The Middle of Things

by J. S. Fletcher

  CHAPTER VII

  WHAT WAS THE SECRET?

  The two men who were presently ushered in were typical Colonials--big,hefty fellows as yet in early middle age, alert, evidently prosperous, iftheir attire and appointments were anything to go by, and each wasobviously deeply interested in the occasion of his visit to Mr. Pawle.Two pairs of quick eyes took in the old solicitor and his companion, andthe elder of the men came forward in a businesslike manner.

  "Mr. Pawle, I understand?" he said. "I'm Mr. Fosdick, of Melbourne,Victoria; this is my friend Mr. Stephens, same place."

  "Take a seat, Mr. Fosdick--have this chair, Mr. Stephens," responded Mr.Pawle. "You wish to see me--on business?"

  "That's so," answered Fosdick as the two men seated themselves by thesolicitor's desk. "We saw your name in the newspapers this morning inconnection with the murder of John Ashton. Now, we knew John Ashton--hewas a Melbourne man, too--and we can tell something about him. So we cameto you instead of the police. Because, Mr. Pawle, what we can tell ismaybe more a matter for a lawyer than for a policeman. It's mysterious."

  "Gentlemen," said Mr. Pawle, "I'll be frank with you. I recognized yournames as soon as my clerk announced them. Here's a cablegram which I havejust received from Melbourne--you'll see your names mentioned in it."

  The two callers bent over the cablegram, and Fosdick looked up andnodded.

  "Yes, that's right," he said. "We came over with John Ashton in the_Maraquibo_. We knew him pretty well before that--most folk in Melbournedid. But of course, we were thrown into his company on board ship rathermore than we'd ever been before. And we very much regret to hear ofwhat's happened to him."

  "You say there is something you can tell?" observed Mr. Pawle. "If it'sanything that will help to solve the mystery of this murder,--for thereis a mystery,--I shall be very glad to hear it."

  Fosdick and Stephens glanced at each other and then at Viner, who sat alittle in Mr. Pawle's rear.

  "Partner of yours?" asked Fosdick.

  "Not at all! This gentleman," replied Mr. Pawle, "is Mr. Viner. It was hewho found Ashton's dead body. They were neighbours."

  "Well, you found the body of a very worthy man, sir," remarked Fosdickgravely. "And we'd like to do something toward finding the man who killedhim. For we don't think it was this young fellow who's charged with it,nor that robbery was the motive. We think John Ashton was--removed. Putout of the way!"

  "Why, now?" asked Mr. Pawle.

  "I'll tell you," replied Fosdick. "My friend Stephens, here, is a man offew words; he credits me with more talkativeness than he'll lay claimto. So I'm to tell the tale. There mayn't be much in it, and there may bea lot. We think there's a big lot! But this is what it comes to: Ashtonwas a close man, a reserved man. However, one night, when the three of uswere having a quiet cigar in a corner of the smoking saloon in the_Maraquibo_, he opened out to us a bit. We'd been talking about gettingover to England--we'd all three emigrated, you'll understand, when wewere very young--and the talk ran on what we'd do. Fosdick and Stephens,d'ye see, were only on a visit,--which is just coming to an end, Mr.Pawle; we sail home in a day or two,--but Ashton was turning home forgood. And he said to us, in a sort of burst of confidence, that he'd haveplenty to do when he landed. He said that he was in possession--solepossession--of a most extraordinary secret, the revelation of which wouldaffect one of the first families in England, and he was going to bring itout as soon as he'd got settled down in London. Well--you may besurprised, but--that's all."

  "All you can tell?" exclaimed Mr. Pawle.

  "All! But we can see plenty in it," said Fosdick. "Our notion is thatAshton was murdered by somebody who didn't want that secret to come out.Now, you see if events don't prove we're right."

  "Gentlemen," said Mr. Pawle, "allow me to ask you a few questions."

  "Many as you please, sir," assented Fosdick. "We'll answer anything."

  "He didn't tell you what the secret was?" asked Mr. Pawle.

  "No. He said we'd know more about it in time," replied Fosdick. "Itwould possibly lead to legal proceedings, he said--in that case, it wouldbe one of the most celebrated cases ever known."

  "And romantic," added Stephens, speaking for the first time. "Romantic!That was the term he used."

