated “Deene? Darkin?” incredulously, but Holroyd only paused a moment before saying quite civilly, “Certainly. Hold on a moment, will you?”

Darkin, when he answered, was another matter. He sounded anxious and spoke in a low voice as though he did not want to be heard by those near him.

“Yes, Mr. Deene?”

“Let me be the first to congratulate you,” said Carolus cheerfully. “An earlier will of Mr. Grossiter's has come to light by which you benefit.”

There was no cry of joy from the other end, or anything like it.

“I don't quite understand,” said Darkin.

“As you know, Mr. Humby had been instructed by your late employer to draw up a will. It was generally believed, and
Mr. Humby's partner shared that belief, that Grossiter had intended till then to die intestate. But in going through the papers in Humby's private safe he has found another, perfectly legal will of Grossiter's, signed and witnessed some seven years ago, by which you benefit.”

“Oh …”

“I should like to see you alone, Darkin. I can give you the details of this.”

“I don't know…”

“I am staying at the Falstaff Hotel for the night. Could you come up here?”

A struggle seemed to be going on at the other end.

“Yes. I'll come,” said Darkin at last.

“It would perhaps be as well if you said nothing about this for the moment.”

“I understand.”

Darkin said no more and, without even specifying a time, closed the conversation.

An hour later, when Carolus was taking a breath of fresh air and a brief respite from the conversation of Mr. Sporter, he saw the Rolls Royce, with Darkin driving it, turn into the car park. The man came lumbering towards him with his bear-like walk on large splayed feet.

They greeted each other briefly and Carolus led Darkin to a small room near the bar, unfortunately known as the Snuggery. No one else was there.

Carolus had no intention of letting the initiative pass out of his hands. He knew that Darkin was agog to learn something of the sum that he might receive, so he was determined to ask his questions before discussing that.

“Had you any idea that such a will existed?”

“I could scarcely believe that Mr. Grossiter would neglect me entirely. But as I told you I am not a man to pay much
attention to such things. Mr. Grossiter and I were, I venture to say, friends.”

“Then why was he leaving you out of the new will?
I
have seen a draft of this and there is no question about it.”

“I
cannot say and I should not wish to speculate. But might it not have been his intention to save death duties by making a monetary gift?”

“I hardly think so. He was doing that for young Spaull and no mention was made of you.”

“Spaull,” said Darkin with narrowed eyes, then seemed to remember himself. “That was very proper. The young man was his natural grandson.”

“Oh. You knew that? Most people thought Spaull was his son.”

“Mr. Grossiter gave me the facts when he instructed me never to allow the man into his presence.”

There was a long silence broken by Darkin with a startling question.

“Do you believe I killed Humby, Mr. Deene?”

“No,” said Carolus at once. “I don't believe anything of the sort. But I do believe you know a good deal more than you've said.”

Darkin eyed him sombrely.

“Don't
you,
Mr. Deene? Know a good deal more than you've said?”

“Yes,” returned Carolus. “I do.”

“For instance, you know about this will that's been found, and by which you say I benefit.”

“Yes,” said Carolus. “I know about that. And you know interesting things, like what time the Neasts came home that Monday afternoon, and
whether anyone was with them.
You know a good deal of what happened that night. Shall we exchange information?”

“I think I have told you all I know, Mr. Deene. If you don't wish to inform me about Mr. Grossiter's will, I must wait till I am told by the solicitors.”

“Do you know Hickmansworth by sight?” asked Carolus suddenly.

“No. I do not.”

“Or any of his family?”

“No.”

“But you know the Rector here, Mr. Whiskins?”

“Yes.”

“And you know Lionel Thripp, Humby's partner?”

“Yes.”

“And Mrs. Caplan, the Humbys' housekeeper?”

“I have seen the lady.”

“And would recognise her?”

“Yes.

“You are very observant and you remember faces. Yet you say that you don't know any of the Hickmansworths?”

“To the best of my knowledge, no. A young man came to see Mr. Holroyd Neast one afternoon; I caught a glimpse of him as he got into his car. It might have been one of Hickmansworth's sons. Holroyd did not enlighten me.”

Carolus eyed the man keenly.

“Do you know where Duncan Humby is now?” he asked. “He or his corpse?”

“No, Mr. Deene, I do not. I have not the slightest idea.”

For some reason Carolus believed this.

“Now let me ask you something, Mr. Deene. Do you think that you will find Humby?”

“Yes.”

“And the truth about this whole affair?”

“Certainly. I have not the slightest doubt of obtaining a conviction.”

Darkin quavered a little as he asked, “What for?”

“Murder,” said Carolus coolly.

