To my relief they were back by nine o’clock; but they did not say what they had done, but only that, just before seven, Cain and Forecast and Auger had left the lodge for the castle in Forecast’s car. This left no doubt in our minds that they hoped to draw us by night to the hunting-lodge. And I think they had reasoned like this – first, that they wished to fight us upon their ground; then, that we were not such fools as to try to attack a castle with forty-foot walls; then, that the lodge was easy enough to enter; and then that, by night, it was easy enough to approach without being observed. This reasoning was good enough, so far as it went: but they were up against time, while we were not; and so there was no reason why we should do as they wished. In a word, we preferred to fight them upon our ground. Moreover, there is a saying, ‘In vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.’
George and I were upon the platform, when Biretta’s train steamed in. But we were only in reserve. The duty of meeting the man had been given to Bell; and very well he did it, picking him out before I could and touching his hat to the blackguard and taking his suitcase and rug.
“Well, Saul may take to him,” said George; “but somehow I don’t think he will.”
Biretta was truly repulsive. He was short and fat and greasy and overdressed. His skin was very swarthy, his hair was black and he had a way of pursing his heavy lips. His face was fleshy, his eyes were small and close-set, and his air was very pompous, as is the way of small fry when an unfamiliar greatness is thrust upon them. Indeed, he received Bell’s attentions with great contempt, addressing him very rudely and walking out of the station as though resenting the fact that a man so far beneath him should have to show him the way.
Without, the Rolls was waiting, with Carson standing stiffly by one of its doors; but Biretta ignored his salute and entered the car. Bell put in his things, and Carson shut the door: then they took their seats in front and the car moved off.
Though Biretta did not know it, the Rolls was bound for Goschen, and Carson drove there slowly, that George and I, in the Lowland, might get there first. So all was in order before the Rolls arrived.
Mansel and George were in the parlour; and I was seated outside an open window, so that, though I could not be seen, I could hear all that passed. (In fact, I saw everything, too, for Biretta’s back was towards me for the whole of the time.)
At last the door was opened, and Rowley ushered Biretta into the room.
The man stared upon Mansel and then upon George.
Then Mansel spoke with an accent.
“Be seated, Mr Biretta. I have some questions to ask.”
“What does this mean?” said Biretta. “And where is Cain?”
“Mr Cain is in Salzburg,” said Mansel. “His arrest was effected yesterday afternoon.”
Biretta collapsed.
I do not mean that he fell, though how his legs held him up I shall never know. But his face and his body sagged, and the airs which he had put on fell away as a cloak falls away, when the fastening about the shoulders has been released. A hand went up, as though to cover his mouth.
Mansel indicated a chair.
“Be seated,” he said.
Biretta swayed to the chair and sat down on its edge. He was breathing hard, and his face was shining with sweat.
Mansel stepped to the table behind which George was sitting, pencil in hand.
Then he spoke in German.
“The notes of the interview,” he said.
George gave him the notes we had made of his conversation with Cain just six days ago.
Mansel returned to Biretta.
“Mr Cain,” he said, “insists that he had nothing to do with – a certain affair.”
“A – a certain affair?” said Biretta.
“Major Bowshot’s attempted murder.”
Biretta wiped the sweat from his face.
“I will read you his words,” said Mansel. “‘The first that I knew of this business was when a wire signed WENSLEY was brought to me the Saturday before last. Biretta, my partner, was cruising. I sent for his managing clerk and asked what it meant. Then the whole story came out. I was inexpressibly shocked–’”
“It’s a filthy lie,” mouthed Biretta.
Mansel shrugged his shoulders.
“That remains to be seen,” he said, coldly. “Mr Cain was most definite. He has made and signed a statement to that effect.”
“May I see it?” said Biretta.
Mansel shook his head.
“That would not be in order. But he made it perfectly clear that, had you been available, he would never have come; but that, since you were not available–”
“I saw him off at Croydon – if that’s any good.”
Mansel looked at him sharply.
“But Duke Saul is your client?”
“He’s just as much Cain’s.”
“But Mr Cain said–”
“I don’t care what he said. He’s a filthy liar, I tell you.’’
Mansel held up a hand.
“Restrain yourself, please. And listen. I first saw Mr Cain the day before yesterday. When he declared that he was deputizing for you, I said, that since you were not here to speak for yourself, I could not accept that plea: that I knew nothing of partners or partnership: that he was here on the spot and that he was deeply involved in a very serious crime. He then said this – that if I would postpone his arrest, he would telegraph to you and ask you to come. I confess I thought it unlikely that you would do as he asked. However, it seems that he was successful.”
Biretta’s face was working; his eyes were like slits.
Mansel proceeded, calmly.
“Unhappily, I had to order his arrest the following day. I will tell you why. A document came into my hands. This document satisfied me that some of the statements which Mr Cain had made were not in accordance with truth. This rendered the whole statement suspect, for, if what can be checked is untrue, how can we believe what we are unable to check?”
Biretta moistened his lips.
“You mean you don’t believe that he wasn’t in this business up to the neck?”
“I do not say that. I say only that I am not satisfied that Mr Cain is as innocent as he makes out.”