  "And romantic--quite so," assented Fosdick. "Celebrated andromantic--those were the words. But in any case, he said, whether it gotto law matters or not, it couldn't fail to be in the papers, and weshould read all about it in due time."

  "And you know no more than that?" inquired Mr. Pawle.

  "Nothing!" said Fosdick with decision.

  Mr. Pawle looked at Viner as if to seek some inspiration. And Viner tookup the work of examination.

  "Do you know anything of Mr. Ashton's movements since he came toLondon?" he asked.

  "Next to nothing," replied Fosdick. "Ashton left the _Maraquibo_ atNaples, and came overland--he wanted to put in a day or two in Rome and aday or two in Paris. We came round by sea to Tilbury. Then Stephens and Iseparated--he went to see his people in Scotland, and I went to mine inLancashire. We met--Stephens and I--in London here last week. And we sawAshton for just a few minutes, down in the City."

  "Ah!" exclaimed Mr. Pawle. "You have seen him, then! Did anythinghappen?"

  "You mean relating to what he'd told _us_?" said Fosdick. "Well, no morethan I asked him sort of jokingly, how the secret was. And he said it wasjust about to come out, and we must watch the papers."

  "There was a remark he made," observed Stephens. "He said it would be ofjust as much interest, perhaps of far more, to our Colonial papers as tothe English."

  "Yes--he said that," agreed Fosdick. "He knew, you see, that we were justabout setting off home."

  "He didn't ask you to his house?" inquired Mr. Pawle.

  "That was mentioned, but we couldn't fix dates," replied Fosdick."However, we told him we were both coming over again on business, nextyear, and we'd come and see him then."

  Mr. Pawle spread out his hands with a gesture of helplessness.

  "We're as wise as ever," he exclaimed.

  "No," said Fosdick emphatically, "wiser! The man had a secret, affectingpowerful interests. Many a man's been put away for having a secret."

  Mr. Pawle put his finger-tips together and looked thoughtfully at hiselder visitor.

  "Well, there's a good deal in that," he said at last. "Now, while you'rehere, perhaps you can tell me something else about Ashton. How long haveyou known him?"

  "Ever since we were lads," answered Fosdick readily. "He was a grown man,then, though. Stephens and I are about forty--Ashton was sixty."

  "You've always known of him as a townsman of Melbourne?"

  "That's so. We were taken out there when we were about ten ortwelve--Ashton lived near where we settled down. He was a speculator inproperty--made his money in buying and selling lots."

  "Was he well known?"

  "Everybody knew Ashton."

  "Did you ever know of his having a friend named Wickham?" inquired Mr.Pawle with a side-glance at Viner. "Think carefully, now!"

  But Fosdick shook his head, and Stephens shook his.

  "Never heard the name," said Fosdick.

  "Did you ever hear Ashton mention the name!" asked Mr. Pawle.

  "Never!"

  "Never heard him mention it on board ship--when he was coming home?"

  "No--never!"

  "Well," said Mr. Pawle, "I happen to know that Ashton, some years ago,had a very particular friend named Wickham, out in Australia."

  A sudden light came into Fosdick's keen grey-blue eyes.

  "Ah," he said. "I can tell how that may be. A good many years ago, whenwe were just familiar enough with Melbourne to know certain people in it,I remember that Ashton was away up country for some time--as thatcablegram says. Most likely he knew this Wickham then. Is that theWickham mentioned there?"

  "It is," assented Mr. Pawle, "and I want to know who he was."

  "Glad to set any inquiries going for you when we get ba
ck," said Fosdick."We sail in two days."

  "Gentlemen," answered Mr. Pawle gravely, "it takes, I believe, five orsix weeks to reach Australia. By the time you get there, this unfortunatefellow Hyde, who's charged with the murder of Ashton, on evidence that isquite sufficient to satisfy an average British jury, will probably havebeen tried, convicted and hanged. No! I'm afraid we must act at once ifwe're to help him, as Mr. Viner here is very anxious to do. And there'ssomething you can do. The coroner's inquest is to be held tomorrow. Gothere and volunteer the evidence you've just told us! It mayn't do ascrap of good--but it will introduce an element of doubt into the caseagainst Hyde, and that will benefit him."