“Oh, so you believe there has been a murder.”

“There has been at least one already.”

“Already?”

“Yes. I should not be surprised to hear of another. When some wild beasts are cornered they become very, very dangerous.”

Darkin said nothing for a moment, then, speaking almost in a whisper he asked, “How can you be so sure? Of learning the truth, I mean?”

“I'll tell you. In this case, whatever this case is, whether of murder, kidnapping or manslaughter, more than one person is involved in the crime. When that happens, and the case is hopeless for the criminals, one of them always has the intelligence to offer Queen's Evidence. That will happen here.”

Darkin's large hands clasped and unclasped.

“I see what you mean. But what makes you think that the case is hopeless, as you put it?”

“I'll tell you. I know a little too much, Darkin. I can't yet prove it, but that's only a matter of time. I know who was in Humby's car that afternoon and what happened to him. I know why Rudd's grave was interfered with and by whom. I even know, or have a shrewd idea, who cracked Spaull over the head last Saturday night. And I know a bit more than is comfortable for them about several people whose names have been connected with this case. So I know that the case is hopeless for those who are guilty.”

Darkin seemed to pull himself together.

“Well, that's very nice for you, Mr. Deene. You must be a very clever man. You seem to know a great deal about this case of a missing man. The only thing I notice about it is, that what you
don't
know is where that missing man may be. If anyone has done anything to cause him to be missing, as it were, I
shouldn't think that person's case was ‘hopeless', as you say, until that missing man is found.”

“But then it would be too late, surely. The police don't want Queen's Evidence from someone they can hang for murder anyway.”

Another silence.

“Besides,” went on Carolus, “the police don't want Queen's Evidence from two people. Our hypothetical friend might find he had been anticipated, in which case his Queen's Evidence would become simply a confession of his crime.”

“Very interesting, Mr. Deene. But I don't find it altogether convincing “

“You will, Darkin, you will. Now, would you like me to tell you about Grossiter's will?”

Darkin waited.

“I've no figures, mind you, and I'm not a lawyer. But I gather that after death duties are paid, you will receive a third of the whole property. It should be a very large sum.”

“Yes. You say this will was made seven years ago?”

“About that.”

“Do you know who witnessed it?”

“Yes. Someone named Edith Cupper.”

“That's a woman who worked for Mr. Grossiter. She had only just started then or she might have been remembered.”

“She was later. Fifteen thousand pounds was to go to her at the same time as the ten thousand to Spaull.”

“I see.”

“What makes the discovery of this early will so interesting is to think what would have been lost to whom if the second will had ever been signed. You, the Neasts and Hickmansworth would have lost everything that will now come to you.”

“Mrs. Cupper won't lose, because I shall make it up to her. But I don't know anything about the man Spaull.”

“No. I don't see that you could be expected to. How does it feel to be a rich man, Darkin?”

“One thing you seem to forget or deliberately to ignore, Mr. Deene, was that I worked for seventeen years for Mr. Grossiter, putting up with all his fads and tempers. I was devoted to him. I do not think that whatever benefit may come to me will be ill-deserved.”

“Yet Grossiter himself seems to have thought otherwise.”

“He was a very strange man. Headstrong yet easily influenced. Someone who saw him during those last few days before he sent for Humby might have caused him to change his mind.”

Carolus looked at him closely.

“You think that? Someone like Spaull, for instance?”

“Yes. Someone like Spaull.”

“But that would scarcely account for the withdrawal of everything from the Neasts and Hickmansworth.”

“I never knew, and I doubt if anyone else did, that Mr. Grossiter recognised the existence of Hickmansworth. I never heard the name till we came down here. As for the Neasts, I'm afraid Mr. Grossiter was not very comfortable at Monk's Farm. He intended to leave that week. He said he had come for ten days and should stay for ten days, but he kept to his room most of the time. He disapproved of Cyril Neast's drinking and felt a personal dislike for Holroyd Neast. He thought the house was disgracefully dirty and that he was neglected. There was open trouble between him and Holroyd more than once.”

“I see.”

“Thank you for giving me this information, Mr. Deene,” said Darkin rising. “I suppose I shall hear officially quite soon.”

Carolus left the Snuggery, followed by Darkin who accompanied him to the saloon bar. As soon as they entered they became aware of the Neast brothers standing at the far corner of the bar, looking sullen and out of place. Carolus and Darkin
crossed to them. The brothers greeted them without enthusiasm, though Holroyd wore his smile.

“I have been congratulating Darkin,” Carolus said. “Your uncle made a will seven years ago which has just been discovered in his own safe. By it Darkin receives a third of your uncle's property.”