Biretta mopped his face.
“D’you want me to make a statement?”
“That, Mr Biretta, will be a matter for you. But first, if you please, I have some more questions to ask. A Mr Forecast, I think, is in your employ.”
Biretta swallowed.
“My firm was in touch with him.”
“Please do not mistake my meaning. I said ‘your employ.’ Mr Cain–”
Biretta sprang to his feet.
“For God’s sake get this,” he cried. “Cain is trying to climb out of this on my back. The Duke was our client, and Forecast was in our employ. I don’t deny that I knew what was going on. I did. I knew everything. But this I will say, and that is that Cain took the lead. That is why, ten days ago, he came out instead of me. And now that he’s in deep water…” With trembling hands, he dragged out a pocket-book and plucked forth a telegram. “Read that,” he said, wildly. “Read that.” Mansel took it out of his hand. “That is his lying enticement to make me come out. Everything satisfactorily arranged…we can return together at end of week. He doesn’t say Come out and face the music with me.” His voice rose to a scream. “He’s a treacherous hound, I tell you. And if you hadn’t arrested him, he would have been over the frontier before I’d even arrived.”
“I think, perhaps,” said Mansel, “that that was in his mind. But, unknown to Mr Cain, I saw this telegram as soon as it had been dispatched. I found its wording suspicious. And from then, until he was arrested, his movements were watched. But that is by the way. Duke Saul of Varvic is also under arrest.”
There was a moment’s silence. Then–
“Has – has he made a statement?” said Biretta.
“No. He preserves complete silence. But Mr Cain, by his statement, has indicate
d his Highness as, what I will call, the prime mover in this most serious affair.”
Biretta said nothing.
Mansel leaned forward.
“He says, shortly, that early this summer, the Duke instructed you to arrange that Major Bowshot should meet with a violent end.”
Biretta wiped the sweat from his face. I observed that his head was moving, against his will.
Mansel continued quietly.
“Everyone knows that abnormal clients do give abnormal instructions. But what I could not understand was why you carried them out. I told Mr Cain as much. He replied that he could not answer for you” – Biretta stiffened – “but that he could only suppose that the Duke was to pay very well. I pointed out at once that you must have had some more powerful inducement than that: but he said that, if you had, he had no idea what it was. Now at the very time that Mr Cain was making this statement, unknown to him, his luggage was being searched. And there a paper was found – a paper which, I fear, Mr Cain had hoped to conceal.”
Here Mansel spoke in German to George; and George picked up and brought him the copy of Forecast’s instructions which we had made.
Mansel returned to Biretta.
“This is a copy of that paper – that is to say, of the document to which I referred just now.”
He held it out for inspection. And Biretta peered at it, and then averted his eyes.
“Now when I had considered this paper, two things became clear. The first was that, as I have said, some of Mr Cain’s statement was clearly untrue. And the second was that my instinct had not been at fault – that you had had some powerful inducement to carry out the instructions which you had received from the Duke. That inducement, it seemed, was this – that, quite apart from the Duke, you were only too anxious that Major Bowshot should die.”
“ I – I can’t accept that,” said Biretta.
“Can’t you? Listen to this. In all your dealings with the Duke, never lose sight of the fact that what we must have is proof of Bowshot’s death. That is all you are after. But he must not realize this, for, if he were to, he would wash his hands of the matter. He must be made to believe that we are acting solely in his interests. In fact, we are using him.”
With a manifest effort Biretta controlled his voice.
“As Major Bowshot’s solicitors, it was obviously desirable that we should be in a position to prove his death.”
“Convenient, desirable or – vital, Mr Biretta?”
“I – I said ‘desirable.’”
Mansel’s hand shot out.
“So ‘desirable’ that this man Forecast was to go to the length of producing some other corpse…which he had previously furnished with Major Bowshot’s name and address.”
Biretta made no reply. The involuntary movement of his head became more pronounced.
Mansel continued mercilessly.
“When I had read these instructions, I ordered your partner’s arrest. But that was not all I did. I sent for Mr Forecast and had a conversation with him. And he, too, has signed a statement.”
Biretta looked up.
“D’you know Forecast’s record?” he said.
“Not yet,” said Mansel. “I expect to receive it quite soon. But that is beside the point. His statement is not without interest. I’ll tell you why.
“When Mr Forecast was instructed to leave for Austria to search for the corpse of a recently murdered man, he did not fancy the task. More. It seemed to him, shall we say, a work of supererogation; and, before he undertook it, he felt that he should know why he was asked to do such a thing. And so he inquired…and was told…by Miss Bauchen, your confidential clerk.”
Biretta turned green in the face, made a hideous, gobbling noise, clawed at the air and slid to the ground in a faint.
Mansel loosened his collar, and George poured out some water and dashed it into his face. When he came to, they helped him on to a sofa and gave him a brandy and soda – half and half. But though that revived his flesh, his spirit was down and out: and when presently Mansel asked if he still wished to make a statement—
“You’ll have to help me,” he whimpered. “I’m not myself.”
