Clayton stated that he had been Darling’s legal adviser for a number of years, that the latter had left no will, and that his personal estate, as far as could be discovered, consisted of less than five thousand dollars. From several brokers with whom Darling had been in the habit of dealing, nevertheless, Clayton had learned that he had sold bonds and securities within two months amounting to nearly a hundred thousand dollars. “It certainly looks bad, Mr. Carter, deucedly bad,” he added gravely, after stating these facts. “Though I have not yet mentioned it to Mrs. Darling, I can form only one theory consistent with the circumstances, and that is not entirely consistent.” “What is your theory?” Nick inquired. “I think Mr. Darling was murdered.” “By whom?” “I have no idea, not the slightest.” “Do you know of any persons with whom he has had business relations, who might have committed the crime?” “I do not. I am entirely in the dark.” “How would you account for the letter stating his suicidal intention? That was found in his wife’s bedroom.” “It may be a forgery.” “Put in the bedroom by some one else?” “Exactly.” “That would have been possible, perhaps, if a conspiracy existed,” Nick allowed tentatively. “Conspiracy--that’s just the word,” said the lawyer. “I think that Cyrus Darling was the victim of a dastardly conspiracy, Nick, carried out with infernal cleverness.” “And that his fortune was the incentive to the crime?” “Precisely,” said Clayton. “I don’t know how it was framed up, of course, nor who are involved. I do believe that Darling was terribly jockeyed in some way, however, and either persuaded, or forced, to turn all of his bonds and securities into cash. I know positively that he did so, for all of the brokers with whom he dealt are well acquainted with him and absolutely sure of his identity at the time. He certainly is the man who made the sales and received the money. There is no question about that.” “Admitting that,” said Nick; “what more do you suspect?” “I think that Darling was bunkoed out of it by some means and later lured to the boathouse and killed, the rascals covering their tracks by setting fire to the house, and contriving to leave a forged letter, pointing to suicide. Either that is the case, Nick, or else he got in wrong and lost all of his money, and then really committed suicide.” “You think either theory is tenable?” questioned Nick, smiling a bit oddly. “I do think so.” “I am going to look a little deeper into the case.” “I’m glad to hear that, Carter, on my word,” Clayton quickly declared. “No man would be more likely to ferret out the true solution of the mystery.” “There is no solution, Clayton, but the true solution,” Nick replied. “I may require some little time. Meanwhile, kindly say and do nothing about the matter, nor reveal anything that would add to Mrs. Darling’s distress. She appears to be a fine woman.”