The First Sexton Blake

Home > Nonfiction > The First Sexton Blake > Page 21
The First Sexton Blake Page 21

by AnonYMous


  It was a challenge bat, with a silver shield let in above the splice.

  “Be careful with that bat! I prize it!” said Harry, coming forward. “It is a trophy of my Oxford days.”

  “A most interesting one!” said Blake drily, as he examined the shield and the back of the splicing through his lens, and walked over to the table in the window.

  “Most interesting!” he repeated. And then, with a sudden pressure of his thumb on the shield, and a deft movement of both wrists, he lifted the handle clean away from the blade, and, turning the latter upside-down, shook out a shower of pearls onto the table.

  For a moment there was a dead silence that was broken by a low wail from the girl, who had shrank away from her husband’s side, and was looking at him wildly with dazed, horror-stricken eyes.

  “As I thought,” said the lawyer, in a soft, unctuous tone.

  “It is a plant!” said Harry passionately. “I did not even know the bat was made like that! Someone has had it done! I swear it! It was not like that when I used it last! I made a century off it! It would have splintered into forty pieces ax the first hit! It is a foul conspiracy!”

  “Heroics and humbug will hardly serve you at this stage!” snapped the lawyer. “I shall formally charge him, Mr. Blake!”

  “What with?” said Blake drily. “In the absence of any will, the stones are his own property.”

  The lawyer went White as paper.

  Blake watched him narrowly. The lawyer took up the bat and peered into the hollow.

  “There is a document in there,” he said in a shrill, excited tone.

  Blake took the bat from him, and with the aid of a dagger-like paper-knife on the table, drew out, after some skilful probing, a single sheet of parchment.

  It was the last will and testament of Joshua Flinders, and, in some fifteen lines, devised the estate in the manner the lawyer had already described.

  “This puts a different complexion on the matter,” said Blake, as he pocketed the will and tucked the bat under his arm.

  “You still persist in the charge, Mr. Flinders?”

  “More than ever!” snapped the lawyer, with an air of sardonic satisfaction.

  “In that case,” said Blake, looking hard at Harry Flinders, “I must acquaint the police, and you had better come along with me at once. I will see you at three o’clock, and report in your office, Mr. Flinders.”

  “At three,” said the lawyer.

  Marion followed Sexton Blake and her husband to the waiting taxi.

  “I am coming with you!” she said determinedly.

  “It is the one thing I wanted to ask you to do,” said Blake, as he handed her in, waving her husband to follow. Then, whispering an order to the chauffeur, he climbed in himself.

  * * * * *

  It was exactly three o’clock when Blake, accompanied by a police inspector, was shown into Mr. Septimus Flinders’ room in Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

  “You are punctual,” began the lawyer, with an unctuous smile, that faded into an expression of fear and wrath as he perceived behind the inspector the forms of Harry and his bride.

  “What is the meaning of this?” he cried, starting to ibis feet.

  “It means,” said Blake coolly, “that you are to be arrested for conspiracy and attempted fraud.”

  “You’re mad!” snarled the lawyer, coolly seating himself.

  “Your mistake,” said Blake sweetly; “you shall judge. I suspected you from the first. You made your case too obvious. But you forgot to control your features in your cousin’s room. I was watching your eyes in this mirror in my link. They blazed on the bat. It was as though you told me in so many words that the pearls and the will were there. But on the bat, as on the parchment, I found in three distinct places the trace of your thumb. I traced the workmanship and hollowing of the bat to Kitson, in Red Lion Street, and he identified you as his customer.

  “I also traced the chemicals you used on the will to efface the codicil to your purpose. It may interest you still further to know that by the use of other chemicals we have restored the codicil intact, and are ready to prove that it revokes your interest, and leaves all jointly to Harry and his wife, whom it appoints sole executors. That is the case against you, and I don’t think, with all your cleverness, you will squeeze out of it. Take him outside, inspector, before he faints.”

  Wildside Press’s MEGAPACK® Ebook Series

  If you enjoyed this ebook, check out more volumes in Wildside Press’s great MEGAPACK® series…more than 300 in all!

