“You saw one of his extortion-notes?’ Marcsaid.
“Not right then. When I figured out what hewas tellin’ me, I got so scared I started to shake. I told him he’dget caught, an’ go to jail – an’ I might haveta go with him. Whenhe wouldn’t listen about that, I told him it was a dangerousbusiness. I said one of them bigwigs or his henchman could hangaround till he grabbed the money an’ do him some real harm, maybeeven kill him.”
“But he ignored your warning?” Marc said.
“He laughed again. He said one of themdonkeys’d already threatened to kill him if he didn’t stop, an’ heshowed me the paper to prove it.”
Marc went very still, and heard the intake ofCobb’s breath. “Go on, Nestor,” he said quietly.
“I read it. It was a death-threat alright,and it sounded serious.”
“Was it signed?”
“Oh, no. But the writin’ was prettyfancy.”
“Had this person discovered who theblackmailer was?”
“Oh, no, nothin’ like that. The promise tokill him was written out on the back of one of Albert’s own notes,the ones he used to make sure they’d keep on payin’. It comewrapped up with the money.”
“In that case,” Marc said, glancing at Cobb,who also understood the significance of this startling revelation,“the name of the person making the threat would likely appear onthat side of the note as the addressee, wouldn’t it?”
Nestor looked abashed. “I did have a peek atthat part ‘cause I recollect bein’ curious about how Albert managedto scare these people into shellin’ out their money.”
“And?”
“And I can’t remember which of the bigwigs itwas addressed to.”
“Jesus, Nestor. What’s the matter with you?”Cobb yelled, causing Nestor to jump and nearly tumble off the cot.“This fella’s gotta be the bastard who did yer cousin in! An’ yousit there an’ tell us you can’t remember his name!”
Nestor sobbed, and put his head in his hands.“I already tried to, Cobb. I thunk about it fer two awful weeks outthere in the bush. But I was drunk that night, an’ Albert snatchedthe paper back before I could do much but give it a quick peek. Itell ya, I just can’t remember.”
“If you thought Albert was in mortal danger,”Marc said, hiding his disappointment, “what did you do the nextmorning? Did you threaten to go to the police?”
“When we sobered up, I begged him to give themoney back an’ maybe everything’d be okay. He laughed in my face. Iasked him where he’d hid the money, an’ he laughed again. He saidhe’d just got a couple of new fish on the line, an’ things werelookin’ up. An’ he left. And I never saw him again till he got hisskull crushed there in the alley.”
“But you didn’t come to me, did ya?”Cobb said.
“I was goin’ to, honest, Cobb. I searchedeverywhere in the house fer the loot, but couldn’t find it: Ifigured if I got the money an’ hid it myself, I could talk somesense inta him. Then I went to The Sailor’s Arms. Mrs. Budge wantedsome furniture moved. I couldn’t let her down, could I? Then Istayed to help out in the bar. An’ then it was all too late.”Nestor couldn’t continue. His sobs were piteous and loud – bringingDora into the room with a frown on her face.
“You been abusin’ my patient, MisterCobb?”
Cobb sighed. “He’s beyond abusin’.”
“You get some rest now, Nestor,” Marc said.“You’ve been a big help.”
“He has?”
“Yes,” Marc said. “He’s given me enoughinformation to ensure that Brodie Langford is acquitted onMonday.”
***
Marc explained it all to Beth over a late supper.They were alone. Charlene had tucked Maggie into her crib and thengone off with Jasper Hogg to a card party at McNair’s house.
“What Nestor gave us, luv, is proof positivethat Duggan was a persistent blackmailer, and that the initials andnotations on his secret list – still in my possession – can berelated unequivocally to our five ‘possibles.’ What’s more, Nestorknows how Duggan obtained the information he used to extort moneyand how he set up his scheme. Since it jibes in every respect withthe modus operandi used on Brodie, there is no question butthat Duggan is the sole blackmailer in each instance.”
“Slow down an’ eat a little,” Beth said.“You’re so excited you’ll be burnt down to the wick by Mondaymornin’.”
“Of course I’m excited. My tactics willstrike that courtroom like a thunderclap! I now have the proofs Ineed to justify unleashing my alternative-theory defense. I’ll beable to ask Sir Peregrine and the others point blank whether theywere being blackmailed. If they lie or evade, I’ll threaten themwith proofs and a witness to substantiate them. Then I’ll lay outexactly how each of them had the means and opportunity to ridhimself of a ruthless extortionist. Thornton will howl, but whenthe judge sees Nestor’s affidavit and Duggan’s target-list, he’llhave no choice but to allow me to proceed.”
“You aren’t gonna reveal them secrets, areyou?”
“I don’t see why I’ll need to. However, theywill have to appear in Nestor’s statement, at least those he hasindependent knowledge of.”
“He don’t know about Budge and Etta, does he?But I wouldn’t want the world knowin’ about Diana’s baby or poorHorace Fullarton.”
“I don’t either. Jurors are sworn to secrecy,of course. Even so, I may not, if I’m persuasive enough, have toenter Nestor’s affidavit as evidence, and I’m certainly hoping I’llnot have to put him on the stand. My hope is to be able to use hisstatement to persuade the judge to let me question the ‘possibles’vigorously, and suggest that one of them was just as likely to havecommitted the crime.”
“I see. An’ have you told Nestor you’re gonnamake his talk with you into an affidavit?”
“Not yet.”
“Does he know you might have to call him as awitness?”
“I’m going to tell him tomorrow, when he’sstrong enough to accompany me to the magistrate.”
“What’s gonna stop him from takin’ offagain?”
Marc smiled. “Dora,” he said.
“So, who are you gonna call up first?”
“Budge, then Crenshaw. They’re the two primecandidates. Then Shuttleworth, if I have to. I’ll play it by earfrom that point on.”
Beth sipped the last of her lukewarm tea. “Itstill sounds brutal to me. I wish there was another way.”
“So do I, luv.”
“Oh, by the way, I almost forgot. A messagecome fer you a while ago from Robert. He’s not goin’ up to Spadinauntil noon tomorrow. He says he’ll be happy to see you atnine-thirty in the mornin’.”
“Wonderful! I’ve now got something worthrunning by him.”
“Impressin’ him, ya mean,” Beth said, andsmiled.
***
To Marc’s surprise, a maid emerged from the frontdoor of Baldwin House to intercept him and direct him next door toFrancis Hincks’ place.
“They’re waitin’ fer ya in the library,” shesaid, and hurried back in, out of the cold Saturday sunshine.
Odd, Marc thought, their meeting over there.And who were “they”? A few moments later, he was shown into theHincks’ library – a cozy, book-lined room, where, seated along oneside of a sturdy, oak table were Robert, Dr. Baldwin and Hinckshimself. The door closed discreetly behind him.
“Come on in, Marc,” Robert said. “Have aseat. We’ve got something very important to discuss.”
Marc sat down, and noticed that the letteroutlining his defense strategy lay open on the table in front ofRobert.
“You received my note, then?” he said.
“I did,” Robert said. “Thanks for filling mein. I realized you showed it to me in strictest confidence, but Itook the liberty of summarizing its contents for my father andFrancis. You may rest assured that no word of it will go beyondthese walls.”
Marc was puzzled – by the serious expressionon his friends’ faces and by this extraordinary move on Robert’spart. Something very strange was going on.