“Listen, Mr Biretta. I do not advise you to make one, unless you tell the whole of the truth. I wish to be frank with you. Mr Cain’s statement will do him more harm than good.”
“I’m glad of that,” said Biretta, miserably.
“But that is not as it should be. A statement should do its maker more good than harm. And so, in my experience, it always does – provided that the statement discloses the whole of the truth.”
A gleam of hope slid into Biretta’s eyes.
“May I ask,” he faltered, “may I ask what you mean by that?”
“I can make no promises,” said Mansel. “But at present, at any rate, you are not under arrest. That is because so far, to the best of my belief, you have not told me a lie. And if we are satisfied with your statement, and if you give certain undertakings, it may – I do not say it will – but it may serve our purpose better not to put you under arrest. We have the Duke of Varvic and Mr Cain. The others are at our disposal. If the statement you make comes up to our expectations, that may, or may not, suffice – so far as you are concerned.”
Biretta drained his glass.
“Tell me where to begin,” he said…
I will not set out the statement, which took a long time to take down, for it said almost exactly what we had come to believe.
By his father’s Will, Worsted and Co. had held Bowshot’s fortune in Trust. The greater part of this they had stolen away, reserving a very small portion with which to pay the true income for several years. Then Bowshot had spoken of Beehive… And then it had come to their knowledge that this very autumn Beehive would come to be sold. It was when they were at their wits’ end that Saul had approached them and requested them to arrange that Bowshot should die…
George took the statement down. When it was finished Mansel gave it to Biretta and bade him read it through. When he had done so, he asked him if it was correct. Biretta said that it was.
“Then kindly initial each page.” Biretta did so. “Now write at the foot these words – I have read the above statement through and have found it correct.” Biretta did so. “And now your signature.” Biretta signed his name.
Mansel glanced at his writing and handed the statement to George. Then he returned to Biretta.
“And now may I have your passport?”
Without a word of protest, Biretta yielded it up.
Mansel glanced at this and gave it to George.
Then he looked at his watch.
“You are now at liberty to go to Latchet,” he said.
Biretta stared.
“But I thought this was Latchet,” he said.
“This is District Headquarters,” said Mansel. “Latchet is several miles distant. The plain-clothes men who brought you will take you there.” There he nodded to George, who left the room. “But I must make this request – that you will not abuse this licence, that you will not quit the inn without letting me know.”
“That is understood,” said Biretta, and got to his feet. “But I trust you will see your way to – er – to…”
“Mr Biretta,” said Mansel, “I have already said that I can make no promises. It would not be right. But that you have made a full statement is in your favour. Had Mr Cain done the same, I do not think he would now be under arrest.”
Biretta bowed.
Then—
“Is there any question,” he said, “of Cain’s being let out on bail?”
“Not at present,” said Mansel, gravely. “Should he be released on bail, I will let you know. But if you would like to see him–”
“No, no,” cried Biretta, recoiling. “On no account. It would only lead to unpleasantness.” He swallowed. “I feel very strongly about it. If I knew he was coming to Latchet, I should prefer to leave before he arrived.”
“I will bear that in mind,�
� said Mansel.
“If you would,” said Biretta, blinking.
Here George re-entered the room.
Mansel asked him in German whether the car was without. George ventured to say “Jawohl” and held open the door.
“Then, Mr Biretta,” said Mansel, “ I will bid you good day.”
Biretta bowed.
“Er, when,” he faltered, “may I expect to hear from you?”
“In a few days’ time,” said Mansel. “Till then, as I say, I must ask you to stay at the inn.”
“Quite so,” said Biretta, thoughtfully. “Any way, you have my passport.”
“Yes.”
Biretta moistened his lips. He seemed to be steeling himself to say something else. But Mansel nodded to George, who touched the man on the arm.
Biretta started violently.
Then—
“Er – quite so,” he said…
With bolting eyes, he turned and passed out of the room…out of the hall and once more into the Rolls.
As the car stole down the drive, I bent my head and threw a leg over the sill.
Mansel and George were busy with the statement.
“Write Witnessed by,” said Mansel, “and then sign your name and put your London address.”
“You first,” said George. “You led the horse to the water and made him drink. But why on earth did he do it? He’s damned well scuttled himself.”
“Demoralization,” said Mansel, appending his signature. “The moment I saw him I thought we ought to get home. So, as you observed, I kept hitting him over the heart. And the Bauchen punch finished him. Of course he had a great fall directly he entered this room. He’d assumed that the Rolls was from Varvic – that Saul had sent two of his chauffeurs and one of his cars to carry Biretta the Great to where he was going to lodge. That had made him feel pretty good. And then he realized that the car had been sent by the police… That brought him down with a run. And then he was glad of a chance to get back on Cain.” He passed the statement to George and laid down his pen. “And that is the end of Worsteds. At least, it will be the end, when that confession is read at Scotland Yard. And by the way, it has got to be safe in Salzburg to-morrow at nine o’clock. I think the Banks open then. To keep it here would be foolish, for we’ve nowhere to lock it up: and if Cain did blow into Latchet – well, he’d burn this house over our heads to get it back.”
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