XVII
A SUGGESTION
Next morning Simon Rattar was again informed that Mr. Cromarty ofStanesland wished to see him, and again the announcement seemed to beunwelcome. He was silent for several seconds before answering, and whenhe allowed Mr. Cromarty to be shown in, it was with an air whichsuggested the getting over a distasteful business as soon as possible.
"Well, Mr. Cromarty?" he grunted brusquely.
Mr. Cromarty never beat about the bush.
"I've come to see you about this scandalous story that's going round."
The lawyer glanced at the papers he had been busy with, as if toindicate that they were of more importance than scandals.
"What story?" he enquired.
"That Sir Malcolm and Miss Farmond were concerned in Sir Reginald'smurder."
There was something compelling in Ned's directness. Simon pushed asidethe papers and looked at him fixedly.
"Oh," he said. "They say that, do they?"
"Haven't you heard?"
Simon's grunt was non-committal.
"Well anyway, this derned story is going about, and something's got tobe done to stop it."
"What do you suggest?"
"Are you still working the case for all you know how?"
Simon seemed to resent this enquiry a little.
"I am the Procurator Fiscal. The police make the actual enquiries. Theyhave done everything they could."
"'They have done'? Do you mean that they have stopped looking for themurderer?"
"Certainly not. They are still enquiring; not that it is likely to bemuch further use."
There seemed to be a sardonic note in his last words that deepenedCromarty's frown and kindled his eye.
"You mean to suggest that any conclusion has been reached?"
"Nothing is absolutely certain," said Simon.
Again the accent on the "absolutely" seemed to rouse his visitor's ire.
"You believe this story, do you?"
"If I _believed_ it, I should order an arrest. I have just told younothing is absolutely certain."
"Look here," said Cromarty, "I don't want to crab SuperintendentSutherland or his men, but you want to get somebody better than them onto this job."
Though the Procurator Fiscal kept his feelings well in hand, it wasevident that this suggestion struck him more unfavourably than anythinghis visitor had said yet. He even seemed for one instant to be a littlestartled by its audacity.
"I disagree," he muttered.
"Now don't you take offence, Mr. Rattar," said Ned with a sudden smile."I'm not aiming this at you, but, hang it, you know as well as I do thatSutherland is no great shakes at detection. They are all just countrybobbies. What we want is a London detective."
Simon seemed to have recovered his equanimity during this speech. Heshook his head emphatically, but his voice was as dispassionatelybrusque as ever.
"London detective? Much over-rated people, I assure you. No use in acase of this kind."
"The very kind of case a real copper-bottomed expert would be some usein!"
"You are thinking of detectives in stories, Mr. Cromarty. The real menare no better than Sutherland--not a bit. I believe in Sutherland.Better man than he looks. Very shrewd, most painstaking. Couldn't have abetter man. Useless expense getting a man from London."
"Don't you trouble about the expense, Mr. Rattar. That can be arrangedall right. I want a first class man engaged."
The sudden glance which the lawyer shot at him, struck Ned as unusual inhis experience of Simon Rattar. He appeared to be startled again, andyet it was not mere annoyance that seemed to show for the fraction of asecond in his eye. And then the next instant the man's gaze was as coldand steady as ever. He pursed his lips and considered his answer insilence before he spoke.
"You are a member of the family, Mr. Cromarty; the actual head of it, infact, I believe."
"Going by pedigrees, I believe I am, but being a member is reason enoughfor my wanting to get daylight through this business--and seeingsomebody swing for it!"
"What if you made things worse?"
"Worse! How could they be?"
"Mr. Cromarty, I am the Procurator Fiscal in charge of this case. But Iam also lawyer and factor to the Cromarty family, and my father wasbefore me. If there was evidence enough--clear and proper evidence--toconvict any person of this crime, it would be my duty as ProcuratorFiscal to convict them. But there is no definite evidence, as you knowyourself. All we can do, if we push this matter too far, is to make afamily scandal public. Are you as the head of the Cromarty family, and Ias their factor, to do this?"
It was difficult to judge with what feelings Ned Cromarty heard thisdeliberate statement and appeal. His mouth was as hard as the lawyer'sand his eye revealed nothing.
"Then you propose to hush the thing up?"
"I said nothing about hushing up. I propose to wait till I get some_evidence_, Mr. Cromarty. It is a little difficult perhaps for a laymanto realise what evidence means, but I can tell you--and any lawyer, orany detective, would tell you--we have nothing that can be calledevidence yet."