  "Tomorrow?" said Fosdick. "We'll do it. Give us the time and place. We'llbe there, Mr. Pawle. I see your point, sir--to introduce the idea thatthere's more to this than the police think."

  When the two callers had gone, Mr. Pawle turned to Viner.

  "Now, my friend," he said, "you've already sent your own solicitor toHyde, haven't you? Who is he, by the by?"

  "Felpham, of Chancery Lane," replied Viner.

  "Excellent man! Now," said Mr. Pawle, "you go to Felpham and tell himwhat these two Australians have just told us, and say that in my opinionit will be well worth while, in his client's interest, to develop theirevidence for all it's worth. That theory of Fosdick's may have a greatdeal in it. And another thing--Felpham must insist on Hyde being presentat the inquest tomorrow and giving evidence. That, I say, must be done!Hyde must make his story public as soon as possible. He must be broughtto the inquest. He'll be warned by the coroner, of course, that he's notbound to give any evidence at all, but he must go into the box and tell,on oath, all that he told you and Drillford. Now be off to Felpham andinsist on all this being done."

  Viner went away to Chancery Lane more puzzled than ever. What was thissecret affecting one of the first families in England, of which Ashtonhad told his two Melbourne friends? How was it, if legal proceedings werelikely to arise out of it, that Ashton had not told Pawle about it? Wasit possible that he had gone to some other solicitor? If so, why didn'the come forward? And what, too, was this mystery about Miss Wickham andher father? Why, as Pawle had remarked, were there no papers ordocuments, concerning her to be found anywhere? Had she anything to dowith the secret? It seemed to him that the confusion was becoming moreconfounded. But the first thing to do was to save Hyde. And he wasrelieved to see that Felpham jumped at Pawle's suggestion.

  "Good!" said Felpham. "Of course, I'll have Hyde brought up at theinquest, and he shall tell his story. And we'll save these Australianchaps until Hyde's been in the box. I do wish Hyde himself could tell usmore about that man whom he saw leaving the passage. Of course, that manis the actual murderer."

  "You think that?" asked Viner.

  "Don't doubt it for one moment--and a cool, calculating hand, too!"declared Felpham. "A man who knew what he was doing. How long do yousuppose it would take to strike the life out of a man and to snatch a fewvaluables from his clothing? Pooh! to a hand such as this evidently was,a minute. Then, he walks calmly away. And--who is he? But--we're notdoing badly."

  That, too, was Viner's impression when he walked out of the coroner'scourt next day. After having endured its close and sordid atmosphere forfour long hours, he felt, more from intuition than from anythingtangible, that things had gone well for Hyde. One fact was plain--nothingmore could be brought out against Hyde, either there, when the inquestwas resumed a week later, or before the magistrate, or before a judge andjury. Every scrap of evidence against him was produced before thecoroner: it was obvious that the police could rake up no more, unlessindeed they could prove him to have hidden Ashton's remaining valuablessomewhere which was ostensibly an impossibility. And the evidence of Hydehimself had impressed the court. Two days' rest and refreshment, even ina prison and on prison fare, had pulled him together, and he had givenhis evidence clearly and confidently. Viner had seen that people wereimpressed by it: they had been impressed, too, by the evidencevolunteered by the two Australians. And when the coroner announced thathe should adjourn the inquiry for a week, the folk who had crowded thecourt went away asking each other not if Hyde was guilty, but what wasthis secret of which Ashton had boasted the possession?

  Drillford caught Viner up as he walked down the street and smiledgrimly at him.

  "Well, you're doing your best for him, and no mistake, Mr. Viner," hesaid. "He's a lucky chap to have found such a friend!"

  "He's as innocent as I am," answered Viner. "Look here; if youpolice want to do justice, why don't you try to track the man whomHyde has told of?"

  "What clue have we?" exclaimed Drillford almost contemptuously. "A tallman in black clothes, muffled to his eyes! But I'll tell you what, Mr.Viner," he added with a grin: "as you're so confident, why don't youfind him?"

  "Perhaps I shall," said Viner, quietly.

  He meant what he said, and he was thinking deeply what might be donetowards accomplishing his desires, when, later in the afternoon, Mr.Pawle rang him up on the telephone.

  "Run down!" said Mr. Pawle cheerily. "There's a new development!"