  THE GOLDEN AGE OF SCIENCE FICTION

  1. Winston K. Marks

  2. Mark Clifton

  3. Poul Anderson

  4. Clifford D. Simak

  5. Lester del Rey (vol. 1)

  6. Charles L. Fontenay

  7. H.B. Fyfe (vol. 1)

  8. Milton Lesser (Stephen Marlowe)

  9. Dave Dryfoos

  10. Carl Jacobi

  11. F.L. Wallace

  12. David H. Keller, M.D.

  13. Lester del Rey (vol. 2)

  14. Charles De Vet

  15. H.B Fyfe (vol. 2)

  16. William C. Gault

  17. Alan E. Nourse

  18. Jerome Bixby

  19. Charles De Vet (Vo. 2)

  20. Evelyn E. Smith

  21. Edward Wellen

  22. Robert Moore Williams

  23. Richard Wilson

  24. H.B. Fyfe (vol. 3)

  25. Raymond Z. Gallun

  26. Homer Eon Flint

  27. Stanley G. Weinbaum

  28. Edward Wellen

  29. Katherine MacLean

  30. Roger Dee

  31. Sam Merwin

  32. Frederik Pohl

  33. Kris Neville

  34. C.M. Kornbluth

  35. Keith Laumer

  36. George O. Smith

  37. John W. Campbell, Jr. (Vol. 1)

  38 Chester S. Geier

  39. John W. Campbell, Jr. (Vol. 2)

  40. Robert F. Young (Vol. 1)

  41. P. Schuyler Miller (Vol. 1)

  ROMANCE

  The Nurse Novel MEGAPACK®

  THE NOVELLA SERIES

  1. The Adventure Novella MEGAPACK®

  2. The Mystery & Suspense Novella MEGAPACK®

  THE GOLDEN AGE OF WEIRD FICTION SERIES

  1. Henry S. Whitehead

  2. George T. Wetzel

  3. Emil Petaja

  4. Nictzin Dyalhis

  5. David H. Keller

  6. Clark Ashton Smith

  7. Manly Banister

  8. Frank Belknap Long (Vol. 1)

  9. Frank Belknap Long (Vol. 2)

  10. Carl Jacobi

  11. E. Hoffmann Price

  SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

  The First Science Fiction Novel MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Science Fiction Novel MEGAPACK®

  The First Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The Third Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The Fourth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The Fifth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The Sixth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The Seventh Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The Eighth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The Ninth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The 10th Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The 11th Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The 12th Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The 13th Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The A. Merritt MEGAPACK®*

  The A.R. Morlan MEGAPACK®

  The Alien MEGAPACK®

  The Ardath Mayhar MEGAPACK®
>
  The Second Ardath Mayhar MEGAPACK®

  The Avram Davidson Science Fiction & Fantasy MEGAPACK®

  The King Arthur MEGAPACK®

  The Andre Norton MEGAPACK®

  The C.J. Henderson MEGAPACK®

  The Charles Dickens Christmas MEGAPACK®

  The Comic Science Fiction Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Darrell Schweitzer MEGAPACK®

  The Dragon MEGAPACK®

  The E. E. “Doc” Smith MEGAPACK®

  The E. Nesbit MEGAPACK®

  The Edgar Pangborn MEGAPACK®

  The Edmond Hamilton MEGAPACK®

  The Edward Bellamy MEGAPACK®

  The Phyllis Ann Karr Fanciers & Realizers MEGAPACK®

  The First Reginald Bretnor MEGAPACK®

  The First Theodore Cogswell MEGAPACK®

  The First Kothar the Barbarian MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Kothar the Barbarian MEGAPACK®

  The Frank Belknap Long Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Frank Belknap Long Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The Third Frank Belknap Long Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Frank Belknap Long Science Fiction Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Fred M. White Disaster MEGAPACK®

  The Fredric Brown MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Fredric Brown MEGAPACK®

  The Fritz Leiber MEGAPACK®

  > The Second Fritz Leiber MEGAPACK®

  The Gismo Complete Series MEGAPACK®, by Keo Felker Lazarus

  The H. Beam Piper MEGAPACK®

  The Jack London Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Jack Sharkey MEGAPACK®

