"Lots of advertising was done when John Mallathorpe died," replied the solicitor. "No!--if any person had had it in possession, it would have turned up then. It may be--probably is--possibly must be--somewhere--and may yet come to light. But--there's another way of getting at Pratt. Through this Parrawhite affair. Pratt most likely had not the least notion that he would ever hear of Parrawhite again. He is going to hear of Parrawhite again! I am convinced now that Parrawhite knew something about this, and that Pratt squared him and got him away. Aren't you?" he asked, turning to Byner. But Byner smiled quietly and shook his head. "No!" he answered. "I am not, Mr. Eldrick." "You're not?" exclaimed Eldrick, surprised and wondering that anybody could fail to agree with him. "Why not, then?" "Because," replied Byner. "I am certain that Pratt murdered Parrawhite on the night of November twenty-third last. That's why. He didn't square him. He didn't get him away. He killed him!" The effect of this straightforward pronouncement of opinion on the two men who heard it was strikingly different. Collingwood's face at once became cold and inscrutable; his lips fixed themselves sternly; his eyes looked hard into a problematic future. But Eldrick flushed as if a direct accusation had been levelled at himself, and he turned on the inquiry agent almost impatiently. "Murder!" he exclaimed. "Oh, come! I--really, that's rather a stiff order! I dare say Pratt's been up to all sorts of trickery, and even deviltry--but murder is quite another thing. You're pretty ready to accuse him!" Byner moved his head in Collingwood's direction--and Eldrick turned and looked anxiously at Collingwood, who, finding the eyes of both men on him, opened his hitherto tight-shut lips. "I think it quite likely!" he said. Byner laughed softly and looked at the solicitor. "Just listen to me a minute or two, Mr. Eldrick," he said. "I'll sum up my own ideas on this matter, got from the various details that have been supplied to me since I came to Barford. Just consider my points one by one. Let's take them separately--and see how they fit in. "1. Mr. Bartle is seen by his shop-boy to take a certain paper from a book which came from the late John Mallathorpe's office at Mallathorpe Mill. He puts that paper in his pocket. "2. Immediately afterwards Mr. Bartle goes to your office. Nobody is there but Pratt--as far as Pratt knows. "3. Bartle dies suddenly--after telling Pratt that the paper is John Mallathorpe's will. Pratt steals the will. And the probability is that Parrawhite, unknown to Pratt, was in that office, and saw him steal it. Why is that probable? Because-- "4. Next night Parrawhite, who is being pressed for money by Pickard, tells Pickard that he can get it out of Pratt, over whom he has a hold. What hold? We can imagine what hold. Anyway--