"And you won't get any till you call in somebody a cut aboveSutherland."
"The scent is too cold by this time--"
"Who let it cool?" interrupted Ned.
For a moment the lawyer's eyes looked unpleasant.
"Every effort was made to find a clue; by yourself as well as by thepolice. And let me tell you, Mr. Cromarty, that our efforts have notbeen as fruitless as you seem to think."
"What have we discovered?"
"In the first place that there was no robbery committed and no sign ofanybody having entered the house from the outside."
Ned shook his head.
"That's a lot too strong. I believe the man _did_ come in by thewindow."
"You admit there is no proof?"
"Sure," said Ned candidly. "I quite admit there is no proof ofanything--yet."
"No robbery, no evidence of anyone having come in by the window--"
"No proof," corrected Ned. "I maintain that the window being unsnibbedand that mud on the floor and the table near the window being upset isevidence; but not proof positive."
Simon's patience had by this time become exemplary. His only wish seemedto be to convince by irresistible argument this obstinate objector. Itstruck the visitor, moreover, that in this effort the lawyer wasdisplaying a fluency not at all characteristic of silent Simon.
"Well, let us leave it at that. Suppose there be a possibility thatentry was actually made by the window. It is a bare possibility againstthe obvious and easy entrance by the door,--near which, remember, thebody was found. Then, as I have pointed out, there was no robbery, andnot a trace has been found of anybody outside that house with a motivefor the crime."
"Except me."
"Unless you care to except yourself. But neither you nor the police havefound any bad characters in the place."
"That's true enough," Ned admitted reluctantly.
"On the other hand, there were within the house two people with a verystrong motive for committing the crime."
"I deny that!" cried Ned with a sudden gleam of ferocity in his eye thatseemed to disconcert the lawyer.
"Deny it? You can scarcely deny that two young people, in love with oneanother and secretly engaged, with no money, and no chance of gettingmarried, stood to gain everything they wanted by a death that gave themfreedom to marry, a baronetcy, a thousand a year, and two thousand incash besides?"
"Damn it, Mr. Rattar, is the fact that a farmer benefits by a shower anyevidence that he has turned on the rain?"
"I have repeatedly said, Mr. Cromarty, that there is no definiteevidence to convict anybody. But nothing would have been easier thanmaking an end of Sir Reginald Cromarty, to anybody inside that housewhom he would never suspect till they struck the blow. All the necessaryconditions are fulfilled by this view of the case, whereas every otherview--every other view, mind you, Mr. Cromarty--is confronted with thesedifficult
ies:--no robbery, no definite evidence of entry, no explanationof Sir Reginald's extraordinary silence when the man appeared, no badcharacters in the neighbourhood, and, above all, no motive."
At the end of this speech Simon shut his mouth tight and leaned back inhis chair. For a moment it seemed as though Ned Cromarty was impressedby the lawyer's view of the case. But when he replied, his voice, thoughdeliberate had a fighting ring in it, and his single eye, a fightinglight.
"Then you propose to leave this young couple under the most damnablecloud of suspicion that a man and a woman could lie under--simply leave'em there, and let that be the end of it?"
Simon seemed to be divided between distaste for this way of putting thecase, and anxiety still to convince his visitor.
"I propose to avoid the painful family scandal which further disclosuresand more publicity would almost certainly bring about; so long as I amjustified as Procurator Fiscal in taking this course. And until I getmore evidence, I am not only justified but forced to take this course."
Ned suddenly jumped to his feet.
"I'm no lawyer," said he, "but to me you seem to be arguing in thedamnedest circle I ever met. You won't do anything because you can'tget more evidence. And you won't look for more evidence because youdon't want to do anything."
There was more than a hint of temper in Simon's eye and his answer wasrapped out sharply.
"I certainly do not _want_ to cause a family scandal. I haven't said allI could say about Sir Malcolm if I were pressed."
"Why not?"
"I've told you. Suspicion is not evidence, but if I do get evidence,those who will suffer by it had better beware!"
Ned turned at the door and surveyed him with a cool and caustic eye.
"That's talk," he said, "and something has got to be _done_."
He was gone, and Simon Rattar was left frowning at the closed doorbehind him. The frown remained, but became now rather thoughtful thanindignant. Then he sprang up and began to pace the floor, deliberatelyat first, and then more rapidly and with increasing agitation.
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