  The Lawrence Watt-Evans Fantasy MEGAPACK®

  The Lloyd Biggle, Jr. MEGAPACK®

  The Lost Worlds MEGAPACK®

  The Mack Reynolds MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Mack Reynolds MEGAPACK®

  >The Third Mack Reynolds MEGAPACK®

  The Mad Scientist MEGAPACK®

  The Martian MEGAPACK®

  The Milton A. Rothman Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Miss Pickerell MEGAPACK®

  The First Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®

  >The Third Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®

  >The Fourth Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®

  The Olaf Stapledon MEGAPACK®**

  The P. Schuyler Miller Science Fiction & Fantasy MEGAPACK®

  The Philip K. Dick MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Philip K. Dick MEGAPACK®

  The Plague, Pestilence, & Apocalypse MEGAPACK®

  The Pulp Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Randall Garrett MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Randall Garrett MEGAPACK®

  The R.A. Lafferty Fantastic MEGAPACK®

  The Ray Cummings MEGAPACK®

  The Richard M. Elam Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The First Richard Wilson MEGAPACK®

  The Robert Sheckley MEGAPACK®

  The Robert Silverberg MEGAPACK®

  The Robot MEGAPACK®

  The Science-Fantasy MEGAPACK®

  The Science-Fantasy Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Science Fiction Crime MEGAPACK®

  The Sydney J. Van Scyoc Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Space Opera MEGAPACK®

  The Space Patrol MEGAPACK®, by Eando Binder

  >The Second Space Patrol MEGAPACK®, by Eando Binder

  The Steampunk MEGAPACK®

  The Stephen Vincent Benét MEGAPACK®

  Thomas A. Easton’s GMO Future MEGAPACK®

  Thomas A. Easton’s Love Songs and UFOs MEGAPACK®

  The Time Travel MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Time Travel MEGAPACK®

  >The Third Time Travel MEGAPACK®

  >The Fourth Time Travel MEGAPACK®

  Thomas A. Easton’s GMO Future MEGAPACK®

  Thomas A. Easton’s Love Songs and UFOs MEGAPACK®

  The Utopia MEGAPACK®

  The Willam P. McGivern Fantasy MEGAPACK®

  The First Willam P. McGivern Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Willam P. McGivern Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The William Hope Hodgson MEGAPACK®

  The Wizard of Oz MEGAPACK®

  The Zanthodon MEGAPACK®, by Lin Carter

  WESTERN

  The Andy Adams Western MEGAPACK®

  The B.M. Bower MEGAPACK®

  The Max Brand MEGAPACK®

  The Buffalo Bill MEGAPACK®

  The Burt Arthur Western MEGAPACK®

  The Charles Alden Seltzer MEGAPACK®

  The Cowboy MEGAPACK®

  E. Hoffmann Price’s Western & War Action MEGAPACK®

  The Edgar Rice Burroughs Western MEGAPACK®*

  The George W. Ogden Western MEGAPACK®

  The Leslie Ernenwein Western MEGAPACK®

  The Lon Williams Weird Western MEGAPACK® The Western MEGAPACK®

  > The Second Western MEGAPACK®

  > The Third Western MEGAPACK®

  The Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  > The 2nd Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  > The 3rd Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  > The 4th Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  > The 5th Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  > The 6th Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  > The 7th Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  > The 8th Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  > The 9th Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  > The 10th Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Western Romance MEGAPACK®

  The Zane Grey MEGAPACK®

  CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULT

  The Biff Norris MEGAPACK®

  The Bobbsey Twins MEGAPACK®

  The Boy Scouts MEGAPACK®

  The Boy Detectives MEGAPACK®

  The Boys’ Adventure MEGAPACK®

  The Bryce Walton Boys’ Adventure MEGAPACK®

  The Children’s Christmas Story MEGAPACK®

  The Dan Carter, Cub Scout MEGAPACK®

  The Dare Boys MEGAPACK®

  The Dave Dawson War Adventure MEGAPACK®

  The Doll Story MEGAPACK®

  The G.A. Henty MEGAPACK®

  The Girl Detectives MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Girl Detectives MEGAPACK®

  >The Third Girl Detectives MEGAPACK®

  The Gismo Complete Series MEGAPACK®, by Keo Felker Lazarus

  The Horatio Alger MEGAPACK®

  The Miss Pickerell MEGAPACK®

  The E. Nesbit MEGAPACK®

  The Penny Parker MEGAPACK®

  The Pinocchio MEGAPACK®

  The Richard M. Elam Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Rover Boys MEGAPACK®

  The Sandy Steele MEGAPACK®

  The Carolyn Wells MEGAPACK®

  > The Second Carolyn Wells MEGAPACK®

  The Sky Detectives MEGAPACK®

  The Space Patrol MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Space Patrol MEGAPACK®

  The Tahara, Boy Adventurer MEGAPACK ®

  The Tom Corbett, Space Cadet MEGAPACK®

  The Tom Swift MEGAPACK®

  The Wizard of Oz MEGAPACK®

  The Young Adult Award-Winners MEGAPACK®

  The Young Adult Mystery MEGAPACK®

  SINGLE-AUTHOR

  The A. Merritt MEGAPACK®*

  The A.R. Morlan MEGAPACK®

  The Achmed Abdullah MEGAPACK®

  The Algernon Blackwood MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Algernon Blackwood MEGAPACK®

  The Anatole France MEGAPACK®

  The Andre N
orton MEGAPACK®

  The Anna Katharine Green MEGAPACK®

  The Ardath Mayhar MEGAPACK®

  The Arthur Conan Doyle MEGAPACK®: Beyond Sherlock Holmes

  The Arthur Conan Doyle Early Novels MEGAPACK®

  The Arthur Leo Zagat Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Arthur Machen MEGAPACK®**

  The Arthur Morrison Mystery MEGAPACK®

  The Avram Davidson Science Fiction & Fantasy MEGAPACK®

  The B.M. Bower MEGAPACK®

  The Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson MEGAPACK®

  The Bram Stoker MEGAPACK®

  The Burt Arthur Western MEGAPACK®

  The C.J. Henderson MEGAPACK®

  The Charles Alden Seltzer MEGAPACK®

  The Charles Dickens Christmas MEGAPACK®

  The Darrell Schweitzer MEGAPACK®

  The Dashiell Hammett MEGAPACK®

  The E. Hoffmann Price Spicy Story MEGAPACK®

  The E. Nesbit MEGAPACK®

  The E.F. Benson MEGAPACK®

  >The Second E.F. Benson MEGAPACK®

  E. Hoffmann Price’s Exotic Adventures MEGAPACK®

  E. Hoffman Price’s Fables of Ismeddin MEGAPACK®

  E. Hoffmann Price’s Pierre d’Artois: Occult Detective & Associates MEGAPACK®

  E. Hoffmann Price’s Spicy Adventure MEGAPACK®

  E. Hoffman Price’s Two-Fisted Detective MEGAPACK®

  E. Hoffmann Price’s Western & War Action MEGAPACK®

  The Edmond Hamilton MEGAPACK®

  The Edgar Pangborn MEGAPACK®

  The Edward Bellamy MEGAPACK®

  The Erckmann-Chatrian MEGAPACK®

  The F. Scott Fitzgerald MEGAPACK®

  The First R. Austin Freeman MEGAPACK®

  The First Reginald Bretnor MEGAPACK®

  The First William P. McGivern Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Fred M. White Disaster MEGAPACK®

  The Frederick Douglass MEGAPACK®

  The Fredric Brown MEGAPACK®

  >The Second Fredric Brown MEGAPACK®

  The George Barr McCutcheon MEGAPACK®

  The Guy de Maupassant MEGAPACK®

  The H. Beam Piper MEGAPACK®

  The H. Bedford-Jones Pulp Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Harold Lamb MEGAPACK®

  The Henri Bergson MEGAPACK®

  The Jacques Futrelle MEGAPACK®

  The James Michael Ullman Crime Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Jane Austen MEGAPACK®

  The John Maclay MEGAPACK®

  The Johnston McCulley Mystery MEGAPACK®

  The Jonas Lie MEGAPACK®

  The Katherine Mansfield MEGAPACK®

 

‹ Prev